Later, Preston handed the matter over to his assistant, Lucas Baron. Lucas was known for his flawless work. Preston was confident that Lucas had taken care of everything. "Don't worry," Preston said calmly. "It's already handled." "Thank you, Preston!" Maya's face lit up with joy. Perfect! Athena was stuck overseas and couldn't come back. When the day of their challenge arrived, if Athena failed to show up, that would count as a loss. She'd never set foot in the hospital again—much less in the operating room. Just then, Lucas walked over from a distance. Preston glanced at him, then said to Maya, "I have to board now. Talk later." "Got it. Safe travels, Preston." Maya hung up, still smiling. Preston slipped his phone into his pocket as Lucas stopped in front of him. "Mr. Rice," Lucas reported respectfully, "I looked into that woman's background. Her name is Athena Hall. She's from Vlephia, and she's working at the same hospital as Ms. Maya." His expression tightened at his last words. He sharply picked up that something was off. "Athena? You're saying she and Maya work at the same hospital?" "Yes, boss. The woman you asked me to deal with a few days ago—that's her. The one who's been clashing with Ms. Maya." A vein pulsed at Preston's temple. He didn't even know what to say. It was such a strange twist of fate. The Rices hadn't always been a family of doctors. Maya had gone into medicine only because of their grandfather's illness. Desmond Rice had a brain tumor, one so close to the nerves that no regular surgeon dared to operate.As he aged, the situation worsened, and the family grew desperate. They had to come up with some ways to save him. The family started to pour a lot of money into hospitals, recruiting top surgeons in hopes of finding someone who could save him. But it never worked out. That was when Preston first heard of a woman named Serena. He went through endless trouble just to track her down. He met her briefly at a medical conference—just once—but when he tried to find her again, she had vanished. Later, word spread that Serena had been injured and had retired from surgery. Preston had felt regret ever since. Now, years later, he couldn't believe it. He had stumbled into Serena again. Back then, he only knew her as Serena. He had no idea her real name was Athena or that she was from Vlephia. It felt like fate was weaving everything together, connecting one event to another in ways he couldn't explain. Preston had already given up searching for Serena. After hearing Lucas mention that Athena and Maya worked at the same hospital, a thought crossed his mind—could Athena's hand be healed? Was that even possible? A flicker of doubt stirred in his chest, but he had no answers. Maya was a doctor too, but Preston knew his sister's skills weren't flawless. He couldn't risk their grandfather's life on her abilities. The best outcome would still be finding Serena. Now, he finally had. The only question was, could she still operate again? "Mr. Rice," Lucas said carefully, "when I arranged to block Athena's return, I checked into her situation with Ms. Maya. I heard they made a wager—if Athena completes the challenge, she'll be formally accepted into the surgical department."Preston's eyes narrowed, a sharp glint flashing across them. "Then listen closely," he said in a firm voice. "Cancel the order. Let Athena return to Vlephia without any trouble." Lucas froze for a moment at the new order. He was frustrated. It was Preston himself who had ordered him to stop Athena from leaving, and now he wanted it undone. "What if Ms. Maya finds out? Won't she be furious?" Lucas asked worriedly. Preston didn't seem the least bit bothered. To him, Desmond's life was far more important than Maya's. Letting Athena return wasn't an act of kindness; it was a test. He wanted to see if she still had the skill to hold a scalpel. If she were as capable as she used to be, he'd do whatever it took to make her perform surgery on Desmond. Preston gave Lucas a sidelong glance and said calmly, "She won't know if you keep your mouth shut. Just told Maya that Athena pulled some strings and managed to get back on her own." Lucas broke into a cold sweat. Did my boss just betrayed his sister? Meanwhile, Athena had no idea she was already being watched. She sat quietly in the waiting area, taking an empty seat while Zaden went to handle the visa issue. Luckily, they had arrived early in case of traffic. Otherwise, they might have missed their flight entirely. Still, she hadn't expected things to go wrong at the last minute. Athena sighed helplessly. But she wasn't the kind of woman who gave up easily. The tougher the challenge, the more determined she became. Deep down, she made herself a promise: she would defeat Maya, no matter what it took.