Chapter 40 Locked Bracelet
Gideon left the small building, and after dinner, I dove back into the equipment.
This time, I completed the simulation in just three and a half hours with a 75% success rate.
I walked out of the equipment and saw Roger sitting at his desk in front of a computer with a huge screen, playing back my third simulated surgery.
Roger looked serious and glanced at me. "Are you Doyle's student?"
"I'm not."
"If you say so." Roger curled his lip, his eyes returning to the screen as he ruthlessly criticized: "During your first simulation, you were like a cerebral palsy patient, your hands kept shaking. I thought you had some disease! The second time, you were more stable, but you did everything so slowly. Is it because you're overly cautious? If it wasn't a simulation but real life, the patient would've died from your dawdling!"
"The third time," Roger hit pause and turned to look at me, "you were like a completely different person. Skilled technique, every cut fast and precise. Your correction plan was better than mine, and your suturing technique was superb. In a word: a spectacular surgery! But I don't believe in miracles, so what's really going on with you?"
I lowered my eyelashes slightly. "My hands have some issues. The first two times, I wasn't quite used to the operating system." My psychological barrier was my secret—I couldn't tell him.
Roger stared at me suspiciously, then suddenly grabbed my hand. I struggled briefly, but sensing his intention, I stopped resisting.
"Your right hand," Roger examined both my hands, gently pressing my right palm. "Was it badly injured here?"
"Yes." I nodded.
"What a shame. If you'd gotten timely treatment, you would definitely be an excellent surgical talent." Roger said it was a pity, but his face lit up with malicious glee.
"Go ahead and laugh." I smiled too. "Soon I'll be your master, and you'll see how I squeeze every bit of work out of you!"
Roger's smile froze, his expression twisting. "You damned bitch!"
"I'm hungry. Do you provide late-night snacks?" I picked up the menu on the desk. Roger snatched it from my hand. "Get out and eat! The surgery for that girl will be arranged within three days. Get ready to be my assistant. And have that ointment of yours ready too."
"My appearance fee and the ointment aren't cheap." I looked at him sideways.
"Don't worry, the Langford family has plenty of money." Roger's smile was quite wicked. "I'm going to squeeze a fortune out of them!"
"I want seventy percent of what we make." I held up my fingers in a "7," then turned and ran downstairs before Roger could jump up in anger.
"Dream on! At most, I'll split it fifty-fifty with you."
I walked out of the small building with a smile, leaving Roger's angry shouts behind me.
"Bella!" Marcus was waiting outside the gate. He was the first person I saw when I came out.
"Marcus," I called his name. Marcus opened his arms, and I walked into his embrace.
"Are you okay?" Marcus hugged me excitedly for a momen,then let go, looking me up and down.
"Nothing happened," I answered with a gentle smile. "I passed all the tests!"
"You're amazing!" Marcus practically bounced with excitement. "I knew you could do it!"
Arthur raised both hands and cheered: "Bella, you're incredible!"
Ashley looked at me with admiration. "Can you buy Roger now? Will Grandpa be saved?"
"Yes!" I gave a definite answer.
Lucas and the Caldwell family members hadn't left—like Marcus, they'd waited for me all day.
At the dock, I saw the bloodshot eyes of Harold and felt both grateful and heartbroken. "Grandpa, why didn't you go back to the ship earlier to wait for me?"
"How could I feel at ease without seeing you return safe and sound with my own eyes?" The laugh lines around Harold's eyes crinkled together. "I'm not tired. When I was young, I crossed the desert on foot and went several nights without sleep. Today I just waited a bit longer for you—it's nothing."
The ship docked. We didn't rush to discuss the day's events, and each went back to the ship to rest first.
After saying goodbye to the Caldwell family members, Marcus asked me, "Did Dax, who came out first, attack you?"
I heard the tension in his voice and said gently, "Dax suspected I cheated, but he didn't touch me. The attendant from Silver Eagle Auctions immediately stopped him."
I was curious how he knew. Marcus said Dax had been shouting about it himself.
He didn't care whether Dax was injured or not—he beat him up.
"Lucas and Jonas also got involved, such busybodies. I could've handled Dax easily by myself." Marcus muttered.
Marcus: "Jonas waited for you until after eight, but he had something come up and had to leave first. He asked me to tell you he really wanted to witness your triumph in person and hopes you won't blame him."
I shook my head. "What about Amelia and Michelle?"
"Diana left, and Michelle left with her, probably thinking that even if you got Roger, you wouldn't save her son."
"I definitely won't," I said.
"Amelia didn't leave, but she didn't want to wait for you and went back to the ship early." Marcus narrowed his eyes. "She and Lucas seemed to have had a fight. I saw Lucas really didn't want to deal with her."
I remembered what I'd heard during the day and secretly wondered if Amelia had lied to Lucas about the lifesaver incident.
If that was true, Lucas had been fooled for so many years—what an idiot!
Thinking of Lucas, I unconsciously rubbed the bracelet on my left wrist.
After talking with Marcus a bit longer, I returned to my cabin. I'd expended too much energy today and quickly fell into a deep sleep.
The next day, I received notice from Roger that the surgery was scheduled for ten o'clock tomorrow morning.
When Marcus learned I would be participating in the surgery, he looked worried all day.
The Caldwell family members thought he was worried I'd be implicated by Roger and face the Langford family's anger.
Harold and Simon took turns comforting Marcus, though they were also worried—they just didn't show it in front of me.
That evening, after midnight, I came up to the deck.
Adrian and Cole prepared a blanket and hot coffee for me. "Ms. Sorelli, can't you sleep?"
"Not very tired." I sat on the sofa. Two minutes later, a tall figure jumped over from the neighboring ship. Adrian and Cole tensed and raised their guns, then moments later recognized the face in the moonlight.
"Mr. Valeri?"
Lucas's movements were clean and efficient. When he landed on the deck, the ground trembled slightly.
He waved at Adrian and Cole. "Move away. Bella and I need to talk."
Adrian and Cole looked at me. I nodded, and they walked to a distance.
I sat on the sofa and raised my left hand toward Lucas. "Take off the bracelet."
The bracelet was custom-made, fitting tightly around my wrist. To remove it required Lucas's fingerprint to unlock it.
Of course, it could also be pried or smashed open by force, but I hadn't done that.
Lucas probably didn't expect this to be my first words.
He frowned. "Keep it on for now until we return to Starstream City."
I shook my head. "No, I have to do heart surgery tomorrow. Electromagnetic signals will interfere with the examination equipment. I can't wear it into the operating room."
Lucas pressed his lips together hard, then, after a moment, reached his hand out toward me.
My raised left hand suddenly dropped back to my knee.
Lucas's hand grabbed at empty air.
I explained lazily: "Holding it up the whole time is tiring."
Lucas didn't mock me or lose his temper.
He knelt on one knee expressionlessly and lowered his head to cradle my left hand.