Chapter 288

Chapter 288

If I stayed, I would be trapped with Henry; if I left, I might face a complaint that could destroy my career.

As I weighed my options, Henry casually added, "By the way, I have your phone and purse. Don't you want them back?"

Damn it. After last night's incident at the police station, I had completely forgotten about my belongings in my rush to get away from him.

I felt the blood drain from my face. My phone contained countless irreplaceable heart transplant research materials—rare case studies, innovative surgical techniques, detailed patient histories with unusual presentations.

I had spent months collecting this data. The thought of losing it made my stomach clench.

I looked at Henry's smug face. The bastard was enjoying this moment, watching me squirm.

"If I stay, will you give me my phone back?" I tried to keep my voice steady.

Henry's smile widened. "Perhaps."

Fine. The phone belonged to me. If I had to swallow my pride to retrieve my own property, so be it.

I turned to Nadia, who was still hovering nearby with that falsely helpful expression.

"Nadia, I appreciate your offer, but I'm not busy right now. I might as well handle Mr. Harding's examination myself. You can go attend to your other work."

I expected relief, perhaps gratitude.

Instead, Nadia's face crumpled as if I had slapped her. Her eyes instantly filled with tears, transforming from confident seductress to wounded puppy in seconds.

"Sophia," she sniffled, using my first name despite our purely collegial relationship.

"Did I do something wrong? Why are you sending me away?" Her lower lip trembled. "I genuinely wanted to help you, with no ulterior motives. Please don't send me away, okay?"

I stared at her in complete bewilderment. What was happening here?

"I'm not sending you away," I explained slowly, as if talking to a child. "I'm just suggesting you go handle your other tasks instead of wasting time here. How is that 'sending you away'?"

But Nadia was already wiping tears from her cheeks.

"Dr. Perez specifically asked me to learn from you," she sobbed, her voice breaking. "I just wanted to observe and learn, nothing more. Now you're pushing me away."

She looked up at me with red-rimmed eyes. "Are you afraid I'll learn too much? That I'll outshine you in front of the professor? Is that it?"

I was speechless. Nadia's level of twisting words was truly exceptional.

I glanced at Henry, hoping for some support, but he was watching the scene unfold with detached amusement.

The truth was, I could see through Nadia's act. She had finally managed to get into Henry's room and wasn't planning to leave before hooking him.

Men like Henry were prime catches, and she was clearly determined to reel him in by any means necessary.

I sighed. We were colleagues who would have to work together long after Henry was discharged. Making her my enemy would only complicate my already complex life.

"Fine," I relented. "You can stay."

Nadia's tears vanished instantly, replaced by a victorious smile.

Together, we began conducting Henry's examination. I focused entirely on the medical equipment, carefully noting each reading and recording the data. Nadia, meanwhile, couldn't have cared less about the medical aspects. Her eyes never left Henry's face, and she positioned herself to give him the best possible view down her uniform.

I noticed how her hand "accidentally" brushed against Henry's several times.

Each time, I pretended not to see. It wasn't my business anymore. Henry could sleep with the entire hospital staff for all I cared. We were divorced.

His romantic life was no longer my concern.

But Henry clearly didn't share my indifference. While I worked, his eyes remained fixed on me, ignoring Nadia. Each time she leaned too close or touched his hand, his jaw tightened a fraction more.

When Nadia's fingers grazed his wrist for the third time, something in Henry snapped. With a violent sweep of his arm, he sent the medical equipment crashing to the floor. Glass shattered, plastic cracked, and the antiseptic solution splashed across the tiles, creating a pungent puddle.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" he roared, his fury directed entirely at Nadia. "Why do you keep touching me?"

His eyes were cold fire, his expression murderous.

Nadia froze, all her calculated seduction replaced by fear. "Mr. Harding, no! I didn't mean to! It wasn't intentional!"

The deafening crash and Henry's shouts had attracted attention. The alarm from the damaged equipment blared through the room, and within seconds, the doorway was crowded with curious hospital staff craning their necks to see inside.

The head nurse pushed through the crowd. "What happened here?" she asked, her eyes widening at the damaged equipment. "Those machines are expensive! Someone will have to pay for this!"

Nadia, clearly terrified of being held responsible, pointed a trembling finger at me. "It wasn't me!" she cried, tears flowing freely again. "Sophia angered Mr. Harding, and he threw the equipment on the floor in anger! It wasn't my fault!"

My scalp tingled with disbelief.

This woman had some nerve. She had been shamelessly flirting with Henry, causing his outburst, and now she was blaming me?

I laughed coldly, meeting her gaze directly. "You've got quite a talent for twisting the truth, haven't you?"

I had tried to consider our collegial relationship, but she had crossed a line. No more playing nice.

"If you hadn't been trying to seduce Mr. Harding, none of this would have happened," I said clearly, making sure everyone could hear. "You should have done your research before trying to flirt with him. Mr. Harding has germaphobia. He can't stand being touched by people he doesn't like."