Chapter 3

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone. Then, Adrian's arrogant laugh was heard.

"You should have agreed to it earlier if you knew that this was going to happen sooner or later."

I interrupted him and said, "But I have one condition. I want this consultation to be live-streamed online."

Adrian's laughter stopped abruptly.

"Live-streamed?" he echoed, his voice turning cold. "Don't you know that you're being attacked left and right online right now, Stella Knight? And you still think that isn't enough? You want them to curse you even more?"

I glanced out the window, my lips curling slightly upward.

"Wouldn't that be something you want? Millions of people would see me finally giving in and bowing to you and treating your sister's treatment in real time.

"And I could even use the opportunity to admit my faults to the online community and give myself a way out of this."

Adrian fell silent. Seconds later, he let out an extremely pleased hum.

"You're a person of principle, Stella. Fine. Since you want to be openly criticized and humiliated that much, I will grant you your wish."

"One more thing," I said, cutting in. "You must not let Adeline know about the livestream. She's a patient. If she knows that millions of people are watching her, I'm afraid she will get agitated and overstimulated. And if anything happens to her because of that, I refuse to be held liable for it."

Adrian agreed at once without even lingering on the thought.

…

Early the next morning, I arrived at the appointment venue that he picked, which was the VIP ICU room on the top floor of Gemmington Central Hospital.

Two familiar people were standing at the door. It was a couple in their 50s. The man was tall and strong, wearing a dark gray wool sweater, while the woman was wearing a navy blue coat, looking poised and elegant.

They were Jeremy Duran and Florence White, Adrian's parents.

"You must be Dr. Stella Knight," Florence said gently to me.

I nodded. "I am."

She gave me a once-over and nodded slightly.

"I'm Adeline's mother. I've heard of you, Dr. Knight. Adeline is our daughter, and we've brought her up since she was very young. We're all very sincere about inviting you over for her consultation today."

She retrieved a business card from her purse and handed it to me, but I didn't take it. She didn't seem to mind, however.

"If you treat Adeline, you won't have to worry about your reputation or the expenses afterward. And we will also deal with your dismissal from this hospital.

"I can also guarantee to you that Duran Group's resources in the national medical system will all be at your disposal. This is how we would like to prove our sincerity to you."

I glanced at her.

Unfortunately for her, I didn't lack anything she was offering me.

"I'm here for a consultation today, Mrs. Duran. We will only discuss other matters afterward."

Florence's eyes flickered, but she quickly regained her composure a short while later.

Jeremy coughed lightly when he heard me say that. His eyes weren't as gentle as Florence's.

"Dr. Knight, what my wife said is only her intention. But what we mean is that the Durans will not mistreat you if you can cure Adeline of her illness."

He paused for a bit before continuing, "Your reputation is already destroyed. And you're the one who asked for this to be live-streamed. It's also your final chance to turn things around for yourself.

"If you fail to treat her, then the entire country will witness it in real-time, and you will also never find a footing in the medical field anywhere anymore."

I remained standing, holding my gaze with him for three whole seconds.

"I will only be able to tell if I can treat your daughter after taking a look at her, Mr. Duran."

Then, I walked right past him and pushed the room door open.

Jeremy frowned slightly like he was deliberating about something. Then, he followed me in with Florence by his side. They didn't say another word more and sat quietly by the side.

Adrian was peeling an apple for Adeline next to her hospital bed. He glanced up at me before his gaze flickered toward the air conditioner vent and then the decorative ornament on the bedside table.

He had to have hidden the cameras there.