Chapter 92

"Ms. Murray, is everything alright?" Jonny noticed Leyla standing off to the side, unusually quiet, and approached herin a few quick steps.

Steeling herself against Tristan's cold stare, Leyla forced a thin, polite smile. "Sorry, something just came up at home.I really need to head out right now. Please let me know if you hear anything about Mr. Gordon, and I'll come straight back."

Wasting no time, Jonny, eager to keep in touch, took out his phone and exchanged numbers with her before she could disappear.

"Alright, I'll get going then," Leyla said, ready to make her escape now that their connection was secured.

Suddenly, just as Jonny started to step aside, Rocco and Doran moved in and blocked the doorway,standing shoulder to shoulder.

Eyebrows drawn together, Leyla eyed them warily. "What's this about? Why are you blocking my way?"

Unfazed, Doran gave a blunt answer."Leaving isn't an option right now."

Leyla's patience wore thin. "You can't just keep me here! That's not how this works."

Before she could raise her voice, Rocco softened the tension with a gentle tone."You've got it all wrong. We just need to clear up a few things-once that's done, you're free to leave."

With Doran playing the heavy and Rocco talking circles, Leyla found it impossible to let her irritation show."Whatever this is, can it wait? I have somewhere I absolutely need to be."

A hint of mischief played across Rocco's face. "So, what's so pressing? Maybe I can lend a hand."

Leyla kept her tone cool. "It's personal, really. Nothing I can't handle on my own."

Unmoved,Rocco continued, "Even so, I'll have to ask you to wait just a little longer. Whatever it is, it can't take priority over Mr. Gordon's condition. As his student, you have a responsibility to stay, don't you agree?" Words tangled on Leyla's tongue. "I mean, I...”

Suddenly, Tristan's authority cut throughthe tension. "That's enough. Rocco, you'll escort her. Make sure her urgent business is taken care of, then bring her right back."

"Understood!" Rocco replied without hesitation.

Of course,Leyla had no real emergency-she'd only been looking for a way out.

Nerves ghawed at her as she weighed her options. Bolting now would only raise more red flags. Choosing to play along, she sighed and gave in. "Alright, you win. Nothing is more important than Davin right now. My own stuff can wait."

Stepping back from the exit, she made it clear she wasn't going to argue anymore.

Doran finally let his arm drop, but his gaze never wavered, keeping a silent watch to make sure Leyla didn't try to bolt.

Rocco led Leyla aside, voice gentle yet probing. "Ms. Murray, we just want to get a clear picture. Can you walk us through exactly what led to Mr. Gordon's sudden collapse?"

Leyla had already explained the details to Davin's family, but she gathered herself and recounted everything once more. "I was standing near the entrance of the exhibition hall when Mr. Gordon spotted me and asked for a quick word. We went to a cafe close by and took a seat together."

Rocco asked, "What happened after that?"

She continued, "We hadn't talked for long before he started to complain about some pain in his chest.I immediately wanted him to see a doctor, but he just brushed it off and insisted it was nothing serious.Within a few minutes, his face lost all color, and he started breathing fast. By the time I tried to react, he had already collapsed. I ran out for help right away, and from there, he was rushed here. That's everything."

Jonny,standing nearby, joined in with a nod. "I've been living with him for years. He's mentioned chest pain recently, but he's too stubborn to let anyone take him to the hospital. He just chalks it up to old age. I actually made plans to take him for a check-up after the event today, but I never imagined things would turn out like this." Emotion tangled Jonny's words as he tried to speak.

In his family, he liked Davin the best.

Throughout his childhood, Jonny had spent nearly every day learning to paint and sharing a home with Davin, while his own parents were always somewhere far away, chasing careers.

A thoughtful glance passed between Rocco and Tristan. Tristan took a moment, then cut to the heart of things. "What about the bodyguards who were with your grandpa?"

"They went down to the main desk to handle the hospital paperwork," Jonny explained quietly.

Without a word, Tristan nodded at Rocco, who took the cue and slipped out to track down the missing bodyguards.

Inside, Leyla's nerves prickled, but she forced herself to appear calm. Only she and Davin knew the real story of what happened in that private room. If Davin didn't survive, she'd stay out of trouble. Without evidence,no accusation would stick. Innocent until proven guilty wasn't just a phrase; it was the rule.

Back in the operating theater, Eliana had stepped up, taking command as the lead surgeon, all eyes in the room turning to her.

Every gaze in the operating room gravitated toward her, watching her take charge.

Bright lights glared overhead, filling the room with heat, and soon sweat gathered along Eliana's brow.

A nurse wasted no time, stepping in tó dab the moisture away.

At first, skepticism hung in the air. None of the surgical team were pleased with Eliana's sudden promotion,least of all the former lead surgeon, who now found himself assisting a much younger doctor.

Normally,someone of Eliana's age would still be observing procedures or helping out on the sidelines.Instead, she now led the operation-backed by a direct order from the hospital's director.

That demotion stung, and the original lead surgeon could hardly believe the hospital would risk a patient's life for politics-at least, not until Eliana began to work.Precision guided every incision she made, each movement efficient and clean, leaving even the harshest critic without a single word to say.

Years of experience in cardiac surgery gave the former lead an eye for skill. Within minutes, he realized Eliana was operating at a level well beyond his own.

That revelation shifted his perspective entirely, and rather than resist, he welcomed the chance to stay by her side. For him, it became a rare opportunity to learn from someone truly exceptional.

In medicine, true professionals understood that real talent deserved respect. Genuine skill always won out,and losing a title to someone more gifted was no shame.

At this point, any doubts about Eliana's ability had vanished from the former lead surgeon's mind.

Minutes dragged on, tension building with each passing second.

No one in the operating room allowed their focus to waver for even a moment.

Nearly two and a half hours slipped by, the clock's slow hands tracking every nerve-wracking minute-until suddenly,alarms shattered the silence.

Panic flashed through the team. "This isn't good. He's still bleeding out, and his blood pressure just tanked..."

Sharp concentration replaced every trace of doubt on Eliana's face, but her fingers never trembled."Dowe have ECMO here?"

The former head surgeon quickly replied, "We do."

"Get VA-ECMO set up. Now," Eliana instructed without missing a beat.

One nurse hesitated, concern flickering in her voice. "We'llneed a green light from his family to proceed..."

A clear,urgent voice cut through the hesitation. "Skip the paperwork. I'll take responsibility and sign whatever's needed."

Relief washed over the nurse. "Understood." Wasting no time, Eliana scrawled her signature and turned to initiate ECMO.

This wasn't just any intervention-ECMO was top-tier technology for cases of critical heart or lung failure,exactly what Davin was facing now. However, the machine could drain a fortune in just hours.

Neither Eliana nor the Gordon family flinched at the expense.

Right now, nothing mattered more than saving Davin's life.

Still, every expert in the room understood the risks. ECMO wasn't just costly; it was a high-stakes procedure. One wrong move, and things could spiral even faster.

Blocking out every distraction, Elfana gave Davin her full attention.

All the while, a silent plea circled in her mind-she was willing to do anything for him to survive this ordeal.