2025-01-03 17:43:11“What?”
“You heard me,” she said. “Get out! I don’t need a doctor who can’t see past his own arrogance!”
Carlo clenched his fists but ultimately stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
The interns hesitated, glancing nervously between Joaquin and Andrea before hurrying after their superior.
Outside the room, the interns huddled around Carlo, their voices low and filled with doubt.
“Do you think he’s legit?” one of them asked.
“Impossible!” another replied. “No one heals that quickly.”
“He’s a fraud!”
Carlo, still fuming, clenched his fists.
“He’s hiding something,” he said. “I’ll find out what it is.”
With that, he headed toward the caregiver station, determined to dig into Joaquin’s past.
Back in the room, Andrea’s demeanor shifted. Her stern expression softened as she turned her attention to Joaquin.
“That was… impressive,” she said, her voice teasing. “What do I owe you for such a miracle? My gratitude? Or something more… personal?”
Joaquin blinked, caught off guard by the sudden flirtation.
“That won’t be necessary,” he said quickly.
Andrea chuckled. “Relax, I’m just joking.” She leaned back, studying him with curiosity.
“But seriously, you’re impressive. You’re not like the others here. You’re different.”
Joaquin hesitated before speaking. “I wasn’t always in this position,” he admitted. “I was a doctor… until I was framed.”
Andrea’s smile faded, replaced by genuine interest.
“Framed? For what?”
“Plagiarizing medical records,” Joaquin said bitterly.
“Someone tampered with my files, and I lost everything. My reputation, my job—it’s all gone.”
Andrea leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. “And yet, here you are, still working in the medical field. Why?”
“Because helping people is all I know,” Joaquin replied. “I can’t give up on that, no matter what happened to me.”
Andrea studied him for a moment, her expression thoughtful.
“You’re either incredibly determined or incredibly stubborn,” she said.
Then, with a smirk, she added, “I like that. How about this: I’ll hire you as my personal doctor.”
Joaquin stared at her, taken aback.
“Your personal doctor?”
Andrea nodded.
“I have the resources to make sure you’re treated fairly. Besides, I could use someone with your… unique skills.”
Before Joaquin could respond, Andrea’s assistant entered the room, holding a tablet.
She leaned down to whisper something in Andrea’s ear, her eyes darting toward Joaquin as she spoke.
Andrea’s expression didn’t change, but a shadow of tension flickered across her face.
She dismissed the assistant with a nod.
“What was that about?” Joaquin asked, sensing the shift in her mood.
“Nothing you need to worry about,” Andrea said smoothly, her smile returning.
The door burst open before the conversation could continue, and Andrew stormed in.
His eyes darted between Andrea and Joaquin, brimming with indignation.
“What’s this I hear about you hiring him?!” Andrew demanded, his voice dripping with disdain.
Andrea’s gaze turned icy. “It’s exactly what it sounds like,” she said.
Andrew scoffed.
“You can’t be serious. Do you know who this man is? He’s irresponsible, unprofessional—”
“Enough!” Andrea interrupted sharply. “You don’t get to make decisions for me, Andrew.”
Andrew ignored her, turning his attention to Joaquin.
“You’re nothing but a disgrace,” he sneered. “An illegitimate child, a fraud, a—”
A loud slap echoed through the room, silencing him instantly.
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Andrew’s face turned an angry crimson, the sting of Joaquin’s slap fresh and humiliating. “Y-You… How dare you?!”He clenched his jaw, his fists trembling as he glared at Joaquin.“You’ll regret this!” Andrew hissed, his voice venomous. He raised his hand, but Andrea’s cold, cutting voice stopped him mid-motion.“If you lay a finger on him,” she said, her tone laced with steel, “you won’t leave this room unscathed! You should know better than to challenge me, Andrew.”Andrew froze, his pride battling his fear of Andrea’s influence. After a long, tense pause, he lowered his fist and spat out, “This isn’t over!” With one last glare at Joaquin, he stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.The silence that followed was heavy, broken only by Andrea’s amused chuckle.“Well,” she said, leaning back in her chair, “that was dramatic. Tell me, Joaquin, how did it feel to slap Andrew?”Joaquin blinked at her, caught off guard by the sudden levity. Slowly, a small smirk crept on
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Tears welled up in Joaquin’s eyes as he stood there, helpless and heartbroken.He watched Serena, who looked at him with both confusion and wariness.He couldn't blame her.After all, the people around her must have filled her head with lies while she was vulnerable.With a heavy heart, Joaquin turned away, clenching his fists tightly at his sides.He took one last look at her, memorizing her face — the face he loved more than anything else — and silently made a vow to himself."I’ll bring you back to me," he whispered under his breath, so softly that even Serena couldn’t hear him.When he stepped out of the room, Mikyla was waiting for him in the hallway, arms crossed and an unreadable expression on her face."How did it go?" she asked quietly.Joaquin shook his head, struggling to steady his voice."She doesn't remember me," he said hoarsely. "They already brainwashed her. She thinks she's engaged to James."Mikyla pressed her lips into a thin line, guilt flickering across her featu
