Chapter 230

Chapter 230

Victoria clenched her jaw and said, "Mr. Jenkins, I get what you're saying."

"But I can't just go along with it, and I sure as heck can't respect it."

"Even if it's true, I can't wrap my head around people turning out like this."

"Everything I've learned, everything I know, it's never taught me to back down."

How could she compromise, even if it was their screw-up?

Even if they threw her in jail, she couldn't stomach compromising.

Steven gazed into Victoria's eyes, struggling to find the right words. He felt she needed a reality check, that now wasn't the time to be so stubborn.

If those two could be swayed, it meant they had weaknesses.

To him, this could be straightforward, no need for a deep dive. Fight fire with fire.

With Edward's influence, just found a couple of people to pressure, offered them a fat stack of cash, and watched them turn on each other.

But Victoria's words hit him hard.

Still, Steven steeled himself and said, "No matter what you say, the hospital can't let the rumors run wild."

"Because if we let this slide, it'll hit the hospital hard."

"So, for now, the hospital's putting you on suspension."

"You need to get ready to make a public apology."

Taking a beat, Steven added, "As for the truth, since you're not keen on dragging Edward into this, I won't push you. I'll get someone to look into it."

He felt like he was giving in.

But Victoria wasn't having it.

"You're not happy?" Steven scowled.

After a pause, Victoria said, "It's not about being happy. I get it from your side, I deserve punishment. I've caused trouble for the hospital."

"So whether it's suspension or something harsher, I'll take it."

Steven got her drift and prodded, "So what?"

After a moment's hesitation, Victoria said, "I won't apologize. Not happening."

"You..." Steven's brow furrowed.

Victoria cut him off, "Mr. Jenkins, I know an apology might calm things down. From your view, saying sorry won't hurt, better than ending up in jail or worse."

"But I can't do it."

"Apologizing would mean admitting my medical skills are flawed. If it were my bad, I'd own up. But since I know I'm right, saying sorry against my will disrespects me and my skills."

"A person can be killed, but not insulted!"

"I won't stand for that!"

"Now's not the time for this."

Steven was about to blow a fuse.

Victoria brushed past him, "Don't worry, I'll sort this out soon."

She stubbornly pursed her lips and walked away.

Seeing this, Terry rushed after her, trying to intervene. "Victoria, don't act on impulse."

Victoria halted, turned to Terry, and asked, "Dr. Perez, do you also doubt my diagnosis?"

Terry shook his head naturally. "No way. Like you said, after you made the diagnosis, I double-checked it."

"It was the prescription you wrote. I didn't sign off on it, but I did go through the details, and everything checked out."

"I was puzzled at first."

"But now that I think about it, that phone call I got back then must've been fishy, they were totally prepared."

"They must've been well-informed about your situation and just wanted to stir up trouble for you."

Seeing Terry's trust, Victoria's expression softened a bit.

She nodded, "Exactly. But Dr. Perez, you don't have to worry. This isn't on you, I'll handle it."

She knew that even if she claimed Terry wasn't involved, the hospital might still penalize him in some way.

It made her uneasy.

She couldn't let Terry take the fall for her.

Terry persisted, "No, this is mostly my fault. I'll go online to clarify things now."

He said, sounding anxious.

Victoria stopped him, "Dr. Perez, there's no need for that."

"But..."

Terry wanted to say more.

Victoria shook her head, "No one will listen to your side, and it'll only make things messier for us."

"You know, those online folks are easily swayed, and the ones pulling the strings to frame me, if they see you defending me, they might not back off and could even escalate the negativity."

Terry furrowed his brow, grasping Victoria's point.

When Victoria first joined the hospital as an intern, some nasty rumors about her had circulated.

If he spoke up, it wouldn't harm him, but he feared it might trigger more attacks on Victoria.

"But..."

Terry was torn.

Even if Victoria was right, could he really stay silent?

Seeing his struggle, Victoria tried to sound nonchalant, "Okay, Terry, don't worry about me."

"I'm sure I can handle this."

"And if I can't, like Mr. Jenkins mentioned, I have my husband to rely on, right?"

Terry finally agreed, "Yeah, you're right."

Her husband was the well-known Edward, who could surely assist.

With this in mind, he eased up a bit, "If you need any support, just let me know."

Victoria naturally nodded.

Terry wanted to say more but was called away by a nurse. As he departed, he intended to say something, but in the end, he just remarked, "Never mind, take this chance to rest."

Victoria forced a smile, but once Terry was gone, a bitter expression clouded her face.

Rest? She had already been suspended; resting was her only option.

Yet, Victoria didn't rush to leave. After waiting a while, she noticed the nurse she worked with approaching. Without a word, Victoria saw her nod.

She breathed a sigh of relief.

The nurse leaned in and whispered, "I made sure someone was keeping an eye on them."

"Those two didn't head to another hospital as expected, but instead checked into a hotel near ours."

"A hotel?" Victoria raised an eyebrow.

The nurse confirmed, "Yep, I'm quite familiar with the hotel owner. So I had them watch over the pair, and they just shared their room number with me."

"Great, thank you. I'll head over there now."

Victoria was eager.

The nurse offered, "Want me to come along?"