The Cold Surgeon's Contract Bride novel Chapter 61

That was the first thing Ferris Sterling had said since stepping into the private dining room.

Yet, despite the casual delivery, his words instantly commanded everyone's attention.

In a split second, the lively and boisterous room plunged into dead silence.

Lucille Lowell, who had been giving instructions to the waiter, turned her head in confusion. Her gaze lingered on Ferris's face for two seconds before she looked over at Zoey Zeller. Apologetically, she said, "Oh, look at me, how thoughtless. Dr. Zeller, why don't you move over to..."

"Sit here," Ferris abruptly cut Lucille off. He then instructed the waiter, "Bring another set of silverware for her."

He pointed directly to the empty seat beside him.

His tone brokered no argument.

A visible spark of joy flashed in the young woman's eyes. Yet, as she stood up, she still managed to ask politely, "Would that be inappropriate?"

She sounded so humble and sweet—so perfectly innocent that no one could possibly refuse her.

It was a sweetness that caused the polite smile on Lucille's face to crack slightly, though she maintained her grace. "It's perfectly fine. We'll follow Dr. Sterling's arrangement."

Despite her mother's polite words, as Zoey moved to the seat, I didn't miss the deep frown etching across Silas's forehead.

My chest tightened, a heavy weight sinking into the pit of my stomach.

Seeing the tension, Lucille quickly jumped in to explain. "Dr. Sterling is the face of Capital General, after all. There are so many complex cases relying on him. Brain surgeries can happen at any given minute, and getting called back to the hospital mid-meal is a regular occurrence for him. If he drinks, it could delay his crucial work."

Zoey, who had been completely silent until now, suddenly chimed in. "You're so understanding, Lucille. Ferris's work is definitely on a different level than ours. Thank you so much for being so considerate of him."

Lucille choked on her words.

She certainly hadn't expected that her defense of her own son-in-law would be validated by his subordinate.

And Zoey definitely didn't know that the only reason Lucille could defend Ferris so eloquently was because she was merely parroting the excuses I had fed her countless times before.