“And lazy, too! Constantly picking fights and getting into trouble. Eventually, she caused such a mess that she had to run away overseas,” Ruby added.
Back in Room 101, just as Brenna was about to begin the examination, Emmett stepped forward and stopped her. His expression was serious as he said, “Dr. Harper, I believe it would be best to have a few experts assist you.”
The rest of the Mitchell family shared the same sentiment. The seasoned doctors in the room agreed as well. With years of medical expertise behind them, they had exhausted every possible treatment for Vincent’s condition without success. The idea that a woman barely in her twenties could surpass their skills and achieve what they couldn’t was simply inconceivable.
To be honest, they didn’t believe Brenna was that skilled at all.
Lindsay approached Emmett with confidence. “Everyone, those people earlier were family members of Dr. Harper, so naturally, they knew her well. Whether she actually has any medical expertise is still a question that needs answering. These days, very few young women dedicate themselves to serious study. We can’t afford to gamble with Mr. Mitchell’s health. Fortunately, I’ve called in a few friends who are experts in the medical field. Once they arrive, they will see Dr. Harper’s skills, and we’ll have the truth about her credibility.”
She lifted her chin, glancing at Brenna with open disdain. “Dr. Harper – or should I say, Miss Harper – if you’re simply putting on an act, I suggest you come clean now. Given your age, we might chalk it up to youthful ignorance and let the matter slide. But if the experts expose you as a fraud, things won’t end well for you. We may have to involve the authorities, and the consequences could be severe.”
Standing nearby, Landen said with an air of intimidation, “Mr. Mitchell is a decorated war hero, not someone you can experiment on. Miss Harper, if I were you, I’d confess now before you anger the Mitchell family. Because if you do, no one will be able to protect you.”
Brenna rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed. “So, none of you trust me, huh?”
She turned to Ethan and casually said, “Is there anyone else in your family who’s unwell? Let me assess their condition, and you’ll see my capability for yourselves.”
Ethan shot a disapproving glance at the doctors. Their skepticism was nothing more than thinly veiled jealousy. Because they couldn’t cure his grandfather, they assumed no one else could either.
He looked at his father and said, “Dad, I trust Dr. Harper. Why don’t we let her examine you? It wouldn’t hurt to see if she can help improve your health.”
Emmett exchanged looks with his brothers, and after a brief hesitation, they all nodded in agreement.
The group moved to the outer living room, where Emmett took a seat on a single sofa, resting his arm on the armrest. Brenna settled onto the adjacent sofa, calmly positioning herself to examine Emmett’s health.
Emmett’s posture was straight, the ingrained discipline of a soldier evident in his stance.
The doctors present looked on with barely concealed amusement, as if waiting for Brenna to embarrass herself. She first checked the pulse on Emmett’s left wrist before moving to his right, her expression unreadable as she remained silent for a long moment after examining him.
Seeing this, Landen scoffed, “Miss Harper, we’ve been waiting. Have you figured anything out yet? If you’re just putting on an act, you should stop now before you make a fool of yourself. I’ll be upfront with you-Mr. Emmett Mitchell underwent a full medical examination just yesterday. If you can accurately diagnose his condition, I’ll drop to my knees and apologize to you.”
Lindsay folded her arms and smirked. “I’ll do the same. Forget about treating Mr. Vincent Mitchell-if you can even diagnose Mr. Emmett Mitchell’s condition, I’ll also kneel and apologize to you.”
Brenna’s lips curled into a slight smile. She said to Emmett, “Your overall health is good.”
The doctors burst into laughter upon hearing that.
Landen pointed at Brenna and mocked, “I told you she was a fraud! See? She really doesn’t know what she’s doing.”
The Mitchell family exchanged disappointed looks-all except Ethan, who watched Brenna closely. He noticed she wasn’t rattled at all. Instead, she calmly pulled out her phone and swiftly typed a few messages.
Before the laughter could die down, Ethan raised his hand. “Let’s not jump to conclusions. Dr. Harper hasn’t finished speaking yet,” he said.
Landen let out a snort. “Fine, we’ll give the young woman a chance. Let’s hear what you have to say, Miss Harper. We even have the test results right here. We will know whether your assessment is right or not.”
The room fell silent as all eyes turned to Brenna.
Brenna held a deep respect for soldiers, especially those who had sustained injuries in service.
She said respectfully, “Mr. Mitchell, your overall health is good, but your left leg is a concern. You suffered a gunshot wound in your left calf. Although the bullet was removed, the nerve damage remains. When the weather changes or you overexert yourself, the pain flares up, and painkillers offer little relief. It’s also difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of the pain for proper treatment.”
Emmett’s eyes widened in surprise, and his brothers, Cason Mitchell and Flint Mitchell, exchanged approving glances.
Emmett leaned forward slightly, pleasantly surprised. “You’re absolutely right. My injury was from an explosion. A piece of shrapnel was lodged in my leg bone for over two years before it was removed. Since then, the pain has never gone away.”
He turned to Landen and Lindsay. “Now, what was it you both promised earlier?”
The two doctors went pale, glaring at Brenna as though she had personally wronged them. The thought of kneeling before someone so young-someone they had dismissed as a fraud-was unbearable.
Ethan’s voice was firm as he said, “If you don’t keep your word, you’ll be disqualified as doctors.”
Landen and Lindsay stiffened, their faces drained of color. The Mitchell family wielded vast influence across the military, politics, and business. If the Mitchells decided to target them, their careers would be over.
But kneeling and apologizing? That was too humiliating. Landen tried to weasel his way out. He said, “Mr. Mitchell, that was just a joke! Surely, we don’t have to take it seriously?”
“We soldiers stand by our promises.” Emmett’s voice was as sharp as steel as he glared at Lindsay and Landen.
Without hesitation, Ethan pulled out his phone and dialed the hospital director.
“No!” Lindsay gasped in panic, lunging forward to snatch Ethan’s phone from his hand. She quickly ended the call and placed the device back in his hand, her heart pounding. Losing everything over something so trivial wasn’t worth it. It was just kneeling and apologizing, after all-she could endure that much.
Clenching her fists, she walked toward Brenna. Then, with a loud thud, she dropped to her knees. Though kneeling, a deep hatred burned within her, and she silently vowed to take revenge one day.
“I’m so sorry!” she said.
Without waiting for a response, Lindsay sprang to her feet and rushed out of the room, unable to bear staying another second.
Landen, however, wasn’t as willing to follow her. Having worked in the hospital for over twenty years and being an expert in the medical field, he couldn’t fathom the humiliation of kneeling before a woman barely in her twenties.
“Dr. Harper, I apologize,” he said stiffly, bowing instead of kneeling as he had promised. “I was wrong.”
Brenna, not wanting to make things difficult for him, responded evenly, “Apology accepted.”
Landen’s cheeks burned with humiliation, his pride stung. He resented Brenna for this.
At that moment, the experts Lindsay had called finally arrived-three elderly men in their sixties. Despite their age, they exuded energy, their complexions glowing with health.
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.