The Cold Surgeon's Contract Bride novel Chapter 178

"Oh, listen to you! You're not even married yet and you're already fiercely protecting him..."

Their voices gradually faded down the hall, but my heart felt like it was drowning in acid, swollen and agonizingly heavy.

Maybe Zelda was right. To hand over a gift like that on the very first meeting meant that Vivian thoroughly approved of Zoey's fearless devotion.

Meanwhile, in my three years as the Sterling family's daughter-in-law, the only "gifts" I ever received were herbal tonics explicitly meant to help me conceive.

I didn't even get the basic wedding jewelry that any ordinary family would provide their bride.

It was pathetically hilarious.

The afternoon arrived quickly. Down in the Administration Wing, the parties involved in Beatrice's case gathered inside a massive conference room.

Capital General's legal team sat in the front row. Directly across from them sat the international powerhouse legal team hired by the Thorne family.

The moment the meeting began, the Thorne family's lawyers opened fire like a Gatling gun. They aggressively listed every possible cause for Beatrice's accidental death—surgical complications, faulty medical equipment, and improper medication dosages. Every single accusation was designed to drag Capital General, and Ferris, straight into hell.

The opposing counsel was exceptionally vicious. Their evidence was intentionally vague, forcing the hospital's lawyers to produce indisputable proof to counter it—a demand that was already breaking our legal team.

Watching our lawyers sweating bullets, my heart climbed into my throat. I stared at the closed conference room doors, my hope sinking straight to the bottom of the ocean.

"Please, go ahead," the lead attorney said deferentially.

Terrence stared at him from behind the dark lenses, his gaze sweeping the room before he calmly declared, "I have decided to drop all charges against Capital General."

The room erupted into chaos. The Thorne family's legal team looked absolutely horrified. The lead attorney panicked, "Mr. Thorne, wait! Please don't do anything impulsive! If we withdraw the lawsuit now, we—"

"Do I look like I need you to tell me how to handle my business?" Terrence snapped, his voice hard as iron. "I said, we are dropping the lawsuit. Your payment will be wired to your accounts in due time. That is all."

With that, Terrence turned to leave. Just as he reached the door, Ferris's deep, authoritative voice resonated through the conference room. "Since you're here, Mr. Thorne, why don't you hear the exact reason for your wife's passing."