Chapter 54

Nathan leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepled. "Naturally, obtaining a medical license is a standard requirement."

The room plunged into silence, though the weight of unspoken skepticism lingered. To some, this reeked of blatant favoritism.

Once Trevor Mercer exited, the doctors returned to their tasks, though hushed whispers still slithered through the air. Lila Sinclair, her envy barely concealed beneath a thin veneer of politeness, sauntered toward Evelyn Hartley with a smile that didn’t touch her cold eyes.

"Evelyn," she began, her voice dripping with false sweetness, "why keep me in the dark about your new position? Here I was, offering you an assistant’s role like some charity case, not realizing you’d already climbed higher. You made me look like a fool."

Evelyn tilted her head, her expression serene. "I thought it’d be a nice surprise, Lila. Isn’t this wonderful news? Aren’t you happy for me?"

Lila’s spine stiffened before she forced a nod. "Of course, I’m thrilled for you! I just never imagined you’d land something so prestigious so quickly after returning. Sebastian Holloway must’ve been very impressed to arrange a special exam just for you. Quite the accomplishment—unprecedented, really."

Her words, though seemingly complimentary, carried the sharp edge of insinuation—that Evelyn had used connections rather than merit.

Evelyn’s smile didn’t waver. "Oh, Sebastian and I are quite close. He mentioned how often you and Victor visited his home, begging for leniency during your exams. He asked me to remind you—do it again, and he’ll have no choice but to dismiss you from Grand Oaks General."

The office froze.

Every head swiveled toward Lila, whose face had gone ashen. The revelation shattered her carefully crafted image of the self-made prodigy who despised nepotism. Now, the hypocrisy lay bare.

A flush of humiliation crept up Lila’s neck. She hadn’t expected Sebastian to share such details with Evelyn—let alone for Evelyn to weaponize them publicly.

Before Lila could retaliate, Evelyn stood, smoothing her coat. "Excuse me. I need to change." She strode toward the locker room, leaving a room crackling with tension.

The morning passed in icy isolation. Even Vivian Cross, Evelyn’s supposed mentor, treated her with frosty detachment.

Evelyn remained unbothered.

By noon, Leonard Grant called, inviting her to lunch. With a generous break ahead, she agreed and headed to the restaurant.

But when she pushed open the private dining room’s door, her steps faltered.

Nathan Black lounged on the sofa, his smirk lazy and knowing.

At that moment, her phone buzzed—Leonard’s name flashing on the screen.

...

?