Chapter 887
Lena's gaze naturally found Aaron's face. He was watching her, not saying anything, but his eyes conveyed a clear sense of pride and approval. Since she was a child, it wasn't her parents' reactions to her exam results that she feared—it was Aaron's. Even now, that feeling lingered. Seeing his satisfaction, she felt a surge of joy.
“Uncle, we did it!” Lena exclaimed, standing excitedly in front of him.
Aaron reached out, removed her surgical cap, and gently patted her head. “Lil’ Lena is the best.”
“I’m so happy, Uncle,” Lena said, unable to suppress her excitement. The next second, she threw her arms around him in a tight hug. It had been him who stayed by her side the night before, calming her nerves with homemade milk tea and their quiet conversation.
Leaning close to his ear, she whispered, “Uncle, half of this success belongs to you.”
A faint smile appeared on Aaron’s lips. His hovering hand rested lightly on her waist as he murmured back, “Mm, we’ll celebrate tonight.”
Not far away, Nate was surrounded by congratulations, but his expression remained restrained. His gaze lingered on Lena and Aaron, who were embracing and whispering to each other. An unsettling feeling stirred within him. It seemed that Lena was especially close to her uncle, perhaps a little too close.
“Dr. Lane,” Nate called out, breaking the moment. “The patient is being transferred to her room. We need to check on her, and there’s a press conference shortly after.”
Hearing his voice, Lena released Aaron. Before she could leave, Aaron’s large hand gently smoothed her hair, flattened by the surgical cap. “Go ahead and take care of your work.”
The director and others were also preparing for the press conference. “Mr. Ace, would you like to join us for the press conference?”
“No, you all go ahead,” Aaron declined politely. As the crowd dispersed, Aaron lingered for a moment, taking one last look at the now-quiet and empty operating room. Then, he pulled out his phone as he left. “The desserts and milk tea I ordered can be delivered now.”
Chapter 887
The press conference began an hour later. Apart from hospital staff, Nate and Lena, the two lead surgeons, sat in the spotlight.
“Can you both share your thoughts on the surgery preparation, the procedure itself, and the current condition of the patient and fetus?”
Lena glanced at Nate, signaling for him to answer. Nate, experienced with such occasions, spoke in a calm and composed tone, providing a thorough and professional response. He concluded with, “Both the patient and the fetus are currently stable. The patient can resume eating in about two hours.”
“Congratulations, Professor Neumann, on this groundbreaking success. When do you think this technique will be widely implemented to benefit more pregnant women and their babies?”
Nate replied, “This will require repeated clinical trials to gather sufficient data. It’s a process, but it won’t take too long. The exact timeline will be announced through official channels.”
“Professor Neumann, it’s said you brought this project to Seavora because of your trust in a certain OB-GYN doctor—the beautiful doctor sitting beside you. Is that true?”
Nate glanced at Lena. “Yes. Dr. Lane is my university classmate. She was an outstanding student, consistently earning scholarships. After graduation, she became an exemplary OB-GYN doctor here in Seavora.”
“Professor Neumann, while Dr. Lane is undoubtedly excellent, there are many other exceptional doctors. Did your choice to work with her have personal reasons? Rumor has it you’re in a relationship. Is that true?”
“Perhaps this is a question Dr. Lane should answer,” one reporter suggested.
Other reporters echoed the sentiment, their cameras now all trained on Lena. The unexpected shift caught Lena off guard, and even the hospital administrators were unprepared. The director coughed awkwardly, trying to intervene. “Please keep your questions relevant to the surgery.”
But the reporters weren’t deterred. “Dr. Lane, Professor Neumann, please respond.”
Lena felt the weight of all the eyes on her. She glanced at Nate, who remained composed but subtly gestured for her to address the question. Clearing her throat, she finally spoke. “Our collaboration is purely professional. As Professor Neumann mentioned, we were university classmates, and our trust and understanding stem from years of shared academic and professional experiences.”
Her response was polite and neutral, carefully avoiding the topic of any personal connection. The reporters persisted, but the director stepped in more firmly this time. “If there are no further questions regarding the surgery, we’ll conclude this session. Thank you for your understanding.”
As the conference wrapped up, Lena exhaled deeply, her nerves settling. She noticed Nate watching her, his expression unreadable, as if he wanted to say something but chose not to. From a distance, Aaron observed everything through a one-way glass, his sharp gaze unwavering as it followed Lena.