2025-01-03 17:43:11“What?”
“You heard me,” she said. “Get out! I don’t need a doctor who can’t see past his own arrogance!”
Carlo clenched his fists but ultimately stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
The interns hesitated, glancing nervously between Joaquin and Andrea before hurrying after their superior.
Outside the room, the interns huddled around Carlo, their voices low and filled with doubt.
“Do you think he’s legit?” one of them asked.
“Impossible!” another replied. “No one heals that quickly.”
“He’s a fraud!”
Carlo, still fuming, clenched his fists.
“He’s hiding something,” he said. “I’ll find out what it is.”
With that, he headed toward the caregiver station, determined to dig into Joaquin’s past.
Back in the room, Andrea’s demeanor shifted. Her stern expression softened as she turned her attention to Joaquin.
“That was… impressive,” she said, her voice teasing. “What do I owe you for such a miracle? My gratitude? Or something more… personal?”
Joaquin blinked, caught off guard by the sudden flirtation.
“That won’t be necessary,” he said quickly.
Andrea chuckled. “Relax, I’m just joking.” She leaned back, studying him with curiosity.
“But seriously, you’re impressive. You’re not like the others here. You’re different.”
Joaquin hesitated before speaking. “I wasn’t always in this position,” he admitted. “I was a doctor… until I was framed.”
Andrea’s smile faded, replaced by genuine interest.
“Framed? For what?”
“Plagiarizing medical records,” Joaquin said bitterly.
“Someone tampered with my files, and I lost everything. My reputation, my job—it’s all gone.”
Andrea leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. “And yet, here you are, still working in the medical field. Why?”
“Because helping people is all I know,” Joaquin replied. “I can’t give up on that, no matter what happened to me.”
Andrea studied him for a moment, her expression thoughtful.
“You’re either incredibly determined or incredibly stubborn,” she said.
Then, with a smirk, she added, “I like that. How about this: I’ll hire you as my personal doctor.”
Joaquin stared at her, taken aback.
“Your personal doctor?”
Andrea nodded.
“I have the resources to make sure you’re treated fairly. Besides, I could use someone with your… unique skills.”
Before Joaquin could respond, Andrea’s assistant entered the room, holding a tablet.
She leaned down to whisper something in Andrea’s ear, her eyes darting toward Joaquin as she spoke.
Andrea’s expression didn’t change, but a shadow of tension flickered across her face.
She dismissed the assistant with a nod.
“What was that about?” Joaquin asked, sensing the shift in her mood.
“Nothing you need to worry about,” Andrea said smoothly, her smile returning.
The door burst open before the conversation could continue, and Andrew stormed in.
His eyes darted between Andrea and Joaquin, brimming with indignation.
“What’s this I hear about you hiring him?!” Andrew demanded, his voice dripping with disdain.
Andrea’s gaze turned icy. “It’s exactly what it sounds like,” she said.
Andrew scoffed.
“You can’t be serious. Do you know who this man is? He’s irresponsible, unprofessional—”
“Enough!” Andrea interrupted sharply. “You don’t get to make decisions for me, Andrew.”
Andrew ignored her, turning his attention to Joaquin.
“You’re nothing but a disgrace,” he sneered. “An illegitimate child, a fraud, a—”
A loud slap echoed through the room, silencing him instantly.
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Andrew’s face turned an angry crimson, the sting of Joaquin’s slap fresh and humiliating. “Y-You… How dare you?!”He clenched his jaw, his fists trembling as he glared at Joaquin.“You’ll regret this!” Andrew hissed, his voice venomous. He raised his hand, but Andrea’s cold, cutting voice stopped him mid-motion.“If you lay a finger on him,” she said, her tone laced with steel, “you won’t leave this room unscathed! You should know better than to challenge me, Andrew.”Andrew froze, his pride battling his fear of Andrea’s influence. After a long, tense pause, he lowered his fist and spat out, “This isn’t over!” With one last glare at Joaquin, he stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.The silence that followed was heavy, broken only by Andrea’s amused chuckle.“Well,” she said, leaning back in her chair, “that was dramatic. Tell me, Joaquin, how did it feel to slap Andrew?”Joaquin blinked at her, caught off guard by the sudden levity. Slowly, a small smirk crept on
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“N-No…”Joaquin’s voice trembled as his eyes stayed locked on Jasmine’s unmoving body on the stretcher.“Joaquin,” Serena’s worried voice broke through the haze of shock.She quickly approached the stretcher, her hands moving with practiced urgency as she assessed Jasmine’s injuries. There were scrapes and bruises all over her arms and body, but what made Serena’s breath catch was the deep, gaping wound on Jasmine’s left leg — so severe the bone was nearly visible. Blood continued to seep from a gash on her head, staining the pristine white sheets beneath her.“Joaquin! Don’t just stand there!” Serena’s sharp command finally pulled him out of his daze.Joaquin blinked rapidly, his hands shaking as he reached for his sister, his mind barely able to process what he was seeing.“W-We need to—”“Get it together, Joaquin!” Serena snapped. “Damn it! This won’t work if you freeze up! Ready the surgery room!” she barked at the staff.Joaquin had treated countless patients before — he’d seen a
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Andrew stormed down the pristine, marble-floored hallway of Villareal Medical Hospital, his footsteps echoing with fury. His face was still red from the humiliation of the press conference, his mind spinning with disbelief. How had things turned around so quickly? How had Joaquin managed to clear his name so easily?He didn’t bother knocking when he reached James Villareal’s office — he simply pushed the door open and marched inside.“Mr. Villareal, did you see what happened?!” he burst out, slamming the door behind him.James Villareal sat calmly behind his enormous glass desk, flipping through documents as if nothing were wrong. The sleek, modern office was a stark contrast to Andrew’s chaotic energy, but James didn’t even glance up.Andrew’s frustration boiled over. “Joaquin just made fools of us! The entire hospital believes him now — they cleared his name! How the hell did this happen?”James finally set his papers down, his dark eyes lifting to meet Andrew’s furious gaze. Bu
Chapter 109: Finally
The whispers had already started by the time Andrew stepped into the hospital’s main lobby. Nurses gathered in small clusters, their heads bent together, their conversations urgent and hushed. The air was charged with tension, and there was only one reason for it.Joaquin Lopez was back.Andrew’s lips curled into a sneer. He moved through the crowd like a shark scenting blood, his eyes scanning the familiar faces until he spotted his target.There he was — Joaquin, standing near the nurses’ station, his posture straight and his expression calm. Too calm, considering everything that had happened. It made Andrew’s blood boil. After everything — the scandal, the suspension, the accusations — Joaquin still had the audacity to show his face here?Andrew didn’t wait. He stalked toward him, his voice loud enough to draw attention. “Well, well, look who decided to crawl back,” he sneered. “I didn’t think you’d have the guts to show your face around here, Lopez.”Joaquin turned slowly, his
