Chapter 222

"Perhaps..." she hesitated, her voice barely above a whisper. "You didn't like seeing another man touch me. Maybe..." A nervous tremor laced her words, though she hadn’t fully realized it yet. "Maybe you were jealous."

Nathan’s dark eyes flickered, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed hard. For a split second, his usual composure cracked.

Then, with a smirk that didn’t quite reach his eyes, he straightened his shoulders and scoffed, "You flatter yourself, Evelyn. Why would I ever be jealous over you?"

Without giving her a chance to reply, he turned sharply and strode into the bathroom, his footsteps clipped and purposeful.

Evelyn watched him go, a slow, knowing smile curving her lips.

In the past, whenever she’d teased Nathan about jealousy, he’d always laughed it off with that infuriatingly arrogant smirk. But this time...

His reaction had been different. Defensive. Almost flustered. The way he’d walked away—too fast, too stiff—like he couldn’t get away from her fast enough.

Standing there, the ghost of a smile still playing on her lips, a thrilling possibility took root in Evelyn’s mind. Was Nathan hiding something? Could it be that, for once, she was right?

The thought made her grin widen, warmth blooming in her chest.

Neither of them spoke another word that night. Later, after a long, soothing shower, Evelyn slipped into bed and let sleep claim her.

The next morning, she woke feeling refreshed, ready to face whatever the day brought.

At Grandview General Hospital, Cardiac Surgery Department, Chief Physician’s Office

Dominic Pierce leaned forward, his sharp gaze fixed on the determined woman standing before him.

"Lila," he said slowly, "are you absolutely sure about this?"

Lila Sinclair lifted her chin. "Yes, Dr. Pierce. My decision is final."

Dominic exhaled, leaning back in his chair. His fingers tapped against the armrest as he considered her. After a long pause, he finally nodded. "Fine. If this is what you want, I won’t stop you. I’ll teach you everything I can. In a few years, when this mess blows over, I’ll personally speak to Mr. Vaughn about securing you a permanent position."

His emotions were conflicted. On one hand, he resented Lila. Her loss in the recent competition had cost him dearly—both financially and professionally. Her mistake had handed an advantage to Evelyn, and part of him couldn’t help but blame her.

On the other hand, guilt gnawed at him. He’d been the one to push Lila into that reckless bet with Sebastian, ignoring her doubts. Now, because of it, she was stuck as an intern, her reputation in tatters.

But in Dominic’s mind, the real villains were Sebastian and Evelyn. Evelyn had aced the hospital entrance exam with a perfect score—why hadn’t she revealed that sooner? And why hadn’t Sebastian mentioned it? If he’d known, he never would’ve agreed to the bet.

Conveniently, Dominic chose to forget the inconvenient truths—that Sebastian’s assistant had mentioned Evelyn’s perfect score when she first joined, and it was Dominic who had dismissed it as a lie. It was also Dominic who had rallied the staff to accuse Sebastian of favoritism and demand the competition in the first place.

But selfish men rarely saw their own faults.

Lila gave a stiff nod. "Thank you, Dr. Pierce."