Chapter 101

“Right, I’ll set everything up,” Jonathan declared, snapping into action.

As Paisley and Jonathan headed for the operating room, Charles piped up, “Hey, Ms. Sutton, what about me?”

Paisley glanced at him. “You can help.”

Charles grinned, his eyes shining. “Sure thing!” He mused, Man, you never stop learning. He was ostensibly there to assist, but with Paisley, he was practically superfluous. This was all a learning experience, courtesy of Paul’s treatment.

Marissa watched anxiously as Paisley vanished into the operating room. She could contain herself no longer. “Dom! Are you serious? You lived with her for four years! You know she’s not a real doctor! This is Grandpa!”

Her outburst resonated with some of the older Vanderbilts.

“She’s right,” Paul’s younger brother, Harris, interjected. “Dom, don’t let her manipulate you.”

Dominick remained firm. “Even if she fooled us, do you think she deceived Mr. Walsh and Mr. Hansen, too?”

Harris fell silent.

Marissa turned to Reginald. “Mr. Vanderbilt, we can still stop her!”

Suddenly, a flurry of white coats rushed past, a mix of urgency and excitement on their faces.

“Make way! Mr. Walsh wants us in the observation room!” someone shouted.

“Wait, is that the expert who turned down Mr. Walsh’s offer?” another doctor asked.

“The very one! Hurry!” They practically sprinted down the hall, their name tags—Chief Physician, Associate Chief Physician—flashing past.

The Vanderbilts stared, stunned. Reginald felt his anxiety ease.

“So…Paisley’s that good?” Kayla whispered, disbelief etched on her face.

Lauren stood speechless, feeling a sharp blow. She turned stiffly to Dominick. Shock, confusion, and something else played across his face. He hadn’t seen this coming either.

Marissa, observing the Vanderbilts’ reactions, drifted to the window. Paisley was Charles' mentor. She'd brought Charles, hoping the Vanderbilts would be grateful, regardless of Paul's outcome. Paisley had upended her plan. Marissa needed to act fast.

“Marissa, what’s wrong?” Kayla asked, noticing Marissa’s terrifying expression. “What’s with that look?”

Marissa quickly faked tears. “Nothing. Just worried about Grandpa Paul.”

“He’ll be fine,” Kayla conceded, though grudgingly. “Everyone thinks Paisley’s a miracle worker. She should be able to help him, right?”

A flash of something unpleasant crossed Marissa’s face. Kayla’s presence, however, reminded her of something. “Kayla, you want that Vaire painting?”

Kayla’s eyes lit up. “Want it? I dream of it! But…Mr. Vaire doesn’t sell to the public.”

“I can get you one,” Marissa said softly.

“Seriously?” Kayla gasped.

“Absolutely. My classmate, Jack, is related to Mr. Vaire’s assistant. I contacted them. I was saving it for your birthday, but…”

“Marissa, you’re the best!” Kayla bounced. “Can I meet Mr. Vaire? Can I come with you?”

“Let me check my schedule,” Marissa said, carefully avoiding a direct commitment. She wasn’t sure she could even get a meeting with Nion’s assistant. She’d tried before, offering to buy a painting, and been rebuffed. Buying a painting was unlikely, but meeting Nion… that might be possible. Nion had one assistant, also an apprentice, and they were close. Since Jack was related to the assistant…

Despite the lack of a firm promise, Kayla believed Marissa.

Seconds stretched into minutes, minutes into hours. Dawn had faded to dusk, and still, no one emerged from the operating room. The tension was unbearable.

“Why isn’t Grandpa out?” Kayla paced. “Something’s wrong, isn’t it?”

“Seriously, this is taking forever,” Marissa chimed in, subtly fueling the Vanderbilts’ anxiety. “They could at least give us an update.”

Her words silenced them. They had been waiting an eternity.

What if something’s gone wrong? they thought. I knew we couldn’t trust her.

Harris glared at Reginald and Dominick. “If anything happens to Paul, it’s on you two.”

Dominick remained silent. Reginald’s stomach dropped. He frantically tried calling Jonathan, but only reached voicemail.