Chapter 30: An Illicit Transaction
“Oh? Is that so?” Evelyn didn’t take Sienna’s words to heart. “Perhaps the ‘Mrs. Green’ of the near future won’t be me, but it definitely won’t be you either.”
“Get out.” Sienna waved her hand in disgust, like shooing away a fly. “Stop being an eyesore here. Take your fake sympathy and get lost!”
Evelyn didn’t look at her again. She ignored the rapidly reddening and blistering burn on the back of her hand and silently turned around.
With her back to Sienna’s distorted, triumphant face, she gently slid her finger across the side of her phone. The screen lit up, and the recording timer stopped ticking.
[Recording Saved].
She pulled the door open and walked out without looking back. The door slammed shut behind her with a bang, sealing off Sienna's curses.
...
The hospital corridor was a mix of chaos: the hurried roll of nurse’s equipment, anxious questions from family members, the crying of children, and ringing phones. The air was thick with disinfectant and an indescribable, dull smell of sickness.
Evelyn walked through the confusion. Everyone was rushing, and no one noticed her pale face or her burned hand. She didn't want to see anyone else and just wanted to hide somewhere.
The nearby emergency exit sign glowed faintly. She pushed open the heavy fire door and stepped inside. The concrete stairwell was empty; sounds were instantly swallowed, leaving only the echo of her own footsteps.
The cold air cleared her chaotic mind slightly. She leaned against the wall, preparing to catch her breath, when she heard voices, deliberately lowered, coming from the corner below.
“The matter was handled well.”
It was Dr. Draven's voice, the man who had helped Sienna fake everything.
Evelyn's body instantly froze. She instinctively held her breath and moved her feet with extreme care, silently creeping down a few steps like a cat to hide behind the wall.
The other voice, hoarse and greedy, said, “As long as you’re satisfied. But the money, Dr. Draven, that’s not the amount we agreed on. I went to great lengths to find this ‘source’.”
Draven’s voice carried a hint of impatience. “This is the rest of the payment. The kidney source has been found, and the match was successful. Arrange the ‘accident’ quickly. We need it to look completely natural. You know, our hospital’s reputation can’t be tarnished.”
A kidney source? An accident?
Evelyn’s heart felt like it was gripped by an icy hand. She instantly clamped a hand over her mouth to suppress a gasp. She never dreamed that this outwardly glamorous central hospital was secretly engaging in the trade of human organs! And Draven, that sanctimonious doctor, was part of it.
Rage and fear burned in her chest simultaneously. With trembling hands, she pulled out her phone again. This time, she pressed the video recording button.
The camera, peeking through a gap at the corner of the wall, was precisely aimed at the two shadowy figures below. In the frame, the unfamiliar man slipped a thick envelope into Draven’s white coat pocket. Draven skillfully patted it, a satisfied smile on his face.
“Pleasure doing business with you.”
“Pleasure doing business with you.”
Seeing them about to split up, Evelyn quickly tried to retract her phone. But just then, Draven seemed to sense something, and he abruptly looked up in her direction.
The light in the stairwell was dim. He only saw a blurry dark shadow flicker past the corner of the wall.
“Who’s there?!” Draven shouted sharply.
Damn it!
Evelyn’s heart pounded, and she bolted up the stairs. She didn’t dare look back, only hearing rapid, heavy footsteps behind her and Draven’s frantic yelling.
“Stop! Grab her!”
Panicked and disoriented, she burst out of the emergency exit and onto another floor’s corridor. This area was mostly private wards and doctor's offices. The footsteps behind her were getting closer.
She couldn’t be caught, absolutely not! If the evidence on her phone was discovered, she didn’t know what would happen to her.
The door to a nearby office was ajar. The nameplate read, “Attending Physician’s Office.” She didn’t have time to think, pushing the door open and slipping inside like it was the last straw, then quickly and quietly shutting the door.
Her back pressed against the cold door panel, her chest heaving violently, her breath almost stopping. The footsteps stopped right outside the door.
“Knock. Knock. Knock.”
A knock sounded. Not too light, not too heavy, but it hammered on Evelyn’s heart like a sledgehammer.
It's over. She closed her eyes in despair.
Just then, a gentle and steady male voice sounded from inside the room, “Please come in.”
Draven outside was clearly startled. He pushed the door open and peered in, his face still marked by the breathlessness and ferocity of the chase. When he saw the man sitting behind the desk, the ferocity immediately gave way to a humble smile.
“Doctor, I apologize for the interruption. I thought I saw a suspicious person run in this direction. Did you see anyone?”
Evelyn’s heart leaped into her throat. She was hiding in the shadow of the massive filing cabinet behind the door, not daring to move.
The man behind the desk looked up, revealing a face Evelyn was all too familiar with. It was Ethan.
Ethan pushed his gold-rimmed glasses up his nose, his gaze calmly sweeping over Draven. “No. I’ve been reviewing patient records and didn’t notice anyone coming in. Dr. Draven, are you sure you weren’t mistaken?”
Draven’s arrogance instantly shrank. “Ah... maybe. Maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me.” Draven laughed awkwardly, his eyes still reluctantly scanning the office, but seeing nothing but stacks of medical files.
“If there’s nothing else, I need to prepare for my next surgery. Please excuse me.”
“Of course. I’m sorry to have interrupted, Dr. Ethan.” Draven retreated, closing the door.
The footsteps finally faded away.
Evelyn’s strained nerves suddenly relaxed. She collapsed weakly against the cabinet and slid to the floor, her phone dropping onto the carpet.
“Ethan...”
Ethan quickly came out from behind the desk and knelt in front of her. “Evelyn? What are you doing here? And that man just now...”
“What are you doing here?” Evelyn countered.
She looked up at his gentle face, shame and apology flooding her heart. “I’m sorry, Ethan. Last time at home, I chased you away. I didn’t mean it. I...”
“Shhh.” Ethan raised a finger and gently pressed it to her lips, stopping her from continuing. His eyes were clear and warm, devoid of any reproach. “I understand. I know everything. You don’t need to apologize.”
Ethan helped Evelyn stand up and guided her to a nearby sofa. He then explained, “Damian got me fired from St. Mary’s Hospital. However, the director of this central hospital happens to be a friend of my mentor. He reviewed my credentials and directly invited me here to be the Chief Cardiothoracic Surgeon.”