Chapter 5 Insistently Shamelessly Approaching

Alaric suddenly spoke, and Robert immediately understood he was asking about the Stone family's situation.

"I found out."

"The Stone family's been pouring money into real estate for years, but now those properties are caught up in legal messes. The projects are stalled, and the funds are tied up."

"On top of that, their debts are due this year. Their suppliers and contractors have broken contracts, causing ongoing projects to halt. The financial loss is huge, and they can't pay their debts, so they're in a cash flow crisis."

Alaric frowned, his expression heavy.

If the Stone Group didn't get a significant cash injection to restart the projects, they might be beyond saving.

No wonder Cordelia had asked for his help with the Stone Group in exchange for agreeing to a divorce.

Seeing Alaric's deep and silent contemplation, Robert cautiously added, "I heard Mrs. Hughes's sister has started selling off the Stone Group's properties to pay the debts, but the prices are being maliciously undercut, going 30% below market value or even lower."

Many in the Shadowpine business circle were waiting for the Stone Group to collapse so they could profit from it.

Robert had expected Alaric to take action upon hearing this, but Alaric just sat in the back, his eyes cold and unreadable, making it impossible to guess his thoughts.

At the hospital.

Cordelia was reviewing Dominic's test results carefully. Once she confirmed there were no issues, she handed the report to Dominic.

"Your health looks great."

"Here's your test report. Keep it safe."

Dominic looked at the serious expression on Cordelia's face and smiled softly.

"It's hard to believe that the girl who used to cry all the time has become such an excellent doctor."

He took the report from Cordelia, glanced at it briefly, and smiled.

"If I remember right, you once said you wanted to be like your sister. How'd you end up becoming a doctor?"

Cordelia's smile faltered slightly. Years ago, Alaric had been seriously injured and nearly lost his life. At that time, Cordelia had a crush on him, and in a fit of youthful passion, she had ignored her sister Evelyn's objections and enrolled in Pioneer University of Medicine.

Thinking back to her impulsive decision, Cordelia couldn't help but feel regret.

If she hadn't studied medicine, she would probably be working tirelessly for the Stone Group now.

"It was a twist of fate."

Cordelia replied softly, unable to hide the sorrow in her eyes.

Dominic's smile remained, but there was a hint of something deeper and more complex in his clear gaze.

"Being a doctor is great too. You're contributing to society."

"The Stone Group will get through this, Cordelia. Don't worry too much."

As he spoke, Dominic gently ruffled Cordelia's hair, just like he used to.

"I'll introduce you to some real estate tycoons tonight. They might be interested in the Stone Group's projects."

Hearing the name "Stone Group," Cordelia's face immediately fell.

"Is Dr. Stone here?"

The office door opened, and Janet stood at the entrance. She was momentarily stunned by the scene inside, then smiled awkwardly and spoke softly.

"Sorry, I saw the door wasn't fully closed, so I didn't knock. I hope I'm not interrupting?"

Seeing a patient enter, Dominic calmly withdrew his hand, picked up the test report from the desk, and stood up. "I'll pick you up after work."

Before Cordelia could respond, he had already left.

Janet moved aside to let Dominic pass, then smiled at Cordelia. "Dr. Stone, is that your boyfriend? He's so handsome."

Cordelia's expression darkened slightly, and she didn't bother to explain. Seeing Janet at the door looking puzzled, she asked, "Ms. Martin, do you need something?"

Janet's face lit up with recognition. "You're the friend of Mrs. Hughes from yesterday."

Cordelia didn't respond, her gaze falling on the report in Janet's hand.

Janet quickly remembered and handed the report to Cordelia, her expression pained. "Dr. Lewis from OB-GYN asked me to bring this report to you."

Cordelia was puzzled. Why had Hannah passed this trouble to her?

She took the report from Janet and, seeing the diagnosis at the top, her expression changed.

Janet wasn't pregnant!

Cordelia flipped through Janet's medical records with a serious look.

Seeing this, Janet anxiously asked, "Dr. Stone, is there something wrong with me?"

Cordelia nodded slightly and looked at Janet. "Your report shows no viable pregnancy."

"We need to conduct further tests. A misdiagnosis of pregnancy usually indicates either an ectopic pregnancy or an ovarian tumor."

"Both conditions require immediate surgery, and we need a family member to sign the consent forms."

Janet's face went pale, and she looked down in silence for a long time before hesitantly asking, "Can my boyfriend sign the consent form?"

Cordelia paused, feeling a pang of bitterness.

"Yes."

She handed Janet the test forms and instructed her to get in line for the tests.

Janet nodded, took the forms, and pulled out her phone to call Alaric. Her voice was soft, filled with fear and desperation, as if she had a terminal illness.

"Alaric, please come to the hospital. There's something wrong with me."

Watching Janet leave, Cordelia rubbed her temples. Was it true that the women who knew how to act spoiled lived the best lives?

She smiled bitterly and began organizing the documents on her desk. Luckily, she had a surgery scheduled soon, so she wouldn't have to face Alaric.

The thought of her husband bringing his first love to her, his legal wife, for treatment made Cordelia's heart ache.

To avoid their presence, Cordelia went to the operating room early to prepare for surgery.

Four hours later, Cordelia stepped out of the OR. The sky outside was already dark. After four hours of intense work, she was physically and mentally exhausted.

In the early stages of pregnancy, she was trembling as she left the OR.

The intern she was mentoring quickly came over to support her, his face full of respect. "Dr. Stone, you've worked hard."

She smiled warmly, not rejecting the intern's help. "Getting old, not as strong as I used to be."

Just as she finished speaking, she felt a sharp gaze and looked up to see Alaric standing nearby with Janet, his face cold.

Cordelia's steps faltered, and she slowly withdrew her hand from the intern's grasp.

Nearby, their department head, Joe Watson, came over with a smile, quickly addressing Cordelia.

"Dr. Stone, you're finally out. Mr. Hughes and Ms. Martin have been waiting for you for hours."

"Mr. Hughes has great confidence in your skills and specifically requested you for Ms. Martin's surgery. Please take a look at her."

Joe then whispered to Cordelia, "Mr. Hughes said he would donate a batch of new medical equipment to the hospital if you perform the surgery."

"Cordelia, the hospital's patients could really use that new equipment. It's all up to you."

Cordelia frowned, her usually good temper showing signs of irritation.

Alaric was insane. She had already tried to avoid them, but he shamelessly approached her anyway!

Didn't he fear she might lose control during surgery and accidentally harm his first love?