Late at night, Celine's phone chimed softly, breaking the quiet.
It was a message from Kaylee.
The message was simple. Kaylee confirmed the time and place for their meeting tomorrow. At the end, she added:
"Miss Celine, I've already understood the general situation of Mr. Celine. I'll also talk with the doctor when we meet. I hope it will be helpful."
That kind of attention to detail warmed Celine's heart.
She replied with a "Got it, see you tomorrow." When she set her phone down, her lips curled into a small smile.
This Kaylee wasn't just professional—she carried a calm respectfulness that made people feel comfortable and at ease.
Celine couldn't help but like her even more.
—
The next morning, after a quick breakfast, Mateo had to return to his team.
He'd only taken a day and a half off, so his time was tight and he couldn't stay longer.
As he stood by the door putting on his shoes, he looked back at Celine with concern in his eyes.
"Celine, be careful with everything. That Lorenzo guy…"
"In short, if anything feels off, call me. You hear me? Don't try to handle it all by yourself!"
He frowned, as if trying to pour all his worries into his words.
Celine looked at her older fourth brother being so protective, and felt warmth in her heart. But on her face, she showed a light smile and nodded.
"Don't worry, Mateo. I know what I'm doing. I'll be careful. You go ahead now—you can't miss your return time."
Seeing how confident she sounded and how clear her eyes were, Mateo finally relaxed a bit.
Just as he was about to leave, Shenan, who had been quietly drinking his porridge, suddenly spoke up.
"Wait, Mateo."
Shenan put down his bowl and stood up. He walked over to Mateo.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a crystal core that had half its energy used. He carefully split it in half, then poured a portion into Mateo's small pouch.
"Take this." Shenan's voice was firm.
Mateo froze for a second, quickly shaking his head.
"Big bro, I can't take this. You need it too…"
"My range of activity is small. I barely use any energy."
Shenan interrupted him, pushing the crystal core into his hand with the authority of the eldest brother.
"You're out there training, doing missions. You get injured often. You use up a lot."
"And the missions are dangerous. This might save your life one day. Take it. No arguing."
Mateo held the small pouch with the crystal core inside, wanting to say something more.
"Mateo, just take it."
Celine spoke up at the right time.
"Big brother is with me. If his crystal runs low, I can refill it anytime."
"But you're far away. We don't know when we'll see you next. It's better to have more with you."
Her words made Mateo pause.
It was true—Big Brother and Celine were together, so getting crystals wouldn't be hard.
But for him… who knew when he'd be back.
"Alright… Thank you, Big Brother. Thank you, Celine."
Mateo no longer refused. He carefully packed away the crystal core.
Then he turned and left the apartment with long strides.
—
"Big Brother, let's go too."
After sending Mateo off, Celine didn't waste any time. She picked up the car keys and got ready to take Shenan to the hospital.
Because it was rush hour, the short trip ended up taking over twenty minutes.
When the car finally stopped in front of the hospital's outpatient building, a young woman wearing a light blue shirt, jeans, and sneakers quickly walked over to them.
It was Kaylee.
Compared to how she looked in the video, she seemed more lively and gentle in person. Her eyes were bright and friendly, instantly making people feel at ease.
"Celine!"
Kaylee greeted her with a warm smile. Her gaze then shifted to Shenan, who had just stepped out of the passenger seat.
A flash of surprise crossed her eyes, quickly hidden behind her professional composure.
"Good morning, Kaylee."
Celine smiled back and took out a document folder from her bag, handing it to Kaylee.
"These are my brother's ID and some of his previous medical reports. I have something urgent to take care of, so I'll leave my brother in your care."
She really did need to hurry back. Hogan was still waiting on the last batch of supplies.
Once the deal was done, she could finally relax.
Kaylee took the folder and nodded. "Don't worry, leave it to me."
"Brother, I'm going. Call me if anything comes up." Celine reminded Shenan.
Shenan nodded slightly to show he understood.
As Celine drove off quickly, Kaylee turned her attention back to the man beside her.
Before coming, Celine had warned her that her brother was a bit cold and didn't talk much to strangers, so she should be understanding.
Kaylee adjusted her mindset and broke the silence with a soft voice.
"Hello, Mr. Shenan. I'm Kaylee. I'll be the one accompanying you through all the medical checkups."
Shenan turned to look at her. His gaze paused on her face for a few seconds, as if confirming something.
His eyes were deep, steady, and sharp for someone his age.
He gave a small nod and said in a low, smooth voice, like velvet brushed against sandpaper, "Hello."
It was simple, but polite.
"You have a really nice voice."
Kaylee said it without thinking. Right after, she realized she might have overstepped a bit.
But it was her honest reaction.
His voice was calm and attractive, unexpectedly warm compared to his cold appearance.
Right after she spoke, Kaylee noticed something interesting.
The serious and distant man in front of her suddenly had a faint blush at the tips of his ears.
He also avoided her eyes for a moment, as if he didn't know what to do.
Kaylee couldn't help but feel amused.
When she first saw the siblings, she had been amazed by how good-looking they were.
The sister was bright and cheerful, the brother cool and mysterious. Both stood out in their own way.
Shenan's blank expression and strong aura made her think he might be hard to approach.
But now, seeing him react shyly to one small compliment, a small crack seemed to appear in the wall he had around him.
That cold, distant feeling faded quite a bit.
He didn't seem that hard to talk to.
In fact, he was… kind of cute?
Kaylee pushed down that odd thought and quickly focused back on her job.
Thinking about Shenan's leg injury and her duty as a medical guide, she took a step forward and naturally reached out her hand, offering support.
"Mr. Shenan, shall we go in?"
"The checkup rooms are on the second floor. I'll take you there."
But Shenan gently pushed her hand away.