Sign the Papers Mr. Langford novel Chapter 457

The sky wasn't even fully light when Julian arrived at the hospital.

The fluorescent lights in the cardiovascular wing hallway were a cold, clinical white. Nurses at the station were verifying the night shift logs, the printer spitting out warm sheets of paper one after another. The surgical schedule was posted on the wall. He didn't have any major surgeries scheduled for this morning; he had originally kept it clear for the Stellaris clinical opinion review.

Now, that review had been abruptly elevated to an Ethics Committee panel by the hospital administration.

Julian changed into his white coat, the message from last night still resting on his phone screen.

Wren had said: If they bring up our personal relationship, you can tell them the truth.

He stared at it for a few seconds before locking his phone in his locker.

Tell the truth.

Three simple words, but far from easy in practice.

At eight-thirty, six people sat in the conference room.

Director Lambert from Medical Affairs, two officials from the Ethics Office, the Director of Rehabilitation, and Director Reynolds from Julian's own department. A printed copy of the anonymous email lay in the center of the table.

The email's subject line was glaringly hostile.

Does Dr. Julian York's close personal relationship with the head of Stellaris compromise his clinical independence?

Below it were several attached photos.

One showed him holding an umbrella for Wren outside the Stellaris building.

Another was a screenshot of Daisy entering Stellaris.

And one, taken from a distance, showed him picking Daisy up outside Wren's apartment building. The image was blurry, but clear enough for someone to spin a narrative.

Director Lambert slid the email to the center of the desk.

"Julian, let's hear your side first."

Julian sat perfectly straight.

"The photos are real."

A heavy silence fell over the conference room.