Athena stayed silent. Seeing her quiet, Maya's lips curved with pride. "Since you've got nothing to say, that means this challenge is over." With that, she turned and left, eager to share the "good news" with the reporters waiting outside. She could not wait to let them know that Athena had failed. After Maya left, Barbara turned to Kate, her tone dripping with smugness. "Kate, this is your star pupil? Look at her now—even the patient doesn't trust her. And you thought she could bring you glory again? What a joke." Then, Barbara also left. Only Athena, Kate, and Jaylee remained in the room. Kate was furious. "That woman is insufferable! The patient refusing the surgery isn't even your fault, yet she's acting like she's won something!" Then she turned to Athena. "I'll go talk to the patient again. Maybe I can change their mind. "Unbelievable! They knew your situation beforehand and agreed to the surgery—even after we reduced their medical fees. How could they suddenly back out?" Athena reached out and stopped her. "Professor, don't. Someone's clearly stirring things up behind the scenes. If you go now, you might fall right into their trap. Besides, the patient's probably under stress, so pushing them won't help." Hearing that, Kate grew even more anxious. "Then what do we do? You've prepared so much, and you even did mock surgeries abroad. Are you just going to give up like this?" Her eyes reddened; she could not stand seeing Athena lose like this, not when they were so close.Athena lowered her head, saying nothing. Knowing how upset she must be, Kate sighed. "All right, don't dwell on it. We'll take this as a setback. Next time, I'll make sure everything is perfect—no more mistakes." Then she turned to Jaylee. "Take Athena to the lounge to rest for a bit." Jaylee nodded. "Dr. Hall, let's go." Once Athena entered the lounge, Zaden arrived. Seeing her sitting there with her head down, he walked over and asked, "What happened? Why did the patient back out?" Athena gave a bitter smile. "I don't know. Maybe they were just scared something might go wrong." Zaden frowned. He knew how much this meant to her, and how much it would hurt to see everything fall apart like this. He took a deep breath, forcing down his frustration. "I'll find another patient who's willing to let you operate. Athena, don't give up." When Athena looked up and met his eyes, she saw the worry in them. Warmth spread through her chest. A moment ago, she had felt completely helpless, but now that Zaden was here, offering her a plan, the weight on her heart suddenly eased. Her lips curved slightly. "Thank you." Zaden let out a relieved sigh when she finally smiled. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, hugging her tightly. "Come on, no need for thank-yous between us." He was right. She was Mrs. Storm now. She did not need to thank him for anything. Zaden took out his phone and called Tommy. "Find patients in the city who are scheduled for surgery. Anyone willing to let Dr. Hall operate will receive free treatment at Storm Hospital, all expenses waived." With terms like that, someone was bound to step forward. Once he finished giving orders, he hung up.Athena looked up at him nervously. "Zaden, do you think we'll actually find someone?" His voice was steady. "We will. I promise." After reassuring her, Zaden left the lounge. He knew how crucial this surgery was to Athena, and he would use every resource he had to help her. Meanwhile, Maya had already reached the hospital entrance. The reporters waiting outside had no idea what had happened yet. As soon as they saw her, they rushed forward, surrounding her. "Professor Rice, why are you out here so soon? Did Dr. Hall's surgery succeed?" "Professor Rice, can we livestream the surgery footage?" "Professor Rice, did Dr. Hall win this challenge?"