Vincent composed himself and walked back through the waiting room toward the ICU entrance. The moment he appeared, Isabella surged forward, her finger jabbing the air like a weapon."You listen to me," she hissed, her voice shaking with rage and fear. "If anything happens to my mother—if she suffers, if she dies, if she so much as experiences one moment of pain because of your interference—I will hold you personally responsible."Vincent paused, meeting her gaze calmly."And I will deal with you mercilessly," Isabella continued, her voice rising. "I will destroy you. I will make sure everyone knows you killed her. I will pursue legal action, criminal charges, whatever it takes. Do you understand me?""I understand," Vincent said quietly. "And I accept full responsibility for my actions."The simple acknowledgment seemed to deflate some of Isabella's fury. She'd expected denial, excuses, defensiveness. Instead, Vincent had accepted her threat without flinching.He moved past her and th

The shocked silence following Dr. Carl Jensen's arrival was shattered by the waiting room doors bursting open once again. Every head turned to see who else could possibly be arriving at this increasingly chaotic scene.The figure that strode through the entrance made several people gasp for entirely different reasons than they had for Dr. Jensen.Kevin Romano.But this wasn't the disheveled, scandal-ridden Kevin who'd fled Gianna's house in humiliation weeks ago. This wasn't the broken man whose face had been plastered across tabloids in connection with a sex scandal.This was a transformed Kevin—or at least, a Kevin who'd invested heavily in appearing transformed.His hair was professionally styled, swept back in a way that suggested expensive salon work. He wore a tailored charcoal suit that probably cost more than most people's monthly rent, cut to perfection and accessorizing with a silk tie and Italian leather shoes. Even his posture had changed—shoulders back, chin up, the beari

Gianna looked at Kevin's desperate, pleading face and felt a wave of exhaustion wash over her. She was tired of bargaining, tired of ultimatums, tired of people using her grandmother's life as a chess piece in their various games."Fine," she said flatly.Kevin's eyes lit up with hope. "Really? You'll—""Cure Nonna Elisabetta first," Gianna interrupted, her tone making it clear this wasn't an agreement. "Then we'll see about that."It was a non-answer, a way to get Kevin to stop pressuring her without actually committing to anything. But Kevin, desperate for any shred of encouragement, seized on it like a drowning man grabbing a rope."Yes! Yes, of course! I'll take care of everything!" Kevin practically vibrated with renewed confidence. "You won't regret this, Gianna. I promise you won't regret this!"He turned and strode back toward the main waiting area, his expensive shoes clicking on the linoleum with renewed purpose.Vincent, still standing near the ICU entrance with Dr. Jensen,

Rocco's face twisted with contempt at Gianna's public defense of Vincent. He let out a harsh laugh that echoed through the waiting room."Cut the act, Gianna," Rocco said, his voice dripping with disdain. "Everyone here knows what Vincent really is. You're not fooling anybody with this devoted wife routine.""What's that supposed to mean?" Gianna's voice turned dangerous."It means he's a nobody you hired off a newspaper ad!" Rocco gestured dismissively at Vincent. "A contract husband. A placeholder. We all know it, you know it, and pretending otherwise just makes you look desperate.""You don't know anything about—""I know enough," Rocco cut her off. "I know that real families don't need to advertise for spouses in classified ads. I know that real husbands don't show up out of nowhere with mysterious connections they can't explain. And I know that—""That's enough!" Kevin stepped forward, his face flushed with anger. Not at Gianna—at Rocco. "You're crossing a line, Rocco. Gianna jus

Dr. Peter Webb wasted no time establishing his authority. The moment the crowd's adulation died down to a manageable level, he turned to Dr. Ferretti and his research team with an expression of pure dismissal."You can all leave now," Dr. Webb said, his tone casual but carrying absolute command. "I don't work with support staff I haven't personally vetted. Clear the area."Dr. Ferretti's face flushed with humiliation. "Dr. Webb, we were brought in to consult—""And now you're being brought out." Dr. Webb's smile was sharp. "Unless you'd like me to call hospital administration and explain how unqualified personnel are cluttering up my workspace?"The threat was barely veiled. Dr. Ferretti and his team exchanged mortified glances, then began gathering their equipment and leaving the waiting room with whatever dignity they could salvage.Rocco watched them go, his own humiliation complete. He'd spent significant money bringing them in, and now they were being dismissed like incompetent i