I Stopped Loving Him When He Let Me Bleed Out novel Chapter 177

"Dr. Sterling!"

A cheerful, booming voice echoed up from the mountain road, practically overflowing with warmth.

Sienna whipped her head around.

An older woman, somewhere in her late fifties, was leaning out of Joey's passenger window, waving enthusiastically at her.

Sienna was caught off guard.

She had never seen this woman before in her life, yet her wide, beaming smile carried an instant, comforting familiarity—like a friendly neighbor who would gladly help you carry your groceries without a second thought.

She hopped out of the car and hurried over.

Now that she was closer, Sienna could get a better look at her.

She stood just over five feet tall with a slightly plump, endearing figure, bundled up in a thin, dark red jacket. Her hair was styled in fine, tight curls, neatly tucked behind her ears, highlighting her soft, round cheeks.

She took excellent care of her skin, though the fine lines crinkling around her eyes gave her away, folding into the shape of delicate fans whenever she smiled.

"Oh, you poor dear, you must be absolutely exhausted!" She warmly grasped both of Sienna's hands.

For a fleeting second, Sienna felt an odd sensation—as if this total stranger genuinely saw her as her own daughter.

Strangely enough, it didn't feel unnatural or intrusive at all.

It was just pure, unfiltered affection.

"Ma'am, are you..."

"Look at me, forgetting to introduce myself! I'm Isaac's mother, Eleanor Holloway. You can just call me Eleanor. Before I retired, I was an obstetrician, so we're practically colleagues."

Everything suddenly clicked, though Sienna was still slightly overwhelmed by the sudden barrage of warmth.

"Isaac told me you were arriving today. I spent all afternoon simmering a pot of soup, but when it started getting late and you still hadn't shown up, I finally called Joey to drive me up here to check on you."

A rush of genuine warmth flooded Sienna's chest.

"Thank you, Eleanor. That is incredibly kind of you."

Eleanor glanced over her shoulder at Maeve's retreating figure, and her warm smile instantly morphed into a deep scowl. She leaned in, lowering her voice to a dramatic whisper.

"Nonsense, nonsense." Eleanor's eyes crinkled into delighted crescents, the smile lines deepening with joy.

She held Sienna's hand, looking her up and down, growing more thrilled by the second, before abruptly pivoting the conversation.

"So, how long have you and my Isaac been dating?"

Sienna froze.

"Dating... Dating who?"

"You and Isaac, of course!" Eleanor gave her a conspiratorial wink, completely convinced she was in on a secret. "You don't need to be shy around me. I'm very open-minded. As long as you two are happy together, I'd never interfere. Young people should have the freedom to love whoever they want."

Sienna practically scrambled to clear the air.

"Eleanor, you've completely misunderstood! Director Holloway and I are just standard colleagues. He's my supervisor, nothing more."

Eleanor just stared at her, an amused smile playing on her lips.

"He called me all the way from the city and spent half an hour agonizing over every little detail, making me swear I'd take perfect care of you. I've raised that boy for over thirty years, and I have never seen him care this much about any girl."