Landen and Lindsay exchanged amused glances before Lindsay replied, “Of course.”
Brenna walked over to a chair in the corridor. She crossed her legs and leaned back, watching the group continue their discussion as they eagerly awaited Cuthbert’s student.
If it weren’t for the fact that she needed the money, she wouldn’t waste another second dealing with these people.
For ten million dollars, she could afford to be patient. She could wait for Christopher to arrive and prove her identity.
Inside the hospital room, the Mitchell family members were growing restless. One of them pulled out a phone and dialed a number. “Ethan, what’s going on? Mr. Pierce’s student still isn’t here. We’ve been waiting for over thirty minutes.”
On the other end of the line, Ethan, seated in his office, glanced up from the documents he was signing. “I’ll look into it. I’ll be there soon.”
The young man on the phone hesitated before asking, “Do you think Mr. Pierce’s student is holding out for a higher price?”
The Mitchell family members regarded Brenna with open disdain and signaled the security guards to escort her out.
The elderly man with graying hair turned to a younger one speaking on the phone. “Theo, get rid of that fraud. I don’t want to see her loitering around here any longer,” he said.
Theo Mitchell, still on the call, said smoothly into the phone, “If it’s a matter of money, let’s add another twenty million. That should be enough, right?”
After receiving confirmation from the other end, Theo ended the call and strode toward Brenna, with the security guards flanking him. “Miss, you’re not welcome here. If you don’t leave now, we’ll have no choice but to involve the police,” he said coldly.
Brenna glanced around at the hostile faces surrounding her, then let out an indignant sigh. “Fine. It’s easy to throw me out now, but don’t expect me to come back so easily when you realize your mistake,” she said.
Theo smirked. “And why would we ever want a fraud like you to come back? You’re just another opportunist, scheming to cling to wealth and status. Trust me, no one here is interested in whatever game you’re playing. Now, leave.”
Frustrated but unwilling to argue further, Brenna turned and strode away. If they didn’t want her here, she saw no reason to stay.
Reaching the elevator, she pressed the button and waited, ignoring the two security guards nearby who remained on high alert, watching her every move as if expecting her to cause trouble.
When the elevator doors slid open, a hospital bed was wheeled out, carrying an elderly woman whose silver hair was neatly combed yet dulled by illness. Brenna barely spared a glance at first, but when her eyes flicked to the people accompanying the patient, she stiffened.
It was the Barrett family-Alec, Ruby, and Isabella.
Before Brenna could react, Isabella glared at her. She recognized Brenna in an instant, despite the mask partially concealing her face. Isabella quickly took in Brenna’s outfit; she didn’t recognize the brand, but it looked expensive.
“Brenna, what are you doing here?” Isabella snapped, stepping out of the elevator and yanking Brenna into the hallway. Her voice carried enough accusation to make-
Heads turned. “Don’t tell me you came running just because you heard Grandma is sick. Are you hoping she’ll vouch for you so you can crawl back into our family?”
Brenna pulled free from Isabella’s grasp and dusted off the sleeve Isabella had touched as if wiping away dirt. “I have my own reasons for being here,” she said coldly.
She then glanced at the frail woman on the bed. Her eyes were shut tight, her face etched with pain.
“What happened to Grandma?” Brenna asked, stepping forward, intending to check on her condition. Unlike the rest of the Barretts, her adoptive grandmother had always treated her kindly. Now that she was unwell, how could Brenna not be concerned?
Isabella stepped in front of the bed, blocking Brenna’s path. “Stay away from her!” she exclaimed. “You’re no longer part of our family. Don’t think for a second that you can waltz back in.”
As if only now noticing the quality of Brenna’s clothing, Isabella frowned with suspicion. The outfit was clearly designer-far beyond anything Brenna should be able to afford. Had Brenna become some rich man’s mistress?
Isabella said, “Brenna, even if the Harper family isn’t wealthy, you should still crawl back to that backwater place they came from. Shirie isn’t for people like you. Get lost while you still can, or my family and I will make sure you regret staying.”
Alec and Ruby shot Brenna disdainful glances before pushing the hospital bed into Room 111 and slamming the door shut behind them.
Worried about her adoptive grandmother, Brenna turned sharply to Isabella, her voice edged with anger. “Tell me what happened to Grandma! When I left yesterday, she was fine. Did you upset her?”
Isabella scoffed, arms crossed smugly. “And why does it matter to you? She has nothing to do with you now. I’m warning you-stay out of my family’s business.”
With that, she slipped inside the hospital room and locked the door. Brenna knocked a few times, but no one responded. From inside, muffled voices rose in heated discussion, but she couldn’t make out the words.
Behind her, the security guards nudged her lightly. “Miss, it’s time for you to leave.”
Without another word, Brenna turned and stepped into the elevator. The guards followed to ensure she didn’t try sneaking back up.
Once Brenna reached the ground floor, the guards stopped following her. Without wasting a moment, she made her way to the nurse’s station, determined to gather information about the patient in Room 111 on the seventh floor.
After checking the records, one of the nurses informed Brenna that the elderly woman had been admitted due to dangerously high blood pressure.
After getting the details about her adoptive grandmother’s attending physician, Brenna exhaled in relief and left to find Christopher.
By the time she reached him, Christopher had just stepped out of the emergency room. Upon spotting her, he raised an eyebrow. “Shouldn’t you be treating Vincent? What are you still doing here?” he asked.
As he spoke, he checked his phone and scrolled through his notifications. He noticed multiple missed calls from Neville, Ethan’s assistant. Without hesitation, Christopher dialed back.
While Christopher waited for the call to connect, Brenna quickly summarized her encounter with the Mitchell family.
Christopher couldn’t help but feel resigned after hearing that, amused by the irony yet irritated by the Harper family’s arrogance. Just then, the call connected.
On the other end of the line, Neville’s urgent voice came through. “Dr. Pierce, when is Mr. Pierce’s student arriving? Mr. Mitchell says the fee is negotiable-how about thirty million?”
Christopher caught the irritation on Brenna’s face and decided to make things difficult for the Mitchells. If they couldn’t recognize Brenna’s worth and had the audacity to treat her like a fraud, they deserved to sweat a little.
He replied, “Oh, I’m afraid Mr. Pierce’s student is a bit busy right now. You might want to start looking for another expert.”
At the Mitchell Group headquarters, Neville reported to Ethan, “Dr. Pierce said that Cuthbert’s renowned student has taken on an unexpected patient and won’t be available for at least a week.”
Ethan’s eyes lifted from the folder he was reviewing, his expression darkening. “Call him again. Offer a hundred million if that’s what it takes. We need that person to treat my grandfather immediately. Dr. Scott made it clear-my grandfather’s best chance at recovery lies within this month. If we delay, even by a single day, his odds worsen,” he said.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.