Chapter 10

With the police and hospital executives showing up at the underground parking lot, it didn't take long for a crowd to gather.

Lila followed closely, worried about Samantha. She gently held her hand, hinting for her not to panic.

But if Noah really got caught in a bribery investigation, no matter how it ended, their whirlwind marriage would turn into a public joke. And who knew what kind of humiliation Evan might throw at her.

Her palm was soaked with sweat.

"What's this?"

A police officer had pulled out the large gift box Arthur had given them from the trunk.

Samantha quickly stepped forward. "That's mine."

"It's kind of heavy. Mind if we open it?" the officer asked, but didn't wait for a reply before flipping the box open himself.

As bundles of large-denomination bills came into view, the crowd collectively gasped.

Phones were whipped out instantly. People were snapping photos and recording videos like crazy. The hospital higher-ups looked visibly disturbed, and someone even started live streaming.

"Why... why is it money?" Samantha was completely baffled. "This was supposed to be a box of health supplements from Mr. Smith."

Lila froze, realizing how bad this was. This was precisely the moment when public rage could spin out of control. If she blurted out that the box was from Arthur Smith, people would immediately start linking it to the surgery Noah did for Evelyn.

Even though Noah stepped up with good intentions, the chatter would definitely twist it into him doing it for money—and paint Arthur as someone who tried to buy him off.

It wouldn't just wreck Noah's reputation. Arthur's decades of integrity would go up in smoke.

Lila tugged her sleeve. "Samantha, don't—just hold on, don't say anything yet."

"I can't just watch people drag him down like this," Samantha said, shaking her off and taking a step forward. She was about to speak up when Noah grabbed her and pulled her back to his side. His calm eyes locked onto hers, subtly warning her.

But how could she stay quiet and watch him take the fall like that?

"Relax, I know what I'm doing."

She gently pulled his hand away, then faced the crowd and took a deep breath before raising her voice.

"This isn't what everyone thinks it is. Please don't spread those photos and videos around. If people don't know the full story, it could seriously hurt Dr. Avery and even the medical community as a whole. That wouldn't be fair to anyone. Please, let the investigation run its course. Don't let online rumors destroy someone who actually did the right thing!"

She stood there, looking so small and slim among the crowd. No matter how loud she tried to speak, only those closest could hear her.

So she started moving, repeating the same words again and again to different groups. The hospital admin was talking to the police. Meanwhile, Noah stood still, just quietly watching her with those deep eyes of his.

More and more hospital staff were affected by what she said and began asking people to delete their footage. It started working. The crowd gradually dispersed, the police wrapped up their recordings, and finally left.

"Aren't they gonna ask more questions or something?" Samantha looked after them, feeling uneasy.

The hospital leadership scrambled to put together an emergency PR plan. Noah, though, seemed completely calm. He took her hand and said gently, "Don't worry. We'll sort this out."

Of course she was worried. That gift box was hers—if this whole mess dragged Noah down, she'd never forgive herself.

Lila walked over, her tone apologetic. "Dr. Avery, thank you for not saying anything about where the box came from. I'm really sorry for what my family did."

Noah shook his head. "What's done is done. Even if I explained it in public, no one would buy it. It'd only drag your father down too. Don't blame yourself. I get why he did it. Just... look after Samantha for me, will you?"

Noah saw them back to the department, then went off with Toby Carlson to sort things out with the hospital board.

Lila glanced at Samantha, guilt written all over her face. "I'm so sorry, Sam. My dad thought you guys wouldn't take the money, so he took it out in cash and packed it to look like some fancy health supplement. He really didn't mean for it to turn into this mess."

"Too much of a coincidence, don't you think?" Samantha's eyes narrowed slightly.

Lila looked at her, confused.

"I'm not blaming your dad," Samantha said. "It just feels... off, you know? Too perfect. Lila, could you stay here with your mom? There's someone I need to talk to."

Lila grabbed her arm. "Hold on—where are you going? Dr. Avery told me to stay with you. Let me come."

"That cash—was it withdrawn from Evan's account?" Samantha asked her directly.

Lila gave a small nod. "Yeah, my dad forced my brother to do it. He said we couldn't keep that kind of money, and we had to give it back."

"Did your brother agree right away?"

"At first, no. But then he suddenly changed his mind and went to get the cash himself. He even packed the box. My dad thought he was being considerate or something..."

Lila's voice trailed off. Her expression slowly shifted to shock as she stared at Samantha. "Wait—you think Evan had something to do with this?"

Samantha wasn't entirely sure either. Something about it just didn't sit right with her. She decided to follow her gut and head to Gemvia Pharmaceuticals to confront Evan herself.

The company was also in Sunvale District, so it didn't take her long to get there—maybe under an hour. But in that short time, the rumors about Noah had exploded online, skyrocketing into the top trending topic nationwide.

People were digging up everything about his sudden appointment at Central Hospital, bashing him relentlessly. It wasn't just him anymore—doctors all over were catching heat because of this.

Lila had told her there were reporters all over the neurosurgery department now, making it nearly impossible to function.

Thanks to Grace pushing for her to bond with Evan before, Samantha had brought him lunch a few times and knew exactly where to find him.

The receptionist said Evan wasn't around, but as Samantha walked past the stairwell, she heard his phone ringing. Curious, she quietly moved closer.

"Why aren't you answering it, Mr. Smith? That could be a big client," came a flirty female voice, half laughing.

"If it's someone important, I'll need you with me to seal the deal. Got to make sure you're the sales queen this month," Evan replied, clearly enjoying himself.

"Oh, Evan, I'm counting on you, you know. Don't let me down—ah! Who are you?!"

The woman, clothes a bit disheveled, turned around to see Samantha staring back at her.

Samantha calmly put her phone away. "I'm here for him. You can leave now."

"Are you insane or something?" the woman snapped, quickly fixing her clothes and hurrying away with a panicked look.