Chapter 4

By the time Mandy convened a hearing, I could no longer stand. I was brought into the rehab center's first-floor conference hall in a wheelchair.

Every seat was filled. Board representatives, legal counsel, the head nurse, the head of security, and even a compliance consultant they'd rushed in at the last minute were present. Their eyes were filled with pity, scrutiny, and disgust as they landed on me.

Mandy stood in front of the main screen, looking perfectly made up and without a single wrinkle in her dress.

Meanwhile, my hospital gown was soaked with cold sweat. The skin beneath my collarbone was raw and inflamed from the monitoring pads being ripped off and reapplied over and over.

She turned on the screen.

"Thank you all for coming. We're here today to deal with an ugly scandal that's been festering in this rehab center for years," she said.

So-called rebate agreements and offshore transfer records flashed onto the display.

Her voice was clear and steady. "Geraldine Lane, an orphan. She's not an employee of Ziegler Group, nor is she part of any medical or R&D team. Yet, she has occupied the highest-level suite in this rehab center for an extended period, enjoying Ziegler Group's private medical resources.

"Preliminary findings indicate that she colluded with equipment suppliers, fabricated a medical condition, and embezzled special project funds."

A low murmur swept through the crowd.

"So that's why she's always on the top floor."

"I heard she doesn't have to do anything at all. She just lies there all day."

"Did she manage to scam Mr. Ziegler somehow?"

I kept my eyes lowered and stayed silent. There was no point in explaining anything. Mandy wasn't looking for the truth. She just wanted me convicted.

She turned to the nurses. "Tell everyone what Geraldine usually does up on the top floor."

The head nurse stood first. She glanced at Mandy, then said in a low voice, "Ms. Lane doesn't participate in any treatment work."

Another nurse chimed in. "She spends most of the day resting. There are dedicated staff handling her food, environment, and medication."

A third nurse said bluntly, "We don't really understand why she has access to such high-end equipment."

At the door, Noelle was held back by two security guards, crying as she shouted, "That's not how it is! Ms. Lane's monitoring data is directly linked to Mr. Ziegler's system!"

She didn't manage to get any further. The guards dragged her out.

A satisfied smile played on Mandy's lips. "You all heard the truth."

I slowly lifted my head and looked at the people who had just testified. I committed their faces to memory, one at a time. It wasn't for revenge—I was just afraid that no one would know what they had done after I died.

Suddenly, there was a commotion at the entrance. Quentin was brought in. There were bruises on his face, and his eyes were bloodshot. Still, the first thing he did was look at me.

"Geraldine!" he shouted.

Mandy smiled pleasantly. "You're just in time, Dr. Stark."

She pointed to the spot beneath my collarbone. "You previously stated that Geraldine has a Ziegler Group core medical chip implanted in her body, correct?"

Quentin's expression shifted drastically. "She didn't steal that. That's a synchronization chip personally approved and signed off by Mr. Ziegler. It can't be removed. Whoever removes it will be held responsible for the consequences."

That was exactly what Mandy had been waiting for. She turned back to the room. "You all heard that, right? She's not an employee of Ziegler Group, yet she has the company's highest-level medical chip embedded in her body. This isn't simple fraud anymore. It's theft of core technology."

Quentin roared, "Mandy Sutherland! That chip is connected to—"

"Shut him up."

The security guards moved instantly, pinning him down and gagging him.

Mandy sauntered up to me, leaned down, and gently straightened my messy collar. She said softly, "I gave you a chance, Geraldine. You're the one who refused to admit your guilt."

She raised her hand. "I'm removing the chip right here and now so that it can be sent for analysis."

My eyes widened. "You can't do that."

For the first time, I truly struggled. "Mandy, the chip can't leave my body."

She held me down by the shoulders. "Scared now?"

My breathing turned ragged. "He's already on his way."

She was taken aback for a second before she laughed. "Even if Aiden comes back, he'll only thank me for getting rid of a fraud like you."

I was strapped onto an operating chair. No anesthesia was administered.

Quentin was gagged, leaving him unable to do anything but watch, his eyes bulging so badly that they looked like they would pop out of their sockets.

When the cold scalpel pressed against the skin beneath my collarbone, every muscle in my body stretched tight.

The first cut broke the skin, immediately drawing blood. Pain coursed through me; I clenched my teeth so hard that they nearly shattered.

Forceps probed into the wound, clamping down on the synchronization chip buried under my skin. At the same time, the monitoring screens all around the hall all flared red.

[Risk of primary frequency interruption. Warning: Remote artificial heart shutdown imminent.]

Mandy didn't even look at them. She kept her eyes locked on mine and gave a vicious yank. In that instant, my vision went dark.

But right before I blacked out, I heard the rehab center's doors slam open. Someone burst into the conference room, pushing a wheelchair.

Aiden sat in the wheelchair, his face as white as a sheet. His gaze locked onto the bloody incision beneath my collarbone.

The next second, the alarm on his artificial heart went off at maximum volume. He clutched at his chest and toppled out of the wheelchair, collapsing right at Mandy's feet.