The Cold Surgeon's Contract Bride novel Chapter 245

Ferris kept his tone light, but the aggressive, overbearing hostility in his words was impossible for anyone to miss.

In an instant, the atmosphere in the private room plummeted. The lively chatter died instantly, leaving behind a silence so absolute that the bubbling of the small soup heater sounded deafening.

Through the curling steam, I met Ferris's eyes. He sat there radiating the untouchable arrogance of a superior, glaring down at everyone with an indescribable, suffocating dominance.

But the man standing in front of him was Leon.

His childhood friend, his colleague, the man he had just called his "good buddy." One second they were joking, and the next, Ferris was publicly humiliating him, turning on him without a shred of hesitation.

No, he wasn't trying to humiliate Leon. He was trying to humiliate me, the woman Leon was protecting.

At that realization, the anger I had been suppressing finally flared into a blazing inferno. I glanced at the full glass of liquor next to Leon's hand, stood up, grabbed it, and looked directly at Ferris. I forced a smile. "You're absolutely right, Dr. Sterling. Thank you for stepping in to help with the cargo driver situation. To show my absolute sincerity, I'll down this."

Before Ferris could even react, I brought the glass to my lips.

Leon tried to stop me. "No, Selena! Your condition..."

"It's the least I can do," I said firmly. My gaze lingered on Leon for two seconds before I added, "I have to show Dr. Sterling my sincerity."

With that, I tipped my head back and let the burning alcohol pour down my throat.

A cold sweat broke out across my neck. I leaned heavily against the edge of the table, offering a bitter smile. "Yes. After knowing Dr. Sterling for eight years, his actions have truly... commanded my absolute respect."

The alcohol ignited like hellfire in my stomach, the agonizing burn shooting straight to my skull and bringing stinging tears to my eyes. My vision blurred as I rasped, "I... I need to use the restroom."

I threw up.

As I leaned over the toilet, violently retching, Leon stood right beside me. When he handed me a paper towel for the third time, I noticed his clenched fists. His knuckles were bone-white. "I'm going to find Ferris right now. I'll make him apologize to you personally."

Seeing him turn toward the door, I quickly grabbed his pant leg. "Don't. It's fine, Leon... really. Let it go."