Katelyn couldn’t make sense of what was happening. What on earth was going on here? All she did was decline to drink water for the moment, yet Zoey was turning it into a dramatic ordeal.

Katelyn pressed her lips together, her gaze fixed firmly on Zoey. After pausing briefly, she reached out and accepted the cup.

“I’m not trying to belittle you or your gift. You shouldn’t always think of yourself like that.”

At that moment, Katelyn began to grasp a little of what Zoey might be feeling. Zoey’s constant self-consciousness, likely stemming from her family’s financial struggles, often left her actions clouded with doubt and insecurity.

With a quiet sigh, Katelyn reminded herself to tread gently, always mindful of Zoey’s fragile and vulnerable nature. As Katelyn lifted the cup to take a sip, her eyes caught an imperfection on the rim— a crack that looked like it had been struck with considerable force.

As she leaned in for a closer inspection, a faint yet unsettling chemical odor reached her nose, emanating from the cup. The scent was so faint that most people would likely overlook it entirely. However, as the renowned healer Hades, Katelyn’s work with countless patients and an array of medicinal substances had sharpened her senses to detect even the slightest trace of such odors.

Katelyn’s head snapped up abruptly, her eyes locking onto Zoey. Zoey’s expression was unusually focused, almost as if she were anxiously anticipating Katelyn to take a sip. The moment their gazes connected, though, Zoey’s eyes darted away, shifting downward in a hurried attempt to avoid her stare.

Katelyn couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off about Zoey’s behavior today. There was something in Zoey’s reactions that felt completely out of the ordinary. Katelyn held the cup near her lips, pretending to take a sip, but her mouth never made contact with the rim.

She then placed the cup down gently, her tone firm. “There are a few things I need to handle. You should get back to your work too.”

gν

Zoey’s gaze stayed fixed on the cup, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips, barely held back. Suppressing her amusement, she coaxed gently, “Just take a few more sips.”

“It’s really good for your throat.” Zoey said, her voice tinged with urgency. She worried that just one sip wouldn’t give her the results she was hoping for.

Without warning, Katelyn’s eyes locked onto Zoey. “What exactly is in this cup?” she asked, her tone sharp and steady.

Katelyn fixed her gaze on Zoey, her sudden question sparking visible shock in Zoey’s eyes. How could this be? Had Katelyn somehow figured out that the cup came from someone infected with a contagious disease? If Katelyn took a sip from it, she would likely become infected as well.

Zoey fought to maintain her composure, reminding herself to stay calm. She knew she couldn’t afford to lose control at this moment. Feigning confusion, Zoey turned to Katelyn and asked, “What brings this up, Katelyn? Is there an issue with the drink?”

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