Chapter 8: One of the Three Great Beauties

Terrance Lyson slid into Anson Hauk's Mercedes-Benz, and the car eased away from the breakfast shop with a steady purr. Anson rubbed his hands together, his posture a touch stiff. "Miracle Doctor, I haven't even had the chance to ask your name properly." "Terrance Lyson." Terrance answered curtly, gaze drifting to the cityscape streaking past the window. "Miracle Doctor Lyson… my granddaughter's situation is a little special." Anson's brow knotted tight, his voice dropping. "She… she has a severe aversion to men. I've taken her to therapists, psychiatrists, even tried hypnosis, but it only kept getting worse…" Terrance froze for a beat, nearly choking on his own spit. Yesterday, it was a man-hating fiancée. Today, it was another one? Were the girls in the city all this… intense? "Anson Hauk, what is going on with the girls in Tenos?" Terrance couldn't help the jab. "Men and women getting together is as natural as breathing. Why does every one of them act like men murdered their family?" Anson shut his eyes, pain carving deeper lines into his face. "It's my fault… When she was little, she was perfectly normal." His voice caught. "I forced her into medicine. She lived in the Anatomy Room day in and day out, saw too many male organs… Then she interned at the DNA Identification Department and the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, and she witnessed far too much filth. Cheating. Abortions…" The car turned a corner. Sunlight spilled through the window and washed over Anson's aged features, throwing his deep wrinkles and regret into sharp relief. "So that's it!" Terrance slapped his thigh, as if a weight had lifted. "If we know the cause, it's easy. Anson Hauk, leave it to me. I'll make your granddaughter willingly marry me!" "Marry you?" Anson stared, clearly stunned. Terrance shot him a sidelong look. "What, you think I'm not good enough?" "No, no, no!" Anson waved his hands quickly, a sharp gleam flashing in his eyes. "Miracle Doctor Lyson, your medical skill is extraordinary. You may not have fame yet, but given time, you'll become someone great." He stroked his beard and lowered his voice. "If you truly can cure my granddaughter, I'll pour every resource I have into helping you establish yourself in Tenos's medical circles!" He meant every word. After seeing Terrance's ability, Anson was certain this young man's future was limitless. If Terrance became his grandson-in-law, Anson's influence in medicine would only grow. As for family background? If his granddaughter's strange condition could be cured, none of that mattered. Terrance nodded in satisfaction. "Good eye. The skills of Skilled Hands aren't something I bragged into existence. Agree to this marriage, and her problem is on me." When he finished speaking… The car came to a stop before an old-fashioned courtyard residence. In Tenos, a place like this was worth a fortune, even more precious than a villa. It was a symbol of status. The moment Terrance stepped inside, he felt a sharp gaze cut into him. A short-haired girl stood beneath the eaves in casual clothes, her brows carrying a striking, almost heroic edge. Arms crossed, she sized Terrance up with icy contempt, disgust written plainly in her eyes, yet she said nothing. Anson looked at his granddaughter and introduced her gently. "Adriana, this is Doctor Terrance Lyson. His medical skills are extremely high." Adriana swept Terrance with a cold glance, the revulsion in her eyes nearly spilling over. "Grandpa, I told you. I'm not sick!" She raked a hand through her short hair, irritated, and turned to leave. Terrance studied her with open interest. The outfit leaned androgynous, but her delicate oval face and slender, curving figure radiated unmistakable feminine charm. And those long legs, even wrapped in casual pants, still showed clean, defined lines. "Tsk, tsk. No wonder you're the campus belle at the medical school." Terrance stroked his chin, appraising. "Those proportions. You work out a lot, don't you? Your abs must look incredible…" "Pervert." Adriana's face went dark as iron. She marched inside without even looking back. Anson pinched the bridge of his nose, helpless. *Why would this little Miracle Doctor charge straight into the line of fire?* Terrance, unhurried, followed after her, the same confident smile on his face. "Adriana, I understand your situation. This isn't a big problem-" "Shut up!" Adriana spun around, fury blazing in her eyes. "Who said you could call me that? Stay away from me! Men are all trash. Every last one of them thinks with what's between their legs!" Terrance didn't get angry. He laughed. "Sure, sure. That's exactly where the root of the problem is." He stepped closer and held out a hand. "But same-sex inclination is indeed a psychological disorder. If I'm right, you're the one who plays the 'male role,' aren't you? Come on, let me take your pulse-" "Get lost!" Adriana snatched up a vase from the table and swung as if to smash it at him. Anson hurried forward and blocked her. Terrance only kept smiling, as if he'd predicted the reaction from the start. Adriana was shocked and furious. It was the first time she'd ever met someone so shameless. In the past, doctors would leave the moment she raised her voice. She suddenly turned toward the inner room and shouted, "Desmond Cole, come out!" A young man in a crisp suit answered and stepped out. His skin was fair, his nose bridge high, and he walked with practiced elegance. He moved to Adriana's side and reached for her hand. Adriana dodged instinctively, but the man leaned in and murmured, "If we're acting, we act all the way through. Adriana, cooperate." He tried again. This time Adriana didn't pull away, but she didn't respond either. She simply let him hold her hand as if it meant nothing. She lifted her chin at Terrance, eyes full of challenge. "Open your eyes and look carefully. This is my boyfriend, Desmond Cole, the second young master of the Cole family in Jendon." The corner of her mouth curled in a victorious arc. "You believe I'm not sick now, right? So can you get out?" Terrance spotted the fake at a glance, but Anson was fooled. "Adriana… didn't you always reject Young Master Cole's pursuit? Why the sudden-" "Isn't this what you wanted?" Adriana cut him off, voice like ice. "Haven't you been pushing me to find a man? Fine. I agreed. From now on, stop bringing me these random doctors!" Something felt off to Anson. He turned to Terrance, uncertainty on his face. "Miracle Doctor Lyson, this…" Terrance looked calm, even faintly amused. "Congratulations, Anson Hauk. Your granddaughter's orientation is perfectly normal." As he spoke, he strolled over to Desmond and, as if casually, patted him on the shoulder. "Ow!" Desmond stumbled and pitched straight toward Adriana. Adriana sprang away like she'd been shocked, her face twisted with disgust as she brushed at the corner of her clothes where he might have touched. "Desmond Cole, what are you doing? That's disgusting!" The words slipped out. The instant she realized it, she clapped a hand over her mouth. Desmond steadied himself in embarrassment. He hadn't expected the woman he adored to not even help him up. Shame and anger surged together, and he glared viciously at Terrance. "You did that on purpose, didn't you? You pushed me!" Terrance had already made himself comfortable on the sofa, casually eating an apple. "I just thought Young Master Cole and his girlfriend looked a little… distant. Even holding hands looked like you were gripping a red-hot iron." He took a bite, speaking around it. "I figured I'd help you two build some chemistry, but who knew…" He drew the last words out on purpose, eyes flicking between them. "She dodged faster than a rabbit and called you disgusting. Tsk, tsk. Does that look like a couple? That looks like a stand-in you hired at the last second." Adriana went pale with rage. Desmond's face burned as humiliation turned into fury. Only then did Anson understand. His granddaughter had been putting on a show for him.