Serenity turned around to leave, but Lucas took a quick step forward and stopped her. "Wait! You're not interrupting anything. You don't have to be in such a hurry to avoid me," he said.

Pausing for a moment, Lucas continued, "You came to see Mr. Smith about your hands, right? How are your hands doing? Are they alright? Do you still experience frequent pain?"

His tone carried unmasked concern.

"Thank you for your concern, Mr. Gomez, but I would rather discuss my hands' condition with Mr. Smit