Chapter 73: A Glimpse Behind the Curtain
“Got it,” Chase said.
It was nearly dawn by the time they finally left the venue. The hall manager personally escorted them out, his face full of worry as he spoke to Wendy.
“Madam Wendy, we will take full responsibility for this incident. Avery’s medical expenses are on us. The boss would like to invite you to dinner as an apology.”
Chase stood quietly by Wendy’s side, not saying a word.
Wendy turned and gave the manager a calm glance. Her voice was light, but carried a weight that made the air tense.
“That won’t be necessary. Your venue’s menu could use some updating—nothing impressive. Tell your boss that right now, it’s not about whether I care. It’s about whether Ms. Lemon does. Instead of inviting me to dinner, you’d better figure out how to clean up this mess for her.”
She casually pointed toward the entrance where a surveillance camera hung. Her slender fingers waved slightly—and just like that, every eye followed her gesture.
“If your cameras don’t work, might as well take them all down,” she said casually, and with that, she pulled Chase into the car without looking back.
Chase leaned over once they were inside and said gently, “No need to waste your breath on him. Waylon already said they probably weren’t involved.”
In the backseat, Wendy finally let her exhaustion show. She sent a message to Sammy, telling her to cancel the rest of the public relations meetings and let everyone rest.
“I know,” Wendy said tiredly. “Waylon said the security team was likely bribed. Otherwise, how the hell could someone swap out parts and there not be a single trace on camera? Management failure is still their responsibility. Now both companies are getting hammered by fan outrage. We just calmed the gossip about my so-called affair, and now this.”
Her voice trailed off, weariness clouding her sharp tone.
Chase pulled her close, cradling her against his chest. “Rest a bit. I’ll wake you when we get home.”
“Mmhmm.” Wendy closed her eyes, letting herself lean into his warmth. Even through the faint scent of hospital disinfectant clinging to him, she found comfort. After a while, she whispered, “You must be exhausted too. I’ll stay up with you.”
Chase chuckled and kissed the top of her head. “I’m your man. Of course, you come first. Don’t worry about me. I caught a two-hour nap earlier.”
That was a lie, and they both knew it. Chase hadn’t rested at all. The whole night, his mind raced—running through the surgical procedures, flashing through his mind every time he closed his eyes.
The driver parked in front of their building. By then, Wendy was fast asleep. Chase carefully carried her out of the car.
“Take the day off. Thanks for today,” Chase said quietly to the driver.
“Of course, sir.”
The driver watched them disappear into the building, feeling a complicated swell of emotions. Not too long ago, he’d witnessed some tense fights between Madam Wendy and Mr. Chase—talks of divorce, tears, slammed doors. It had seemed inevitable they’d split.
Yet here they were now. He couldn’t help but feel a little envious. Ordinary folks like him worked just to survive—no time for love, no energy for fights. But Madam Wendy and Mr. Chase… they were different. Kind-hearted. Meant for something more.
He silently wished them happiness.
Inside the apartment, Chase gently set Wendy down, took off her coat, and wiped her face with a warm towel. Wendy had left in such a rush last night she’d barely touched her makeup—just thrown on sunglasses and gone.
Now, fresh and clean, she mumbled something in her sleep and instinctively curled into the blankets.
Chase smiled faintly and kissed her forehead before stepping into the study. He powered up his laptop and began methodically documenting every step of the night’s surgery—sending detailed reports to the heads of each department. If any complications arose later, they would need a precise record to track the source.
While he worked, emails slowly trickled in. To his surprise, the first reply came from Bernard, with a Facebook contact request attached. Chase added him, and they exchanged a few quick messages.
Bernard: “Chairman’s still awake?”
Chase: “Just finished up. You too?”
Bernard: “Yeah. Got dragged out for an early breakfast. Oh, by the way, I noticed something odd…”
Chase sat up straighter, eyebrows knitting together.
Every nurse at Cloud Hospital was handpicked from top-tier schools. Getting hired here was like winning the lottery: the competition was fierce. Those who made it were the best of the best.
Bernard seemed to sense his confusion and called him directly. Chase quickly closed the study door so Wendy wouldn’t be disturbed.
“What’s going on?” Chase asked.
On the other end, Bernard stood outside a breakfast shop, steam rising from his mouth in the chilly morning air, a cigarette dangling between his fingers.
“Usually, ER nurses adapt fast no matter how bad the trauma. But today…” Bernard paused. “One nurse… Her movements weren’t just slow. It was like she was deliberately wasting time.”
Chase frowned. “Couldn’t she just be inexperienced?”
Bernard exhaled a long breath. “That’s what I thought. But after the surgery, I asked the head nurse about her. Turns out, she’s been here for over a year.”