?Chapter 1259:


    “Ms. Delgado, who’s this gentleman?” Lenny cleared his throat, his voice carrying barely concealed wariness.


    Tina moved swiftly to ine’s bedside, worry etching itself across her features as she studied his pale form. Several heartbeats passed before she raised her eyes to meet Lenny’s gaze. “Dr. Hond, meet Dr. Lawson. Ms. Hudson personally arranged for his consultation on Mr. Castro’s case.”


    Sadie had personally arranged this? Blood drained from Lenny’s face as his heart hammered against his ribs. What could have prompted Sadie to suddenly involve an outside physician? Had she discovered something? Fighting to suppress the panic threatening to overwhelm him, Lenny put on a brittle smile and stepped forward.


    “Ms. Delgado, I’m afraid this arrangement seems rather irregr, wouldn’t you agree? Mr. Castro’s condition has stabilized under our current care, and our treatment protocol has shown consistent results throughout.”


    His stay. Introducing an external consultant without proper hospital coordination could createplications…” His voice trailed off as cold sweat beaded along his spine. Under no circumstances could he allow anyone to examine ine thoroughly. Discovery would destroy everything. Years of his painstaking efforts could crumble in an instant.


    Tina had already picked up on his obvious anxiety and defensive posturing. Doubt flickered through her mind briefly, but memories of Sadie’s clear instructions and Hurst’s almost miraculous treatment of Noah steadied her resolve. “Dr. Hond, there’s really no need for concern. Dr. Lawson is simply here for a consultation. His assessment won’t disrupt any of your ongoing treatments. Besides, this requestes from us, the patient’s family.”


    Hurst remained silent throughout their tense exchange, his sharp eyes drinking in every detail. First, he studied ine’s motionless form on the hospital bed, then his gaze shifted to Lenny’s barely contained panic. Things were about to get very interesting indeed.


    Hurst crossed the room with confident strides, paying no attention to the murderous look Lenny was drilling into his back. He studied the monitor readings with casual interest before lifting ine’s eyelids for a brief inspection. His fingers found the patient’s wrist first, then moved to check the pulse point along his neck.


    Every movement appeared rxed and unhurried, yet there was an unmistakable precision to his examination that spoke of genuine expertise. Sweat began forming along Lenny’s hairline as he watched from the sidelines. His pulse thundered so loudly he was certain everyone could hear it. Each breath came shallow and strained as he watched Hurst’s deceptively casual inspection, dreading the moment something might be discovered.


    Just who was this man? What kind of doctor used such unorthodox examination techniques? Silent prayers ran through Lenny’s mind, as he begged that Hurst would find nothing suspicious.


    Every chapter lives on g a lno vels ;m


    Suddenly, Hurst’s fingers stilled against ine’s throat, and his eyebrows rose just a fraction. He pulled his hand back and let his eyes drift around the sterile room until they settled on a pack of acupuncture needles resting on a nearby medical cart.


    Without hesitation, he reached for one of the thin silver needles and began twirling it between his fingers with practiced ease. The needle danced in his grip, spinning with fluid precision that made it seem almost enchanted.


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