Jace waved his hand dismissively.

"I know that I need surgery, but getting it scheduled will take more than a few days. Do I have to stay in the hospital while I wait for that? Look at me. I'm fine.”

Claudia rolled her eyes, looking unconvinced.

“I'll talk to your attending doctor about the surgery and try to get it done this week."

In the end, Jace had no choice but to concede defeat. Sighing, he said, "Fine. I'll do as you say, Cece."

He studied his daughter's face before asking, "Did I scare you last night?"

As soon as those words left his mouth, Claudia's eyes reddened and watered.

"Of course, I was scared! Who did you talk to last night that got you so worked up you passed out? Tell me who it is. I‘UL get back at them for you."

Claudia wanted to know who caused Jace to faint.

Jace, however, had spent enough time in the business industry to know how to keep something so trivial from her daughter.

He beamed at Claudia and asked, “What are you talking about? I wasn't angry at all. I was actually happy."

Claudia snorted.

"What were you happy about?"

"Your uncle will get transferred back home soon, so his whole family will come home before the year ends."

Twenty years ago, Claudia's uncle was transferred to a different state by his superiors. Then, five years ago, he was transferred to Taras. One of her cousins spent most of his time overseas, and another was stationed at the western frontier.

Claudia's eyes lit up when she heard the news.

"Really? Will my cousins be working here from now on as well?"

When she was a kid, she only got to see her cousins when Jace took her to visit her uncle, but every time he did, she always had a great time eating and playing with her two cousins.

She had a yearly tradition of spending her winter break at her uncle's place before starting high school. Her aunt-in-law always cooked delicious meals for her. Her uncle's family adored her a lot.

However, after he enlisted in the military, Claudia rarely saw her elder cousin.

In addition, her younger cousin often went abroad, and they only met from time to time whenever she was participating in an international competition. If the venue was near her younger cousin's place, she would visit him after the competition was over.

Ever since her younger cousin got promoted two years ago, though, he had grown increasingly busy, and their meetings lessened significantly.

It had been almost two years since Claudia last saw her uncle and cousins.

That was why she was really happy when she learned that they would be coming home.