Chapter 6

The second I recognized Isla, every muscle in my body went on high alert.

"I want this medical supplier out of here right now."

I struggled, trying to rip off the tubes attached to me, but the chief surgeon clamped down on my shoulder.

"Ma'am, please calm down! Miss Isla is our newly appointed surgical consultant for the latest minimally invasive laparoscopic equipment. Having her assist ensures maximum safety."

I was so desperate I tried to pull the IV needle from the back of my hand.

The anesthesiologist swiftly pushed the meds.

"Deep breaths, count to three, and you'll be asleep."

The icy liquid forced its way into my veins, and my vision was quickly covered by a black fog.

The last image before my consciousness snapped was Isla standing under the blinding surgical lights, looking down at me with cold disdain.

I didn't know how much time had passed, but I was jolted awake by sheer agony.

Deep inside my abdomen, it felt like a rusty blade was brutally churning. Every breath came with a tearing, excruciating pain.

I struggled to peel open my heavy eyelids. The spacious VIP ward was empty except for Isla, who stood at the foot of the bed checking the monitors.

"My stomach hurts so much."

Isla walked over slowly and took a glance, her tone entirely flat. "The patient is adjusting to the new machines. It's a normal reading. Let her tough it out."

With that, she turned, gave a few instructions to the nurse who had just walked in, and sent the nurse out of the room.

But that life-draining cramping grew more and more catastrophic. I felt a surge of hot liquid pouring frantically from my lower body, and the vital signs monitor began blaring a sharp, piercing alarm.

I used my last ounce of strength to grip the bedsheets. "Help."

Isla looked up, putting on a fake frown. "The machine gives false alarms sometimes. I'll go check the data outside."

She dropped those words, turned, and walked right out the door.

The massive blood loss made my vision go dark in waves.

In my delirium, the ward door was slammed open violently.

"Harper!"

It was Jade.

I was too weak to make a sound and only saw double.

She ripped the blanket back, saw the bedsheets completely soaked in fresh blood, and screamed hysterically, "Someone get in here! Resuscitate her! She's hemorrhaging!"

The entire medical floor instantly erupted into chaos.

"Her blood pressure is dropping!"

"Prep the epinephrine!"

"Get blood bags from the blood bank immediately!"

The chaotic sound of crashing carts and terrified shouting filled my ears, and I completely plummeted into endless darkness.

When I regained feeling, the sky outside the window had already gone dark.

I was lying in bed, covered in tubes.

Outside the ward door, a fierce confrontation was erupting.

"Is this what you call a fucking normal machine reading?!"

It was Jade's furious voice. I had never seen the top-tier lawyer lose control like this.

"Tampering with the surgical settings during surgery caused a massive hemorrhage! If I hadn't found out in time, Harper would be a corpse right now! Is this what your medical supplier does?"

After two seconds of dead silence, Isla's pitiful, crying voice chimed in.

"I'm sorry, I really thought it was just a reading error from the product data. These probabilities happened during past clinical trials too. How could I intentionally hurt anyone."

Jade gritted her teeth in fury outside.

"Screw your excuses! You tampered with things on the operating table, and you think I wouldn't find out? The patient nearly bled dry today because of you!"

Just then, an extremely deep and cold voice cut in.

"Have you had enough?"

My breath caught sharply.

It was Theo.

"Theo." Isla sounded like she had grabbed a lifeline, her voice beyond wronged. "I was really just following protocol."

Theo lowered his voice, protecting her. "Stand behind me. I'll take over from here."

Jade let out a laugh of pure anger. "Theo, are you going to ignore human life for this vicious woman?"

Theo's voice was as hard as ice.

"I won't let you tear this Family apart without proof. She is a core supplier. As the chief surgeon, my word is law when it comes to medical rules."

Jade was so angry her voice cracked. "Theo! Do you have any idea who is lying on that resuscitation table bleeding out?!"

Theo fell silent for a moment, still maintaining that ruthless, business-like tone.

"I know Harper is your best friend. But I will absolutely not allow you to go after my people just because of your personal connection to her."

It was utterly absurd. He had no idea his own wife was having her IUD removed here today. He thought Jade was here taking on a medical malpractice case, standing up for someone else.

Jade trembled with rage at his arrogant and blind assumption, pointing at his nose, unable to curse out a single word.

Theo didn't even glance at the ward. He had already assertively pushed past the crowd, shielding Isla as they left, the sound of his leather shoes gradually fading at the end of the hall.

The remaining nurses in the hallway couldn't help but whisper.

"The Chief is truly indulgent with Miss Isla. He took the fall for such a massive incident."

"Of course. Miss Isla controls the specialty drug channels. She's so important to the Family, who wouldn't put her on a pedestal?"

"If you ask me, those two are the real power couple in the Mafia."

Every sentence was like a poison-laced blade, ruthlessly twisting in my wound.

The ward door was pushed open. Jade rushed in with red eyes. Seeing that my eyes were open, she panicked and hurried over to cover my ears.

"Don't listen to those idiots spewing bullshit."

I weakly pulled her hands down, giving a pale smile. "Jade, I'm fine."

I already had one foot in hell; what else was there to hold on to?

Just as I finished speaking, the phone on the nightstand vibrated abruptly.

The screen lit up with the caller ID: Theo.

Jade's face turned livid. "This blind bastard actually has the nerve to call?"

I took a deep breath and slid the answer button with ultimate calmness.

Theo's somewhat agitated voice immediately came through the receiver. "Harper, it's the middle of the night. You're not home, and you're not answering your phone. Where did you go?"

"Do you know I'm worried sick looking for you?"