Chapter 4

The next morning at exactly 9:00 AM, my office door was kicked open.

Samantha strutted in on four-inch heels, clutching a limited-edition Hermès Birkin bag, looking like she owned the place.

My brother, Thomas, followed closely behind in a tailored suit, looking every bit the successful billionaire.

"So, you’re Director Mitchell?"

Samantha looked me up and down, pulled out a chair, and sat down without a single polite word.

"I don’t beat around the bush. You made things difficult for my son yesterday, and he didn’t sleep a wink last night. How are you going to make this right?"

I took a sip of water from my mug.

"How would you like to settle it, Mrs. Vance?"

Samantha slammed a thick stack of medical reports onto my desk.

"This is a joint evaluation from the top medical specialists in the state! Tyler is a one hundred percent match! What right do you have to block us at the final stage? Who do you think you are?"

Thomas gently pulled her sleeve, trying to play the reasonable gentleman.

"Director Mitchell, my wife is just worried sick about our boy. She’s a bit emotional. We came here today to find a solution."

He pulled out another chair and sat down, folding his hands on my desk.

"My son's condition is critical. If there's some misunderstanding, let's lay it all out on the table."

I pushed the stack of reports aside.

"Mr. Mitchell, Mrs. Vance. I made my decision clear in the file. Tyler does not qualify."

"Bullshit!" Samantha slammed her hand on the desk. "You just want money, don't you? Name your price! Stop acting so damn righteous!"

Thomas quickly tried to smooth things over. "Director Mitchell, I understand your position carries a lot of pressure and many things to consider. But rules are made by people. If your department needs funding for research, or if you personally... have some expenses that are hard to talk about, Vance Enterprises can take care of it."

"Like what?" I asked with a half-smile.

"For instance, a luxury apartment in Manhattan, or perhaps your children want to go to an Ivy League school..." Thomas lowered his voice, offering the bait.

"Are you openly bribing a state official, Mr. Mitchell?"

Thomas's face stiffened, and he let out a dry laugh. "You misunderstand, Director. It’s a perfectly legal philanthropic donation..."

"Stop wasting your breath on her!" Samantha snapped impatiently, glaring at me. "Just tell me, how much money will it take for you to sign? Five million? Ten million?"

The office fell into a dead, heavy silence.

I set my mug down, stood up, and looked down at the wealthy couple.

"Mrs. Vance, this is the State Medical Board, not a flea market for Vance Enterprises. Take your dirty money and get out."

Samantha gasped in disbelief, then laughed mockingly as she stood up, pointing her finger at my nose.

"You ungrateful bitch! Who do you think you are? A low-level director, and you actually think you're hot shit?"

"I’m warning you for the last time. You are signing that paper today, whether you like it or not! If you don't, I will make sure you never practice medicine in this country again!"

The utter disregard for human life in her eyes was identical to twenty years ago.

"Samantha Vance," I said, calling her by her full name.

She froze.

"Tyler Mitchell’s application is permanently denied. If you don't like it, go file a complaint with the Department of Health."

Samantha’s face turned white with rage, her chest heaving.

"Fine! Just you wait!"

She spun around to leave, but stopped at the door, turning back to hiss, "Let's see how many more days you get to wear that white coat!"

Thomas gave me a long, dark look filled with malice.

"Director Mitchell, you’ve chosen a very dangerous path."

The moment they left, Julian slipped back into the room, sweating profusely.

"Director! Are you crazy? You just completely crossed Samantha Vance! Her family holds massive political sway in this state. You’re committing career suicide!"

"Dr. Carter," I sat back down, opening my computer. "Take a guess. What do you think her next move will be?"

Julian swallowed hard. "What else? Use her connections to pressure you, and get the media to destroy you!"

I nodded.

"Excellent. Let's make sure she plays it as big as possible."

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