bChapter /bb27 /b

“You set me up at that dinner, tricked me into someone else’s private room, even let them get me drunk and drugged.” Charlotte’sugh was cold, sharp as ss. “Director Winthrop, your methods are truly appalling.”

Across the room, the nurses whispered, exchanging shocked looks. None of them could believe what they were hearing.

Tricia’s face nched. “That’s not true!”

“Dr. Sterling, the government officials who were waitingst night can all testify–they said you never showed up—”

“That’s because you gave me the wrong room number!”

“I swear I didn’t…”

Charlotte pulled out her phone and thrust it toward Tricia, disying the messages fromst night. “Do I need to get the government staff to

confirm this?”

Tricia froze, herposure cracking. She’dpletely forgotten about those messages.

Catching sight of someone approaching, Tricia reacted swiftly–grabbing Charlotte’s hand and yanking it toward her own face, as if inviting a p. “Dr. Sterling, you’re misunderstanding me. I admit it–I was careless, I must’ve written the wrong room number. You can hit me if you want. It’s my fault you were put in danger. I deserve your anger!”

Charlotte tried to pull her hand away, but at that moment, Tricia suddenly tumbled down the stairs nearby.

The scene left everyone, Charlotte and the nurses alike, stunned.

“Dr. Sterling! What are you doing?”

The medical director and several hospital board members had witnessed

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Chapter

the whole thing.

Charlotte spun around, instinctively trying to exin. “Director Fontaine, I didn’t push her-”

“We all saw it, and you’re still making excuses!” Director Fontaine snapped, before turning to the nurses. “Well? Go check on her injuries, now!”

Snapping out of their shock, the nurses hurried down the steps.

Director Fontaine strode over to Charlotte, jabbing a finger at her with a look of deep disappointment. “You’ve worked here for three years. The dean has always believed in you, and now… you go and make a mistake like this.”

Charlotte’s hands clenched at her sides. She stayed quiet.

She knew nothing she said would matter now.

But this time, she wouldn’t just sit back and take it.

It didn’t take long for Director Fontaine to report the incident to Dean Chase. Soon, gossip about Charlotte “pushing” Tricia down the stairs spread like wildfire through the hospital.

The hospital’s higher–ups, worried about their reputation, had no choice but to put Charlotte on immediate leave.

Leaving the dean’s office, Charlotte ran right into Evander.

He walked straight up ito /iher, not giving her a chance to speak. Grabbing her wrist, he pulled her into the fire exit stairwell. “Didn’t I tell you to stay away from Tricia? Do my words go in one ear and out the other?”

His grip hurt, but Charlotte just frowned and met his gaze. “You say I provoked her? Wasn’t it her who came after me?”

He shot back, “And why would she do that?”

“Is there a reason?”

A reason…

Truthfully, Charlotte had no idea why Tricia targeted her out of the blue.

But she was sure it had something to do with Evander.

She pulled her hand free and looked away. “Maybe we should just get a divorce, so I don’t have to keep taking the me for things I didn’t do.”

“Charlotte.” Evander’s eyes darkened. “Stop threatening me with divorce.

It doesn’t scare me.”

“I’m not threatening you.”

He took a step closer, looking down at her.

The calmer she was, the deeper the crease between his brows. Suddenly, he gave a cold snort. “Is that so?”

“Well yourself.”

ed and walked away.

x was left confused by his parting shot.

at did he mean?

Had he agreed or not?

Meanwhile, Evander headed straight for Tricia’s hospital room. When she saw him, Tricia immediately struggled to sit up, looking frail and vulnerable. “Evander, please don’t me Dr. Sterling. She just lost her temper for a moment and identally pushed me. I know she didn’t mean to hurt me.”