Lost in the sting of Aaron's betrayal, Evelyn barely heard anything. Only when Matthew repeated himself did she finally return to her senses. The man calling her was actually the wealthiest man in this country?
"Wait... what?"
On the other end of the line, Matthew told Evelyn the past. He and her mother, Cheryl Mason, had once been deeply in love. Yet his father had strongly opposed their relationship and forced them apart.
At that time, Matthew had no idea that Cheryl had already been pregnant with Evelyn.
After his father passed away, Matthew planned to bring Cheryl and their daughter home, but it was too late. Cheryl had already died from illness.
Regret filled Matthew's voice.
"Evelyn, I built most of my empire overseas, but I still have hundreds of billions in assets here at home. You're my only child. Everything I have should belong to you. Consider it my way of making up for what your mother and you went through."
Even after Matthew ended the call, Evelyn remained frozen in place, unable to process what she had just heard.
She was the daughter of this country's richest man?
Memories surfaced of her mother gripping her hand before her final breath, insisting that she deserved a better future and urging her never to give up what belonged to her.
Clarity slowly replaced the confusion in Evelyn's eyes.
Her mother had been right. She needed to move forward and claim her own life instead of drowning in Aaron's betrayal.
The following morning, Evelyn gathered her identification papers and went to the law firm Matthew had recommended to begin the transfer of assets.
After reviewing her documents, the lawyer knit his brows together. "Ms. Mason, according to our system, you're listed as married. If we proceed with the transfer now, these assets will automatically count as shared marital property. If that's not your intention, your husband will need to sign a waiver."
Shock drained the color from Evelyn's face.
Her marriage with Aaron was fake. How could the official records show that she was legally married?
Swallowing past the dryness in her throat, Evelyn forced herself to ask, "Who exactly is registered as my husband?"
Casting her a puzzled glance, the lawyer turned to his computer and pulled up the record. "The system lists your spouse as Jonathan Bailey."
Jonathan Bailey? Who was that? And how could she possibly have been legally tied to him without her knowledge?
With questions burning in her chest, Evelyn decided she would track this man down and make him sign the waiver.
There was no way she would allow a complete stranger to touch a single cent of her inheritance.
Before Evelyn could step out of the office, her phone began ringing sharply.
The caller was Bryson Smith, director of Grace General Hospital.
His voice came through in a rush. "Evelyn, come back to the hospital right now. We've received a critical transfer from a lower-tier facility. The patient has a brainstem cavernous hemangioma. You're the only one who can perform the polypeptide simulation fusion technique to save him."
Shock flickered across Evelyn's face.
Throughout the entire hospital, Bryson was the only person aware that she was Polaris, the internationally recognized medical authority.
This specific polypeptide simulation fusion technique was Polaris' trademark field.
Under normal circumstances, Bryson would never risk drawing attention to her by arranging this type of surgery under her public identity. The urgency in his tone could only mean the patient's status was extraordinary.
Without wasting another second, Evelyn hailed a cab and rushed back to Grace General Hospital.
The moment she arrived, Bryson met her and spoke quickly. "Evelyn, the patient just returned from overseas. He's the grandson of the wealthiest man on our continent. His survival is critical. You have to save him."
After putting on her surgical cap and mask, Evelyn gave a small nod. Once she completed the sterilization process, she stepped into the operating room.
A young man lay motionless on the operating table when she stepped inside.
As she moved closer, her breathing stalled for a second.
Under the harsh surgical lights, his features looked almost unreal. Even with his head shaved and his body unconscious, his face carried a sharp, flawless beauty that felt almost sculpted.
Shaking off the distraction, Evelyn steadied herself. She was a surgeon first, and the patient's life came before anything else.
With firm hands, she lifted the scalpel and began the intricate operation.
Time slipped by as she worked with intense focus, and sweat slowly gathered along her temples.
Three long hours later, the overhead lights finally dimmed, signaling the end of the procedure.
Bryson, who had been waiting outside in visible distress, hurried toward her. "Evelyn, is he going to make it?"
Fatigue weighed on her voice as Evelyn gave a small nod. "The surgery was successful. He should wake up soon."
"Thank goodness." Bryson exhaled heavily. "If something had happened to Mr. Bailey under our care, I wouldn't know how to answer to his grandfather."
The moment she heard the surname "Bailey," Evelyn stiffened, and her pulse quickened. She looked straight at Bryson and asked, "What's the patient's name?"
Looking slightly confused, Bryson answered, "Jonathan Bailey. He's the successor of the Bailey family. You really haven't heard of him?"
Evelyn's eyes flew open in disbelief.
Jonathan Bailey.
The man she had just pulled back from death... was legally her husband.
