Chapter 15

Wilbur was quietly horrified. Marissa truly had no filter.She could say the boldest things without flinching.

Even Andrew, observing from the side, thought Theodore's intimidating posture looked a little too intentional, almost like he was putting on a show.

His gaze flicked toward his sister, his usual brightness dimming into mild confusion.

Marissa, however, looked entirely unbothered. Her calm eyes swept past Theodore as if his intimidating aura didn't even register.

She leaned forward slightly and gave his knee a light tap, neither teasing nor timid, and asked in her composed tone, "Mr. Brooks, why the rush?"

Her cool gaze met his head-on. "If my assessment is correct, you shouldn't be doing anything too strenuous," she added matter-of-factly.

The tension in the room hung thick until Andrew suddenly broke into laughter, unable to holdit in.

Both Marissa and Theodore turned their eyes on him at once

"Don't mind me," Andrew said quickly, grinning as he focused on his phone instead. "Just pretend I'm invisible."

His fingers danced over the screen, still trembling slightly with suppressed laughter.

Thereafter, the earlier intensity vanished completely

When the police arrived to take the little girl, she burst into tears, crying out for Marissa and Theodore.

With her big eyes and soft curls, she actually did look like she could be their daughter.

The child sobbed miserably, but Marissa only gave a casual wave and said cheerfully, "Goodbye!"

A woman walking by stopped to glare at them,her voice filled with righteous indignation. "Can't you see she doesn't want to leave? Why are you making her cry like that?"

What the hell? Who even was this lady? And why was she suddenly interfering?

Raising an eyebrow, Marissa gave her a chilly once-over

"And what's it to you?" she replied flatly before walking away without another glance.

"You!" the woman sputtered, left fuming in place

Later, as the time for her appointment approached,Marissa found a convenient excuse to slip away.

In the quiet stairwell, Garry and Lillian Marsh were already waiting.

Garry was dressed casually in a plain T-shirt and pants.

Lillian, on the other hand, looked like she'd stepped out of a street fashion magazine-heavy makeup, piercings glinting on her brows and lips, and a rebellious air that screamed trouble.

Marissa frowned the moment she saw her. "Are you planning to walk into the operating room dressed like that?" Her tone was sharp but not harsh. "Take everything off."

Lillian let out a nervous laugh, scratching her cheek "Got it! I'll change right now."

She didn't dare mention she'd come straight from another errand with no time to switch outfits.

Grabbing a large black bag, she hurried toward the restroom.

Meanwhile, Garry handed Marissa a small,inconspicuous case and said in a low voice, "Here's what you asked for"

Moments later, Marissa emerged looking entirely different. Her long hair was gone,replaced by a clean,short cut, and a pair of simple glasses now framed her face. Dressed in a simple outfit, she looked all set and ready.

The fifth floor had already been cleared for privacy,and the three of them quickly made their way toward the operating room.

Once inside, Garry immediately began scanning the area with his equipment.

After checking every corner, he reported, "No surveillance cameras found."

"Good," Marissa replied curtly.

She wasn't one for unnecessary words, especially before surgery. Without hesitation, she changed into sterile clothing.

Meanwhile, outside the hospital, a sleek luxury car came to a stop, and a tall, refined-looking man stepped out-Maxton Wallace.

"Is everything ready?" he asked, removing his watch and handing it to his assistant before rubbing his temples tiredly. "Are those orthopedic doctors completely useless?"

"Dr. Wallace, please don't be angry," the assistant

quickly said with a nervous smile. "They just believe you are more capable of handling such a risky surgery than they are. That's all."

Maxton exhaled, calming slightly. Tossing his coat to the assistant, he said firmly, "Let's go. After this surgery, I want to meet Dr. Moore in person. I've heard enough about him, so it's time I see what this mysterious genius looks like."

He had flown back the moment he heard that Dr.Moore had shown up in Ozreka.

As soon as Maxton stepped out of the elevator,he stopped at the sight of several bodyguards near the operating room door. "Hold on a moment," he said casually. "I just need to use the restroom first."

One of the bodyguards immediately stepped forward

"Sir, you'll need to use a restroom on another floor," he said firmly, blocking Maxton's path.

Maxton's face darkened instantly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" His assistant snapped. "Dr. Wallace came all this way to operate on your boss, and this is how you treat him?"

The security team leader blinked in surprise.

Ten minutes ago, he'd been informed that Dr. Moore was already inside performing the surgery. So...who

was this man claiming to be the surgeon?

Uncertain, he quickly radioed Marc. "Mr. Curtis, there's a man here claiming he's the surgeon invited to operate on your father."

Marc frowned deeply upon hearing that.

"I'll come check myself," he said before heading toward the elevator.

Through the intercom, everyone outsidethe operating room could hear bits of the exchange.

"Sir, may I ask your name?" the team leader inquired respectfully.

"This is Dr. Maxton Wallace," the assistant answered quickly, puffing up his chest. "Surely you've heard of him?"

"I'm sorry, Dr. Wallace," the guard said evenly. "Please wait a moment while I confirm."

"Terrance," Maxton said sharply, his voice cold as he shot his assistant a warning look, "Lower your voice.This is a hospital."

Terrance Kirby fell silent, though his glare said enough."Still, this is ridiculous,sir."

Maxton had never been stopped like this before,especially not outside an operating room.

Just then, a familiar voice called out, "Dr. Wallace?"

Maxton turned and saw Christy Griffin, a former student of his grandfather.

Marc arrived a second later

"Dr. Griffin," Maxton acknowledged Christy, then faced

Marc. "You must be the patient's family?"

Marc nodded and was about to respoond when Christy removed her mask. Her face, carefully made up, was framed by loose strands of hair that she tucked behind her ear.

"You're finally here," she said, half-smiling. "Mr. Curtis has been waiting for you."