Chapter 2

I frowned. "What kind of procedure is your aunt having?"

The girl paused, an uneasy flicker crossing her face.

Donna King cut in impatiently. "What business is it of yours? Even the doctors aren't asking, so why are you sticking your nose in?"

Just then, hurried footsteps echoed down the hallway.

Nurse Supervisor Brenda Harris rushed over with two nurses.

Seeing me, her face froze for an instant before she forced a strained smile.

"Miss Vance, I'm so sorry. We had an unexpected scheduling conflict with the executive suites today."

"Mrs. King's situation is delicate, and hospital leadership personally signed off on this."

"How about this? We can set Mrs. Vance up in a private room over in the regular wing, and we'll refund you the price difference."

I locked eyes with her. "I reserved 1208 two weeks ago."

"The confirmation explicitly states guaranteed check-in within six hours post-op."

"Now my mother is fresh out of surgery, and you want me to drag her to a regular ward?"

Brenda’s fake smile began to crumble.

"The regular private rooms are quite nice too."

"Hospital beds are tight. We all need to be a little understanding here."

Donna King leaned back against her pillows and sneered.

"Why waste your breath on her, Brenda?"

"Young people nowadays have no sense of hierarchy. They make a few dirty dollars and think they own the damn hospital."

Her niece immediately swung her camera right at my face.

"Look at this, guys! Look at how entitled people can be," she whined into the stream.

"My aunt is unwell, and management cleared this room for her, yet this woman is throwing a tantrum trying to steal it back."

"She’s even using a sick old lady to play the victim!"

My mother's body started shaking uncontrollably.

I reached out, slapping a hand over the lens, and said coldly, "Delete it."

The girl shrieked dramatically. "Why are you touching my phone?! Are you trying to assault me?!"

Brenda panicked. "Miss Vance, please calm down! This is a hospital!"

I let out a dark, furious laugh.

From start to finish, my mother was the one whose room was stolen.

My mother was the one being humiliated, and my mother was the one being secretly filmed for clout.

And somehow, I was the one being told to 'calm down.'

Just as I was about to speak, a familiar male voice cut through the air behind me.

"Nora."

I turned around.

Ethan Brooks stood in the hallway, his white coat pristine, his eyes behind gold-rimmed glasses gentle yet thoroughly dismissive.

He was the youngest deputy director of medical affairs at Metro General, and he was my fiancé.

Our engagement party was scheduled for next month.

He was the one who had coordinated the surgical department for my mother's procedure.

For that, I had once been genuinely grateful to him.

Yet right now, as he stepped toward me, he didn't ask if my mother was in pain. He didn't ask why our reserved room had been stolen.

He simply lowered his voice and said, "Nora, don't make a scene."

I clenched my teeth. "Did you know this was the suite I booked?"

"I knew."

"Did you know my mother just had an entire lung lobe removed?"

"I know that too."

He sighed, sounding like an exhausted adult dealing with an unreasonable child.

"Mrs. King has serious political connections. Her cousin has direct influence over our hospital’s upcoming accreditation review."

"Just step aside for now. I'll move your mom back in tomorrow."