Chapter 546:
Rylie, seemingly untouched by the uproar, placed a bowl of fruit in front of Kendrick. “Grandpa, it is nothing more than a misunderstanding.”
“A misunderstanding?” Kendrick bit hard into an apple, his eyes narrowing. “They are dragging your name through the filth.” His gaze shifted to Deandre, sharp as a blade. “Fix this. And make sure it is done flawlessly.”
“That is precisely why I am here.” Deandre’s tone was low, but the menace beneath it was unmistakable. “Evergreen Media Works must be looking for trouble if they think they can let their people run loose like this.”
Rylie took a slow, unhurried bite of fruit. “Do not trouble yourself with Evergreen Media Works. They likely have no idea what is truly going on.” Her gaze held steady. “Besides, I already have a plan.”
“What plan?” Deandre asked, his expression tightening with curiosity.
Rylie’s smile was warm but deliberate as she placed her fork down with care. “I’ll treat Zander as HaloFlow Hospital’s representative. That’s the only part I need to play. Everything else will come to light on its own.”
From the day HaloFlow Hospital first opened, the public had known only Marsha as its director, never realizing Rylie was the sole owner. Her name in medical circles carried the weight of a modern legend—her skill had pulled countless lives back from the brink.
Deandre reached out, brushing a loose strand of hair from her cheek. “Then go about it your way. You know I’ll back you no matter what.”
Kendrick studied the quiet certainty in her posture and the complete trust in Deandre’s tone. His temper still simmered over the media’s false reports, but he swallowed it down and resisted telling Deandre to launch a counterstrike on Evergreen Media Works.
“As long as you’ve got a plan, Rylie.” He bit into his apple, eyes narrowing to a keen edge. “But if Zander forgets himself—or anyone else decides to cause problems—don’t expect me to play nice.”
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“You can rest easy, Grandpa.” Her smile stayed soft, though her gaze was as steady as ever.
By the next morning, she was dialing the number printed on her card, booking Zander into HaloFlow Hospital’s ENT department for a consultation.
Intent on getting his voice back, Zander showed up thirty minutes early, bundled in layers to keep anyone from recognizing him.
The nurse who met him at the door could barely hide her excitement. “You’ve really lucked out today. Dr. Owen will be the one treating you. Every department head and top official from the military hospital is here to watch and learn. Honestly, it’d be hard for your condition not to improve with this lineup.”
“Wait—every department head and official?” His brows drew together as he followed her down the hall.
Zander had been expecting a standard consultation room, but when the nurse pushed open the heavy door, he froze where he stood.
The room was larger and brighter than anything he had pictured, but it wasn’t the space itself that rooted him in place—it was the sheer number of people inside.
This wasn’t a handful of doctors; the group was even bigger than the one that had trailed Rory the last time he’d seen her.
A long bench along the wall was lined with figures in crisp white coats, many of them instantly recognizable from medical journals, televised conferences, and the countless nights he’d spent researching their work in desperation. These were famous doctors in ENT, head and neck surgery, and microsurgery—the very people he had dreamed of seeing but never imagined meeting. And there, among them, sat Rory, speaking in low tones to a dignified professor with a crown of silver hair.
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