Athena had grown beyond Maya's control, and that made Maya uneasy. She had to act fast; she couldn't let Athena rise again. An idea flashed through Maya's mind. A cold smile tugged at her lips. Athena planned to train abroad and recover before she would return to Vlephia for the final surgery challenge. Fine. She would make sure Athena could never come back. If the day of the challenge arrived and Athena failed to show up, then by default, Athena would lose. It wouldn't matter even if she had passed every stimulation surgery overseas. Pushing aside her thoughts, Maya picked up her phone and dialed Preston. "Hey, Preston," she said sweetly. "There's a woman giving me trouble. Can you please help me take care of her?" Since Kit had turned against her and Fabio showed mercy toward Athena, Maya had no one left to rely on but Preston. Preston had always spoiled her, meeting almost every one of her requests. Stopping Athena from returning to Vlephia was nothing compared to what he'd done before. He'd definitely agree. "Got it," Preston said calmly. "I'll have my assistant handle it." "Thank you, Preston!" Maya's face lit up with delight. Her voice turned playful as she added, "You're coming back to the country soon, right? I'm throwing you a welcome-home party." Preston chuckled warmly. "Alright. Pick me up at the airport when I land." ... That same day, Athena completed three rounds of simulated surgery training and passed them all with ease.By the end of the day, Miranda could hardly hide her admiration. Athena wasn't just talented; she was a perfectionist. At her current level, she could pass the stimulation test, but Athena wasn't happy with that. Miranda tilted her head and asked, "So, when do you plan to take the test?" Athena thought for a moment, then answered with quiet confidence. "Tomorrow." Athena was fully prepared for the upcoming evaluation and felt confident she could ace it. Scoring full marks wouldn't be a problem; today's simulation had only strengthened her skills. Miranda smiled and said, "Good. Then I wish you success!" Athena thanked her sincerely for all the help these past two days. Miranda chuckled and teased, "If you really want to thank me, you'd better treat me to a nice dinner when I visit Vlephia next time." "Of course!" Athena promised with a grin. After chatting a bit more, she packed up her things and headed out. But the moment she stepped outside, she saw a familiar car parked at the entrance. The driver's side window was halfway down, revealing the sharp, handsome profile of a man. It was Zaden. Athena blinked in surprise. How did he even find her here? The memory of last night's video call with Teri flashed through her mind, making her cheeks warm with embarrassment. She quickly pushed the thought away and walked toward the car. "What are you doing here? Have you been waiting long?" she asked. "Not too long," Zaden said casually. Athena didn't buy it. Earlier at lunch, she'd overheard someone mentioning a luxury car parked outside the building. Now it was obvious; it had been Zaden all along.He must've been waiting for quite a while. For some reason, that thought made her heart soften; at least he was sincere. Zaden got out of the car, walked over, and gently took her by the wrist. He led her to the passenger side and opened the door for her. He just stood there, looking straight at Athena, and said nothing. At that point, there wasn't much else she could do. In the end, Athena had no choice but to get into the car. Zaden returned to the driver's side, started the engine, and drove them back to the hotel. When the car stopped in the parking lot, he didn't get out. Instead, he turned toward her, his tone low and steady. "Are you still mad at me?" Athena's eyes flickered at his words. She spoke casually, pretending not to care. "When did I ever get mad?" Zaden looked straight at her. "If you're not mad, then why did you refuse to stay with me? Why did you book the room next door? And you pushed me away when I kissed you." She fell silent. Athena's cheeks turned pink. She hadn't expected him to bring that up so bluntly. Talking about this made her feel awkward. The truth was, she had been upset. He'd accused her without asking what really happened. But after thinking about it, she realized she wasn't entirely right either. She'd turned off her phone and disappeared without saying a word. Of course he'd be worried. Only people who truly care get anxious about your whereabouts.If someone doesn't care about you, they wouldn't even blink if you disappeared right in front of them. Zaden had been studying her expression the whole time. When he saw her expression soften, he knew her anger was fading. He spoke gently. "I've already dealt with Dr. Wood. I reported her to the World Medical Board. Her license has been revoked. So, can you stop being mad at me now?"