Chapter 3 Surgery

"You shameless creature!" Ruby shrieked, her voice cracking with hysteria. "My husband is old enough to be your great-grandfather! How can you stand there without an ounce of shame, flaunting yourself as his mistress? Disgusting! I will never let you near him-never! That unfaithful old bastard... he deserves to die!"

In a sudden frenzy, she lunged toward the medical cart, snatched a syringe, and pressed its sharp tip against her own neck. Her eyes were wild, unhinged. "Take one more step, and I'll end my life right here!" she screamed.

Alice's heart seized violently.

The entire Wright family stood paralyzed, the weight of fear anchoring them in place.

Damien was already hovering on the edge of death-if Ruby were to collapse now, the family would truly be shattered beyond repair.

Watching from the side, Michael felt a crushing wave of regret wash over him. Had he acted too impulsively?

This woman seemed truly concerned about Damien. Could she truly be his clandestine mistress?

Michael struggled to reconcile this shocking possibility with the image of the honorable man he had always known. Yet, what other explanation could there be? Perhaps she had heard whispers of his father's impending demise and had come to stake her claim to his legacy.

Alice's fists clenched in frustration as she witnessed Ruby's hysterical outburst.

What course of action could she take now? Force her way inside?

Before she could decide, the frail figure on the hospital bed suddenly stirred, as if sensing the tumult around him.

Damien's skeletal body trembled faintly. Tears slipped from beneath his tightly shut eyelids, tracing shallow lines down his sunken cheeks. His lips quivered.

"Mo... Mom..." The whisper was barely audible, fragile as a dying breath.

"Dami!" Alice cried out, her voice breaking.

The sight of her son in such agony shattered the last of her restraint. Her eyes burned crimson with unshed tears as she spun toward Ruby. "I will say this one final time. Let me in!"

Ruby's expression twisted, spiraling fully into madness. "So that's it," she laughed hysterically. "He stirred to life because he heard your voice? What nonsense about wanting to see his mother one last time! Lies! All lies! That old monster was thinking of his mistress all along!"

Her voice rose to a shrill scream.

"I gave him everything! I stood by him when he had nothing, bore his children, built a family at his side-and behind my back, he kept a girl young enough to be his great-granddaughter?!" She pointed violently toward the door. "Get out! If you want to see him, wait until he's dead and follow him into the grave! I won't let you destroy my family-never!"

The Wright family stared helplessly at their father on the bed, torn apart by doubt and fear.

They didn't want him to suffer through his final moments. But what if Ruby was right? What if their father had truly betrayed their mother-and all of them?

Michael turned to Alice, his voice sharp and resolute. "Miss, you are acutely aware of the gravity of the situation. Regardless of your relationship with my father, I implore you to leave-now. If you are here for his fortune, I suggest you walk away quietly. I will have my lawyer reach out to you with a settlement."

His gaze hardened as he added, "But if you continue causing chaos, I assure you, you will gain nothing and may find yourself facing charges."

He fully expected her to back down.

But instead-Alice moved.

In a blur too fast for the eye to follow, she surged forward. By the time anyone reacted, she was already at the doorway.

Ruby gasped, eyes widening in horror. As she attempted to drive the syringe into her own artery, Alice seized her wrist with iron force.

Security guards reacted instantly. Guns were drawn, muzzles snapping up, aiming squarely at Alice's forehead.

A multitude of dark barrels loomed threateningly, yet Alice remained unfazed. With one hand gripping Ruby by the neck, she dragged her into the room, her steps steady.

Ruby thrashed violently, screaming curses. "Let go of me! Are you insane?! If anything happens to me, the Wright family will make you wish you were never born!"

"Enough," Alice retorted coldly, her voice unwavering as she turned to Michael, whose face was a mask of rage. "Prepare a sterile operating room and surgical instruments-immediately. Or face dire repercussions."

Michael's voice exploded with fury. "You dare hold my mother hostage?! Release her now! Otherwise, even if my father wakes up, he won't be able to protect you!"

Ruby shrieked louder still. "Michael! Order them to shoot! I'd rather die than let this whore touch him!"

Alice had reached the limit of her patience. With a casual flick of her wrist, Alice sent the syringe flying. It cut through the air like a bullet-piercing straight through a guard's gun barrel and pinning the weapon into the wall behind him.

"I will state this clearly for the last time," Alice said, her voice glacial. "Provide me with what I need. Or I will not hesitate to act-not even for Dami's sake."

Fear rippled through the Wright family.

They realized they were dealing with someone who must not be provoked. And if they refused her... their mother might truly die.

Michael, recognizing the futility of resistance, turned to the doctor beside him, urgency etched across his face. "Go! Do exactly as she says."

The doctors, their hands trembling with trepidation, scrambled to sterilize the area, hastily preparing an operating room and delivering a full tray of surgical instruments within.

Alice glanced at Ruby, who was still hurling curses-and without the slightest hesitation, struck her cleanly, knocking her unconscious.

The door slammed shut.

Alice quickly donned a sterile gown and grasped a scalpel with a steady hand, her resolve unwavering.

Outside, the entire Wright family crowded against the observation window, their faces drained of all color.

"Michael... it's over now," Bruce murmured, his voice barely a whisper, heavy with despair.

Bruce and Josie both looked ready to rush inside.

"She looks so young," Josie lamented. "Even if she possesses some medical knowledge, how can she possibly rival a trained surgeon? Allowing her to operate on Dad is like signing his death warrant!"

Michael's expression darkened with bitterness as he turned to their father's attending physician, Dr. Cody.

"Dr. Cody, what do we do now?" he asked quietly.

Dr. Cody's gaze remained fixed on the room, his voice quaking. "Mr. Wright is suffering from organ failure and a brain tumor... We can only pray she does not act recklessly. Perhaps... there remains a glimmer of hope for Mr. Wright..."

But before he could finish, they watched in horror as Alice gripped the scalpel and, without the slightest hesitation, sliced open Damien's scalp.