Chapter 102: The Fake Medical Record

Dina wouldn’t stop texting—one desperate message after another, each more pathetic than the last.

She sent photos too: hospital paperwork, medical reports, and even a so-called diagnosis.

At first, Riley ignored the flood of notifications, but Cora’s phone was set to preview every message. The screen kept lighting up, impossible to overlook.

Then one photo caught Riley’s eye.

She frowned, zoomed in, and froze.

That signature—

Well, wasn’t that familiar.

Without hesitation, Riley dialed the number she remembered.

“Joseph? It’s Riley. Quick question—did you recently treat a patient with a brain tumor?”

The man on the other end sounded puzzled. “Recently? What date are we talking about?”

She gave him one.

“Oh, right,” Joseph said after a pause. “Yeah, we admitted an elderly patient. She’s far too old for surgery, so we recommended conservative treatment. Why do you ask?”

“I’ll send you something,” Riley replied with a smirk, ending the call.

A minute later, Joseph called back, furious.

“Unbelievable! Who the hell is spreading this garbage? Someone forged my signature! You tell them academic exchange doesn’t mean slandering my reputation!”

Riley laughed silently.

Of course. Dina hadn’t expected this name to come back and bite her.

Dr. Joseph wasn’t even a full-time physician at that hospital—he was a visiting researcher. He specialized in pathology, not patient care. Only the rarest, most complex cases crossed his desk.

The “diagnosis” Dina sent was a patchwork of stolen documents—an impressively realistic fake that only a trained eye could expose. If she hadn’t accidentally written Joseph’s name as the attending doctor, Riley might’ve been fooled too.

So Dina’s “brain tumor” and “one month to live”?

Also fake.

The memory of Dina clinging to Cora and weeping—pleading for her to give up Julian out of pity—made Riley’s stomach turn.

Her fingers twitched. Time for a little payback.

Riley opened Cora’s phone and typed a reply:

Didn’t you say you had chemo today? How do you have time to call me?

Within seconds, Dina fired back paragraphs of self-pity, crying about how Julian ignored her, insisting it was Cora’s fault for not explaining things properly.

Riley read the messages, her lip curling. Shameless. Truly a talent.

She typed again:

Of course I explained. But Jule said you still have to prove yourself. He said what you did back then can’t be forgiven that easily. If you really love him, you’ll have to keep trying.

Then, after a pause, she added one more dagger:

By the way, he’s going to the boxing gym this afternoon. Only Austin will be with him. No one else.

Riley smirked. She’d known Julian’s routine for years—but that gym wasn’t exactly open to the public.

She hit send, powered off Cora’s phone, and leaned back, satisfied.

Sweet dreams, you soft-hearted fool.

—

Cora stirred awake an hour later, blinking sleepily. She reached for her phone. Weird, why’s it off?

After turning it back on, she sat up just as Riley walked out from the kitchen with a glass of juice.

“You’re awake. Good,” Riley said. “Drink this before you end up wide awake tonight.”

Cora yawned. “How long did I sleep?”

“About an hour. The juice is from Julian—his assistant dropped off fruit and a juicer earlier.”

Cora blinked. “Oh. Right. He’s… very concerned about the baby, I guess.”

Riley sighed quietly. The baby, huh. If only you’d see the rest.

Cora took a sip, then suddenly frowned. “Wait—how did Julian know I was here?”

Riley rolled her eyes. “Finally caught up. He asked me to remind you—if you don’t show up this afternoon, it counts as skipping work.”

Cora nearly spit her drink. “Skipping work? Seriously?!”

Julian Watson, you tyrant.

She slammed the glass down and started getting dressed. “He’s ridiculous. Fine, I’ll go. But I’m not losing my paycheck over this.”

Riley chuckled as she grabbed her car keys. “You’re unbelievable.”

Minutes later, she dropped Cora at the Watson Group headquarters.

Austin was already waiting by the entrance.

“Why are you here?” Cora asked, startled. “Julian sent you? Tell him I’m here—he can’t mark me absent now!”

“Yes, ma’am.” Austin smiled faintly. “Mr. Watson asked me to escort you to the conference room. He’s waiting.”

“For what? The Mayer deal?”

“You’ll see.”

Cora shrugged, following him to the elevator. Maybe it’s a prep meeting. She’d earned her place—her last two deals were huge.

Still, as the elevator doors slid open, her nerves fluttered.

The conference room was empty—except for Julian.

“Uh…” she hesitated. “I—uh, fell asleep at Riley’s.”

“I know,” Julian said smoothly, his tone too calm. “That’s why I told her to pass on my message. According to company policy, skipping work means losing your monthly bonus.”

Cora muttered, “Not like I get much anyway…”

Julian’s gaze sharpened. “This month, you closed two major contracts—one with Korea, and one with Mayer Group. That bonus isn’t pocket change.”

Cora’s eyes widened instantly. “Really?”

Julian watched her brighten with amusement—and something else he didn’t care to name. How does someone so ordinary look that good when she smiles?

He gestured to the chair across from him. “Sit.”

She obeyed, curiosity all over her face. “So… how much are we talking? And since I came to work, that means I’m safe, right? Not ‘absent’ anymore?”

Julian raised a brow. “You’re that desperate for money? You hardly spend any. I gave you a black card with no limit.”

“I still need savings,” she said quickly. “My belly’s already showing—soon I won’t be able to work. Once I leave this place, I’ll need something to start over. Mom’s never saved a dime in her life. I just want to build a little cushion while I can.”

Julian’s faint smile disappeared.

By the time she finished, his face was carved from ice.

Cora didn’t notice. She was still rambling, her voice soft and earnest. “If I can’t find another good job later, at least she’ll be okay.”

Julian’s tone dropped an octave. “You’re that eager to leave me?”

Her head snapped up. He was angry again—why was he always angry?

“Wasn’t that the deal?” she said evenly. “I’m just keeping my end of it.”

That was it. The control snapped.

Julian rose abruptly and kicked the chair beside him across the room, the sharp crash echoing off the walls.