The Cold Surgeon's Contract Bride novel Chapter 242

Her intervention saved Leon and me from absolute humiliation.

Just when I thought the ordering phase was finally over, Ferris, who had been completely silent until now, suddenly spoke up. "What ingredients are used in the asparagus dressing?"

The moment he opened his mouth, a hush fell over the room. The waiter meticulously listed the ingredients for Ferris. The second he mentioned peanut oil, the man waved a hand, cutting him off. "Zoey is allergic to peanuts. Change it."

Hearing him refer to her so intimately left me utterly stunned.

The other colleagues looked equally shocked.

Sure, this was an off-the-clock dinner, but they were still co-workers. More importantly, Ferris was notoriously strict, formal, and always kept his personal and professional lives fiercely separate. Yet here he was, casually using Zoey's first name in front of everyone.

And he did it with a faint smirk, looking at Zoey with undeniable affection.

Calling it a blatant display of public romance wouldn't be an exaggeration.

All of this unfolding right in front of me—his legal wife.

He wasn't even bothering to hide it anymore.

The young woman clearly hadn't expected Ferris to address her so intimately either. After a brief moment of surprise, a furious blush crept across her radiant complexion. "Thank you, Ferris," she said sweetly. "If you hadn't caught that, I wouldn't have even noticed. If I ate peanut oil, I'd probably be in the ER tonight."

"You're meticulous enough at work," Ferris teased, the corner of his lips curling up. "But when it comes to your daily life, you're a bit of a scatterbrain."

His voice was low, never rising above a conversational volume, but his status in the hospital commanded absolute silence. As a result, his playful remark landed squarely in everyone's ears.

This was a Ferris who cracked jokes.

A Ferris completely alien to the one we all knew.

I never expected Leon to ask me this publicly, let alone single me out entirely. Caught off guard, I could only stare at him blankly.

"Wait a minute, Dr. Lennox," Zelda's loud voice rudely interrupted again. "There are so many beautiful ladies in this room. Are you really only asking Dr. Hayes?"

"Dr. Hayes isn't feeling well today," Leon said flatly, shooting Zelda a cool look. "She can't drink alcohol or caffeinated tea tonight."

His tone was light, but it carried an inexplicable sense of distance.

And a sharp edge.

The smug smile on Zelda's face instantly froze. It took her several agonizing seconds to force out a response. "You really are so attentive to Dr. Hayes, Dr. Lennox."

Leon raised an eyebrow and nodded. "Of course. Like the head nurse said, Dr. Hayes and I are bonded by fire."