Chapter 216

Victoria, oblivious to the malice in Marcus's eyes, remained unfazed. "I'll stick around to see what other tricks you've got up your sleeve."

"Hey, has Mr. Hamilton heard anything about Samuel? Rumor has it he's gone missing, and the cops are on the hunt. If they find him, do you think he might spill some juicy secrets?" Marcus paled at the thought.

"What's this nonsense about Samuel and me?" Marcus shot back defensively.

Victoria brushed off his words with a nonchalant shrug. "Well, it's even better if there's no link."

With that, she sauntered away without a backward glance, leaving Marcus seething with hatred.

He had intended to deal with her later, but now impatience gnawed at him. "You'll regret this, just you wait!" Marcus spat at Victoria's retreating figure.

Victoria heard his threat loud and clear, almost hoping he'd lose his cool and make a move on her. It would only add to the evidence she needed against him.

Samuel's fingerprints were all over Edward's poisoning, and Victoria was aware of Edward's past injury but chose not to confront him about it. Edward was sharp; he'd see through her questions and shut her down.

Victoria resolved to handle things solo.

Upon entering the office, a young nurse urgently pulled her towards the operating room. "Dr. Neville, quick! Mr. Perez just left to rest, and there's a critical pregnant woman in the ER. We need your expertise."

Surprised but composed, Victoria, an intern, asked, "Where are the others?"

Although she had confidence in herself, in the hospital, she was still only an intern doctor.

"They're all tied up! This patient's case is tricky. She's allergic to many meds, and her companions are clueless. The woman can't explain herself. Mr. Perez suggested trying acupuncture."

Victoria nodded.

Inside the operating room, a tense atmosphere hung as no one dared to act. The patient's unknown allergies made them hesitate to proceed.

Approaching the suffering woman, Victoria witnessed her about to bite her tongue in agony. Without a second thought, she extended her arm.

The patient, losing consciousness, sank her teeth into Victoria's arm, prompting a soft cry from her.

The anesthetist rushed to her side, worried. "Dr. Neville, are you alright?"

Victoria shook her head.

Witnesses saw the patient's forceful bite drawing blood from Victoria's arm. The relief was palpable; had the patient bitten her tongue, the outcome would have been dire.

Enduring the pain, Victoria swiftly inserted a silver needle into the patient's head.

The patient seemed to come to, her gaze falling on Victoria's injured arm, guilt evident in her expression. "I..."

For some reason, the pregnant woman's helpless look tugged at Victoria's heartstrings.

"It's alright. But your situation is serious. You need to work with me so we can ensure your child's safety," Victoria reassured her.

The patient grasped Victoria's hand eagerly. "Doctor, you have to save my daughter."

"If it comes down to saving me or my daughter, you must save my daughter," the patient insisted.

Victoria chuckled.

"Are you that certain it's a girl in there?" She teased, lightening the mood.

The woman hesitated, then nodded emphatically. "It's definitely a girl. I want a daughter."

Though puzzled by the woman in her forties yearning for a daughter, Victoria nodded. "Then you need to give it your all. We can't make guarantees here. You have to lay eyes on your daughter yourself!"

Upon hearing this, the woman hesitated for a moment, then quickly nodded vigorously, gritted her teeth, and said, "Okay, I'll try hard."

After the woman agreed to cooperate, Victoria guided her through the next contraction. "Breathe in, deep breaths, now push, push hard."

The woman followed suit.

But labor was no walk in the park, and the contraction soon passed, leaving the woman feeling drained. "Am I useless?" she mumbled.

Victoria, wiping her bitten arm with an alcohol swab handed by a nurse, grinned and said, "If you pushed as hard as you bit me, you'd be golden."

Blushing, the woman tried to respond, but another contraction hit.

"It's painful."

"Listen, contractions start tough. When it hurts, don't scream, take deep breaths, clench your teeth, and push hard."

Sweating and in pain, the woman wanted to protest, claiming she couldn't endure without screaming. She had been through childbirth before.

However, locking eyes with Victoria, she found herself following her lead.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed with all her might.

At that moment, the pain vanished.

As the contraction subsided, Victoria wiped her brow and engaged in light conversation.

After a back-and-forth for over thirty minutes, the sound of a hearty cry filled the delivery room.

The woman attempted to speak but drifted off into a deep slumber from exhaustion.

"She might be disappointed."

The nurse took the baby from Victoria to clean up, then, upon discovering the baby's gender, quipped, "She was so set on having a daughter. When she wakes up, will she think we swapped the baby?"

Though said in jest, Victoria furrowed her brow slightly.

"What's up, Dr. Neville? Feeling unwell? Should I tend to your wound first?" inquired the nearby doctor, noticing her distraction.

Shaking off her thoughts, Victoria smiled and replied, "I'm good, just feeling contemplative. People in this world are truly peculiar. Some crave a daughter desperately, while others, who already have daughters, prefer to treat others' daughters kindly."