From Betrayal to Brilliance: She Rose Stronger Than Ever
Zaden had planned to investigate the matter for Athena himself, but to his surprise, she wanted to do it on her own. He knew her well. Once Athena made up her mind, there was no changing it. At last, he nodded. "Alright. You find out who it is first. Once you know, I'll take care of it for you. I'll make sure that person learns a lesson they'll never forget." Hearing that, Athena's frustration faded. Maybe Zaden wasn't so bad after all. The next morning, Athena returned to the medical research institute to continue her training. This time, she was more alert. From the moment she stepped inside, she quietly observed everyone she met, noting their words and actions. First was Lucy, the blonde receptionist. Athena already knew Lucy had a crush on Zaden, but she pretended not to notice. She greeted her politely, "Good morning, Lucy." Lucy answered, but her tone was impatient. As soon as Athena walked past, Lucy rolled her eyes. Looks like Lucy might be involved. Although Lucy didn't have direct access to the leaked footage, she could have found another way to get it. Athena's mood grew heavier as she entered the operating room. Roxanne was already waiting by the door. She pushed her suspicions aside and smiled politely at her. "Good morning, Dr. Wood." Roxanne nodded. "Athena, you're finally here. Let's start today's procedure. Yesterday was your first try; you were probably nervous. Don't worry about that. Today, just relax and give it your all. Even if you fail, it's fine." Roxanne's calm encouragement warmed Athena's heart. She nodded gently. "Thank you, Dr. Wood. I'll do my best." Today was another surgical simulation, but this one was critical. Several top medical professors were coming to observe. If Athena failed in front of them, her reputation would be ruined for good. She might never have another chance to return to the medical field. Meanwhile, Roxanne had her plans. She was ready to send the surgery footage to Maya the moment Athena made a mistake. It was an easy way to earn Maya's favor and get closer to Preston. Just thinking about him softened the look on her face. Athena was unaware of Roxanne's hidden motives. She suspected everyone except her. She doubted the receptionist and even some assistants, but never Roxanne. Maybe it was because Roxanne's calm, professional image had left a good first impression. The two walked into the operating room together. Today's simulation was a minimally invasive brain tumor removal. Inside the room, aside from Roxanne watching from the side, there were three assistant doctors and two nurses helping Athena. They didn't lead the surgery; Athena was in full control. She glanced around at everyone. Any one of them could be the informant who leaked her last video. But she couldn't be sure yet. She'd have to watch carefully. After entering the sterile area, Athena put on her scrubs and gloves. Just then, she overheard two assistants whispering nearby. "I heard some professors are visiting today," one said excitedly. "One of them's a big name. If we do well, we might get promoted out of the internship early!""Really? Then I'd better focus!" The young assistants chatted excitedly, their faces glowing with anticipation. Athena's eyes narrowed slowly. Inspectors? Today? No one told me about that. Athena suddenly remembered what Roxanne had said earlier, how she asked her to just do her best today and not worry about failure. That was strange. Normally, someone would remind her to stay careful, not tell her that failure was fine. The thought made Athena uneasy. Yesterday, Roxanne had also been by her side. With her position at the institute, it wouldn't be impossible for her to get her hands on the surveillance footage and send it to Maya. What was the connection between them? The realization hit Athena like a cold wave. Could Roxanne really be the one behind it all? She stood there in shock, unable to find the right words or even emotions to describe how betrayed she felt. Leaving the locker room quietly, Athena stepped into an empty hallway. She took out her phone and gave Zaden a call. Zaden had only dropped her off that morning; he hadn't gone in with her. ... At that moment, Zaden was in his hotel room. When her name flashed on his screen, his brow furrowed. Athena almost never called at this hour. Something must've gone wrong. He didn't think much of it and answered the call right away. His voice was calm but gentle as he said, "What's wrong? Did something happen?" "Zaden," Athena said softly, "I need your help with something."His frown deepened. Whatever this was, it wasn't going to be simple.
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