Dolores and Dustin traded looks, both appearing confused, and suspicion crept in that Collin might have truly upset Linsey.

After all, for Collin to organize a first-rate medical team, he must have known exactly what was happening in the hospital. In the old days, Collin would have been right there by Linsey s side, always stepping in whenever she needed help.

Yet, hours had passed since everything happened, and Collin still hadn t shown up. Nobody could ignore how strange that was.

Dolores leaned in closer, dropping her voice to a whisper. Linsey, did something happen between you and Collin?

Memories of seeing a string of missed calls from Collin on Linsey s phone were still fresh in Dolores mind. Linsey had called him back later, but she never found out what was said. That left her wondering if Linsey was really upset with Collin this time. With that in mind, Dolores felt more justified about keeping Collin blocked for now.

You re all letting your imaginations run wild, Linsey replied with a sigh. No, there s been no fight. Collin and I are perfectly fine.

A brief pause came as Linsey looked away for a second. Something urgent came up for him, that s all. He couldn t make it.

Watching her closely, Jeffery picked up on her discomfort right away. You don t need to hide anything, Linsey. If Collin has done you wrong, I promise I won t let it slide! he remarked, his tone full of resolve, as though he were ready to take action against Collin that instant.

Linsey broke into laughter, gently patting the blanket over Jeffery and playfully saying, Right now, you re the one who s hurt. Focus on healing before you think about anyone else.

Giving him a teasing glance, she added with a smile, Besides, you don t even have a role in the Lawson Group anymore. At best, you re a Lawson. What could you possibly do to Collin? I d probably do a better job handling him myself.

Jeffery didn t take Linsey s teasing to heart. He tightened his fists and announced, I ll challenge Collin head-on.

Waiting for a beat, he continued in a serious tone, Just let my back heal first.

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A small sigh left Linsey as she tried to be as vague as possible. Honestly, nothing happened between me and Collin. There s nothing to worry about. Collin had a minor surgery this morning. He s staying at the hospital for observation, so he couldn t be here.

Surprise swept through the room. Surgery?

Dustin s eyes went wide with disbelief as he blurted out, What kind of surgery did Collin need? How come nobody told me? I can t believe he kept something this important from me!

Linsey explained, It really was just a minor procedure. I only found out about it myself. You ve had your hands full lately, so Collin probably didn t want to bother you.

Luckily, Dustin didn t get stuck on the issue. He jumped to his feet, determined to check in on Collin. No way. I ve got to see for myself. What kind of surgery did he need? Is he alright?

Dolores raised her eyebrows and gave Dustin a look. Didn t you say you d stay here to look after Jeffery and Alicia? Are you really planning to leave right now?

After hearing her, Dustin stopped in his tracks and sat right back down. You re right. I should stay here.

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