“Work is important, but tell your parents to take care of themselves too,” Mrs. Smith Sr. said warmly.Jane nodded. “Alright.”After chatting with Mrs. Smith Sr. for a while, Jane pulled Liz out to the balcony.“Liz, I didn’t just come to visit Grandma today. There’s something I need to tell you. The person who hired your former client to smear you online—it was Victoria Harris.”Surprise flickered in Liz’s eyes. “How do you know?”“Zac found out. He was worried you wouldn’t meet with him, so he asked me to bring the evidence to you.”As she spoke, Jane took a folder from her bag and handed it over.Liz flipped it open, scanned a few pages, and nodded. “Alright. I understand. Thanks, Jane.”“Don’t thank me. Thank that jerk Zac. After everything he’s done to you, doing a little to make it up is the least he should do. By the way, you and Victoria don’t even know each other, right? Did you offend her somehow?”“On your birthday, we had a run-in in the garden.”Jane let out a sm
One of the men barked, “Which one of you is Dr. Sanders?!”Seeing the fury in his eyes, Jack arched a brow and casually pointed at William.“Him.”The man’s glare swung to William. “You’re the one who told my dad to transfer hospitals or find another doctor?!”William lifted his gaze, his expression cool. “Yes. Why?”The man let out a harsh laugh and slammed his palm down on the desk. “As his attending physician, you told him to transfer before surgery. Are you trying to kill my father?!”The blow was so heavy the desk rattled.Jack flinched and quickly stood, edging toward the door. Disputes like this—angry families—were common for William. It was best to let him handle it.William’s expression didn’t change. “Yesterday I had the nurses remind you several times to make sure the patient didn’t eat or drink. Yet this morning he had breakfast. If we had gone ahead with anesthesia without knowing, there’s a good chance he wouldn’t have made it off the table.”The man faltered for
When the nurse saw William sitting on the sofa eating lunch with Liz, her eyes widened in shock. She had never seen him willingly sit down to eat with any woman. And she recalled that he never touched spicy food.Before she could recover from her surprise, William had already set down his utensils and stood. “What’s wrong with the patient in Room 815?”Snapping out of it, the nurse hurried to follow him. “The patient in 815 had breakfast this morning… so the afternoon surgery might not be possible.”William’s brows furrowed, his expression hardening. “Didn't we already tell him last night that he needed to fast—no food or water? Why did he eat breakfast this morning?”He was striding toward Room 815 as he spoke.“His grandson came by this morning,” the nurse explained, nearly jogging to keep up. “He handed him a breakfast roll, and the patient ate it. At first the family tried to cover it up, but the boy slipped and told the truth. When we pressed, the patient finally admitted i
As they were talking, the door opened and someone stepped inside.Liz turned her head and was surprised to see William. “Dr. Sanders, what brings you here? Is there a test scheduled this afternoon?”The moment he saw her, his steps faltered.For convenience in cooking, Liz had put on an apron. Right now, she was wearing a Peppa Pig apron with her long hair tied up in a messy bun. The usual coolness in her face was gone, replaced with a lighthearted cuteness.William felt his heartbeat pick up, almost pounding out of his chest. He gave a soft cough to cover his reaction, his voice still steady and low. “No, I just came to remind you that your grandmother’s due for her medication. It works best if she takes it at fixed times—every twelve hours.”“Oh, okay. Can she take it with food?”“Yes.”As Liz pulled out the pills, William handed her a glass of water. She blinked in surprise before taking it from him. “Thanks.”Once Mrs. Smith Sr. finished her medicine, William spoke again. “
“Grandma, I don’t care about that kind of empty title.”What difference would a grand welcome party make? It wouldn’t change the fact that the Smiths didn’t like her.In the past, she had tried so hard to fit into the family, forcing herself to please everyone. Now, she no longer cared, and she had no intention of bending over backward just to be accepted.“You don’t have to like it, but it has to happen. I want everyone to know that you are the true daughter of the Smith family.”Liz opened her mouth to argue again, but Mrs. Smith Sr. had already guessed what she was thinking. She turned on her side and said, “I’m tired. I’ll sleep for a while.”Realizing she wouldn’t change her grandmother’s mind, Liz could only shake her head helplessly and get up. “I’ll go make us lunch.”She had just reached the kitchen door when Mrs. Smith Sr.’s voice floated over. “I want spicy chili.”Her grandmother’s family had always loved hot food, and fiery chili was her weakness. But with her high
Mrs. Smith Sr.’s tone was calm, but her words hit Zac like a slap in the face, stripping away every ounce of pride and dignity he had left.Even though he had built a successful company and was now the head of a large firm, the fact that he was the illegitimate son of the Lincoln Corporation’s CEO clung to him like a permanent stain. It was something he could never erase.His hand clenched tightly at his side, and his eyes darkened. He lowered his gaze, waiting several long seconds before he finally spoke. “Alright. I understand.”Downstairs, at the entrance to the inpatient wing, he ran straight into Liz, who had just returned with a bag of oranges. She walked right past him as if he weren’t even there, not sparing him so much as a hello.As they brushed shoulders, Zac couldn’t hold back. “Liz.”She stopped and turned, her eyes cool. “What is it?”“When we were together, did you ever look down on me because I was the illegitimate son of the Lincoln Corporation’s CEO?”The serio