The Cold Surgeon's Contract Bride novel Chapter 154

"I'm not worried about myself," Ferris said patiently, his voice significantly softer than his usual icy tone. "You're still an intern. I just don't want you dealing with vicious gossip before you're even officially hired."

How touching. A young intern knocking on the door of a prominent executive before dawn—the rumors would be absolutely merciless. Ferris was so deeply considerate of Zoey's reputation, yet it never once crossed his mind to protect me, also an intern, when I had rushed up here just to deliver a message for his mother.

"I understand, Ferris. I'll go back downstairs now. I'll see you at the cable car entrance."

"Alright."

Their tender exchange felt like another invisible slap across my face.

"She's gone. You can come out now."

The flat, indifferent command drifted through the door. I took a deep breath, forced my emotions back behind a blank mask, and stepped out of the bathroom.

The second our eyes met, I didn't give him a chance to speak. "The message has been delivered. Excuse me."

I marched to the door, pulled it open, and headed straight for the elevator. It wasn't until a sharp, stabbing pain shot up my ankle that I realized how fast I was fleeing.

At eight o'clock, the entire department gathered at the cable car entrance. I dragged my throbbing foot over to the group, quietly scanning the crowd. To my surprise, neither Ferris nor Zoey were anywhere to be seen.

"Dr. Sterling had a sudden emergency and headed back to the city," Dr. Logan explained to the confused group. "Today's itinerary is simple. We'll take the cable cars up and enjoy the snow. Let's move out!"

I followed the crowd, my mind completely elsewhere. Thinking back to Vivian's frantic phone call, I assumed Ferris had rushed back to handle whatever crisis she was having. But why did Zoey go with him? Was he finally planning to introduce his little intern to the Sterling family?

"Time to board."

The gentle reminder pulled me out of my spiraling thoughts. I looked up and saw Leon Lennox standing beside me.

Once we boarded, Leon carefully guided me to a seat on the right side. "The view is much better on this side. You'll get a perfect look at the cliffs as we go up."

I looked at him in surprise. "Have you been here before, Dr. Lennox?"

"Yes." Leon stared out at the distant peaks, nodding softly. "A long time ago."

"It must be a wonderful memory, then," I offered with a polite smile.

Leon turned to me, a warm smile spreading across his face. "It is. Unforgettable, really."

I had no idea he was even home.

He looked exhausted, yet there was a dangerous, predatory edge radiating from him.

I had no idea why he was suddenly dragging my parents into this. "What exactly do you mean by that?"

Ferris let out a harsh scoff. His eyes locked onto mine, brimming with absolute contempt. "I mean, with a view this spectacular, shouldn't the whole family be here to enjoy it? Oh, wait. I almost forgot. My dear father-in-law is currently trapped in the Greenwood Care Center. I suppose he won't be enjoying any scenery for a while."

With that, he tossed an iPad onto the table in front of me, his voice dripping with venom. "Wouldn't you agree, Dr. Hayes?"

I glanced down at the screen, and my heart completely stopped.

It was a photo of me and Leon Lennox in the cable car, staring out at the snow.

In the picture, I was offering a rare, genuine smile, while Leon looked at me through his phone screen with undisguised adoration.

And someone else had caught the entire moment on camera.