Stolen Identity: Mute Heiress

Chapter 395: Friends

Emily finished tying the strings of her scrub top and looked at her reflection in the mirror one last time.

Her shift was finally over. The changing room was quiet now. Most of the residents had already left.

She pulled her hair out of the loose bun she had worn all day and ran her fingers through it. Her shoulders felt tired, but her heart felt light.

Telling the truth earlier had lifted something heavy from her chest.

She picked up her bag and stepped out of the changing room.

Nurses walked past the hallway with clipboards. A trolley rattled somewhere down the corridor.

Emily adjusted the strap of her bag and started toward the exit. "Emily."

She almost grimaced when she recognized the voice but she forced a smile as she turned.

Dan was strolling towards her with his hands in his pockets.

"I didn’t think you were coming in until tomorrow," she said with a small smile.

"I’m covering for Pete," he said, stopping in front of her. "I see you are back."

She nodded. "I am. How are you doing?" she asked politely.

"I’m fine." He studied her face. "I heard you revealed your identity."

Emily shrugged lightly. "I figured there was no reason to keep hiding it."

Dan tilted his head. "I thought you’d at least tell me first."

Emily raised a brow. "Why would you think so?"

He gave a small laugh. "Because I kept your secret. And because we’re friends." Then he added casually, "Unless you didn’t think we were friends."

Emily immediately felt a pang of guilt. "Of course we’re friends," she said quickly. "I was just in a hurry to tell the truth so I would stop feeling guilty about deceiving everyone. It didn’t occur to me to talk to you first."

Dan nodded slowly. "So how do you feel now that you’ve unburdened yourself?"

She smiled genuinely. "Lighter."

Then she noticed the way he was staring at her an intensely.

She narrowed her eyes slightly. "What?"

Dan smiled faintly. "You seem to have become even more beautiful."

Emily rolled her eyes. But she laughed "Thank you for the compliment."

Just then her phone buzzed in her bag. She took it out and glanced at the screen.

It was Callan.

Dan also noticed the name on the screen.

Emily turned her back to Dan as she answered the call. "Hey."

"Are you ready to leave?" Callan asked.

"Yes."

"Good. I’m waiting in the parking lot where I dropped you."

"Okay. I’m coming out now." She ended the call and looked back at Dan. "If you don’t mind, I have to run."

Dan nodded. "Of course." Then he asked casually, "How is Callan doing?"

Emily raised a brow again not liking his use of Callan’s first name as though they were buddies. "Why are you asking? Do you want me to connect you to him?"

Dan chuckled. "No. I was just asking. He’s my friend’s guardian after all."

Emily smiled slightly. "Callan is fine."

Dan looked amused. "It seems you two are getting along now."

Emily narrowed her eyes playfully. "You are unusually nosy today, Dan."

He laughed. "Maybe. See you around."

Emily waved lightly and started walking away. "See you tomorrow."

Soon she stepped outside the hospital building and crossed the parking lot.

She spotted Callan immediately. He was leaning against the passenger’s door with his arms folded.

When he saw her walking toward him, his face softened immediately and he held out his arms to her.

Emily giggled as she embraced him and inhaled his scent. "This feels really relaxing."

"For me too," Callan said, wrapping his arms around her. "I missed you all day."

Emily grinned as she pulled back. "Me too."

Callan opened the passenger door and she slid into the seat. Callan got into the driver’s side some seconds later.

"How was your day?" he asked as he started the engine.

Emily smiled. "You won’t believe what happened."

"What?"

"I told them the truth."

Callan glanced at her. "And?"

"They already knew. I mean they all knew the whole time! Can you believe it?"

He chuckled. "Save the story. Tell me over dinner. I want to hear all about it."

Emily laughed. "Deal." Then she asked, "So, what about you? How was your day?"

Callan shrugged lightly as he drove. "Boring. All I kept thinking about was when the day would end. So I could see my wicked girlfriend."

Emily laughed loudly. "Wicked?"

He turned to smile at her. "Yes. I haven’t forgotten what you did to me last night. And this morning."

Emily giggled. "Good. I didn’t expect you to forget."

Callan shook his head. "You’re evil, Princess. An evil Princess."

She grinned. "Mari would be proud of me." Then her smile faded slightly. "Speaking of Mari, I still haven’t heard from her. Or Jamal."

"Yeah. I haven’t heard from Jamal either," Callan said with a sigh.

She took out her phone. "Let me call them. Are you up for a conference call?"

Callan grinned. "This will be the first time we’re together and doing a conference call with the others."

"You’re right," she said with a smile tapped the screen and started a call on their group chat. "I hope they answer."

The phone rang. Then connected.

Mari’s voice came first. "Em! I’m sooooo sorry!"

Emily rolled her eyes immediately. "You disappeared yesterday."

Mari replied quickly. "I know. I was out on a date and I got back really late. I assumed you were sleeping and didn’t want to bother you. Then early this morning I got called into the office and I’ve been busy all day and even now I’m still busy."

Emily folded her arms. "Office? I thought you weren’t going to work until Monday?"

Mari sighed. "I thought so too. But a financial firm got hit with a ransomware attack. I had to trace the breach. I spent hours reverse-engineering the malware and patching the vulnerability in their server. I also tracked the hacker’s IP trail through multiple VPN hops."

Emily blinked, not getting a single thing Mari said. "Okay... hacker lady. But you could have sent a text last night."

Mari sighed. "You’re right. I’m sorry."

Emily shook her head. "You don’t show much concern anymore."

"That’s not true!" Mari protested.

Before they could argue more, Jamal joined the call.

"Emily I’m so sorry," he said. "Yesterday was crazy. I planned to call you and Callan before bed but I got upset and didn’t feel like talking."

Callan spoke. "What upset you?"

"Cal? I didn’t realize you were there with Em," Mari said.

"Hello, Mari. I’m here. I just picked up Em from the hospital, he explained.

"I see. So, what’s up Jam? What got you upset?" Mari asked, returning to Callan’s question.

Jamal sighed. "I had a misunderstanding with Dawn. But it’s settled now." He quickly added

Emily and Callan exchanged a quick look.

"You and Dawn? What misunderstanding?" Emily asked curiously.

"I didn’t think you both would have any reason to misunderstand each other," Callan said, and Jamal chuckled.

Mari immediately jumped in. "I can understand Cal and Em fighting, or me and Jax, but not you and Dawn."

Jamal laughed. "It was nothing serious. But we are human and it’s normal for us to have misunderstandings no matter how perfect you think our love is."

Then he changed the subject. "Mari, how are you doing? Even though you’re back in Ludus it still feels like you’re hidden away."

Emily snorted. "That’s because she’s too busy enjoying her boyfriend to think of her friends."

Mari groaned. "Em can you stop saying that? Do you need me to remind you that you’re the one who forgot we were on a call the moment you were told Callan was waiting downstairs?!"

Callan chuckled. "When did that happen?"

"When you came to get her so you could leave for Husla together," Mari said sweetly.

Emily scowled at the phone. "That was different."

Jamal sighed. "Wait. What is going on? Why does it sound like you two are fighting?"

Mari huffed. "Emily is the one trying to pick a fight."

Emily protested. "No I’m not!"

Callan spoke calmly. "Everyone relax."

"Tell that to Emily." Mari snapped lightly.

"Can someone explain what’s happening?" Jamal asked, then Emily and Mari started talking at the same time.

Jamal groaned. "Not both of you at once." He paused. "Cal, do you know what’s going on?"

Callan sighed and briefly explained the situation.

When he finished, Jamal chuckled. "Thank goodness it’s nothing serious. You two don’t need to be mad. I get that this is the first time we’re all in relationships like this. Em, we’re all still adjusting. Everyone should give everyone grace."

Emily nodded slowly. "I understand that. I’m giving everyone grace. And I’m taking some for myself. But that doesn’t mean I can’t miss my friends. If we stop complaining when we feel ignored, we will slowly drift apart. And I don’t want that."

Mari sighed softly. "I don’t want that either. And no one is ignoring anyone. I’ll never do that to you and you know it. However, I’m sorry you feel that way. I’ll try to put in more effort."

Jamal added, "Me too."

Callan chuckled from the driver’s seat. "You’re all very dramatic."

Emily turned and glared at him.

He raised his hand. "The others. Not you. You’re never dramatic."

Mari and Jamal burst out laughing.

"So how are you two doing?" Mari asked curiously.

Emily shook her head. "You won’t believe what happened when we arrived."

"What?" Jamal and Mari asked in unison.

"We walked in and found Callan’s ex fling sitting in the living room."

Callan’s head snapped toward her and his brows pulled together slightly.

Why was she telling them that?

Emily didn’t notice his expression. She continued talking excitedly. "And she was wearing his shirt..." And the story poured out while Jamal and Mari listened in shock.

Callan frowned as he wondered if she was always going to tell them every private detail about their relationship.

He understood they were close friends. But some things... he wished she would keep just between them.