Chapter 48

Kumvine Medical Center was alive with energy, the corridors echoing with brisk footsteps and the low murmur of discussions.

Spencer, his crisp white coat immaculate, stood at the center of it all like a seasoned conductor before an orchestra. Surrounded by a circle of experts and eager students-some carrying the confidence of years, others inexperienced yet brimming with awe-he spoke with clarity and authority, every word commanding their full attention. Faces lit with admiration and subtle nods of agreement followed his every explanation.

This was no ordinary lecture but an exchange with other hospitals, and Spencer, celebrated as Kumvine Medical Center's most promising young physician,handled it with poise. His performance not only cemented his own reputation but also reflected glory back onto the hospital itself.

As the session wound down, the hospital's director stepped forward. His hair was streaked with silver,yet his smile radiated vitality. He regarded Spencer with a warmth that carried both pride and approval.

"Spencer, that was an outstanding lecture," he commended, his tone brimming with satisfaction."Our hospital has been invited to join an international research project on a groundbreaking cardiovascular drug. What do you think about taking part?"

The question gave Spencer pause. As the Briggs family's heir, he was already well informed about global medical advances, and he recognized the weight of this opportunity. Joining the project would raise his professional standing to unprecedented heights once he returned.

But the offer came with a cost. Participation abroad could easily stretch a year, perhaps longer. If complications arose, it might even consume several years of his life. Spencer's thoughts kept circling back to Yvonne. He had already sacrificed one chance with her in the name of his career-was he really going to let another slip away?

What unsettled him more was the fact that Yvonne was now tangled in a divorce with Julian. If he left,who would be there for her if Julian hurt her once more?

The weight of it all made his resolve falter. Pressing his lips into a thin line, he finally murmured, "I'll need some time to think it over."

The director, understanding, gave a small nod. He didn't push for an answer and instead began outlining the project's importance, but Spencer suddenly noticed something, excused himself abruptly, and strode away.

At the hospital's front entrance, Julian appeared in a rush, Yvonne limp in his arms. He remembered her once saying she only trusted Spencer as her doctor.Reluctant as he was to face Spencer, he had no choice but to bring her here. Julian was about to ask a nurse where Spencer could be found when Spencer himself came hurrying toward them.

Spencer's gaze landed on Yvonne's unconscious form, and fury flared in his eyes. "What the hell did you do to her this time?" he snapped, his voice tight with anger.

If not for the fact that Yvonne lay in Julian's arms,fragile and vulnerable, Spencer might have already thrown a brutal punch.

Julian's brows knitted tighter at Spencer's tone,but he swallowed his anger, knowing this wasn't the moment for a fight. His voice was clipped as he informed, "She fell into the water..."

Before Julian could finish, Spencer stepped closer and pried Yvonne from his arms. "I knew you couldn't keep Yvonne safe! I'm taking her to the emergency room!"

Every instinct in Julian bristled at the accusation, but reason warned him not to waste precious seconds. After a tense pause, his grip slackened, and he let Yvonne go.

Spencer didn't look back. He carried her swiftly down the hall toward the emergency room.

Outside, the red treatment sign glowed above the door. Julian lowered himself onto a bench, elbows braced on his knees, hands clenched together. His head hung low, shadows falling across his face.

His clothes clung to him, heavy and damp, water still dripping from his hair and pooling at his feet.Outwardly, he sat motionless, but beneath that rigid shell burned a storm of anger and helplessness.

Spencer's harsh words echoed in his ears, leaving the man who always carried himself with unshakable confidence staring blankly, shaken by a rare and bitter sense of failure.

Through the last three years, Julian had convinced himself that money and stability were enough. Only when Yvonne asked for a divorce did hefinally grasp how little he had given her as a husband. Now, under his very nose, someone had even tried to kill her.

Julian never believed her fall into the pool had been an accident. From the start of their marriage, he knew how deeply she feared water-she avoided even the shallowest edges, always careful to keep her distance.

The memory of the crew's callous indifference gnawed at him, their mocking voices echoing in his mind.

Had he not been there today, Yvonne would've been dead before anyone bothered to lift a finger.

The pounding of hurried footsteps snapoped him from his thoughts. Julian's head lifted sharply, his gaze landing on Morton rushing over, chest heaving from exertion.

"Mr. Powell!" Morton panted, clutching at his side."We've secured the surveillance footage from the scene!"