LAPDOG HUSBAND IS A TRILLIONAIRE HEIR

Chapter 27

Faye stepped into Chairman Hargrove's bedroom, carefully carrying the specialized container with the striped V hood cobra inside.

She paused momentarily at the threshold, taking in the scene before her—a dozen medical professionals in white coats standing in a semicircle, their faces etched with varying degrees of skepticism and disdain.

At the center of attention stood Yemin, calm and collected beside Chairman Hargrove's bed, seemingly unaffected by the hostility directed at him.

"I brought what you asked for," Faye announced, her voice cutting through the tense silence.

All eyes turned to her, then to the container in her hands. The gathered doctors murmured among themselves, their disapproval evident.

Yemin's face softened with genuine gratitude as he approached her. "Thank you, Faye. You've done exactly what was needed."

He speaks to me with such warmth, Faye thought, even amidst all this tension. It's nothing like Katherine described him.

"You actually went and fetched a deadly snake for this... this charlatan?" Chairman Hargrove's son exclaimed, his face contorted with disbelief.

"Mr. Ravollor said it was necessary to save your father's life," Faye replied steadily, handing the container to Yemin.

A tall doctor with salt-and-pepper hair stepped forward, adjusting his tie with manicured fingers. "Even if your diagnosis about this... mimic tree poison is correct—which I highly doubt—there's no way someone like you can safely handle such a venomous creature."

"Someone like me?" Yemin repeated calmly.

"Yes, someone like you," the doctor sneered. "An unqualified nobody with delusions of medical expertise. That snake requires professional handling. One wrong move and you'll be dead before you hit the floor."

Yemin regarded the doctor with cool detachment. "And I suppose you consider yourself qualified?"

"I am Dr. Nathaniel Pierce, chief toxicologist at Metropolitan Medical Center. I've worked with venomous compounds for twenty years," the doctor declared, puffing out his chest. "This snake should be handled by someone with actual credentials, not a street healer playing doctor."

Chairman Hargrove's son nodded vigorously. "Dr. Pierce is right. If there's any truth to your diagnosis, then let a real professional handle the treatment."

Yemin glanced at the monitors displaying Chairman Hargrove's weakening vital signs. "Time is critical. I don't have time for nuisances."

"Nuisances?" Dr. Pierce's face flushed crimson. "You dare call me—a board-certified toxicologist with three doctorates—a nuisance? Your arrogance is astonishing!"

The doctor turned to Chairman Hargrove's son, his tone suddenly deferential. "Sir, now that we potentially understand the cause, allow me to administer the treatment. I can extract the venom safely and prepare the antidote according to proper medical protocols."

He's trying to steal Yemin's thunder, Faye realized, watching the interaction closely. This isn't about saving the Chairman; it's about professional pride.

"Very well," Yemin said with a shrug, extending the container toward Dr. Pierce. "The snake needs to be carefully—"

"I don't need instructions from an amateur," Dr. Pierce cut him off, snatching the container. "Everyone stand back and observe how a medical professional handles a dangerous situation."

Faye shot a confused look at Yemin. He's giving up so easily? After all his confidence?

Yemin caught her glance and gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head, as if to say, Wait and see.

Dr. Pierce placed the container on a nearby table and began to open it with exaggerated care. "Notice the precise technique," he narrated, addressing the room like he was conducting a lecture. "Slow, deliberate movements to avoid aggravating the specimen."

Suddenly, the doctor yelped in pain and stumbled backward. The cobra, lightning-fast, had struck his hand as he reached into the container.

"It bit me!" Dr. Pierce screamed, clutching his wrist as the container tipped over. "I'm bit! Get the antivenin!"

The room erupted into chaos as the striped V hood cobra slithered out, raising its expanded hood and swaying menacingly. Its tongue flicked in and out, tasting the air as it surveyed the room full of potential threats.

"Nobody move!" someone shouted as medical staff scrambled backward, knocking over equipment in their haste.

Dr. Pierce collapsed to his knees, his face already showing signs of the powerful neurotoxin taking effect. "Help... me..." he gasped, as two colleagues dragged him toward the door.

"Get security! Get animal control!" Chairman Hargrove's son shouted, backing away until he was pressed against the wall. "Someone do something!"

The cobra slithered closer to Chairman Hargrove's bed, causing everyone to retreat further. No one dared approach the deadly reptile—no one except Yemin.

"Stay back, you fool!" Chairman Hargrove's right-hand man shouted. "That thing will kill you!"

But Yemin stepped forward calmly, moving between the cobra and Chairman Hargrove's bed. He faced the snake directly, his posture relaxed yet alert.

"What is he doing?" Faye whispered, her heart hammering in her chest. "Is he trying to get himself killed?"

The cobra raised itself higher, its hood fully expanded in a threat display. The room fell silent except for the beeping of medical equipment and Dr. Pierce's labored breathing by the door.

"Has everyone lost their minds?" Chairman Hargrove's son hissed. "Someone shoot that thing!"

"Quiet," Yemin commanded, not taking his eyes off the snake. "Any sudden movements or loud noises will only agitate it further."

He's completely fearless, Faye thought, watching in astonishment. While everyone else—even the Chairman's son—abandoned the patient, Yemin placed himself in danger to protect him.

The cobra swayed hypnotically, its black eyes fixed on Yemin as he slowly extended his hand toward it.

"Don't!" one of the remaining doctors gasped. "It's suicide!"