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Old Friends Bar
"What's up?" Lily noticed the shift in Adam's gaze.
"Just some business jerk gaming the legal system," Adam said, swallowing his annoyance with a flat tone.
It caught him off guard.
But thinking it over, it made sense.
Old Friends Bar? It's a big deal in New York's medical scene now.
Pretty much the go-to spot for healthcare folks—their bar, hands down.
Not just the medical center crew showing up every night.
Tons of staff from other hospitals swing by too, drawn by the hype.
With so many medical people around, all sorts of hospital-adjacent types naturally tag along.
Pharma reps, for instance.
If Adam didn't put his foot down, those big-shot reps would probably be here every night, buying rounds for everyone.
They've been dying to invest in the bar too—lining up with offers Adam's shot down cold.
Pharma reps are one thing, but Marla Grayson? Same deal.
If she wants to grow her gig, she's gotta expand her medical network—reel in more primary care docs as her suppliers.
And what better place to schmooze than Old Friends Bar, where all the healthcare crowd hangs out?
Knowing that's one thing. Accepting it? Another.
The idea of her using his platform to fuel her shady empire? It pissed Adam off.
Magical Amy, huh—no matter which version, she's a total pain. 😤
Good thing Marla Grayson's days of strutting around won't last much longer.
"Dr. Duncan, I'm Marla Grayson. Nice to meet you." She strolled over, hand outstretched.
"Hey," Adam replied, giving her a lukewarm handshake.
"Looks like Caroline's mentioned me, huh?" Marla, seasoned as she was, picked up on his vibe right away. She eyed him, then shook her head. "She's got me all wrong, you know."
"No misunderstanding here," Adam said with a smirk. "Whatever you're up to, it's legal business. And hey, commerce is the greatest charity, right? I get it."
"…"
Marla's smile froze.
That line—straight out of Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations—would've been perfect if she'd said it!
It'd wrap her whole philosophy in a neat little bow.
Sure, she sucks blood and wipes out families, but if she scales up big enough, she could boost the economy, create jobs—and eldercare's a legit need.
If it's not her, someone else will step up.
Her nursing empire could actually solve problems.
Anything that solves problems has value—massive value for society.
That's the ultimate charity, isn't it?
The blood and tears along the way? Just unavoidable collateral damage.
She'd heard all about Adam's legend, figured they'd hit it off. Turns out he's just another stiff.
Of course!
With Adam's resources, she'd have changed the world by now.
Being a doctor, saving lives—one at a time? How many can you really help?
Compared to her vision, Adam Duncan's way too small-time.
What a waste.
Marla flashed a quick smile, hiding her smug disdain. But she knew his clout in New York's medical world—couldn't afford to cross him. So she nodded with a grin. "Thanks for getting it, Dr. Duncan. I won't let you down~"
Oh, you're mocking me?
I'll play dumb and take it as a compliment!
I'm beneath you today.
But give it time—thirty years east, thirty years west.
When I'm on top of the world, I'll make you see what real power is.
Then I'll have you repeat "commerce is the greatest charity"—and if you can still smirk, I'll admit defeat!
Inside, a proud lioness roared like crazy! 🦁
"I believe in you…" Adam said, catching the fiery glint in her eye with a faint smile.
What he didn't say? "Without you, I definitely won't be disappointed."
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"Hm."
Adam paused, then decided to share a little—carefully. "She's not a good person…"
"Hiss!"
Even his brief rundown left everyone gasping.
The mischief in Lily's eyes vanished. Compared to real evil, her little spark didn't stand a chance.
"For real?"
"No way, that's nuts!"
"Nobody stops this?"
"Matthew, we've gotta have kids."
"Yeah, tons of 'em."
The group buzzed with chatter.
"If you want, we could adopt someday," Ted said, noticing Anna's mood and jumping in to comfort her.
"Mm," Anna nodded with a smile, not wanting to kill the vibe.
She had cancer—only a few years left. Couldn't have kids, didn't want to adopt either. Why give a child a broken start or mess up Ted's next chapter?
Loving him meant letting that go.
"Poor Barney," Lily sighed out of nowhere.
"Huh?" Adam blinked.
Fresh off Magical Amy's double, now Lily's bringing up Barney? His mind flashed to that throat-slit Barney doppelgänger.
"Barney, duh," Lily shrugged. "He's gonna end up alone, totally screwed by this trap—miserable old age. That's not pitiful?"
"Nah, he'll be fine," Adam teased, catching on. "Ted can just save him a spot in the attic when the time comes…"
Emmm.
Anna was there, so he kept it tame.
Otherwise, he'd have said, "No worries, he and Ted can just shack up together!"
(Chapter End)