She Outshines Them All

She Outshines 14

Chapter 14 After a brief moment of thought, Athena decided. “Written documents would be best.” Louis immediately pulled a carefully sealed packet from his briefcase and placed it respectfully in front of Athena. Thank VOL. Miss Donovan, for helping out Mr. and Ms. Graham. With a hint of concern, Louis added, “I apologize if this is an inconvenience, but Ms. Graham’s situation is extremely sensitive. “If word gets out, it could have serious repercussions for Mr. Graham and the Graham Group. Please make sure the records. are destroyed after you’re done with them” “You don’t need to worry about that,” Athena replied seriously. “Only Dr. Annie will see these medical files.” Matthew glanced at his watch. “Alright, our ten minutes are up. Thanks again, Miss Donovan. Until we meet next.” He stood up and offered his hand to Athena. As she rose to her feet, she couldn’t help but notice how perfect his hand was- a flawless combination of proportion and grace, almost like a work of art. It took Athena a few seconds to snap out of it before she extended her own hand to meet his When their hands touched, she felt a subtle spark, a faint jolt of electricity that tingled up her right arm. ‘How many milliamps could that be? Athena wondered, amused despite the situation. ‘One? Two? Maybe three?” Meanwhile, Louis, standing off to the side, was struggling to contain his shock. He adjusted his glasses, eyes wide with disbelief. Mr. Graham initiated a handshake with her. And it lasted more than a second? Everyone who knew Matthew knew how much he hated physical contact. Even when a handshake was expected, his greetings were always brief-never lasting more than a second. But today, it seemed, he had made an exception for Athena. Louis mentally counted the seconds. ‘One, two, three, four… Mr. Graham held on for four seconds before letting go, he thought, stunned.

-As Matthew released Athena’s hand, he gave her a small nod before turning to leave. As he passed, she caught a whiff of a subtle, refreshing scent that she found oddly attractive. Outside the hospital, Matthew slipped on his mask and glanced down at his hand. Adjusting his glasses, Louis cautiously asked, “Mr. Graham, are you planning on not washing your hands today?” Matthew shot him a cold look. “What the hell are you trying to say?” A mischievous glint reflected off Louis’s glasses. “Your hand still carries Miss Donovan’s warmth and scent.” “If you’re not feeling well, go see a doctor, Matthew replied coolly, shoving his hand into his pocket as he walked away. Back in the VIP ward, Athena pulled out Lucy’s medical records, carefully going through each detail The records revealed that five years ago, Lucy had been in a catastrophic car accident. Her head had been struck first and then crushed under the vehicle. Although emergency surgery saved her life, the severe skull fractures caused irreparable damage to her brain, leaving her in a prolonged coma. The accident also left her face badly disfigured. Over the last five years, Lucy had undergone more than twenty surgeries to partially restore her appearance and improve the condition of her skull fractures. 1/2 K 68% Chapter 14 However, several bone fragments remained lodged in her brain issue. One fragment, in particular, was dangerously close to the transverse sinus, where even the slightest movement could cause fatal bleeding. The surgery required to remove these fragments was extremely complex and risky, and no doctor had been willing to take it on However, delaying the procedure increased the risk of her falling into a vegetative state-or worse, brain death.

Athena assessed Lucy’s critical condition by glancing over the medical records. Even Dr. Annie would admit this surgery is a tough one, Athena thought, torn between getting involved or staying out of it. Deep in thought, she pulled out her phone and started searching for news about Lucy’s car accident. Since Matthew mentioned the incident was being kept under wraps, it wasn’t a shock that no detailed information was available online. However, she did come across some scattered articles about a major fallout between Lucy and the Graham Group’s board of directors five years ago. The board had issued a public ultimatum: if Lucy didn’t step down from all her roles, they’d offload the majority of their shares to her rivals within the Graham family, As the board’s deadline loomed, Lucy vanished without a trace, leaving behind only a few documents. These papers revealed that she had agreed to most of the board’s demands, keeping only her director position and transferring 12% of her shares to Matthew, while holding on to just 3% for herself. After that, she disappeared from the public eye, and Matthew assumed the role of CEO of the Graham Group. In the years that followed, rumors swirled that Lucy had died, but no evidence ever surfaced. As Athena sifted through the reports, her mind raced. ‘Lucy must have seen the danger coming and made sure her brother was set up for success. Athena reasoned internally. She also noticed that Matthew had launched the “Miracle” brand around the same time. ‘Could his sister’s accident have fueled his obsession with creating it?’ she wondered “The twisted mess of wealthy families… Athena sighed, putting her phone down. At least Lucy was a loyal sister, and Matthew seems to have been just as dedicated to her. I’ve gotta admit, that’s something I respect, she thought. “But should I take on Lucy’s surgery? After a moment of hesitation, she snapped a photo of Lucy’s medical records and sent it to a group chat labeled “Dr. Annie,” with the message: [I’ve got a high-stakes patient here, and the reward is a Miracle 3.0. Who’s in?]

Athena was, in fact, the elusive Annie. But Annie wasn’t just her-it was an alias for her entire medical team.