At the hospital's annual Christmas gala, the intern, Hailey, collapsed at my feet in tears, accusing me of bullying her. Beside me, Liam, the hospital administrator and my fiancé, didn't hesitate. He grabbed my hair, slamming my forehead against the edge of the table. "Brianna, you’re sick," he snarled. "You don’t deserve to be a doctor." The pain was blinding. Tears welled up in my eyes. "You believe her over me? She’s lying, Liam!" Instead of listening, Liam pulled a small paring knife from the fruit platter and drove it through the palm of my right hand, pinning it to the table. "Hailey would never be as malicious as you. I’m ensuring you never pick up a scalpel again. Let’s see you abuse your status as a 'hotshot surgeon' when you can't even hold a pen." I spat blood and saliva right into his face. "You’re dead, Liam. Without me, this hospital will be bankrupt by the end of the fiscal year!" 1 Preston was beyond furious, the veins bulging in his temples. He yanked me up by my arm, dragging me off the floor. Ignoring the stunned stares of the entire hospital staff, he hauled me straight out of the banquet hall and up to the penthouse suite he kept at the hotel. As soon as we burst through the door, he turned and grabbed his metal baseball bat from the umbrella stand near the entryway. He charged at me. "Preston, don't be insane," I gasped. Before the words were out, the bat swung. It connected solidly with the back of my right hand. A white-hot flash of agony shot through my limbs, and my vision swam with black spots. I didn't need an X-ray to know. Every bone in my right hand was shattered. I had spent fifteen years building my career as a cardiothoracic surgeon. I protected these hands more than I protected my own life. Preston knew that better than anyone. I stared at him, my eyes burning with rage and grief. Swallowing the scream tearing at my throat, I fumbled for my phone in my pocket with my left hand to call 911. Every second counted. If I didn't get into surgery immediately, I would never operate again. Preston saw me, the hand he had just stabbed trembling as I tried to unlock the screen. Before I could dial, he slapped the phone out of my hand, sending it smashing against the wall. "You have the audacity to call an ambulance after what you did to Hailey? Get this straight, Brianna: I made you. I gave you everything. How dare you act like you run the show in my hospital?" This private hospital only had its prestigious reputation because of me. I was the renowned specialist anchoring the cardiac department. Wealthy donors and high-profile patients lined up, offering seven-figure figures for me to lead their surgeries. I had turned down dozens of lucrative offers just to practice at his facility. Because of my renown, the hospital's VIP wing was fully booked, with beds going for ten thousand dollars a night, driving an annual revenue of over two hundred million. "Brianna, apologize to Hailey. Right now. Or I’m taking these bullying allegations straight to the Medical Board." "I’ll ensure you lose your license permanently. And don't think you're leaving this room to treat that hand until I get what I want." I looked at the man I had built up with my own two hands, barely able to speak through the shock. "Preston, this hand... it's my life. You know that." Preston glanced at my mangled, bloody hand and let out a cold, mocking chuckle. "Of course I know. That's why, if you want to save it—and save your medical career—you’re going to grovel and apologize." A few colleagues who had followed us up to watch the drama began chiming in from the doorway. "I always thought Dr. Vance was a bit cold, but I never pegged her for a bully. What a waste of talent." "Talent doesn't mean anything. Without the hospital's resources and platform, her skills aren't worth dime. She deserves a lesson. Serves her right." "Honestly, Hailey seems like a sweetheart. She’s been a great intern all year, never makes a mistake. Preston already planned to promote her to Administrative Assistant. It’ll be nice for her not to have to work night shifts anymore." "Absolutely. Preston has an eye for real quality." Their words were like ice picks stabbing at my heart. It made my skin crawl. These were people I had either recruited myself from prestigious public hospitals or hand-trained from residency. A few were retired specialists I had practically begged to come join us. Back in the public sector, they were stuck in bureaucracy, waiting for tenure and getting paid peanuts. I offered them high salaries, massive research grants, and help applying for national grants. I gave them the chance to make clean money based on their skills, not their seniority. I could still vividly remember them bowing in gratitude when they signed their contracts. Now, they were stepping on me to curry favor with the boss. I was brought back to reality when Hailey suddenly pushed through from behind Preston. She kicked me hard right behind the knee, making me buckle and fall. She grabbed my shoulders, her voice shrill. "Dr. Vance, the CEO is giving you a chance. Don't be ungrateful." "If you really piss him off and he goes to the Board, you’re done in the medical field!" I violently shook off her grip and slapped her across the face with my good hand. She shrieked, clutching her cheek. Seeing her hurt, Preston immediately pulled Hailey into his arms, murmuring softly to soothe her. "It’s okay, Hailey. I’ve got you." Then, he turned around and marched toward me. I looked at him, dead inside. "Preston, we're done. I'm leaving you." 2 Preston paused, looking stunned for a split second. But I couldn't waste time on him. My hand was dying. While he was frozen, I grabbed the arm of a hotel waitress who was passing by the open door, stealing the work phone from her tray. "Preston, I doubt you pay this waitress’s phone bill." Ignoring the blinding stabs of pain in my palm, I dialed a hospital two towns over. While waiting for the connection, the smartwatch on my good left wrist vibrated. It was a duplicate message from my work phone. [Dr. Vance, we are the Investment Department for Vanguard Health, the national premium hospital network. We are incredibly impressed by your patent on minimally invasive surgical techniques. We have decided to invest $400 million in your team to build a new cardiac center. We are arriving at your hospital today for a face-to-face meeting.] I had completely forgotten. Today was the day the investors were giving their final answer. I wanted to message them to reschedule, but my fingers were too swollend and trembling to even swipe the screen. They were going to make a wasted trip. Preston was close friends with the hotel owner; he had already instructed security not to let me leave the penthouse. He had also used his connections to block local ambulance calls to the hotel. But he couldn't control the surrounding county's emergency services. Eventually, the faint wail of a siren grew closer. I let out a breath. They were finally here. The lead paramedic came up via the elevator. When he saw my hand, he paled. "What in God's name happened? It’s a good thing you called when you did. Another thirty minutes and you would have lost the hand entirely." He reached for gauze to stabilize the bleeding, but Preston stepped forward, blocking him. He aggressively slapped the emergency kit out of the paramedic's hands, sending supplies scattering. I pushed myself up against the wall, using my shoulder to shove Preston back against the penthouse entryway door. I was seeing red. "Preston, what the hell is wrong with you?!" "You guys are out of your jurisdiction," Preston snapped at the paramedics. "This is a compliance issue. One phone call to the State Health Department and your hospital is facing a seven-figure fine for ignoring zoning regulations." The nurse who had accompanied them was flushed with anger. "Sir, this woman's hand is about to become non-viable! Saving lives comes first. Whatever your personal drama is can wait until she’s treated!" She moved to help me up, but Hailey rushed forward and shoved her back. Preston’s security detail surrounded us, physically blocking the medical personnel. Hailey held her phone up to my face, recording. Her cheek was still red from my slap, but she was grinning like a maniac. "Brianna Vance, all you have to do is look into this camera, admit you bullied me, and publicly apologize. We will release you immediately. We will even arrange a private car to take you to the best orthopedic surgeon in New York." "Otherwise, get used to being a cripple. You’ll be blacklisted by the Medical Board, facing a misconduct charge, and kicked out of the profession forever." I turned to look at Preston. My voice was trembling. "Preston..." Preston just smirked, casually rubbing his shoulder where I had shoved him. "Why are you looking at me? A golden path is right in front of you. If you choose not to take it, that’s your problem." The paramedic was sweating profusely. "Dr. Vance, just give in for now! Save the hand! If you lose the hand, you lose everything!" I thought about my career, the only thing I had ever loved. I remembered my mother gripping my hand on her deathbed, begging me to be a good doctor. A sob broke from my throat. Tears streamed down my face. I looked into Hailey’s camera lens, my jaw tight. "I admit... that I bullied Hailey. I am truly sorry." After I recited the script she had written, the paramedic grabbed Hailey’s arm. "You said you were arranging a car. Where is it?" "Oh," Preston interjected, his voice light and unbothered. He didn't even look at me. "The driver’s mother passed away. He can’t make it today." But I had already planned a backup. When I made the initial call, I had used the waitress's phone to text a former student of mine. He was now the Associate Chief of Orthopedics at the county hospital two towns over. He had already arranged for a second ambulance to be waiting at the hotel’s loading dock, bypassing Preston’s people at the front entrance. As soon as Preston retreated into the bedroom, the paramedics hurried me down the fire stairs to the back exit. I was loaded into the waiting ambulance and we sped away. The surgery to salvage my hand took eighteen excruciating hours. When they finally wheeled me out of the OR, the lead surgeon—my former student—stood over me, a somber look on his face. "Dr. Vance, we did everything we could. But the nerve and tendon damage is catastrophic. You’re looking at at least a year of intensive physical therapy. As for ever holding a scalpel again... that is entirely up to your own will and persistence." Salt tears slid into the corners of my mouth. I forced a weak smile and grabbed his arm, whispering. "I need you to maximize the dosage on my pain pump. I’m discharging myself now. I have things to handle." "Absolutely not! You just got out of major reconstructive surgery. You can't just leave!" I ripped the blanket off myself, struggling to climb down from the hospital bed. I dropped to my knees in front of him. "I’m begging you. If I wait, it will be too late." Two hours later, once the high-strength painkillers kicked in, I wrapped myself in a heavy overcoat and discharged myself, escorted by security personnel Vanguard Health had sent for my protection. 3 I found out later that Julian Vanguard, the head of Vanguard Health, had just returned from an international inspection. His very first order was to find me. When he heard what happened, he immediately sent a security detail to watch the hospital perimeter. If they won't let me live my life, then I'm bringing their entire world down with me. My first stop was the convention hall hosting the National Cardiology Conference, currently in session. I walked straight onto the floor. I grabbed the master drafts for my presentation on 'Modified Minimally Invasive Bypass Techniques' and the hard copies of my unpublished clinical follow-up data. Before the shocked gaze of every cardiologist in attendance, I threw the entire stack into an industrial paper shredder. These were the crucial, central materials required to secure national research grants. I hadn't made a digital backup; I wanted total control of the hard copies. Now that they were confetti, the presentation couldn't happen. Preston had spent nearly a year negotiating for tens of millions in research funding for that specific presentation. It was gone. Next, I went to his hospital. I logged into the system and formatted every single one of the custom treatment plans for the complex cases I was heading. I had anticipated this day. The complete versions of all core data were stored on my private, encrypted hard drives. The hospital servers only held truncated versions. Without the raw data, those high-profile projects would ground to an absolute halt. I was in the middle of scrubbing the case analyses I had stored on his personal computer in his office when Preston burst in, Hailey at his heels. When he saw the floor covered in shredded paper and the formatted screen showing the empty server interface, his face went beet red. "Brianna, are you out of your mind?! You shredded the conference materials. What about the millions in grants?! You formatted the server. What happens to the projects?!" He charged at me, grabbing my right hand—the one that had just come out of major surgery. His nails dug through the heavy bandages, driving right into the fresh incision points. A cold sweat instantly broke out over my back from the agony. I gritted my teeth, slamming my weight against him to shove him off me. Watching him fly into a blind rage made me smile. "Grants can be re-negotiated, and servers can be restored... if you have the data. But you ruined my hand, so I ruined the only thing you actually care about: your hospital. Seems like a fair trade to me." Preston trembled with rage. Then, he threw his head back and laughed. "Ruined me? Brianna, don't be naive. Every single patent you applied for... I had them legally transferred to the hospital’s name six months ago. Those aren't yours anymore!" "Do you know how much that 'confetti' is worth? I’ve tallied it up. Eighty-five million dollars in guaranteed revenue. Do you have that kind of cash to pay for the breach of contract?" His words hit me like a physical blow. The blood rushed out of my face. Everything he said after that was just static noise. With trembling left fingers, I pulled out my phone to check the patent registry. When I saw the owner was indeed listed as the hospital, my blood turned to ice. He had planned this from the start. Six months ago, he was already laying the groundwork to kick me out and take full ownership of my life’s work. Hailey was just a convenient pawn that fell into his lap. The bullying allegations were just a tool to get rid of me without paying out my share of the equity. Hailey smirked from the side, looking absolutely delighted with herself. "You hear that, Brianna? Eighty-five million. When are you paying up?" "Once you settle that debt, Preston and I are getting married. I’ll be the Administrator’s wife. I’ll be running this place." I hadn't eaten in twenty-four hours, and I had lost massive amounts of blood. The emotional shock combined with the trauma was too much. The room swam, and I collapsed onto the floor. Preston stood over me, his voice icy cold. "Scared now? Look, we were together for eight years. I’ll give you a chance." He reached into his suit pocket and pulled out an antique jade pendant carved with a dragon. It was my mother’s final legacy to me before she died—half of a dragon-and-phoenix set. When we got engaged, I had given it to him as a token of my love and commitment. I always wore the matching phoenix pendant. "Hand over the phoenix pendant, and I’ll send it to Hailey as her promotion gift." "Announce publicly that you only gave me the dragon pendant because you were desperate to climb the social ladder through me, and I’ll wipe that eighty-five million dollar debt off the books." I used every last ounce of my strength to push myself off the floor, lunging at him with a snarl. "Preston, in your dreams! That is my mother's legacy! You think you have the right to give it away?!" Before I could grab his hand, he casually opened his fingers. The jade dragon fell onto the polished marble floor, shattering into dozens of tiny pieces. I stared at the broken jade. The only tangible connection I had left to my mother was gone. Because I had trusted him. I had given my most precious possession to him, and he had destroyed it. 4 Hailey kicked me hard in the stomach. My center of gravity was already off, and I fell backward, the back of my head slamming against the sharp edge of the coffee table. Warm blood immediately began soaking into my collar from the cut. I was still reeling when Preston pressed his heel down onto my bandaged right hand, grinding his weight into it. "Brianna, I’m asking you one last time. Do I get the phoenix pendant or not?" "No! You can kill me before you get it!" I spit blood into his face, glaring at him through the pain. "Preston, don't think you've won. Without me, this hospital will be bankrupt in six months." "All the dirty deals you've made? They're going to come to light. Karma is going to haunt you." "Shut the hell up!" Preston snapped, slapping me across the face. He stomped his heel down onto the incision point on my hand, putting all his weight behind it. The gauze was instantly soaked in blood. The agony was so intense I nearly passed out. Tears streamed uncontrollably down my face. I ignored the pain, scrambling to pick up the broken pieces of jade. I had barely moved before Preston grabbed my collar, hauling me up. He grinned, the expression twisted and cruel. He reached for the red cord around my neck, intent on ripping the phoenix pendant away. I fought back wildly, thrashing in his grip, but I was too weak to stop him from breaking the cord and taking the stone. He laughed as he watched me sob, broken and defeated. "You're pathetic. This is going to the police as evidence. I'm posting your 'apology' video to every medical professional forum and local news outlet." "The whole world is going to know you're a bully. I’m ensuring you are utterly destroyed. You’ll never operate again." "Preston, you animal!" I tried to lunge at him one last time, with the last shred of my dignity. But as soon as I stood up, my legs gave out. I collapsed to the floor, unable to move. Preston stood over me, looking smug and triumphant. "Brianna, you were naive to think you could beat me. Without you, this hospital is only going to grow faster. Get used to watching me succeed from the gutters where you belong." He kicked me one last time, turning to leave. Just then, the receptionist burst through the door, looking frantic. Preston snapped, "What the hell? Do you know how to knock?" The receptionist looked down at me on the floor, my hand a bloody mess. She turned pale. "Mr. Sterling, it's a disaster! The investors from Vanguard Health? The team you've been courting for a year? They’re in the main conference room right now, and they... they..." "They what? Out with it!" "They explicitly demanded to see Dr. Vance. They said that if Dr. Vance is willing to join Vanguard Health, they will take the $400 million they were going to invest here and double it to $800 million for her new team instead."
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "396456", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel