Zaden kissed her so fiercely that it felt like he was stealing her breath away. Athena's mind went blank—she couldn't think, couldn't move, and couldn't resist. All she could do was let the kiss consume her. When he pushed her down on the bed, she finally snapped back to her senses. She shoved him hard and bolted out of the room. Zaden sat up slowly, listening to the sharp slam of the door. A helpless smile tugged at his lips. He'd almost lost control just now. It was all because of their earlier fight. The moment he saw Athena again, he couldn't help wanting to be close and he wanted to claim her. But she pushed him away and ran. He glanced at the phone lying on the floor. Athena had left it behind in her panic. With a small, crooked smile, Zaden picked up her phone and stepped out into the hall. He rang the doorbell to the room next door. It took a while before there was any response. "Athena, your phone's still here. Don't you want it back?" he called out. The door finally cracked open, but only a few inches, still chained shut, as if she thought he was some kind of villain. Zaden slipped her phone through the gap. "It's getting late," Athena said quickly. "I need to rest. I've got another surgery simulation tomorrow." Before he could reply, she shut the door tight. Zaden stood there, shaking his head helplessly. Luckily, he'd insisted she stay in the room next to his. Maybe by morning, her anger would fade.Inside, Athena leaned against the door, pressing a hand to her forehead. Her heart was still racing. Just then, Athena's phone buzzed—it was a message from Harriet. "Hey, Athena, why did the video call cut off? Did something happen with you and Zaden?" Just as Athena was about to text Harriet back, her phone rang. Harriet's name flashed on the screen. She sounded anxious, clearly worried about them. Athena didn't even have time to say anything before answering the call. "Athena, are you okay?" Harriet asked anxiously. "Teri was having a video call with you, and the call suddenly ended. Did something happen over there?" Athena froze, thinking of what had just happened moments ago. Her face turned a little awkward. Luckily, Harriet couldn't see her expression. She cleared her throat and said calmly, "I'm fine, don't worry." She then explained guiltily, "Maybe the signal was bad." Harriet still sounded unsure but didn't press further. She muttered something to herself and then changed the subject. Athena took the chance to steer the conversation away. "I'll be staying here for another five days. Please take good care of Teri for me." "Of course!" Harriet promised right away. "Teri's like family to me. Even if you didn't ask, I'd still look after her. You just focus on your work!" Athena felt a wave of gratitude. She made a mental note to properly thank Harriet when she got the chance. ...The next morning, Athena woke up early. She decided not to go to Zaden's research institute today. Instead, she headed straight to the research institute Kate had arranged for her. As for what was going on at Zaden's side, that wasn't her concern right now. Yesterday had been her first successful surgery simulation, and today felt even easier. Maybe it was because she'd finally relaxed; everything flowed smoothly. Her operation went perfectly from start to finish. "Athena, your skills are already good enough to perform a real surgery." Miranda looked at her with genuine excitement. In her eyes, Athena was one of the most talented doctors she had ever met. Even after being away from the operating table for so long, Athena had quickly regained her precision and calm focus. If she returned to the medical field now, she'd definitely make waves. Athena was pleased but not satisfied. "Professor Gordon," she said seriously, "I want to keep practicing for a few more days. I don't want even the slightest mistake." Miranda admired her even more after hearing that. Athena wasn't proud or overconfident—she was humble, focused, and determined. That attitude made Miranda respect her all the more. "That's an excellent mindset," Miranda said kindly. "If you need anything at all, just tell me. I'll make sure you have it." "Thank you, Professor Gordon." Athena went back to her next round of surgical simulations. She wanted every move to feel effortless, every step to be second nature. She knew she had to be at her best, especially with Maya waiting to trip her up. And so, she went on and on.... Meanwhile, Roxanne realized Athena hadn't shown up. She assumed Athena must have made some huge mistake the day before and was too discouraged to return. Smirking to herself, Roxanne was already typing out a message, ready to lure Athena back for another session.