Karina felt a quiet thrill at the thought that Beth wouldn't last much longer, and she would finally be out of the way.

She meant to pin the surgical failure on Evelyn, so Aaron would think the earlier disruption had ruined the timing.

But she didn't expect Bryson to ask Evelyn to perform the surgery on Beth.

She raised her voice and made sure everyone heard her. "Evelyn, Beth is passing away. Are you going to cut into her and make this worse?"

Bryson didn't budge, and his expression stayed hard. "Evelyn is the only one here who can save the patient. Stop interfering and let her work."

Evelyn shut her mind to the noise, locked the operating room door, and took the scalpel in hand.

Bryson saw her lock the door. As he walked away, unease weighed on him.

Karina turned toward Aaron, speaking ill of Evelyn. "Beth could've gone peacefully, but now she won't even get a proper end."

Her words struck a nerve, and Aaron snapped. He slammed his fist against the door. "Evelyn, open the door right now. If my grandma can't even rest in peace, you'll pay for it."

Evelyn didn't respond, and she stayed with the procedure.

She had already handled another surgery that day, and exhaustion made it hard to keep her shoulders steady.

Her hands still worked clean and sure, and she stopped Beth's brain bleed in time.

When the door finally opened, her legs nearly gave out.

She had barely stepped out when a watch flew into her forehead.

Aaron's expression darkened. "Evelyn, what did you do in there? Did you mess with my grandma's body? Are you taking it out on her because you're angry at me?"

Karina stood off to the side, and a smug smile crept across her face.

Already hurt deeply by Aaron, Evelyn grabbed the cup of hot coffee from a nurse and splashed it on him.

Heat hit his skin, and he recoiled with a sharp breath.

Evelyn didn't hold back. "I saved Beth, and she's alive. If you're going to keep acting like this, go find a psychiatrist and stop making a scene in neurology."

"You're saying my grandma made it?" Aaron spun and charged into the operating room.

Karina's face stiffened, and the color left her lips. "That's impossible. Beth..."

Evelyn stepped closer to her, and her voice turned quiet and pointed. "Karina, you look disappointed. Were you waiting for Beth to die?"

"No. Don't say things like that."

Aaron came back out a moment later, and the change in him was immediate once he saw Beth was stable. He looked at Evelyn with intensity.

Skill like hers couldn't be replaced, and her work on the targeted drug mattered too. If she walked away from the Foster family, it would cost him.

Aaron's tone softened as he put on a smile. "Evelyn, thank you for saving my grandma." His hand went to her waist as he leaned in. "This means you aren't mad at me, right? Come home tonight."

Evelyn slipped away from him in one quick step, and her eyes stayed cold. "Don't touch me. It's disgusting."

Anger flashed across Aaron's face, but he forced it down because he needed her to come back.

"Evelyn, listen, I only kissed Karina because I was drunk. If you come back, I won't see her anymore."

Aaron shot Karina a look.

Karina swallowed her frustration and forced a smile. "Sure. If it makes you feel better, I can stay away from Aaron from now on."

Aaron added, "Evelyn, come back to me, and you'll have full control over the targeted drug's development. When it's ready to be released, we'll partner with Dale Group. You know Matthew Dale, their chairman, is the richest man in the country. You'll be more famous than the renowned doctor Polaris!"

A sharp, amused look flashed in Evelyn's eyes. Aaron had no clue that she was the heiress to Dale Group, the company he was eager to collaborate with. He was talking about outshining Polaris without knowing she was Polaris.

Evelyn looked from Aaron to Karina, and her voice stayed steady. "If you two stop seeing each other, isn't that a little harsh for a married couple?"

Aaron's face paled; he was caught off balance. "Evelyn, what are you talking about?"

A quiet laugh slipped out of her. "Still playing dumb? Do you want me to send a tip to the press? I can tell them my marriage to you is fake, and your lawful wife is Karina."

Aaron's mind jolted. "So you heard everything that day." His eyes went wide, and anger rushed in. "Fine, there's no need to pretend anymore! I'm a shareholder at Grace General Hospital. If you leak that, I'll get you fired, and I'll make sure no hospital will hire you again."

Karina stopped acting sweet and added, "Evelyn, if you don't want to get blacklisted, keep your mouth shut and continue working for Foster Group."

Their voices climbed, sharp and heated.

A colder voice cut through them from behind. "I'd like to see who thinks they can blacklist the person who saved my life."

At the unexpected voice, Aaron lifted his head, and his eyes shrank in alarm.

Standing there was Jonathan, the grandson of the richest man on the whole continent.

How on earth did Evelyn end up being the one who saved Jonathan's life?

"Mr. Bailey..." Aaron lowered his posture at once, terrified of offending the future ruler of the Bailey family.

Born as the illegitimate son of a small noble family, he had long learned that survival meant pleasing people like Jonathan.

After completing two consecutive surgeries, Evelyn was already drained. The argument with Aaron had taken what little strength she had left.

While Jonathan and Aaron exchanged words, a wave of dizziness swept over her. The edges of her sight dimmed, and her knees buckled beneath her.

Before she could hit the floor, Jonathan moved in quickly and wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her.

The softness of her frame caught him off guard, and for a fleeting second, his composure wavered. Even so, his expression stayed distant and controlled.

Turning his gaze on Aaron, Jonathan said, "Mr. Foster, you seem to forget that Grace General Hospital doesn't revolve around you. I'm the largest shareholder here. What gives a minor shareholder like you the nerve to threaten the woman who saved my life?"

Shock flickered across Aaron's and Karina's faces as they looked at each other in disbelief.

Since when did Evelyn form ties with someone as untouchable as Jonathan, let alone become his savior?

Their legs felt unsteady, as though they might give out at any second.

Forcing an awkward grin, Aaron hurried to explain, "You misunderstood, Mr. Bailey. I was only joking with Evelyn. She saved your life. At Grace General Hospital, no one would ever dare dismiss her."

Without giving Aaron another glance, Jonathan bent down and lifted Evelyn with ease. Then he strode off, leaving Aaron and Karina rooted in place, their faces drained of color.

Cradled in Jonathan's arms, Evelyn shifted awkwardly and tried to free herself. "Mr. Bailey, you just got out of surgery. You shouldn't be carrying anything heavy."

Warmth from his body seeped through the thin fabric between them, and his nearness made Evelyn uneasy.

Beneath the sharp scent of disinfectant clinging to him, there lingered a clean, woody fragrance that made her lose focus for a brief second.

Keeping his expression distant and his steps steady, Jonathan answered coolly, "Do I look as fragile as your fake husband? You think I can't carry someone as light as you?"

Nestled against his chest, Evelyn murmured, "Thank you..."

For a fleeting moment, she felt that the man who was legally tied to her didn't seem so bad after all.

...

By the following morning, Evelyn arrived at the law firm carrying the waiver Jonathan had already signed. The inheritance process went smoothly, and assets valued in the hundreds of billions were officially registered under her name.

Staring at the figures displayed in her account, she stood still in disbelief.

Never in her life had she seen that many zeroes attached to her name.

Before she could sort out how to manage such an overwhelming fortune, a man approached. It was Matthew's assistant, Charles Marshall.

"Ms. Mason, your father asked me to escort you back to the Dale estate after the inheritance has been completed. He told me to make sure the relatives don't take advantage of you."

Confusion flickered through Evelyn's mind. What relatives was he talking about?

Even so, she entered Charles' car and made her way toward the Dale estate.

The estate proved why the Dale family was known for its immense wealth. The grandeur of the place was breathtaking.

However, the moment Evelyn stepped inside, a bucket of filthy water was dumped from above and drenched half of her body.

A woman wrapped in flashy designer clothes strutted over, her gaze dripping with disdain. "So you're Matthew's daughter? You look like you just crawled out of some backwater village!"

At the harsh tone, Evelyn narrowed her eyes slightly. She lowered her head and focused on wringing out the dirty water soaking her clothes. Whatever she felt stayed buried behind her lashes.

From the living room couch, a woman let out a cold laugh. "Mom, you've got it wrong. She was born before Uncle Matthew even married. She's an illegitimate daughter. This is the Dale estate, not some shelter that takes in trash off the street."

"Get out of here! If you don't leave, I'll shoot you!" A boy around seven lifted a toy water gun and pointed it straight at Evelyn's face.

Before she could step back, a blast of cold water hit her head and splashed down her face.

She reacted on instinct and raised her hand to cover her eyes. Cold water slid down her cheeks and neck, soaking her again.

When she lowered her hand and looked up, the warmth in her eyes was gone.

"Did you see that? Even a child can't stand you. Stop standing there and leave." The woman on the couch, Hannah Dale, continued her sarcastic taunts, while her mother, Emely Dale, didn't bother stopping the boy and watched with open disdain as he kept spraying water at Evelyn.

Something dark settled in Evelyn's gaze. She stepped forward without hesitation and pulled the toy gun from the boy's hands.

The instant it left his grip, he broke into loud sobs.

Evelyn turned back slowly. There was no trace of hurt on her face, only a quiet, cutting calm.

Emely strode over and jabbed a finger toward Evelyn. "You're even picking on a child now? Have you no shame?"

Hannah folded her arms and sneered, "What else can you expect from country people? No manners at all. Evelyn Mason, right? If you've got any sense, you'll leave right now."

Evelyn's eyes stayed dark. She turned the toy gun over in her hand, then aimed it forward and pulled the trigger. Water sprayed straight at Emely and the boy.

Emely froze for a split second. She clearly hadn't thought Evelyn would fight back. Then she shrieked and threw her arms up, trying to block the water splashing across her face and clothes.

Evelyn didn't stop. She had been drenched in water, so she saw no reason to hold back.

"Evelyn! How dare you? Do you even know who I am? I'm Matthew's sister. I'm your aunt. You should be apologizing to me and showing some respect!" Emely shouted, shaking with fury.

Evelyn lifted her brow slightly. "My aunt? Since when does an aunt welcome her niece by drenching her?"

Then she paused as if something had just crossed her mind. "And you should probably get one thing straight. This house is already under my name. If anyone needs to leave, it's not me."

Emely's expression twisted. She clenched her teeth so hard her jaw tightened. "That's ridiculous! I've lived here for more than ten years. This is our home!"

A quiet laugh slipped from Evelyn. "However long you've stayed doesn't change the ownership. I own this place now. Should I call the police and have you escorted out?"

Her words hung in the air, and for a moment, no one spoke.

The little boy, who had been hiding behind Emely, suddenly shoved past her. His eyes were red with anger as he rushed toward Evelyn. "You're horrible! I'll bite you to death!"

His small, stocky body barreled forward. He opened his mouth wide and aimed straight for Evelyn's arm, determined to force her out.

Evelyn looked down at him, and a cold curve touched her lips.

She watched his path for a brief second. Then she lifted her leg without hesitation and kicked him away.

A heavy thud echoed as his short body hit the floor.