Chapter 3

The elevator doors slid open.

Michael Grant hurried out.

He used to be my dad's deputy director—one of the few old hands still hanging on at the hospital.

When he saw me, his eyes went red.

"Lauren, you're finally back," he said.

"Uncle Mike, thanks for coming down for me," I said.

Michael turned to Mandy. "Is Dr. Linwood's office ready?"

Mandy froze, caught off guard.

I looked at her. "Didn't you say you were in charge of HR?"

Michael frowned. "Ms. Dean, I gave you Dr. Linwood's rehiring paperwork last week. You didn't process it?"

Mandy scrambled to explain. "I-I thought it was just for show."

"You really do think you know it all, don't you?" I said.

The receptionist lowered her head, not daring to look up.

Michael declared loudly for everyone to hear.

"From today on, Dr. Linwood is officially back at Harmony Medical Center, and she's also taking on the role of medical affairs consultant. Everyone, give her your full support."

Mandy's face went pale.

A few nurses nearby started whispering among themselves.

"Is she really Dr. Linwood?"

"I heard the Linwood heiress was super capable, but after she got married, she stopped coming around."

"Mandy just tried to put her down—she's in trouble now."

Mandy managed a stiff, awkward smile.

"Dr. Linwood, it was all just a mix-up," she said.

I looked at her. "This isn't some mix-up—you're just used to putting people down."

She was left speechless.

Michael led me to my office.

No sooner had I sat down than Andrew called.

I picked up.

Andrew didn't waste any time. "What are you doing at Harmony Medical Center?"

"I'm here to work," I said.

"Do you even realize how complicated hospital management is these days?"

"I do."

"Mandy just called me, saying you put her on the spot the moment you showed up."

I snorted. "She wastes no time tattling to you."

Andrew was barely keeping his temper in check.

"Lauren, what are you trying to prove?" he asked.

"I'm proving I don't need you to be worth something."

He was quiet for a couple of seconds. "I never said you were worthless," he said.

"But that's exactly how all of you have always treated me."

I hung up, not giving Andrew another chance to speak.

Michael looked at me, concern in his eyes.

"Is Mr. Hughes going to make things difficult for you?" he asked.

"He's been making things difficult for me for seven years," I replied.

Michael let out a heavy sigh. "Your father's coming back this afternoon."

My hand paused mid-motion. "Wasn't he supposed to be at the care facility?"

"He heard you were returning to the hospital, so he insisted on coming."

Michael lowered his voice. "There's something else—I found a copy of the supplementary agreement from when the Hughes family invested."

I looked at him. "Where is it?"

"In your father's safe."

He handed me an old photograph.

In the picture, my father stood at the hospital entrance, with another person by his side.

Their face was half-obscured by the glare of the sunlight.

Michael said, "Your dad always told me—the Linwood family still had one last ace up their sleeve."

Mandy's voice drifted in from the hallway. "Dr. Linwood, the director wants you in the conference room."

I tucked the photo away. "They sure didn't waste any time."

*****

The conference room was packed.

Victor Quinn, the hospital director, sat at the head of the table.

He was Andrew's guy.

As soon as I stepped in, Victor addressed me right away.

"Dr. Linwood, I heard you're coming back to work. Welcome," Victor said.

I took my seat. "Thank you."

Victor gave a polite smile. "This isn't your family's living room. You haven't been on the front lines for seven years, and now you're stepping right into a consultant role—some people might have a problem with that."

Mandy, sitting nearby, could barely contain her smug grin.

"So, who here has a problem with that?" I asked.

Victor glanced around the room.

No one said a word.

Mandy raised her hand. "I'm only thinking about patient safety here."

I shot her a look. "Since when does the deputy director of admin care about patient safety?"

Some people in the room tried to stifle their laughter.

Mandy's face turned bright red.

Victor cleared his throat. "Alright, there's a family consultation this afternoon. If you can handle it, Dr. Linwood, your consultant role stays—for now."

"And if I don't pull it off?" I asked.

"Then you'll start at the bottom—as a clinic assistant," Victor said.

Mandy jumped in right away. "Mrs. Linwood, don't feel like you're being singled out—everyone starts at the bottom here."

I turned to Victor. "And if I do handle it?"

Victor paused for a moment. "If you can handle it, nobody will have a problem with it."

"That's not enough," I said.

Everyone turned to look at me.

I pushed the reinstatement documents across the table. "If I handle it, Ms. Dean will apologize to me right here, in front of everyone, and she'll have to write a formal statement explaining why she delayed my paperwork."

Mandy shot to her feet. "Why should I?"

"Weren't you the one who just claimed HR is all yours?" I asked.

Victor didn't look too happy. "Dr. Linwood, no need to make such a big deal out of this."

"On my very first day back, I want everyone to know—I'm not here to let anyone walk all over me. Anyone who tries to mess with me will pay for it," I said.

The conference room went dead silent.

Victor finally nodded. "Fine."