The Cold Surgeon's Contract Bride novel Chapter 280

He never actually loved me in the first place, did he?

Otherwise, how could he have subjected me to his cold, emotional abuse over and over again?

Wasn't it all just so he could officially marry Zoey Zeller when the time came?

I knew all of this. I knew it down to my bones. Yet my heart still felt like it was tearing in two, the agony nearly unbearable.

A lump formed in my throat as tears desperately fought to spill over. I clenched my fists tight, fighting back the suffocating wave of heartbreak and forcing myself to remain composed. "Perfect. I'll leave the paperwork in your capable hands, Dr. Sterling. We have business to attend to. Goodbye."

Lucille and I rode back in absolute silence. As we neared the hospital entrance, her fury finally boiled over. "You let the Sterlings off far too easily! Other women who marry billionaires get the title and the fortune. You slaved away for Ferris for three whole years and walked away with absolutely nothing, only to be mocked by Vivian. It's completely outrageous!"

A bitter heaviness settled in my stomach.

But I knew this wasn't the time to wallow in despair. With Silas and Maxwell both hospitalized, the medical bills were skyrocketing by the second. Lucille selling off her designer bags would barely keep us afloat for long.

Lucille obviously knew this too, which was exactly why she had marched straight to the Sterling estate to hustle for a payout.

We returned to the ward, our minds heavy with anxiety.

To my surprise, Leon Lennox was waiting for us.

Our distress must have been painfully obvious. Leon rushed over immediately, his brow furrowed in deep concern. "Did something happen?"

Lucille let out a heavy sigh and vented, "It's this whole mess with swapping the attending physician. Selena has caught so much flak for it, and now Maxwell has been inexplicably—"

Leon had actually stepped in and fixed it.

"I told you to stop bothering Leon," I groaned, frustrated by her interference. "Before we left, Ferris promised to restore Maxwell's original care plan. By doing this—"

"You two are getting a divorce. Who knows how long the Sterlings will keep footing the bill?" Lucille shot back, utterly unrepentant. "You saw how Vivian was acting today. If they actually pulled the plug on your father's care, who could we possibly turn to for help?"

"So you just dump it on Leon?" I shook my head in sheer exhaustion. "Since his grandfather is a shareholder, what if he finds out that Maxwell's medical bills are paid by the Sterlings—"

"So what? It's an undisputed fact that Maxwell saved Ferris's life," Lucille scoffed, entirely dismissive. "It makes perfect sense for the Sterlings to cover the medical bills. As for Leon..."

Lucille paused, her gaze settling warmly on my face. "I can tell Leon genuinely cares about you. Since you're divorcing Ferris anyway, why not give him a chance?"