Chapter 41
Zane’s words weren’t spoken in a fit of temper. From start to finish, he simply didn’t believe this little blonde girl had any real skill in healing or saving lives.
So, as far as he was concerned, there’d be no consequences for what he said.
In fact, he was deliberately being provocative-hoping to catch Alaina’s and Skyler’s attention, to make everyone realize just how disastrous it could be if Caitlin really tried to treat Gordon herself.
But, to his dismay, neither Alaina nor Skyler even reacted.
Idiots. The whole lot of them.
Caitlin arched a brow. “Dr. Cartwright, are you serious about that p>
“I, Zane Cartwright, always mean what I say,” he replied, his words ringing with certainty.
“Alright then,” Caitlin’s voice was calm but carried weight. “You’d better get used to a new last name p>
Zane’s frown deepened. To him, this kid was unbelievably arrogant.
Without another word, Caitlin glanced at her phone to check the time, then turned to Skyler. “It’s about time. I’m going in to start the treatment. Please wait here, and make sure nobody comes in or interrupts me for any reason p>
Skyler nodded solemnly. “Miss Kensington, you have my word. No one will disturb you p>
Caitlin picked up her medical kit and entered the sterile room.
The door shut with a firm click.
Justice, who had been silent, looked anxiously at Alaina. “Alaina, are you sure about this? Is Miss Kensington really up to it p>
He had to admit, Zane wasn’t wrong about one thing-Caitlin looked awfully young.
And honestly, acupuncture wasn’t exactly mainstream. Justice had only ever heard of it being used in wellness clinics or as some kind of detox, never as a legitimate cure, let alone for a condition as severe as Gordon’s.
What if… what if Caitlin made things worse?
Besides, Zane had studied abroad-he was a star in the field, even a professor at the med school. If he didn’t dare attempt the surgery, what gave Caitlin the right to try?
Gordon was everything to Alaina’s family.
Justice couldn’t even imagine what would happen if something went wrong during Caitlin’s treatment-how would Alaina’s mother handle it?
And the business world… without Gordon at the helm, chaos would be inevitable.
“Don’t worry,” Alaina whispered, squeezing her husband’s hand in reassurance. “Miss Kensington will be fine p>
She wasn’t blindly putting her faith in Caitlin.
First, Caitlin had accurately diagnosed Gordon’s real illness.
Second, she’d predicted exactly when Gordon would collapse.
Third, her credentials were all in order-everything legal and above board. For someone so young to have earned that many qualifications, it spoke volumes about her abilities.
Most of all, despite Caitlin’s youth, she had a calm, grounded presence that inspired confidence in Alaina.
So, she chose to trust her-completely.
Zane stood nearby, catching every word. He shot a glance at Justice-hoping, perhaps, that Justice would finally step up for Gordon’s sake.
But it was pointless.
Justice was a pushover, incapable of making decisions. Even when Zane tried to catch his eye, Justice just looked away, silent.
Pathetic.
If it were him, Zane thought, he’d have set Alaina straight with a slap, shown her who really ran the family.
Women only ever held men back.
The more he stewed, the angrier he got. Fixing Justice with a cold stare, Zane said, “Mr. Cumming, some choices can’t be undone. I hope you think carefully, and don’t let a woman’s interference ruin what’s important p>
With that, he turned on his heel and stalked out.
As he entered the lobby, he nearly ran into Dean Rafael Sterling coming down the hall.
Rafael greeted him with a smile. “Dr. Cartwright! I heard the Sylvester family brought in some top expert. Weren’t you in there observing p>
“Observing?” Zane snorted, the sarcasm plain on his face. “Do you know how old this so-called expert is p>
“How old?” Rafael asked, genuinely curious.
“She’s barely an adult!” Zane scoffed. “Looks less qualified than some of our interns p>
And yet the Sylvesters didn’t seem remotely concerned.
Rafael paused, then said, “Since when did you judge people by appearances? I know Miss Kensington is young, but she must have some talent. Otherwise, why would the Sylvester and Cumming families go to such lengths to find her p>
After all, those two families were among the sharpest minds in business. They wouldn’t be fooled so easily.
Zane’s frown deepened. He hadn’t expected even Rafael to take Caitlin’s side. Did everyone seriously think he was less capable than some upstart girl? His frustration mounted-he almost considered quitting on the spot. Rafael clapped him on the shoulder. “Dr. Cartwright, I know you’re talented, but there’s always someone more gifted out there. This stubborn pride of yours will only hold you back p>
“It’s not about pride-it’s just the truth,” Zane replied sharply. “Dean Sterling, you’ll see. That so-called expert is going to make a fatal mistake today p>
Rafael could only offer a resigned smile. “Dr. Cartwright, don’t say things you’ll regret p>
Zane seethed in silence.
Go ahead and laugh, he thought. We’ll see who’s laughing when Caitlin gets someone killed. Even if Alaina signed the waiver, Gordon’s status means trouble for anyone involved-Rafael included-if anything goes wrong in this hospital.