"Mom, why is Dad being so nice to Athena?" Patricia hesitated, unsure if she should tell Preston the truth about that woman's mother. But after thinking about it, she decided not to—if Fabio ever found out, he would lose his temper, and things would spiral out of control. So she just said casually, "Your father thinks that woman reminds him of his first love. That's probably why he's treating her better than usual." That explanation actually made sense. Preston nodded and replied calmly, "Mom, if that's the case, then there's no problem letting her work in our family's hospital. You shouldn't overthink it." Since Patricia could not tell him the truth, she just nodded vaguely. After calming his mother down, Preston returned to his room. He took out his phone again and stared at Serena's latest post, his eyes growing heavy with thought. Whether Athena could still hold a scalpel or not—all depended on tomorrow. ... The next morning, the hospital entrance was packed. Apparently, the wager between Athena and Maya had drawn a ton of attention. Dozens of reporters had gathered, sensing a big headline. After all, even though Athena was just an ordinary doctor, Maya was a well-known figure in the upper circle—and when it came to gossip, the high society scene was just as juicy as the entertainment world. The moment Athena arrived, she was immediately surrounded. Zaden had already expected this, so he had asked Tommy to bring extra bodyguards. As the reporters surged forward, they were quickly blocked. "Sorry, Dr. Hall needs to prepare for surgery. Please don't disturb her," one of them said firmly. Under heavy escort, Athena entered the hospital, leaving the reporters waiting outside. Moments later, Maya appeared. The crowd instantly swarmed around her like flies drawn to honey. "Professor Rice, do you think Athena will manage to complete the challenge you set?" "Earlier, you released a video showing Dr. Hall's failed simulation. Was that real?" "If she fails today, will you have her removed from the hospital?" ... Maya listened patiently without losing her composure. She smiled slightly and replied, "As for the outcome, I really can't say. Maybe Dr. Hall will surprise us. Sometimes people create miracles, you know?" Her tone carried subtle meaning. When she walked away, the reporters began exchanging glances, parsing her words—"create miracles"? That sounded like she did not believe Athena could do it at all, but was just being polite in public. Within minutes, the headlines were online. ... Inside the hospital, Athena's assistant, Jaylee, hurried over with a folder. "Dr. Hall, everything's ready. Here's the patient's data and test results. Would you like to review them?" Athena nodded. "Let me see." Most doctors trusted their assistants completely, but Athena could not afford to be careless, as this operation would decide her future and the outcome of her bet with Maya. As she skimmed through the reports, her brow furrowed slightly. Jaylee noticed and asked nervously, "Is something wrong, Dr. Hall?" Athena shook her head. "No, it's fine." She handed the papers back. Relieved, Jaylee smiled and said, "Everyone's in place. We're ready to begin." "Good," Athena replied softly. "Let's get started." However, as Jaylee walked away, Athena's eyes turned cold. The test results were off—someone had tampered with them. She did not yet know who, but her instincts told her to be cautious. Even though Kate had assigned Jaylee to assist her, Athena could not fully trust anyone. She had learned that lesson the hard way. Just then, Kate walked in. "Athena, how's the prep going?" Athena smiled warmly. "Everything's ready, Professor." "Good," Kate said encouragingly. "Give it your all. If you pull this off, you'll have your second chance."