Even though his mom's words didn't exactly apply to Adam, he decided to let it slide.
In the love-hate dynamic between nurses and doctors, young intern doctors often became the unfortunate targets of the nurses' teasing—a bit like "the Jade Emperor being beaten by the Monkey King" in their eyes, a memory best left buried.
You might be skilled, but as an intern doctor, you still had to ask the nurses for help with injections.
You might be impressive, but as an intern doctor, you still had to ask the nurses what to do.
You might carry authority now, but as an intern doctor, you had moments of vulnerability in front of the nurses.
Because of all this, veteran nurses had a strong sense of superiority over intern doctors. They weren't even intimidated by attending physicians or sometimes even department heads.
After all, they had the backing of the nurses' union—they could organize a strike if necessary.
As a seasoned nurse, Adam's mom felt a double sense of superiority and joy when she talked down to her son, who was once an intern doctor himself.
Though Adam wasn't quite the "little Bambi" his mom liked to mock, she was pregnant again—so as long as she was happy, Adam let it slide.
Once the major issue of his mom's health was resolved, Adam relaxed. He took the family on a short vacation for a few days before his busy schedule resumed.
"Pfft! What?!"
When Adam heard the results of his assistant's investigation, he nearly spat out his drink.
That's right—Adam had an assistant. As his wealth grew and his investments became increasingly complex, he didn't have the time or mental energy to handle all the details himself, so naturally, he needed to hire someone to manage it.
He also opened a small publishing company to help his friend Max, which needed someone to oversee operations.
A few years ago, Adam had set up a small investment company to manage all his financial ventures. He hired a professional female assistant to handle day-to-day tasks.
Of course, to prevent any risk of embezzlement, Adam kept her authority low. She handled routine tasks like filing taxes, monitoring stock prices, booking flights, and running errands.
Adam maintained tight control over the major investments and financial matters, handling them periodically himself, so there were no major risks.
The assistant's name was Ida Toot. She wasn't particularly attractive, but she was highly competent and had no ambition beyond her well-paying, low-stress job. She worked a comfortable 9-to-5 schedule, not the grueling 24/7 grind.
"Boss, you didn't hear me wrong."
Ida, now with a face full of Adam's spit, looked at him with mild annoyance. Her expression shifted from strange to amused.
"That Danielle you asked me to look into? She's actually acted in movies—specifically, The Girl Next Door series. Want to watch?"
"Of course."
Adam grabbed the videotape, popped it into the player, and was shocked to see that the "girl next door" was indeed his younger brother Gabby's girlfriend. He quickly turned it off as soon as she started transforming on screen, feeling uncomfortable.
He wasn't like Barney; he had no admiration for Fernando Valley's so-called artistic actresses. At that moment, all he felt was disgust.
How could such an odd element infiltrate the happy Duncan family?
"So, boss, what now?"
Ida asked curiously.
"What now? Just let it be." Adam snapped. "Book a flight for my parents tomorrow—but not for Gabby. I need to have a serious talk with him."
This wasn't something his mom could find out about, no matter how irritated Adam felt. He'd have to hold back until his parents left.
"Got it, boss."
Ida left Adam's apartment.
The next day.
His parents returned to Texas.
Danielle went back to California.
Gabby, though, was left behind by Adam.
"Adam, you wanted to talk?"
Gabby rubbed his hands together, looking at Adam with anticipation.
"How did you meet Danielle?"
Adam asked.
"Oh, you know, just bumped into each other on campus—love at first sight. She has this… aura about her."
Gabby seemed completely smitten. Unfortunately, his lack of eloquence left him struggling for words.
"An aura like the girl next door?"
Adam's expression turned strange.
"Exactly!"
Gabby clapped his hands. "She's the embodiment of that 'girl next door' vibe. It's like my dream come true—unlike our actual neighbor, that annoying old lady who's always giving me trouble."
"Maybe because you're always bothering her?"
Adam rolled his eyes. "So, you're serious about her?"
"Of course I am!"
Gabby sounded offended. "I'm serious about every relationship I'm in!"
Adam's mouth twitched, though inside he felt a sense of relief.
That sincerity seemed familiar to him. The fact that Danielle was an actress from the Fernando Valley probably wouldn't hit Gabby too hard.
"Do you even know what she does for a living?"
"Yeah, she's an actress."
Gabby answered matter-of-factly. "In fact, she's technically a senior in my field. Maybe we'll collaborate on a film someday."
Gabby studied art design, which could be applied to both game development and filmmaking, especially behind the scenes.
"Collaborate on a film?"
Adam nearly laughed. "Why don't you watch some of her 'films' first, then we'll talk."
He played the tape for Gabby and left him alone to watch while he called home to check if their parents had landed safely.
Everything had gone smoothly. After chatting with his parents for a while, Adam hung up and felt a bit uneasy.
Wait—something was off.
Gabby had been quiet for way too long. That wasn't normal.
Adam rushed back to the living room—
—and froze.
Instead of crying or shouting in despair, Gabby was sitting there, eyes glued to the screen, watching The Girl Next Door series with genuine fascination.
"Did I put in the wrong tape?"
Adam panicked and checked. Nope, it was the same Girl Next Door series.
"Gabby, are you okay?"
"Why wouldn't I be?"
Gabby pointed at the screen, smiling. "Look at that—my girlfriend's acting is incredible! Oh my God, I'm dating a true artist from the Fernando Valley. This is amazing!"
Adam was speechless. After carefully studying Gabby's expression, he realized his happiness wasn't fake.
"Holy shit. Is Gabby basically Barney 2.0?"
Adam kept him around for an extra day, observing him in secret. Eventually, both amused and concerned, he had Ida book Gabby's flight back to California.
The good news? Gabby genuinely didn't care. His psychological resilience was on another level.
The bad news? He was practically a clone of Barney Stinson, truly believing dating a Fernando Valley actress was something to be proud of.
The Duncan family was supposed to be honest and wholesome. How had they ended up raising a second Barney?
Adam couldn't help but regret sending Gabby to study in California. This was freedom gone too far.
Yep, that had to be it.