Lost in the sting of Aaron's betrayal, Evelyn barely heard anything. Only when Matthew repeated himself did she finally return to her senses. The man calling her was actually the wealthiest man in this country?

"Wait... what?"

On the other end of the line, Matthew told Evelyn the past. He and her mother, Cheryl Mason, had once been deeply in love. Yet his father had strongly opposed their relationship and forced them apart.

At that time, Matthew had no idea that Cheryl had already been pregnant with Evelyn.

After his father passed away, Matthew planned to bring Cheryl and their daughter home, but it was too late. Cheryl had already died from illness.

Regret filled Matthew's voice.

"Evelyn, I built most of my empire overseas, but I still have hundreds of billions in assets here at home. You're my only child. Everything I have should belong to you. Consider it my way of making up for what your mother and you went through."

Even after Matthew ended the call, Evelyn remained frozen in place, unable to process what she had just heard.

She was the daughter of this country's richest man?

Memories surfaced of her mother gripping her hand before her final breath, insisting that she deserved a better future and urging her never to give up what belonged to her.

Clarity slowly replaced the confusion in Evelyn's eyes.

Her mother had been right. She needed to move forward and claim her own life instead of drowning in Aaron's betrayal.

The following morning, Evelyn gathered her identification papers and went to the law firm Matthew had recommended to begin the transfer of assets.

After reviewing her documents, the lawyer knit his brows together. "Ms. Mason, according to our system, you're listed as married. If we proceed with the transfer now, these assets will automatically count as shared marital property. If that's not your intention, your husband will need to sign a waiver."

Shock drained the color from Evelyn's face.

Her marriage with Aaron was fake. How could the official records show that she was legally married?

Swallowing past the dryness in her throat, Evelyn forced herself to ask, "Who exactly is registered as my husband?"

Casting her a puzzled glance, the lawyer turned to his computer and pulled up the record. "The system lists your spouse as Jonathan Bailey."

Jonathan Bailey? Who was that? And how could she possibly have been legally tied to him without her knowledge?

With questions burning in her chest, Evelyn decided she would track this man down and make him sign the waiver.

There was no way she would allow a complete stranger to touch a single cent of her inheritance.

Before Evelyn could step out of the office, her phone began ringing sharply.

The caller was Bryson Smith, director of Grace General Hospital.

His voice came through in a rush. "Evelyn, come back to the hospital right now. We've received a critical transfer from a lower-tier facility. The patient has a brainstem cavernous hemangioma. You're the only one who can perform the polypeptide simulation fusion technique to save him."

Shock flickered across Evelyn's face.

Throughout the entire hospital, Bryson was the only person aware that she was Polaris, the internationally recognized medical authority.

This specific polypeptide simulation fusion technique was Polaris' trademark field.

Under normal circumstances, Bryson would never risk drawing attention to her by arranging this type of surgery under her public identity. The urgency in his tone could only mean the patient's status was extraordinary.

Without wasting another second, Evelyn hailed a cab and rushed back to Grace General Hospital.

The moment she arrived, Bryson met her and spoke quickly. "Evelyn, the patient just returned from overseas. He's the grandson of the wealthiest man on our continent. His survival is critical. You have to save him."

After putting on her surgical cap and mask, Evelyn gave a small nod. Once she completed the sterilization process, she stepped into the operating room.

A young man lay motionless on the operating table when she stepped inside.

As she moved closer, her breathing stalled for a second.

Under the harsh surgical lights, his features looked almost unreal. Even with his head shaved and his body unconscious, his face carried a sharp, flawless beauty that felt almost sculpted.

Shaking off the distraction, Evelyn steadied herself. She was a surgeon first, and the patient's life came before anything else.

With firm hands, she lifted the scalpel and began the intricate operation.

Time slipped by as she worked with intense focus, and sweat slowly gathered along her temples.

Three long hours later, the overhead lights finally dimmed, signaling the end of the procedure.

Bryson, who had been waiting outside in visible distress, hurried toward her. "Evelyn, is he going to make it?"

Fatigue weighed on her voice as Evelyn gave a small nod. "The surgery was successful. He should wake up soon."

"Thank goodness." Bryson exhaled heavily. "If something had happened to Mr. Bailey under our care, I wouldn't know how to answer to his grandfather."

The moment she heard the surname "Bailey," Evelyn stiffened, and her pulse quickened. She looked straight at Bryson and asked, "What's the patient's name?"

Looking slightly confused, Bryson answered, "Jonathan Bailey. He's the successor of the Bailey family. You really haven't heard of him?"

Evelyn's eyes flew open in disbelief.

Jonathan Bailey.

The man she had just pulled back from death... was legally her husband.

Two hours passed before Jonathan finally came around.

The first thing he saw was a woman sitting nearby, and her face was beautiful in a way that didn't feel aggressive or calculated. Something about her looked clean and harmless.

Evelyn paused, then spoke carefully. "Mr. Bailey, could you come with me to get a divorce?"

It was the first time anyone had seen a change in Jonathan's distant and emotionless manner. He pressed his palms against the bed and forced his tired body, still weak from surgery, into an upright seated position.

He lifted a finger and tapped his temple. "Did you hit your head somewhere?"

He didn't even have a girlfriend, so how could he have a wife?

Evelyn fought for the right words, then slid a legal document onto the bed in front of him, looking more annoyed than scared. "I don't want to accept it either. I met you for the first time today, yet I was told you're my husband on paper. And the records say we're married."

Jonathan lowered his gaze to the document and saw his name listed as her spouse.

A memory from two years earlier surfaced—his grandfather had asked for his identification documents.

Was this his grandfather's doing?

Evelyn continued, "Mr. Bailey, I heard your grandfather is the richest man on our continent. Surely, you wouldn't want a wife popping up out of nowhere who can legally claim your money? I saved your life today. Could you return the favor by divorcing me?"

A faint, amused look touched Jonathan's sharp face.

No matter how he looked at it, he should be the one desperate for a divorce, yet she was acting like he was the one who might take advantage of her.

Seated on the hospital bed, Jonathan leaned back a little, and a sly smile showed as his eyes landed on Evelyn's badge. "Evelyn Mason, huh? And what if I say no to the divorce?"

Evelyn jabbed a finger toward him, and heat rushed to her face. "You..."

She hurried forward without watching her steps, and her foot caught on Jonathan's shoes near the bed.

Her balance went, and she pitched straight into him, and her red lips pressed against his thin ones.

Evelyn went rigid the second it happened.

Jonathan's jaw tightened, and irritation cut through his voice. "You just said you wanted a divorce, yet now you're throwing yourself at me. If you want to kiss me, just say it."

Evelyn's scent surrounded him, and the feeling hit hard enough that he wanted to pull her closer instead of pushing her away.

When she still didn't move, Jonathan teased, "If you don't get off me soon, I can turn this room into a honeymoon suite."

Evelyn finally looked him in the eye. "You just had surgery, so nothing like that is happening."

She pulled away fast and tried to swallow the embarrassment so she could focus on what mattered. "This marriage registration has to be some system mistake. You and I need to get divorced."

Jonathan's expression remained impassive, but his gaze stayed locked on her like he was weighing her. "What if I simply refuse to divorce?"

Evelyn dug into her bag and pulled out a document and a pen. "If you won't divorce, then sign this and give up any property rights."

Jonathan took the agreement, and something unreadable flickered across his face. "Your father is Matthew Dale?"

He kept his voice even, but his eyes had gone darker. "I'll sign, but you must play the role of my wife, help me deal with my greedy relatives, and make sure I'm fully healed."

Evelyn paused, then she answered, "Alright."

All she needed was his signature on that agreement.

Jonathan signed his name right away.

Evelyn let out a slow breath at last. Once he signed, her father's assets wouldn't end up in the wrong hands.

She was about to speak when a young nurse rushed in, breathing hard. "Evelyn, please come quickly. Your husband just brought his grandmother to the hospital. She's been admitted for emergency care due to a brain hemorrhage."

"Your husband?" Jonathan repeated, glancing up at Evelyn with a teasing look in his eyes.

Embarrassment crept over her when she realized she had not explained anything about her "previous marriage."

"I will tell you everything when I come back," she said.

After all, Aaron's grandmother was in a critical condition.

Jonathan stayed where he was and watched her hurry out, and a faint chill settled into his smile.

The moment he noticed her name badge earlier, he had already told his assistant to dig into her background. Now his phone screen displayed every detail about her life.

She worked as a neurosurgeon at Grace General Hospital. Her mother had died when she was young. Three years earlier, she had married Aaron, the heir to the Foster family.

His network reached far enough to uncover even the ugliest truth—Aaron had tricked her with a fake marriage registration while secretly marrying his childhood sweetheart, Karina.

Realizing all that, he found himself thinking Evelyn had endured more than most people ever would.

Lowering his gaze, he noticed her scent still clinging faintly to his hand.

Something about her held his attention.

After everything she had gone through, she had still been steady enough to perform surgery on him.

He figured that when the time came to face his greedy relatives, she would handle them with the same calm control.

He felt really lucky to have such a capable wife.

...

By the time Evelyn reached the hallway outside the emergency room, Aaron's grandmother, Beth Foster, was already being rushed toward the operating room.

No matter how much she despised Aaron, Evelyn had always treated Beth with respect. "Beth is suffering from a thrombotic cerebral infarction," she said firmly. "I have the highest success rate for this procedure. Let me operate."

Out of nowhere, Karina stepped forward in a crisp white coat, adjusting her surgical cap as if she owned the place. "Evelyn, the hospital assigned this operation to me. You are not taking it."

About a year earlier, she had secured her position in the neurology department at Grace General Hospital through Aaron's influence.

With his backing, she had attached herself to one surgery after another, claiming credit where she could, and climbed into a senior role within a single year.

From the very beginning, Aaron had planned it that way. Once he finished using Evelyn, he intended to present Karina as his lawful wife, and the title of a capable doctor would make the announcement sound respectable.

Refusing to step aside, Evelyn held her ground. "This procedure is beyond you. I am the one who should be operating."

Beth had always treated her with kindness, and there was no way she would stand back while Beth's life hung by a thread.

Instead of arguing further, Karina turned to Aaron with trembling lips. "Aaron, the hospital appointed me. She is breaking protocol by trying to take over."

A calculating look flashed through her eyes before she lowered them again.

Beth never liked her.

If she managed to pull Beth through this crisis, earning her place as Aaron's rightful wife would be much easier.

And if the surgery failed, that outcome would clear obstacles just as well.

Without hesitation, Aaron pushed Evelyn aside. "Evelyn, stop interfering. Karina is saving my grandma. If something goes wrong because of you, you will answer for it."

Triumph lit up Karina's face as she shot Evelyn a provoking glance and entered the operating room.

Seeing Evelyn's worried expression, Aaron tried to reassure her. "Calm down. Karina knows what she is doing. My grandma will be safe. And what you saw, I can explain. I had too much to drink and thought she was you. That is why I tried to kiss her."

He assumed a few soft words would pull Evelyn back under his control, just like before, when she would accept anything he said without question.

Before he could continue, the operating room doors burst open and Karina stumbled out, her voice shaking as tears streamed down her face. "Aaron, your grandma is not going to make it."

Shock twisted his expression into something frightening. "What? I need to see her right now."

At that moment, Bryson rushed over after hearing about the surgery and blocked Aaron's path. Turning to Evelyn, he said, "Evelyn, get inside and save Mrs. Foster immediately."