Chapter 6

Clara's POV

How absurd.

Three years ago, to get close to me, he'd hired people to stage an act, blocked a knife for me, and stole my heart.

Now, to ensure I'd willingly lie on the operating table to donate marrow to Lydia, he'd used the same trick again, hiring the same group to perform this cheap "hero rescues beauty" routine to deepen my devotion?

"Clara?" Sensing my stiffness, Frederic looked down anxiously to check on me.

"I'm fine." I slowly pushed away slightly, abandoning my struggle and obediently lowering my eyes.

I concealed the disappointment deep in my gaze.

Frederic, to drain every last drop of my usefulness, you've really gone to great lengths.

The next morning, I'd barely walked into the ER when I sensed something was wrong.

No one at the nurses' station greeted me as usual. Everyone was looking down at their phones.

Seeing me approach, they immediately fell silent, their eyes filled with shock, scrutiny, and barely concealed contempt.

Dr. Lee, the supervisor, called me into the office with a grave expression and handed me his phone.

Online and in the hospital's private groups, several secretly taken photos were going viral.

The photos showed me from last night, disheveled and in disarray when those thugs had nearly assaulted me.

The accompanying posts were even more vicious, spreading rumors that my private life was extremely chaotic and indecent, even escalating to accusations that I had no medical ethics and didn't deserve to be a doctor.

My whole body went cold. I clutched the hem of my clothes, fingertips white.

Last night's nightmare that nearly destroyed me was now being ruthlessly exposed for everyone's crude entertainment.

"Clara," he sighed, his tone carrying not stern rebuke but helplessness. "The online public opinion is getting out of hand. Those photos and posts... have seriously affected the ER's normal operations. Many colleagues and patients' families are gossiping."

I took a deep breath, my voice trembling slightly. "Dr. Lee, I..."

"Don't rush to explain." Dr. Lee interrupted me, his tone softening.

"Frederic already called me personally this morning. He said these are malicious online fabrications. To protect you from further harm by gossip and public opinion, he specifically instructed me to give you paid leave for a while, go home and let things blow over. During this time, just rest at home and don't look at your phone."

Paid leave?

I stood frozen.

My heart, already dead as ashes, couldn't help but ripple with bitter irony.

If I hadn't seen that bone marrow matching agreement in his study...

I really would have believed this man was shielding me from the storm.

Only two more days until I could leave all this behind.

I silently counted down in my heart.

This was just the final pacification before the walking blood bank went under the knife.

I lowered my lashes, concealing the complexity in my eyes, and said softly, "Okay, I understand. Thank you, Dr. Lee. And please thank Frederic for me."

Frederic had arranged everything perfectly. First, keeping me home under the guise of protection, then when the time came, straight to the operating table. And the upcoming long break would conveniently let me recover from the weakness after marrow extraction.