The Cold Surgeon's Contract Bride novel Chapter 50

I had completely underestimated the gossiping prowess of middle-aged women.

In just a few short minutes, the head nurse had not only deduced that my relationship with my "boyfriend" was rocky, but she had also eagerly match-made me with a new prospect. I had to respect the hustle.

And she did it all right in front of Ferris.

For a moment, I found myself stuck between a rock and a hard place. The head nurse had definitely seen the hickeys on my neck, so claiming I didn't have a man would be an obvious lie. But since that very man forbade me from disclosing our marriage, the label "boyfriend" was a necessary compromise.

But I knew Ferris's temper. If he thought I was intentionally breaching our agreement, it would spell disaster for me.

I had no choice but to defend this fictional boyfriend. "Actually, he's just really busy."

Saying that only made things worse. The head nurse scoffed loudly. "When a man says he's busy, it's almost always an excuse. Look at Amber's husband—he works in finance, but after pulling overtime, he'll still wait downstairs. He's probably been sitting in his car for half an hour by now."

Amber, the other junior nurse in our department, smiled shyly at the mention of her husband.

Looking at the pure bliss on the young girl's face, my gaze drifted back to Ferris involuntarily.

But The Scalpel remained unfazed, calmly sipping his soup.

I pulled my gaze back, disappointed, as the head nurse continued. "Take my advice, Selena. Dump that excuse-making jerk as soon as you can. A woman like you has men lining up for a chance."

*Pfft!*

Before the head nurse even finished her sentence, a sudden sound echoed across the room. Sitting not too far away, Ferris had completely lost his composure and practically choked, spitting out a mouthful of soup.

For the normally aloof and arrogant Dr. Sterling, this was incredibly out of character and completely ruinous to his pristine image. Instantly, every single pair of eyes snapped toward him.

He snatched a napkin, quickly wiped his mouth, picked up his tray, and walked out.

He moved fast.

Once the break room door swung shut, everyone exchanged glances before bursting into fits of laughter.

I, however, had a sinking feeling that I was about to be in deep trouble.

An hour later, I took the elevator downstairs. As I stepped into the car, I realized someone was already inside. When my eyes landed on that long, powerful left hand, my heart immediately kicked into overdrive.

I knew that hand too well. I was so intimately familiar with it that just looking at the thin calluses on his fingertips brought back the exact temperature of them tracing my skin.

Sure enough, the man standing right beside me was Ferris.

Intentional?

I chewed on the word, and then it hit me.

He thought I was deliberately leaking hints about our relationship to garner sympathy and public support at Capital General. After all, he had witnessed the scene in the break room. The way the head nurse aggressively defended me really did make him look bad.

He was nervous.

He was actually nervous because of this.

This was a stark contrast to the arrogant, untouchable Ferris I knew. He came from an elite background and was the golden boy of Capital General. He had survived a massive medical scandal three years ago without breaking a sweat, but today, a few gossipy comments from a head nurse had him on edge. The reason was blatantly obvious.

Public opinion couldn't touch him, but it might hurt the person he wanted to protect.

He was looking out for Zoey.

The moment that realization struck me, a bitter, agonizing wave washed over my heart, leaving a literal sour taste on my tongue. "What exactly do I have to gain from doing that on purpose, Dr. Sterling?"

As soon as the words left my mouth, I realized my hands were shaking. I curled my fingers into fists, looked up at the man beside me, and added, "Do you think exposing myself as Mrs. Sterling gives me any special perks around here? Being the lawful wife but not receiving an ounce of affection from my own husband—spilling a secret like that would only make me the laughingstock of the hospital. Why would I ever bring that humiliation upon myself, Dr. Sterling?"