The Cold Surgeon's Contract Bride novel Chapter 38

Zoey's sudden appearance caught both me and the head nurse off guard. Worse, her very first sentence was digging straight into my private life.

At best, we went to the same medical school. We definitely weren't close enough for this kind of question.

Besides, I had absolutely no idea how to answer her.

I couldn't exactly say, "No boyfriend, just a husband—and plot twist, my contract husband happens to be your precious Ferris."

I suspected she had overheard my entire conversation with the head nurse, but letting those words slip would guarantee a full-blown catastrophe.

I was just about to deny it when the head nurse stepped in to smooth things over. "Oh, you must be the new prodigy from neurosurgery. You know Selena?"

Zoey gave a sweet nod, but her eyes stayed firmly locked on me, practically searching for clues. "Selena was my absolute idol in med school."

"So this is the famous Selena that Zoey's always raving about!" a young nurse chimed in, looking me up and down with a bright smile. "She really is stunning."

It was a new nurse from neurosurgery named Zelda Ziegler. If my guess was right, she was the one gossiping with Zoey in the bathroom yesterday.

After a brief round of introductions, the conversation naturally steered away from the dreaded boyfriend topic.

Once we left the restroom, we all headed back to our respective departments. But a moment later, Zoey and Zelda suddenly jogged up behind me. "By the way, Selena," Zoey beamed, "the interns are having an unofficial wrap-up party tonight. You should totally come!"

I wasn't really a fan of loud parties, but Zelda quickly added, "Interns from all the departments will be there. It's a great chance to network and make our future cross-department work smoother."

I thought about it, and she had a point. Anesthesiology was a collaborative department; we interacted with everyone constantly. A casual get-together would be a great way to build connections. It couldn't hurt to drop by.

"I'll text you the address!" Zoey said, practically glowing with enthusiasm. "Seven o'clock sharp. Don't be late!"

Ironically, when I opened the text later, I saw that the party was being held at The Onyx Lounge.

I wasn't sure if Ferris was the one footing the bill.

But knowing Ferris's status, I highly doubted he'd show up to a rookie intern party. The man strictly attended high-level medical symposiums.

As for me, since I had already agreed, the least I could do was make an appearance.

At exactly seven o'clock, I arrived at the private room. Before I even took a seat, I could hear the aggressive sucking up echoing from inside.

"Neurosurgery is Capital General's crown jewel, and Dr. Zeller's skills are top-notch. Thanks to you, we finally get to see the inside of Port Capital's most exclusive club!"

That guy definitely knew how to kiss ass.

"Getting into neurosurgery is like surviving the Hunger Games. There must be a secret to winning The Scalpel's favor, right?"

"Exactly! He's notoriously strict. Do you have some kind of cheat code to survive under him?"

Zoey sat dead center, completely surrounded by a sea of fawning interns, soaking up their flattery and admiration.

She kept flashing shy, modest smiles, but she was still young; the slight tilt of her chin betrayed her smug pride.

Zelda trotted over with a huge grin. "Wow, your sense of direction is amazing! Zoey was worried you'd get lost trying to find the VIP room."

I wasn't sure if I was imagining it, but there was a distinct trace of superiority in her tone.

She clearly had no idea I carried an exclusive VIP card for this exact club, which meant I always had a private concierge waiting at the door.

Besides, this was far from my first time here; I had the floor plan memorized years ago.

I had zero interest in playing their games, so I cut straight to the point. "I'm really sorry, something urgent came up. I can't stay for the party."

Hearing that, Zoey instantly piped up, "Is something wrong, Selena? Are you in trouble?"

She sounded overly concerned. The mere thought of Ferris walking through that door made the heavy weight in my chest tighten painfully.

Before I could even craft an excuse, Zelda swooped in with a gossipy smirk. "Oh my gosh, is Dr. Hayes rushing off on a hot date with her boyfriend?"

She was loud to begin with, but she belted out the word "boyfriend" with enough lung capacity to shatter glass.

Before her voice even faded, the other interns suddenly shot out of their seats, staring straight past me with looks of absolute reverence.

I stood there completely bewildered. I parted my lips to speak, but my voice was instantly drowned out by Zoey's sickly-sweet greeting. "Ferris! You finished work already?"

I whipped around, only to realize Ferris was standing less than a foot away.