“If anything happens to my grandpa, I swear I won’t let you off!”

The sharp crack of that slap instantly pissed off everyone around them.

When the woman tried to lunge in again, the bystanders hurried to stop her.

“She’s saving your grandpa’s life, for crying out loud. Don’t be so ungrateful.” Hitting a doctor once was already too much, and now she wanted a second round. Nobody could just stand there and watch.

“Everyone else kept their distance, and she ran over to help. Why? Because she saw who my grandpa is. She’s obviously after something.”

Mingled with the crowd’s noise, Stella Mercer only spared the woman one cool glance before continuing treatment on the old man collapsed on the ground.

Only after the last silver needle went in did she finally lift her eyes to the patient’s granddaughter, who had been yapping nonstop at the side, spewing insults like her mouth had no off switch.

“Sudden cardiac arrest.”

“That’s bullshit. My grandpa’s perfectly fine. How dare you curse him like that?” As she spoke, she struggled again, trying to rush over and hit someone.

Stella rose from the ground and looked at the woman who just would not quit. Then she walked straight up to her and slapped her back.

“I’m saving your grandpa because I’m a doctor. That doesn’t mean I won’t hit back.”

A cheer immediately came from the crowd nearby.

“Nice one! She saved your grandpa and instead of thanking her, you threw hands?”

“And you’re saying the doctor had bad intentions? What, does your family have a throne to inherit or something?”

“I’m the eldest Miss of the Austin family. How dare you hit me? If you don’t get on your knees and apologize today, this is not over.” The woman stared at Stella with a dark, ugly expression. In her eyes, Stella was just some nobody doctor. How dare she fight back?

Hearing the ambulance siren in the distance, Stella turned and went back to remove the needles. Once every last silver needle had been withdrawn, the old man lying on the ground slowly opened his eyes.

The moment she saw him wake up, Elara Austin shoved the bystanders aside and rushed over. “Grandpa, are you okay?”

Stella packed away her needles and got ready to leave. Before going, she looked at the old man, now conscious on the ground, and said, “Go to the hospital afterward and get checked.”

“My grandpa’s heart is perfectly fine. You dared to curse him? I’m not done with you!” Hearing that, Elara got so mad she pointed at Stella and started cursing her out again.

“Believe it or don’t.” Stella couldn’t be bothered arguing with her. The man was awake. Her job here was done.

Seeing Stella about to leave, Elara glanced at her grandfather, saw that he seemed fine, and immediately sprang up. She charged forward, grabbed a fistful of Stella’s long hair, and lifted her hand to strike again.

Those long nails of hers—if they really raked across Stella’s face, she’d be disfigured on the spot.

Her head yanked backward from the pull, Stella looked at the hand swinging toward her. She turned sideways, caught the woman’s wrist with one hand, and with the other drove a silver needle into an acupoint.

"Ah—!" Elara Austin cried out as she let go of Stella Mercer, one hand flying to her waist. Her face turned white from the pain.

"What did you do to me?" Elara snapped through clenched teeth, glaring at Stella, who stood off to the side looking way too calm, like none of this had anything to do with her.

Stella glanced at her and said lightly, "Just teaching you not to mess with a doctor whenever you feel like it. I'm good with a scalpel, and I'm just as good with silver needles. Relax, it won't kill you. It'll just hurt for forty-eight hours."

With that, she turned and walked off without even looking back.

What Stella didn't notice was the car parked by the roadside, its window lowered halfway.

"Felix, look into her."

"Yes, Ninth Master."

The car pulled away fast. At the same time, an ambulance rolled up, and the medical team hurried the old man into the vehicle and rushed him to the hospital.

After the examination, it turned out exactly as Stella had said.

It was a sudden heart attack.

While the doctors were checking on the old man, Elara also went in for an exam because of the stabbing pain all over her body. But no one could figure out what was wrong with her. She was so mad she started unloading on the doctors in the hospital, going full rage mode. If the old man's test results hadn't come out in time, she would've probably offended half the staff there.

Elara stood frozen, staring blankly at the doctor examining her grandfather. "How could my grandpa possibly have heart disease?"

That woman... was actually right?

"If he hadn't run into someone who really knew what they were doing today, your grandfather might not have woken up," the doctor said seriously. "You should try to find that doctor and have her take a proper look at him afterward."

"I don't know who she is," Elara said stiffly, her voice dry. "She looked really young, and she used silver needles."

The doctor paused for half a second, then immediately knew who she meant. "Then it should be Dr. Mercer from First People's Hospital. She knows both Western and traditional medicine. She's one of Haishi's top neurosurgeons and also a specialist in cardiothoracic medicine. If you go to her, you won't be making a wrong choice."

Elara completely blanked out.

That woman was seriously that good?

She had already offended Dr. Mercer, and even now her body still hurt like she was being pricked by countless needles. Asking her to go find Stella now? No way. Her pride couldn't take that hit.

"Doctor, can't you people treat my grandfather?" Elara asked, still unwilling to go to Stella.

"In this field, Dr. Mercer is the authority," the doctor replied honestly. "We can only give conservative treatment. But if Dr. Mercer takes over, there's a ninety percent chance of recovery."

Elara instantly fell silent.

Compared to her pride, her grandfather obviously mattered more.

After Stella got home, she pressed an ice pack to her face for a while. Only after the swelling and soreness eased a bit did she get up and head to the kitchen.

She had no idea that, at that very moment, her file was already lying on a man's desk.

“The top neurosurgeon at First People’s Hospital. Also a cardiothoracic specialist.”

Felix Hargrove stood off to the side with his head lowered, not daring to make a sound.

“Clear my schedule for tomorrow.”

The man’s tone was flat, no heat, no edge, but Felix knew right away—Dominic Hargrove was pissed.

“Ninth Master, you’ve got an important meeting with the Europe side tomorrow morning.” He paused, then added carefully, “Everything else can be moved. That one really can’t.”

“Mm.”

Felix quietly let out a breath of relief. Thank God. If Dominic refused to listen, the whole group was probably going to have a rough day again.

“Dr. Mercer, a patient transferred in this morning specifically asking for you.” The second Stella Mercer stepped into the hospital that morning, before she even had time to change, a nurse hurried over to stop her.

Stella changed into her coat as she asked, “What’s the patient’s condition?”

“Sudden cardiac attack.”

Stella turned to look at the nurse, her brows drawing together slightly. That much of a coincidence?

“I’ve been booked with surgeries lately. Have them see Dr. Hale.”

“Okay, Dr. Mercer. Your first surgery starts at nine. The OR is already prepped.”

Stella gave a small nod. After changing, she went straight to the operating room without even seeing the patient.

The surgery took four full hours. By the time Stella stepped away from the table, it was already past one in the afternoon.

“Dr. Mercer, how’s my daughter?” The moment she came out of the OR, the family rushed over.

“The procedure was successful. She just needs time to recover,” Stella said, still calm despite the fatigue settling into her bones. “She’ll be moved to the ICU first. If everything stays stable for twenty-four hours, she’ll be transferred to a regular ward.”

“Thank you, Dr. Mercer.”

Only after settling the family down did Stella head back to her office. She pushed open the door—and froze when she saw the man sitting inside.

The second she caught sight of that face, Stella instinctively shut the door and turned to leave.

“Am I seeing things?” she muttered under her breath.

She opened the door again.

The man was still there, just in a different posture now, one hand propping up his chin as he looked at her with a half-smile that was not even trying to be innocent.

That was when Stella fully registered it—this wasn’t a hallucination. He was actually here.

Her scalp tingled. She spun around and was just about to make a run for it when she found Felix standing right behind her, carrying a food box.

“Excuse me,” Stella said stiffly, looking at him with a dry expression.

Felix pointed into the office. “Ma’am, Ninth Master’s been waiting for you for two hours.”