Chapter 63

"Dr. Chadwick, you're finally here! I've been waiting for you forever. Please, come quickly-my mother needs surgery right away. She's in critical condition!"Claire's eyes shimmered with tears of relief as she caught sight of Kevin. His arrival felt like grasping a lifeline after hours of drowning.

She was surrounded by relatives, yet none could offer the kind of help her mother desperately needed. Only a skilled doctor could turn things around, and Kevin's presence finally gave her a sliver of hope.

Claire and her mother had always leaned on each other. Her father hadn't even bothered to show up-not even when his wife's life hung by a thread. All because she hadn't given him a boy.

"I understand," Kevin said, his tone even but serious."But after reviewing Mrs. Robertson's case, I must be honest-her condition is extremely complicated.Even with my experience, the operation only has a fifty-fifty chance of success. Unless..."

Unless his mentor, the legendary Dr. Q, was here to assist.

Before he could finish, Claire cut in, her voice tight with urgency, "I believe in you. Even if there's just a fifty percent chance, it's still worth it-for my mom's life!"

To Claire, those odds were better than none. She'd rather fight with hope than stand by and lose her.

Afraid Kevin might second-guess his decision,she quickly added, her voice filled with emotion, "It means so much that you came. I know people wait over a year just to get an appointment with you. We're only this lucky because of my uncle Carl's persistence."

"Your uncle Carl?" Kevin repeated, then turned toward the man in question, his brows lifting slightly."I was invited by Mr. Rodger Holden. Your uncle Carl had nothing to do with it."

Kevin had a fair grasp of the Holden family's inner workings. Had it not been for a past favor from Rodger, he never would've made this special trip.

"What?" Claire blinked, clearly caught off guard.

"We're all family here. No need to get stuck on the details," Carl said with a forced chuckle, quickly trying to defuse the tension. "Let's focus on Eliana's treatment."

It was true-Rodger had contacted Kevin. But due to

business obligations, he'd sent Carl in his place.Claire's assumption had simply gone uncorrected.

A quiet,mocking chuckle slipped from Grace,who had remained silent until now.

Rumors about Carl weren't flattering-most called him incompetent and arrogant. Now, it seemed, he was also eager to bask in credit he hadn't earned.

"What are you laughing at?" Claire started.

Kevin's surprised and genuinely delighted voice cut her off. "Miss Miller! What a surprise-what brings you here?" He hadn't noticed her until that moment.

"The patient inside is my aunt," Grace replied,composed and steady.

"What? The patient is your aunt?" Kevin's eyebrows shot up.

Turning to Claire and the rest, he said with unmistakable certainty, "With my mentor here, there was no need to call me at all! She's more than capable of handling this surgery."

His statement stunned everyone into silence.

"Time is critical. Miss Miller, would you join me in the operating room?" Kevin asked, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

The thought of assisting his mentor in surgery electrified him. He was already glad he'd come.

"What? Dr. Chadwick, are you seriously letting Grace assist you?" Gianna asked, her voice thick with disbelief.

Kevin's expression turned cold. "I'm assisting her,not the other way around. Got it?"

Gianna stood frozen, her jaw nearly hitting the floor.Had she misheard? No-she hadn't. It was SO unbelievable.

Kevin had no interest in arguing. Time was slipping through their fingers. He turned back to Grace with quiet respect, silently urging her to lead the way.

"I'm going in now. Don't worry about Aunt Eliana.I won't let anything happen to her," Grace said confidently, casting a reassuring glance at her parents.

"Alright, go on. I believe in you!" Julia replied, her voice filled with pride and trust.

Rodger, though visibly surprised, was no fool.Watching the reverence doctor showed toward his daughter, he understood one thing clearly-Grace wasn't just capable. She was extraordinary.

With that, Grace and Kevin moved swiftly toward the

pre-op room, their footsteps echoing down the hall as the rest of the Holden family remained behind-silent,each lost in thought.

Gianna sat stiffly, her expression clouded wvith disbelief.She couldn't fathom how someone raised in an orphanage could possess such advanced medical skills.

The idea gnawed at her. Maybe Grace had seduced Kevin into backing her? It wouldn't be the first time a beautiful woman used charm to gain influence.Perhaps this was all part of her plan-to win the Holden family's trust and secure Eliana and Claire's gratitude.

It felt more believable the more she considered it.Kevin was young and single, so it made sense that Grace would enchant him.

After over fifteen hours of this extremely difficult and sophisticated procedure, the operating room light finally turned out.

Before long, Eliana was wheeled out.

"How is my mom?" Claire inquired, with a worried expression on her face.

Immediately, the rest gathered around.

"Don't worry, the surgery went really well," Grace

replied, taking off her mask.