The crisp, explosive crack of the slap echoed through the hall.
Raelynn's palm stung and trembled from the force.
She was consumed by absolute fury.
She couldn't care less about the optics right now.
This was a human life!
Seraphina's technique was entirely wrong for the symptoms, yet she was physically blocking the correct treatment. What she was doing was practically murder.
The crowd consisted entirely of medical professionals, but they were mostly surgeons, researchers, and academic professors. Experts in specialized or alternative medicine techniques were incredibly rare here.
In other words, very few people in this room knew how to stabilize this specific crisis without machines.
Raelynn was the only one who could use specialized techniques for immediate, equipment-free stabilization.
The golden window for intervention was slipping away by the second.
Every doctor in the room knew it.
Seraphina froze in sheer shock, her hand trembling as she touched her numb, burning cheek. The surrounding crowd stared in dead silence, their eyes filled with complex emotions.
She had just been slapped across the face by Raelynn.
In front of nearly a hundred of the industry's most elite figures?
She was utterly astounded.
How dared Raelynn strike her?!
"Let her try."
Sebastian's voice cut through the tension. He stood nearby, his eyes fixed quietly on Raelynn's furious face. She always had a sharp tongue, but seeing her explode into genuine, physical rage was incredibly rare.
Seraphina felt the weight of a hundred gazes pressing down on her.
The humiliation was suffocating, making the sting on her cheek burn even hotter.
Her chest heaved with toxic rage. She shot Raelynn a vicious glare before stepping aside with a sarcastic sneer.
Fine. Let's see how Raelynn makes an absolute fool of herself!
When Dr. Hayes had collapsed, Seraphina had been shocked, but her first instinct had been pure opportunism. Realizing this was her golden ticket to forge an unbreakable bond with the Yves family—especially with Leo currently exiled—she had rushed in without hesitation.
Julian was stunned into silence, staring down at her intensely focused, beautiful face.
The hall was absolute chaos.
People were screaming at the dispatchers to hurry the ambulance.
Sebastian crouched down, his gaze lingering deeply on Raelynn's sweat-slicked face, before turning to Julian. "The affiliated hospital is over two miles away. The campus clinic team is still ten minutes out. Let her try."
Julian didn't say a word.
His heart pounded against his ribs as he watched.
The university leaders present actually knew exactly who Raelynn was—she was Professor Finch's prized pupil. That was why they hadn't intervened. In fact, when Seraphina had grabbed Raelynn, they had been a split second away from screaming at Seraphina themselves.
But Raelynn had been faster.
One slap had silenced the entire room.
Raelynn entirely tuned out the chaotic noise around her.
Once the needles were perfectly placed, she shook out two pills from the bottle. Supporting Dr. Hayes's head, she slipped them under the older woman's tongue to dissolve.

Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Boss, Your Wife Signed the Divorce Agreement Before the Wedding
I think for as slow as the beginning was, their turning point is just so fast... really hope we actually get to read about R and S and their rekindle.... we did not read 950 pages for their story to be sidelined. Im for this sideline story, but it if it's to separate from the main characters and their story, please make it separate book....
Author please update more chapters...
I really like Zella, she is becoming a good friend to Raelynn. Ian needs to go. The relationship with Chloe is confusing. Some chapters they are cousins, sometimes they're sibling. A little confusing....
Julians role as big brother- I feel comes from a genuine place, but in a relationship thats is just as stained as Raelynns and Sebastians. It hard for me to connect to his big brother role as he too was such a problem before. And while they talked a little bit, the conversation did not give me the believe there was resolution between Raelynn and Julian. For a brute, he should make his feelings clear about the situation to Raelynn and then step back, until there is more foundation for him to stand on....
Knife in my heart. I hurt for Raelynn. She has made it this far, but how much does she have in her, everyone has a breaking point. Some back of me hopes the author is joking to lighten the mood after so many intense chapters, but thats not this kind of story or couple....
My heart cannot take this. This, cannot be how it ends with these too. They need resolution with each other. Raelynn needs to be more humanize with Sebastian. We know she is hurt, but this is the branch. She needs all these answers, if not for them to be together, then for Lily to have both her parents. Stop with the mind games Raelynn!...
Its like the story is just repeating itself...
Timeline is getting lost for me. So many treasured little memories Raelynn has but yet, he was gone for years ? Anyways... still rooting for them! These two need a heart to heart. Lily "forgetting" someone, not possible in this day and age and I hope thats not their storyline....
Sebastian, the man of few words.... needs to find all the words! Needs to fight for her! On note, seven years seems like a long time for this master plan (which I am sure goes back much farther). Rereading this novel, and it seems like everything has played out in a 5-8 month time span. And I feel like all Sebastian's doings/ plan have not been revealed. I hope we get to see the whole picture and have the resolutions we hope. But seven years of mistreatment, I just don't see Raelynn fully coming back. If these was 2-3 years, maybe, and I know it changes some characters around, but it would still work. Rooting for them!...
Literally on edge!...