Athena understood what Kate meant. In the past, she had to step back because of her hand injury. Now that she'd completed this surgery, it proved she was capable of returning. "I will," Athena said with a smile. While the two were talking, Barbara suddenly walked over. She glanced at Athena, then sneered. "Athena, your arrogance and your little rivalry with Maya have already caused major trouble for our hospital. You saw the reporters outside when you came in. If you can't complete this surgery today, you'll resign on your own." Athena's expression stayed calm. "Whether I resign or not isn't up to you. Let's wait and see." Barbara scoffed, unimpressed. Maya had already convinced the patient to reject Athena's surgery. No matter how confident Athena acted, there was no way she could operate now. That meant total defeat. "Dr. Hall!" Jaylee suddenly rushed in, looking panicked. "The patient refuses to go through with the surgery! No matter what we say, they won't listen!" "What?" Kate looked shocked. How could this happen? Why would the patient suddenly change their mind? Everything was already prepared, and they were moments away from starting the operation. Without the patient's consent, it could not continue. Athena froze for a second. She had not expected this. Without a patient, all her preparation meant nothing.She told herself quietly, Stay calm. Barbara's lips curved upward in a mocking smile. "Athena, seems like the patient changed their mind because they don't trust your skills. So, does that mean you've lost this challenge?" Her voice hardened. "Since you've lost, you should leave the hospital voluntarily. Don't make me escort you out, as that would be embarrassing for everyone." Kate was trembling with anger. She had dealt with unreliable patients before, so she knew people could be unpredictable. However, she had confirmed this one several times, even offering to cover the cost of treatment. She never thought they would go back on their word now. "I'll talk to the patient," she said grimly. Barbara laughed behind her hand, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Kate, what's the point? The patient already said no. If you push them again and their condition worsens, they might even blame you for it." Athena's face darkened. She could redo falsified test results and personally monitor everything, but if the patient refused the surgery, there was nothing she could do. That was when Maya appeared. Seeing the tense scene—with Kate and Athena both looking upset—Maya smiled sweetly. "Athena, what's wrong? You look terrible. Did something go wrong with the surgery?" Athena met Maya's gaze, sensing the smug satisfaction in her smile. This had Maya's fingerprints all over it. She had done everything to sabotage her—intercepting her overseas return, tampering with data, and now, turning the patient against her. Barbara smirked. "The patient regrets choosing Athena. They must've realized her abilities aren't up to par."Maya pretended to look surprised. "Athena, maybe you should just apologize to me. If you do, I might let you stay, perhaps in a logistics role at the hospital. How about that?" Athena's eyes turned cold. "Since when did this hospital belong to the Rices? Since when did you get to decide anything here?" Maya did not expect Athena to still fight back. She frowned, clearly annoyed. "Athena, stop pretending. The patient rejected your surgery, so your challenge is over. You lost."