My Secret Husband Is My Cold Boss novel Chapter 54

Seeing her, he straightened up and headed for the door. "Cancel the car. I'll drop you off."

A Monday morning, right at the peak commuting hour—the odds of running into a coworker were astronomically high. She hesitated.

But the app showed a thirty-person waitlist, practically guaranteeing she'd be late if she waited.

Catching her reluctance, he offered a compromise. "I'll drop you a block away from the entrance."

That worked.

Relieved, she slid into the passenger seat.

For his daily commute, he drove his sleek, understated Maybach.

As the engine purred to life, the acceleration pushed her back into the plush leather far harder than the SUV ever did.

She knew absolutely nothing about cars.

Right now, her brain was utterly dominated by the high-definition memory of a half-naked Sampson.

Victor had once called the car "The Suit Thug," a nickname she initially thought was far too aggressive for her polished husband.

But thinking about it now...

It was violently accurate!

Having heard she finally slept at home, Riley was vibrating with excitement by her desk the moment she walked in.

Spotting Wendy, Riley immediately yanked her aside. "Did you go to the new place?"

Both of her best friends apparently shared the exact same chaotic brain cell.

Wendy nodded, cutting her off before the interrogation could begin. "Yes, the new place, and no, I am absolutely not answering any invasive questions."

Riley waved her off. "Oh, chill. I know how it works. The less I know about the Director's private life, I am safe."

Wendy simply stared at her in silence.

Seriously? No matter what the answer was, Riley always found a way to drag the conversation straight into the gutter.

-

The Chief Resident handover was officially scheduled for Wednesday.

Her successor had been locked in for weeks—a seasoned veteran within the department.

Having gone straight to Mayo Clinic after medical school, he had never experienced the brutal domestic hierarchy firsthand. This was his first real look at a Chief Resident's punishing workload.

He paused, setting the takeout containers aside gently. "You've worked incredibly hard, Chief Gates."

This cramped on-call room had been her home for a brutal, exhausting year.

But now, on her final night, she found herself strangely reluctant to leave it behind.

-

Wednesday marked her official resignation.

The department held a traditional handover ceremony, complete with speeches and official recordings.

Exactly a year ago, she had stood in that exact same spot.

Watching the torch pass, Dr. Franklin felt a wave of profound nostalgia.

Surveying the room full of his students, he mentioned, "Director Zachary told me this morning that Cardiothoracic is throwing a welcome party for their new Director this weekend at the Cloudridge Resort & Spa."

"Everyone's been run ragged lately. Why don't we crash their party and turn it into a joint retreat? It's the perfect excuse to celebrate Dr. Gates stepping down."