Chapter 1

Lydia Evans, the prime minister's daughter, was standing in the snow, crying her heart out.

"Dr. Parker, I'm three months pregnant. How could you just abandon me after everything we've shared?" she sobbed.

She pulled out a necklace with a pendant engraved with my name, claiming I gave it to her that night. Proof of our love.

The crowd started pointing fingers at me, calling me a jerk who slept with a woman and walked away.

I stared at her barely rounded belly. This was utterly absurd.

I only examined her once, just a month ago. How could she end up pregnant with my child?

Besides, I was a woman. There was no way I could get her pregnant.

*****

I pulled my robe tighter and stood in front of the clinic, watching the chaos unfold with a cold, detached stare.

But the crowd was absolutely furious.

"Casey, you monster! Ms. Evans threw away her reputation for you, and you're just standing here, acting like nothing happened," someone shouted.

"Yeah. You always act so refined, but turns out you're just a heartless scoundrel who seduced a woman and abandoned her!" another person yelled.

"Wreck his clinic! Someone like him doesn't deserve to practice medicine," another one said.

Rotten vegetables and reeking eggs rained down on me. I twisted aside to dodge a rock, but it still grazed my forehead, scraping the skin.

A drop of blood trickled down my cheek. I wiped it away, my fingertips stained red.

When Lydia saw that, her crying got even more dramatic. She clutched her belly and tried to hurl herself against the pillar.

"If Casey won't own up to it, then I'll die here with this baby inside me. That's better than living with everyone gossiping behind my back!" she wailed.

If she really hurled herself against my doorpost, the whole city would be talking. Their whispers alone would bury me.

Just as the crowd was about to rush forward and wreck my clinic, the sound of hooves suddenly cut through the chaos.

The onlookers instantly fell silent, hurriedly and nervously parted to make way.

The carriage came to a smooth stop right in front of the clinic.

Audrey Evans, the matriarch of Evans Manor, stepped down, leaning on a maid's arm.

I squinted, giving Audrey a cold look—the same woman who never so much as glanced my way on any ordinary day.

Lydia stumbled over, clutching Audrey's legs and crying even harder.

"Mother, I've disgraced Evans Manor, but Casey refuses to acknowledge it!" Lydia wailed.

Audrey gave me a dismissive glance, pressing a handkerchief to her nose.

"Dr. Parker, you certainly know how to put on airs," Audrey remarked, her tone icy.

"Evans Manor may not be royalty, but we won't be humiliated. Lydia may be adopted, but she's still Lord Evans' cherished child," Audrey declared.

As she spoke, she signaled to the servants behind her with a subtle gesture.

Immediately, more than a dozen servants stepped forward, holding clubs and forming a tight blockade at the clinic's entrance.

"What's this about, Lady Evans?" I asked, my voice icy.

Audrey let out a cold laugh.

"Casey, let's stop pretending. The whole city saw it—Lydia's pregnant with your baby.

"If you're smart, close up this rundown clinic and come back to Evans Manor. Marry Lydia and join our family. Because of your medical skills, I'm willing to tolerate it."

I sneered inwardly. They really knew how to play this game.

They wanted to cover up Lydia's out-of-wedlock pregnancy. At the same time, they wanted me, the doctor currently treating the Crown Prince, Franklin Campbell, right where they could control me.

"And what if I refuse?" I retorted.

Audrey's expression turned icy in an instant.

"Refuse? Fine, you want to do this the hard way," she sneered.

She suddenly waved her hand, pointing at the clinic sign above the door.

"Smash it. If Casey won't cooperate, then this clinic doesn't deserve to stand. Once you're done, tie him up and haul him to the magistrate. Charge him with seducing a nobleman's daughter."

The servants lunged forward at her command.

One of them raised his club and aimed it right at the sign above the door. It read: [The Healing Hand.]

"Stop!" I shouted, my voice sharp and commanding.

I stepped in front of the door, blocking their way.

Lydia stopped crying. She looked up, and through her tear-streaked eyes, a flicker of bitter resentment flashed.

"Casey, just agree, please? Mother's only doing this for us," she pleaded, her voice trembling with feigned sorrow.

Even as she cried, she blocked my way, making sure I had no chance to defend myself.

With Evans Manor throwing its full weight behind this, the crowd started murmuring again.

"Dr. Parker really doesn't know a good thing when he sees it. He strikes gold with Evans Manor and still isn't satisfied?" Someone scoffed.

"Yeah, he ruined Ms. Evans' life and won't own up to it? No wonder they're tearing his clinic apart," another person jeered.

I stared back at Audrey, her eyes full of ruthless determination. Instead of fueling my anger, it made me cold and calm inside.

Since the Evans family had cornered me like this, they'd better be ready for the storm I was about to bring.