Karina felt a quiet thrill at the thought that Beth wouldn't last much longer, and she would finally be out of the way.
She meant to pin the surgical failure on Evelyn, so Aaron would think the earlier disruption had ruined the timing.
But she didn't expect Bryson to ask Evelyn to perform the surgery on Beth.
She raised her voice and made sure everyone heard her. "Evelyn, Beth is passing away. Are you going to cut into her and make this worse?"
Bryson didn't budge, and his expression stayed hard. "Evelyn is the only one here who can save the patient. Stop interfering and let her work."
Evelyn shut her mind to the noise, locked the operating room door, and took the scalpel in hand.
Bryson saw her lock the door. As he walked away, unease weighed on him.
Karina turned toward Aaron, speaking ill of Evelyn. "Beth could've gone peacefully, but now she won't even get a proper end."
Her words struck a nerve, and Aaron snapped. He slammed his fist against the door. "Evelyn, open the door right now. If my grandma can't even rest in peace, you'll pay for it."
Evelyn didn't respond, and she stayed with the procedure.
She had already handled another surgery that day, and exhaustion made it hard to keep her shoulders steady.
Her hands still worked clean and sure, and she stopped Beth's brain bleed in time.
When the door finally opened, her legs nearly gave out.
She had barely stepped out when a watch flew into her forehead.
Aaron's expression darkened. "Evelyn, what did you do in there? Did you mess with my grandma's body? Are you taking it out on her because you're angry at me?"
Karina stood off to the side, and a smug smile crept across her face.
Already hurt deeply by Aaron, Evelyn grabbed the cup of hot coffee from a nurse and splashed it on him.
Heat hit his skin, and he recoiled with a sharp breath.
Evelyn didn't hold back. "I saved Beth, and she's alive. If you're going to keep acting like this, go find a psychiatrist and stop making a scene in neurology."
"You're saying my grandma made it?" Aaron spun and charged into the operating room.
Karina's face stiffened, and the color left her lips. "That's impossible. Beth..."
Evelyn stepped closer to her, and her voice turned quiet and pointed. "Karina, you look disappointed. Were you waiting for Beth to die?"
"No. Don't say things like that."
Aaron came back out a moment later, and the change in him was immediate once he saw Beth was stable. He looked at Evelyn with intensity.
Skill like hers couldn't be replaced, and her work on the targeted drug mattered too. If she walked away from the Foster family, it would cost him.
Aaron's tone softened as he put on a smile. "Evelyn, thank you for saving my grandma." His hand went to her waist as he leaned in. "This means you aren't mad at me, right? Come home tonight."
Evelyn slipped away from him in one quick step, and her eyes stayed cold. "Don't touch me. It's disgusting."
Anger flashed across Aaron's face, but he forced it down because he needed her to come back.
"Evelyn, listen, I only kissed Karina because I was drunk. If you come back, I won't see her anymore."
Aaron shot Karina a look.
Karina swallowed her frustration and forced a smile. "Sure. If it makes you feel better, I can stay away from Aaron from now on."
Aaron added, "Evelyn, come back to me, and you'll have full control over the targeted drug's development. When it's ready to be released, we'll partner with Dale Group. You know Matthew Dale, their chairman, is the richest man in the country. You'll be more famous than the renowned doctor Polaris!"
A sharp, amused look flashed in Evelyn's eyes. Aaron had no clue that she was the heiress to Dale Group, the company he was eager to collaborate with. He was talking about outshining Polaris without knowing she was Polaris.
Evelyn looked from Aaron to Karina, and her voice stayed steady. "If you two stop seeing each other, isn't that a little harsh for a married couple?"
Aaron's face paled; he was caught off balance. "Evelyn, what are you talking about?"
A quiet laugh slipped out of her. "Still playing dumb? Do you want me to send a tip to the press? I can tell them my marriage to you is fake, and your lawful wife is Karina."
Aaron's mind jolted. "So you heard everything that day." His eyes went wide, and anger rushed in. "Fine, there's no need to pretend anymore! I'm a shareholder at Grace General Hospital. If you leak that, I'll get you fired, and I'll make sure no hospital will hire you again."
Karina stopped acting sweet and added, "Evelyn, if you don't want to get blacklisted, keep your mouth shut and continue working for Foster Group."
Their voices climbed, sharp and heated.
A colder voice cut through them from behind. "I'd like to see who thinks they can blacklist the person who saved my life."
