The One He Dismissed Became The One He Died For novel Chapter 273

The man was caught off guard by Claire's reckless defiance. Before he could recover, he cursed and lunged forward again.

Claire instinctively raised her arms to shield herself, but the anticipated blow never came.

Miles pulled her behind him with one smooth motion, his other hand swiftly shoving the attacker away.

The man stumbled back, crashing heavily into a wooden bench with a loud groan.

They had been verbally and physically assaulting Miles for what felt like hours, yet he had remained entirely silent, refusing to fight back or even defend himself.

It wasn't until security guards finally rushed over to restrain the family that the chaos paused. No one had expected him to strike back so suddenly.

Miles looked down at her, his voice rough. "Why did you step in front of me?"

Claire tilted her head to look up at him. The infant he had personally operated on was gone; the guilt and agony he carried were undoubtedly just as heavy as anyone else's.

He was enduring the explosive wrath of the grieving family, forcing himself to remain calm and collected through the barrage of hatred.

To them, losing the patient meant it was entirely his fault.

Claire's heart ached for him. "Miles..." she whispered.

"You're both murderers! Neither of you is innocent!"

The family members, held back by the guards, continued to scream profanities. The crowd of onlookers swelled, their sympathy clearly lying with the grieving family.

Miles shielded Claire, speaking up to defend himself for the very first time.

"I have reviewed the entire surgical procedure three times. There were no operational errors on my part."

"When Lily left the operating room, her vital signs were stable. The complication likely occurred during the observation period. We need a pathology review."

"And she is not medical staff. Do not drag her into this."

Miles ignored their ensuing shouts, his gaze falling back to Claire.

The sheer intensity of the emotions churning in his eyes made Claire feel as though she were suffocating. Her heart clenched painfully in her chest.

"Go back. Go home to Grandview Heights and stay out of this."

Jared hurried over, his expression grim.

"Dr. Zimmerman called me this morning. Everything has been arranged."

Claire's breath caught in her throat.

In such a short window of time, he had already set everything up for her?

He had meticulously paved an escape route for her business, somehow convincing Harvey to back OCHH unconditionally.

But what about himself? He had made zero preparations for his own defense before allowing the police to take him away.

Claire's mind spun in chaotic circles. "Thank you, Mr. Sutton," she managed to say.

The harsh sunlight made her dizzy. She wanted to approach the grieving family and negotiate, but they aggressively refused to communicate, screaming that they would ensure Miles was utterly ruined.

Just as she stepped out of the hospital, she received a call from Toby.

The little boy was crying so hard he could barely catch his breath.

"Goddess Claire, Toby sobbed. "That awful Victor told Alistair that Uncle Miles killed someone!"