Rejected Heiress, Reigning Queen novel Chapter 216

Scarlett returned to the waiting room looking pale and shaken.

"What did he say to you?" Carter asked, his steady voice laced with concern.

Scarlett bit her lip and asked quietly, "What happens if Emma's surgery fails?"

"Then she did her best."

Carter stared at the operating room doors, his mind racing through every possible worst-case scenario and how he would systematically dismantle them.

Scarlett's anxiety churned. She hadn't agreed to Dominic's demand, only told him she would think about it.

But if Emma really failed... jumping into the fire for her sister-in-law's sake wasn't entirely off the table.

The surgery dragged on from the morning straight into the evening, the red light above the doors still glowing ominously.

"She's been in there forever. She probably killed the girl and is just too scared to come out."

Gillian sneered at the OR doors, silently praying for Emma's absolute ruin.

Carter's eyes snapped toward her, radiating pure hostility. Logan immediately stepped in front of Gillian to shield her.

"My apologies. Gillian lacks a filter," Logan said, trying to smooth things over.

Carter narrowed his eyes. "If the Lockwood family can't teach her basic manners, I don't mind stepping in."

The tension in the hall spiked. Carter was notoriously cold, but he rarely bothered to engage in petty squabbles.

The fact that he was openly threatening someone over a single snide remark proved exactly how untouchable Emma was to him.

"Am I wrong? Taking this long for a single surgery? Bragging about being some elite overseas surgeon—it's all a scam. She probably slept her way into getting that title."

Gillian, defiant as ever, kept running her mouth. Carter shot a single, glacial look at Jeff, who immediately stepped forward.

"What are you doing? Touch me, and I'm telling Uncle Raymond!"

Gillian yelled, banking on her connections. Carter didn't even blink. Jeff, built like a tank, ruthlessly grabbed Gillian by the arm.

The nurse hurried out. "Please, don't worry. The surgery was a massive success. Dr. Ann has been operating under extreme concentration all day without food or water. She's completely exhausted; please let her rest."

Hearing that the surgery was a success, Victoria tried to press for more details, but the nurse expertly ushered her away.

"The patient has been moved to recovery. You can direct any questions to me."

Tiffany's parents practically ran down the hall to see their daughter. Scarlett stepped in to double-check.

"When you say successful, does that mean she gets to keep her leg?"

The nurse paused, then smiled brightly. "Yes. Dr. Ann has performed far more complicated reconstructive procedures than this. This surgery wasn't an issue for her at all."

Scarlett let out a massive sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, the swarm of reporters Dominic had tipped off stood there looking completely lost.

The surgery was a success. So... were they supposed to report on this or not?