Frank Castle, worried about Celeste Monroe's health, came to check on her, only to be stopped outside the lounge by Lily, her assistant. "Celeste is... not doing too well right now. You'd better not go in." Lily knew Celeste Monroe cared a lot for Frank as a younger family member, so she revealed a little about Celeste's condition.
Frank quickly asked, "What's wrong with my aunt?" Lily couldn't say more and whispered, "She's just a bit tired. Let her rest." Frank thought it over. After all, there was a clear distinction between genders, and his aunt was resting, so it wasn't appropriate for him to go in and disturb her. "Assistant Lily, I'll be going then." Frank planned to text Celeste Monroe later to ask if she was feeling better.
He had just turned to leave when the lounge door opened. A pale-faced Celeste Monroe walked out with Sarah Chou, her manager. Seeing Frank, Celeste Monroe paused slightly, and her somewhat soft posture, due to weakness, immediately straightened again.
"Aunt Celeste." Seeing Celeste Monroe's complexion, Frank knew she was indeed in very poor condition. He quickly asked, "Aunt Celeste, are you alright?"
Celeste Monroe shook her head, a gentle smile appearing on her face. "Frank, is there something you needed to see me about?"
Frank replied, "Nothing, I just came to check on you, Aunt Celeste, and to say thank you. Aunt Celeste... please make sure to get some rest." Celeste Monroe understood. Frank had come to check on her. Her face regained some color, and her smile melted like ice on a peak.
"The theme for the third episode—any ideas yet?" Sarah Chou couldn't help but cough. Celeste, you almost fainted just now, and you're still thinking about how others are choosing their songs? Frank wasn't a social novice; he immediately understood and said to Celeste Monroe, "Don't worry, Aunt Celeste, I've got it covered. I won't delay your rest any further." Celeste Monroe glanced at Sarah Chou, who returned her gaze. Celeste Monroe finally conceded, nodding to Frank: "Remember to turn in your homework tonight." Sarah Chou opened her mouth, Alright, a compromise from both sides.
"Yes, Aunt Celeste." Frank wanted to say, How about we skip it tonight? You need your rest, but seeing his aunt's cool gaze, he could only agree. He then moved aside, and Celeste Monroe and her two companions started walking out.
After taking two steps, Celeste Monroe suddenly collapsed. "Celeste!" "Celeste!" Sarah Chou and Lily gasped in fright, quickly supporting Celeste Monroe. Her eyes were tightly shut, and her lips were pale.
Frank quickly stepped forward. Seeing Celeste Monroe's condition, he asked Sarah Chou, "What's her illness?" Sarah Chou, after a moment of panic, calmed down. Understanding Frank's meaning, she shook her head: "Celeste isn't ill; she's just been too tired lately."
Frank said, "Then there's no need to call an ambulance, but we need to get her to a hospital immediately!" Celeste Monroe was a public figure, and they were at Capital City Network. If they called an ambulance directly, it would be on the trending news within half an hour. Now that they confirmed Celeste Monroe wasn't suffering from an acute illness, there was no need for an ambulance. They would take Celeste Monroe to the hospital themselves.
"Where are Aunt Celeste's bodyguards?" Frank asked. Lily shook her head: "Celeste doesn't like strangers close by." Frank then asked, "Where's your car parked?" "The underground garage."
Frank made an immediate decision. He walked in front of Celeste Monroe and crouched down. "I'll carry Aunt Celeste. Assistant Lily, you watch for people ahead, and Manager Sarah, you help shield us." Celeste Monroe was a single female artist, and intimate contact with men was taboo. It was best if no one saw him carrying her, which was why he asked Lily to scout ahead and Sarah to shield them from the side. Sarah understood his meaning. After a second of hesitation, she nodded to Lily. The two helped Celeste Monroe onto Frank's back.
Frank suddenly felt two soft masses press tightly against his back, followed by the light weight of her entire body, and then her warm cheek resting on his shoulder. A few strands of dark hair brushed Frank's nose, and a faint, sweet fragrance surrounded him. Frank steadied himself, his hands supporting Celeste Monroe's thighs from behind. To avoid touching any sensitive areas, he didn't dare move his hands higher. Fortunately, Celeste Monroe wasn't heavy, and Frank easily stood up with her on his back. Lily was already running ahead, and Sarah followed beside Frank, constantly shielding them.
Luckily, this floor of Capital City Network only housed Recording Hall No. 1. After the American Voice recording, there was hardly anyone on this floor. The four smoothly entered the elevator. Lily pressed the button for the basement level. The elevator doors closed, and Sarah softly asked Celeste Monroe, "Celeste, Celeste, how are you feeling?"
The usually cool and formidable Celeste Monroe was now softly draped over Frank, her head resting against his cheek, like a quiet kitten. Frank tilted his head to look. His aunt's picturesque eyes were close by, and her breath was like orchids, causing Frank a moment of distraction.
"What exactly happened to Celeste?" Lily's voice brought Frank back to his senses. He observed Celeste Monroe's complexion and said to the two women, "Aunt Celeste should be fine." Lily was very anxious. "How do you know?" Frank said, "Amelia used to faint from low blood sugar; it was like this too. Just unconscious, no other symptoms, which means there's no physical pain or organ issues." He added, "But it's still safer to get her to a hospital as soon as possible." Frank's words reassured Lily greatly. "You know quite a lot." Sarah Chou looked at Frank, her expression also settling.
Underground Garage.
"Teacher Quinn, Teacher Reed, does our studio have any songs that fit this healing style?"
"Not at the moment, but we can start with breakup love songs. That also counts as healing."
Inside a luxury van, Amelia Quinn sat in the passenger seat, while Liam Reed and Alex Stone in the back were discussing the theme for American Voice Season Three. Amelia Quinn was not in the mood, her mind constantly replaying the scene of her encounter with Frank earlier. For some reason, she kept feeling that the divorced Frank seemed to have something new about him, something he didn't have before.
Suddenly, Amelia Quinn's peripheral vision caught a familiar figure. Frank Castle? Amelia Quinn sat up, surprised. In that instant, she thought she saw Frank carrying a woman on his back. Amelia Quinn pushed open the car door and jumped out, but Frank and the woman were gone. She was momentarily dazed. A moment ago, the woman she felt was on Frank's back seemed to be... her aunt, Celeste? Amelia Quinn walked to the front of the car, looking around, but saw nothing. She couldn't help but shake her head. I must be under too much stress. Frank carrying Aunt Celeste? Impossible!
A moment later, a black sedan drove past Amelia Quinn. She recognized it as her aunt Celeste Monroe's car. Amelia Quinn was about to call out, but the car quickly sped away. "Aunt Celeste?"
Inside the black sedan, Lily sighed in relief and asked Frank, "How did you know Amelia was there?"
Frank replied, "I recognized her car." Lily wanted to ask how he recognized Amelia Quinn's car, then quickly clamped her mouth shut. Is it strange for an ex-husband to recognize his ex-wife's car? She looked at Celeste Monroe, who was lying beside her, and then at Frank, who was sitting in the passenger seat.
An ex-husband dodging his ex-wife to take his ex-wife's aunt to the hospital—isn't that still strange?