The Cold Surgeon's Contract Bride novel Chapter 52

I hadn't expected the head nurse to mention Silas to Leon, and for a moment, I was completely caught off guard.

Leon must have sensed my awkwardness. He quickly explained, "I overheard her talking about it with Amber. You really should have just come straight to me or Ferris with this."

At the mention of Ferris, a subtle frown formed on my face.

Honestly? If I had to choose between asking Ferris for a favor and bribing someone on the black market, I'd choose the latter every time.

"Ah, well, never mind that," Leon continued seamlessly. "Here's the plan. Bring the patient to the Neurosurgery clinic tomorrow morning at eleven. Dr. Zephyr is on shift—he mentored me back in the day. I'll go have a word with him and get you squeezed into the schedule."

I hesitated. "Won't that violate hospital policy?"

"Not at all, it's just adding one more to the end of the list," Leon answered decisively. "Just remind the patient not to show up too early."

I hadn't expected such a massive headache to be resolved so easily. Overwhelmed with gratitude, I thanked him profusely.

Leon rubbed the back of his neck, looking a bit sheepish. "We're friends. No need to be so formal."

I was just about to reply when Zelda's distinct, booming voice cut through the corridor. "Oh, look! If it isn't Dr. Hayes and Dr. Lennox."

I turned to see Zoey and Zelda walking toward us.

Zoey had already changed into her street clothes, and she looked incredibly pale.

Zelda let her gaze rake over me before flashing a sickly sweet smile. "I thought you had the day off, Selena. Did you come all the way to the hospital just to see Dr. Lennox?"

This girl seemed to have a bizarre obsession with forcing a narrative between Leon and me.

I didn't dignify that with a response, but Leon stepped in. "If I remember correctly, Zoey is supposed to be doing rounds this afternoon, isn't she?"

Suddenly called out, Zoey froze, a flash of panic crossing her pale face. Zelda quickly jumped to her defense. "That's what the schedule says, yes. But Zoey isn't feeling well. Dr. Sterling knows about her condition and specifically asked me to take her home to rest."

Hearing this, Zoey lowered her eyes, looking every bit the fragile, pitiful victim. Even her voice trembled with self-blame. "It's all my fault. I just hope my absence doesn't slow down the department's work."

"Oh, don't worry about it," Zelda comforted her loudly, making sure we heard the pride in her voice. "The Deputy Director himself gave you permission. I'm sure he'll rearrange the workload perfectly."

Maybe it was just me, but Zelda emphasizing Ferris's title at that exact moment felt incredibly pointed.

Leon and Ferris were the same age. Being so vastly outperformed by his peer had to sting, right?

The receptionist explained the situation. Leon thought about it for a couple of seconds before saying, "Have the patient wait here. I'll be right back."

Looking at Silas waiting patiently, I had no choice but to rely on Leon again.

Lucille, watching the whole exchange, leaned in curiously. "Wasn't that Leon? What were you two whispering about?"

I told her the truth. "He's helping us squeeze into the schedule."

Lucille raised an eyebrow, letting her gaze linger on my face for a couple of seconds. "This Leon seems to take a very special interest in your affairs."

Thinking about how Leon was running around trying to fix this for us, my guilt only deepened.

Half an hour later, Leon returned with a schedule slip in hand. "The official consulting hours are over, but the doctor agreed to add you in. Clinic 2. Let's head over now."

Lucille thanked Leon profusely while helping Silas up. I walked beside them, too distracted to even ask which attending doctor Leon had managed to convince. It wasn't until we reached the door and I casually glanced at the digital display screen that my blood ran cold.

The doctor on duty wasn't a stranger.

It was Ferris.