"Your husband?" Jonathan repeated, glancing up at Evelyn with a teasing look in his eyes.
Embarrassment crept over her when she realized she had not explained anything about her "previous marriage."
"I will tell you everything when I come back," she said.
After all, Aaron's grandmother was in a critical condition.
Jonathan stayed where he was and watched her hurry out, and a faint chill settled into his smile.
The moment he noticed her name badge earlier, he had already told his assistant to dig into her background. Now his phone screen displayed every detail about her life.
She worked as a neurosurgeon at Grace General Hospital. Her mother had died when she was young. Three years earlier, she had married Aaron, the heir to the Foster family.
His network reached far enough to uncover even the ugliest truth—Aaron had tricked her with a fake marriage registration while secretly marrying his childhood sweetheart, Karina.
Realizing all that, he found himself thinking Evelyn had endured more than most people ever would.
Lowering his gaze, he noticed her scent still clinging faintly to his hand.
Something about her held his attention.
After everything she had gone through, she had still been steady enough to perform surgery on him.
He figured that when the time came to face his greedy relatives, she would handle them with the same calm control.
He felt really lucky to have such a capable wife.
...
By the time Evelyn reached the hallway outside the emergency room, Aaron's grandmother, Beth Foster, was already being rushed toward the operating room.
No matter how much she despised Aaron, Evelyn had always treated Beth with respect. "Beth is suffering from a thrombotic cerebral infarction," she said firmly. "I have the highest success rate for this procedure. Let me operate."
Out of nowhere, Karina stepped forward in a crisp white coat, adjusting her surgical cap as if she owned the place. "Evelyn, the hospital assigned this operation to me. You are not taking it."
About a year earlier, she had secured her position in the neurology department at Grace General Hospital through Aaron's influence.
With his backing, she had attached herself to one surgery after another, claiming credit where she could, and climbed into a senior role within a single year.
From the very beginning, Aaron had planned it that way. Once he finished using Evelyn, he intended to present Karina as his lawful wife, and the title of a capable doctor would make the announcement sound respectable.
Refusing to step aside, Evelyn held her ground. "This procedure is beyond you. I am the one who should be operating."
Beth had always treated her with kindness, and there was no way she would stand back while Beth's life hung by a thread.
Instead of arguing further, Karina turned to Aaron with trembling lips. "Aaron, the hospital appointed me. She is breaking protocol by trying to take over."
A calculating look flashed through her eyes before she lowered them again.
Beth never liked her.
If she managed to pull Beth through this crisis, earning her place as Aaron's rightful wife would be much easier.
And if the surgery failed, that outcome would clear obstacles just as well.
Without hesitation, Aaron pushed Evelyn aside. "Evelyn, stop interfering. Karina is saving my grandma. If something goes wrong because of you, you will answer for it."
Triumph lit up Karina's face as she shot Evelyn a provoking glance and entered the operating room.
Seeing Evelyn's worried expression, Aaron tried to reassure her. "Calm down. Karina knows what she is doing. My grandma will be safe. And what you saw, I can explain. I had too much to drink and thought she was you. That is why I tried to kiss her."
He assumed a few soft words would pull Evelyn back under his control, just like before, when she would accept anything he said without question.
Before he could continue, the operating room doors burst open and Karina stumbled out, her voice shaking as tears streamed down her face. "Aaron, your grandma is not going to make it."
Shock twisted his expression into something frightening. "What? I need to see her right now."
At that moment, Bryson rushed over after hearing about the surgery and blocked Aaron's path. Turning to Evelyn, he said, "Evelyn, get inside and save Mrs. Foster immediately."
