No More Waiting, She Chooses Love
Chapter 679

"Two years in this line of work?" My surprise deepened, tinged with a growing sense of loss. It had only been a few months since Ernest's accident, so the man on stage definitely wasn't Ernest. But why did he look so much like him? Could it be that this man's connection to Ernest was as uncannily similar as mine was to Judie? My eyes were fixed on the man on stage, my mind a whirlwind of confusion, so much so that I didn't notice Dustin Wagner's arrival until he called out to me.

"You don't look well. Are you feeling alright?" Dustin immediately sensed something was amiss. "Got hurt," Allen blurted out before I could respond. But the 'hurt' Allen mentioned wasn't just physical. Including someone who resembled Ernest so closely in this event was definitely Allen's doing, with motives beyond just the physical resemblance. "Banged up my knee," Grant stepped in to clarify for me. With these two around, I barely needed to speak.

Dustin frowned and then crouched down to check on me, his movements swift despite my instinctive attempt to dodge. "Don't move, let me take a look," he said, his voice a mix of authority and tenderness. He gently rolled up my pant leg, exposing the wound. Looking up at me, he asked, "When did this happen? Why didn't you mention it was this bad?" At that moment, he was the quintessential concerned boyfriend, worried yet caring. If I weren't aware of his darker side, I might have been moved by his concern.

"I've already had Fanny check it out; it's nothing serious," I said, trying to move my leg away from his grip. His expression darkened as he inspected the wound again before letting go and standing up. "Wow, Mr. Wagner's tender side is all for Ms. Hudson, huh?" Allen joked from the sidelines. Dustin ignored him, focusing on me instead. "Your wound hasn't scabbed over yet. You can't walk on it, or it'll never heal properly."

"I've already rested for a day. It's fine," I insisted. He didn't seem convinced and turned to Grant. "Is there a wheelchair available?" "No, she said she didn't need one," Grant pointed out, indicating me. True, I had declined the offer of a wheelchair, but Dustin immediately made a call, requesting one to be sent over...now. He ended the call, and I tried to protest, "Dustin, really, I can walk."

"If you don't want the wheelchair, then I'll just have to carry you," he said, effectively silencing me. "No, no, let me do the carrying. After all, Director Hudson is my employee," Grant interjected, turning the situation even more awkward. With all the commotion, I lost track of the stage. By the time I looked again, the male models who had been rehearsing were already being led to the front of the venue. I stared at the now-empty stage, the image of that face still haunting me.

Dustin's driver soon arrived with the wheelchair, and I found myself sitting in it. Fanny arrived just in time to witness the scene and couldn't help but laugh, "Isn't this a bit dramatic?" "Her knee injury is severe. As a professional doctor, you should have recommended a wheelchair instead of letting her limp around, worsening the friction on the wound," Dustin lectured Fanny. Fanny pouted, "Mr. Wagner, I'm a gynecologist, not a surgeon."

That retort left Dustin speechless. I quickly signaled Fanny, who immediately got the hint and came over. "Mr. Wagner, I'll take her. After all, if she needs to use the restroom or something, it would be inconvenient for you." With that, Dustin relented, and Fanny wheeled me to the side. I grabbed her hand urgently, "I saw Ernest." She didn't seem surprised but reached out to check my forehead anyway. "You don't have a fever, and you haven't been drinking."

I pushed her hand away and earnestly recounted what I had seen, finishing with, "If you don't believe me, I can take you there now." "I actually do need to see this," Fanny said, pushing me toward the backstage area.