Chapter 2

Having heard my instructions, the surgical team and nurses quickly pushed Logan and Yvonne into the OR.

Logan, seeing my calm and professional demeanor, seemed much more at ease than earlier—until I brought out the medical camera.

In my past life, the surveillance footage had been tampered with, so I wasn't going to take that chance again. I directed the nurse to photograph them from every angle.

Logan yanked the bedsheet over himself and snapped, "What the hell do you think you're doing? How can you take photos in the OR? You're violating our privacy!"

I hid a cold smirk behind my mask and stated calmly, "It's part of the procedure, as a thorough photographic record of your bodies' points of articulation is required before our specialists can be consulted and a surgical plan properly formulated.

"If you'd rather not consent, that's your right—but we'd have to refer you to another hospital."

I put away the camera after saying that and turned to leave.

"Hold on!" Yvonne called out in a panic when she saw me turning away. She was pinned under Logan's weight in a humiliating position, and her knees were already buckling. She wasn't in any condition to deal with the hassle of switching hospitals.

She then twisted her head toward Logan with a wretched, imploring look, her eyes turning completely bloodshot. "I'm in so much pain, darling, so please just let her take the photos. Other hospitals would probably do the same thing anyway!"

"I won't allow it! If those photos get out—my reputation, my family, my marriage—everything I have would be destroyed!"

I couldn't help but sneer inwardly, thinking that it was only at this moment that he recalled his marriage and family. I simply turned to the nurse and said indifferently, "Get in touch with another hospital's ER."

"You can't do that!" Yvonne was clearly in significant distress. She continued to reason with Logan with tears in her eyes, yelling, "It's our top priority to get separated this instant, Logan. Otherwise, if we wait until tomorrow and Mariella catches us when she comes in for work, it'll be a total nightmare!"

Upon hearing my name, Logan's expression suddenly shifted, tinged with panic and guilt. He gave up his resistance, merely offering a harsh threat. "You ought to know that I'm the CEO of Lane Group. If these photos ever leak and damage my relationship with my wife, I'll personally see to it that every one of you ceases to exist in this city!"

In that instant, the nurse discreetly rolled her eyes and murmured under her breath, "He shouldn't be having an affair if he really cares so much about his marriage, then. He's doing all this crazy stuff with a mistress, yet he still wants to act like a loyal husband. How ridiculous."

I concurred with the nurse, but I maintained my composure and continued setting up my surgical instruments.

It was then that the nurse taking the photos suddenly gasped, staring at the tattoo on Logan's inner thigh. "Mariella? That's the exact same name as one of the doctors here in our ER."

I noted that the nurse assigned to the procedure was from another department. I had never met her before, which explained why she didn't recognize my face but knew my name.

I caught the look of pure panic on Logan's face, finding it almost incredulous. He had once told me I was his one true love and tattooed my name near his groin. He was in so much pain then, since it had been an excruciatingly sensitive area.

He had broken out in a cold sweat as he murmured against my ear back then, caught between agony and pleasure. "I just want you to know that this is the proof of my devotion, my beloved Mariella. No other woman will ever lay eyes on it."

I had once regarded the tattoo as Logan's solemn vow, a personalized declaration of affection dedicated to me. It was now ironically bared to the world—a silent witness to Logan's unfaithfulness and his ultimate betrayal.

"Damn it! I'm not doing the surgery here! I'm going to transfer to another hospital!" Logan snapped, grunting and writhing in agitation.

Yvonne, who was trapped underneath him, wept from the sheer torture of it. "P-Please don't move!"

Yvonne, driven by pain, spun a lie on the spot. "It's fine, darling! I'm sure there are plenty of Mariellas out there. It's just a coincidence that your mother shares it with a doctor here, so don't let it get to you!"

In the end, the nurse looked toward me, seemingly seeking my take on the situation; after all, as an ER colleague, she figured I knew Mariella well enough to confirm or deny the coincidence.

I stated coldly, "It's honestly not that big of a deal. Regardless of a patient's circumstances, maintaining their privacy is part of our professional code of conduct."

Logan's worries vanished after hearing that. He breathed a sigh of relief and mocked the nurse, yelling, "That doctor is absolutely right! You need to study up on professional conduct. Hold on!"

He suddenly fixed his gaze on me mid-sentence, his expression shifting slightly. He searched my features with a look of growing suspicion, his lips trembling as he tried to find the words. He eventually whispered, "W-Why do you sound exactly like Mariella?"