At that moment, Cedric’s unease was impossible to miss. Samuel’s imitation deepened. “So, Ms. Payne’s surmounted herself with quite the character,” he said with biting sarcasm. Cedric frowned, trying to regain some ground. “Mr. Black, I work for the Payne Group. Shouldn’t you be more careful about how you talk about Ms. Payne?” Samuel responded with a cold laugh. “Oh, so you’re speaking on Scarlett’s behalf now? Is that what this is?” It was clear that Samuel was not accustomed to being spoken to so boldly, especially not by someone like Cedric. Cedric quickly raised his hands in a placating gesture. “Mr. Black, I’m just saying you should know Dr. Olson isn’t as simple as he looks. He’s still hung up on Ms. Payne, you know.” It was an attempt to deflect, no doubt, but Samuel wasn’t buying it. He glanced at Cedric with disdain. “Looks like you need to learn some respect.” Then, he nodded to the bodyguards standing behind him. They stepped forward, grabbing Cedric by the arms. Leroy stepped in immediately. “Mr. Black, this is a hospital. Violence isn’t the answer,” he said firmly. Samuel didn’t so much as glance at Leroy. His attention remained fixed on Cedric. “This slap,” Samuel said, his tone sharp, “is for Scarlett. Maybe it’ll teach you to watch your mouth when you’re out in public.” One of the bodyguards swung a hand across Cedric’s face. The sound echoed down the hallway, and a vivid red mark bloomed across one side of his face. Cedric staggered back, humiliated but too stunned to fight back. Without another word, he scrambled away, leaving the hospital in disgrace. Samuel, unbothered, turned back to Leroy, now holding the thank-you plaque. “Dr. Olson, please accept this,” he said, his tone warm and respectful. “This is just a small token of my gratitude. My father wouldn’t be in such good health without you.” Leroy nodded politely, accepting the gesture. “Thank you, Mr. Black. Don’t worry, your father’s recovery is progressing well. He’ll be discharged soon,” Leroy offered a piece of advice, “Dr. Olson, you’re young and talented. Don’t waste your energy on people who don’t deserve it. And if that idiot comes back, just give me a call.” Leroy’s smile was polite but awkward. Any attempt to explain would only make things worse. After Samuel left, Leroy was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief as his shift came to an end. Meanwhile, Cedric, seething from the humiliation, wasn’t about to let it go. He headed straight to Payne Group, his anger fueling him the entire way. When he arrived, Scarlett was in the middle of a meeting. As Cedric tried to push his way toward the conference room, Grace stepped in to block his path. “Where do you think you’re going?” Grace asked, her tone firm. “Scarlett is in a meeting with the board. You can’t just barge in.” Cedric’s face twisted with frustration. “A meeting? How come I wasn’t informed? I’m a senior executive at this company, aren’t I?” he shot back. “I have something important to tell her.” Grace raised an eyebrow, her expression skeptical. “Upper management? Don’t kid yourself, Cedric. You’re only here because Scarlett let you in. Otherwise, this…” Before Cedric could respond, the door to the conference room opened, and Scarlett stepped out, her gaze sharp as it landed on the commotion. “What happened to you?”