Chapter 8

At the charity gala, Mark was stopped at the entrance because he did not have an invitation.

As he looked through the crowd inside the ballroom, he caught sight of Claire, whose arm was linked with Ryan’s. She was introducing Ryan around the room and conversing with Dr. Sloan.

Watching the scene unfold, Mark suddenly felt as though the past six years of his life had been nothing more than a huge joke.

…

Finally, the gala ended. Mark rushed forward to stop Dr. Sloan, desperately pleading for the man to save Greg’s life.

After a brief moment, Dr. Sloan recognized him. “You’re… Claire’s fiancé? We met a year ago.

“What is that girl thinking?” Dr. Sloan continued, shaking his head. “Why didn’t she mention anything to me earlier? All she did was introduce me to that college friend of hers.”

Mark forced a bitter smile. “She refuses to let me mention her name to you, so my dad’s surgery has nothing to do with her. Dr. Sloan, as long as you can save my dad, I’ll do anything you ask.”

Dr. Sloan let out a weary sigh.

“That girl is so young, yet so rigid. When a human life is on the line, she ought to show a little flexibility.” He paused for a moment before adding, “I happen to have a gap in my schedule tomorrow morning. I can perform the surgery on your dad then.”

Mark thanked him repeatedly, and they agreed to meet at the hospital the next morning at eight o’clock sharp.

When Mark returned to the hospital, he received a call from a friend informing him his family home had sold for seven hundred thousand dollars.

The weight on his chest finally lifted. Greg was going to be saved!

However, when eight o’clock arrived the next morning, Dr. Sloan was nowhere to be found. Mark dialed Dr. Sloan’s phone over and over again, but every call went straight to voicemail.

The attending doctor was starting to get nervous. “Where is Dr. Sloan? The patient’s condition has deteriorated sharply. We need to operate right now. If we wait any longer, it’ll be too late!”

Just then, a young nurse passing by chimed in. “I saw Dr. Sloan earlier.”

Mark turned around abruptly. “Where?”

“Dr. Baker took him away.”

Mark immediately called Claire, but just like the last time, she did not answer the phone. Without hesitation, he began searching the hospital floor by floor. Finally, through the window of the VIP lounge, he spotted Dr. Sloan.

Just as Mark was about to rush inside, someone grabbed him from behind and yanked him back. It was Claire, and she dragged him to the far end of the hallway.

Mark broke free from her grip, his eyes bloodshot with desperation as he shouted, “Claire, my dad is waiting for Dr. Sloan to save his life! How could you take Dr. Sloan away?”

“Ryan is feeling some discomfort in his chest. He needs a comprehensive checkup to be sure.”

Mark trembled with pure rage. “There are so many doctors in this hospital. Aren’t they good enough for you? I was the one who brought Dr. Sloan in to perform surgery on my dad!”

“Dr. Sloan is the top cardiology specialist in the country. Only with him examining Ryan can I feel at ease,” Claire replied, her tone softened. “Mark, just wait a little longer. You’ve waited so many days anyway. What’s a few more hours going to hurt?”

Mark stared at the woman standing in front of him, finding her terrifyingly unfamiliar.

“You always talk about how principled you are, yet you refused to break the rules for my dad. So what do you call this?”

“Special circumstances require special exceptions,” she stated plainly.

After that, she summoned the hospital security guards over. “Keep a close eye on him. He’s not allowed to disrupt Dr. Sloan’s consultation. If anything goes wrong, you’ll be held responsible.”

The security guards immediately stepped forward and pinned Mark’s arms behind his back.

“Claire! Are you insane? Let me go! My dad can’t wait! Claire, I’m begging you…” Mark fought back frantically as he screamed in utter despair.

Claire felt sorry for him, but she did not turn around. She simply walked away.

In the VIP lounge, Dr. Sloan reviewed the electrocardiogram. “This young man is completely fine. Claire, you’re just overthinking things.”

Ryan sat up from the bed, clutching his chest weakly. “But, Claire… my chest really hurts, and I can barely catch my breath…”

Claire stepped forward and helped him down. “Dr. Sloan, please perform a more detailed evaluation on him. That’s the only way I can rest easy.”

Dr. Sloan gave her a puzzled look. “Claire, you’re still planning to marry Mark, aren’t you?”

Claire chuckled lightly, looking unbothered. “Of course. Since I’ve decided to marry Mark, he’s the only man for me for the rest of my life.”

Ryan clenched his hand into a fist and pursed his lips in silence.

Dr. Sloan nodded. “I agreed with your fiancé to perform the surgery at eight o’clock. Why did the schedule change?”

Claire explained, “They went ahead to complete other pre-operative tests first. Once all the results are out, it’ll be easier for you to consult. I just wanted to use this break to have you check on Ryan.”

Just like that, another four hours went by, and they did all the tests on Ryan. Only once the results confirmed that there was absolutely nothing wrong with him did Claire lead Dr. Sloan to the ICU where Greg was supposed to be.

In the ICU, however, the hospital bed was empty. Mark and Greg were nowhere to be found.

While Claire was confused, the attending doctor walked into the room.

She asked anxiously, “Where are they?”

The attending doctor looked at her with a mix of emotions. “The patient’s condition deteriorated rapidly, and he… passed away two hours ago.”