Fiona’s bravado crumbled under Olivia’s sharp gaze. She retorted, “I’m her mother. How could I possibly abuse her?”

    “Mother? You think you deserve that title?” Olivia sneered, yanking up Juliet’s sleeve to reveal her arm: it bwas /bcovered in bruises of every size, each more shocking than thest.

    She snapped, “If you took Juliet in, then why do you abuse her like this?”

    Fiona grew uneasy at Olivia’s words–if Juliet woke up and spilled everything, all her scheming would go down the drain. She moved to hustle Olivia out. She said, “None of this concerns you. Get out, now, bor /bI’ll call security.”

    Olivia gentlyid Juliet down, tucked her in, and turned to face Fiona. She shot back, “I’m one of her own. I heard she was sick, so I came to see her. Is that a problemb?/bb” /b

    Fiona snorted, as if she’d just heard the most ridiculous thing ever. She whipped off her sunsses and jabbed a finger at Olivia, her eyes full of contempt.

    She snappedb, /b“Her own? Since when does a nobody orphan have a family? Don’t tell me you’re just after her money.”

    Juliet was pretty talented in music, bhad /bwritten a few songs, and made a decent chunk of change from royalties. All that cash was sitting in Fiona’s pocket now.

    Fiona figured Olivia was after Juliet’s money, and she lost it, shouting, “As if you’d care about her for nothing. You’re just here for her money, aren’t you?

    “Juliet’s my daughter now. To put it bluntly, even if she drops dead right now, every cent she owns. goes to me. It’s got nothing to do with you.

    “Some stray girl nobody’s ever heard of, trying to worm her way into Juliet’s life–what a joke!”

    Fiona’s voice was shrill and vicious, drawing stares from patients and their families passing by.

    Andrew was in the crowd too, having rushed over as soon as Winston tipped him off.

    Ethan said, “Mr. Shea, isn’t that Ms. Summers?”

    Andrew replied dryly, “I can see just fine.”

    Among the crowd of onlookers, Andrew stood out in his dark gray suit, exuding an air of elegance that didn’t belong in a ce like this. But everyone was too busy staring into the room to notice him.

    08:31 Tue, 9 Septti

    *65b% /b

    Fiona continued, “I don’t care who you are–get bout /bof here right now. My daughter’s already like this, and you’re still after her money? Isn’t that just shameless?

    “Please, I’m begging you, just leave her alone. bCan’t /byou just let her live in peace for a few days? Juliet had it rough–no parents, no family, just hardship after hardship.

    “We only took her in a few years ago, and now she’se down with this illness. Oh, my poor girl. Life’s already been so cruel to you, and now this cold–hearted girles to make things worse.”

    Fiona’s act was so convincing that the people outside the room fell for it, and they started pointing fingers at Olivia.

    One said, “Hey, youngdy, give the poor girl a break. She’s already on her deathbed, and you’re still after her money? That’s just too much.”

    Another chimed in, “Her mom’s got it tough, too. Why don’t you just leave them aloneb?/b”

    Someone said, “Her mom doesn’t look poor at all. What illness can’t be treated these days anyway?”

    People were all talking at onceb, /bsaying all kinds of things.

    “Mr. Shea, should we step in and help Ms. Summers?” Ethan asked, his irritation clear as he listened to the crowd. He hadn’t known Olivia for long, but he knew for sure she wasn’t that kind of person, no matter what people said.

    “No need. She’s got this,” Andrew replied with a faint smile, the little mole under his eye shifting with his grin. He thought, ‘If I jump in now, Olivia will just end up scolding me for meddling again.”

    Ethan nodded in acknowledgment and kept quiet, just watching from behind.

    Olivia didn’t even react to Fiona’s antics. She just stood there unmoving between the hospital bed

    and Fiona blike /ban immovable wall.

    Her face was utterly indifferentb, /bbas /bif nothing around her mattered at all, but the cold detachment she radiated sent a chill through everyone in the room.

    The quieter Olivia got, the bmore /bguilty Fiona felt. Olivia’s stare made her skin crawl, but Fiona still bsnapped /bback, “Staring at me like that won’t do you any good.”

    Just then, bOlivia’s /bphone chimed with a new bmessage/b. All the details about Fiona were spelled out, clear bas /bday.

    Olivia lowered her gaze, her beyes /bflying over the text as she quickly picked out the key points.

    08:31 Tue, 9 bSept /bti

    S55b%/b產

    Fiona, originally from srough, married into the rich Lewis family years ago. After years without children, she and her husband adopted Juliet from Sunrise Orphanage.

    Fiona’s older sisterb, /bRowan, ended bup /bmarrying into the Evans family in Hirica and had a daughter, Natalie.

    Olivia thought, ‘Turns out Fiona’s tied to the Evans family–no wonder she’s shameless. She used me of being after Juliet’s money, which isughable; I’ve never been short on cash.

    ‘The Evanses are predators–corrupting the healthcare system by day and trafficking babies through illegal surrogacy by night.

    ‘If Juliet hadn’t developed a brain tumor, Fiona would have forced her into the same scheme. will I let Juliet’s money–or Juliet–end up in their hands.

    No way!

    Olivia retorted, “Lady, I’m just here to check on my childhood friend. What’s got you so

    defensive?

    Money? That’s not my concern. What I do know is, no mother would every a hand on her child like

    this.”

    She pointed at Juliet’s bruised arm and sneered, “From the moment I walked in, you haven’t said a word about her health. All you talk about is money. Your motives couldn’t be more obvious.”

    The onlookers, shaken by Olivia’s revtion and her razor–sharp usations, turned on Fiona in an

    instant.

    Andrew smiled. Seeing Olivia so cool and detached, he felt a surge of satisfaction. He thought, ‘Ethan was worrying for nothing. Olivia’s got this handled.”

    With that thought, he straightened his tie and headed off to find Phantom Healer. After all, that was

    the real reason he’de here.

    The chaos in the hospital room was nowhere near finished. Fiona was so mad she could barely contain herself, and just keptshing out.

    Olivia was done wasting her breath on Fiona. She mmed the call button and gave Fiona a look that could freeze hell over. She demanded, “Move. I’m taking Juliet to the OR.”

    Fiona blocked the bway/b. She snapped, “Just who the hell do you think you are? Taking Juliet to the ORb? /bWhat, you think byou /bcan just waltz her into surgery? Don’t tell me you’re nning to cut her open yourself?”

    Olivia just arched a brow and shot back, “Why not?”

    Fiona sneered, “What a joke! You’re just a kid, acting like some miracle doctor? Do you even know

    what she’s got? She’s got a malignant brain tumor. The doctors already gave up. You think you’re some genius who can do what they can’t?

    way iyou /i

    65%0

    “Judging by the look, I bet you’ve never even touched a medical book. If you dare operate on her, you’re basically signing her death warrant.”

    Fiona was still yapping nonstop, but Olivia was getting seriously fed up. Every second counted–any more dy, and Juliet’s life would be on the line. If Fiona kept blocking her, Olivia wouldn’t mind making sure she ended up like Natalie.