The Cold Surgeon's Contract Bride novel Chapter 213

The news of my paper being published in the nation's top neurology journal trended online within an hour.

Along with it, the identity of my mentor, Professor Lucas, was brought into the spotlight.

The esteemed veteran professor, highly revered in the fields of neurology and anesthesia both domestically and internationally, suddenly entered the public eye.

Over decades in medicine, Professor Lucas's students had spread across the globe. However, the old gentleman was known for being reclusive, only appearing at major international academic conferences. Because of this, when the media discovered I was one of his prized pupils, they quietly changed their tune in my favor.

Professor Lucas was an absolute pillar of the medical community. His mere name on my paper as an advising professor carried enough weight to silence the critics and make the gossiping crowds believe me.

Unsurprisingly, the tide of public opinion on social media shifted.

"No wonder Dr. Hayes dared to go up against a massive logistics company alone. She's the student of a medical legend."

"Looks like Dr. Hayes really is the victim of a smear campaign."

"A solitary battle is always lonely. Let's protect this righteous doctor together!"

The public narrative seemed to be moving in a positive direction, but this time, I didn't feel the same joy or relief I might have in the past. My recent ordeals had taught me that the voice of the masses could change on a whim and was easily manipulated. Instead of wasting time arguing with them, it was better to confidently stay true to myself.

I would use my actions to defend the dignity of an anesthesiologist.

Yet, what I never anticipated was that amidst all the chatter, people would start romantically pairing me up with Leon online. The internet had affectionately dubbed Selena and Leon as the "Leo-Lena" couple.

Some users even compiled videos of all my public appearances with Leon. The edits included footage from an hour ago, where he protectively yanked the reporter's collar in front of the cameras, seamlessly transitioned with the clip from The Press Conference where he boldly declared, "Dr. Hayes was simply following my orders." The video had already amassed over eighty thousand likes.

I stared awkwardly at the fan edit, flush with the deep shame of a married woman caught in a compromising scandal. I was even more terrified that Ferris would see the video and use it as evidence when we faced off in court, forcing me to pay a breach of contract fee.

But sometimes, whatever you fear most is exactly what happens. The moment I closed the tab, Ferris called.

"Where are you?"

I told him the truth. "I just don't want to bring trouble to your family."

A cold scoff echoed through the receiver as Ferris mocked, "Looks to me like you're just afraid of ruining your new single persona, right?"

This wasn't the first time Ferris had hurled an accusation like this at me.

It felt like every conversation we had devolved into this exact pattern. He would either interrupt or go on the offensive. He had never once sat down to calmly talk things out with me.

Not even now, when I was completely engulfed in a raging firestorm.

Not even when my mental defenses were on the verge of totally collapsing.

I thought back to that night at Eden Gardens when he had been drunk, burying his face in my shoulder and tenderly calling me his wife over and over. Then, I contrasted it with his behavior in the hospital room that afternoon, fiercely protecting Zoey. I finally asked, "So what exactly is bothering you, Dr. Sterling? You were the one who insisted on portraying a single persona first, weren't you? I'm just playing along with your rules. Is that a problem?"