Chapter 523 - Chapter 521: Does Fooling Someone for a Lifetime Count as Deception?

Medical Center, Operating Room 2

"Christina, ever done a continuous diagonal cardiac suture?" Adam asked with a playful grin, glancing at Christina. She was staring at him eagerly, her single-lidded eyes peeking over her mask, practically sparkling with longing. He couldn't help but chuckle inside.

"Nope!" Christina shook her head.

"Think you can handle giving it a shot?" Adam raised an eyebrow.

"Absolutely!" Her voice brimmed with confidence and excitement 😊.

"Dr. Green?" Adam turned to Leonard.

"You're the lead surgeon, your call," Leonard replied with a laugh.

"Christina, come on over," Adam gestured.

The critical moment of saving the bald guy's life had passed, and Adam had already secured the lifespan points he needed. This continuous diagonal cardiac suture? He'd done it tons of times. By now, it was just muscle memory—second nature. With his control over his body and mind, he'd mastered it after just a few tries, reaching peak proficiency.

Letting Christina take a stab at it was a smart move. Win her over, build some loyalty—it was a worthwhile trade.

"Thanks!" Christina beamed, practically bouncing as she stepped up from her assistant spot to Adam's side. Under his guidance, she took the suturing tools, took a deep breath, and got ready.

"Hold it steady, don't grip too hard—nice, just like that," Adam coached from the sidelines.

Christina didn't disappoint. She was Adam's top protégé for a reason. Sure, she wasn't at his cosmetic-stitch level of finesse, but her fundamentals were rock-solid. That's why he was cool with giving her this chance. If it were Liz, Meredith, or George? No way, not a chance 😂.

Up in the Observation Room

The place was buzzing like a beehive.

"Oh my God!" 

"Christina's actually doing a continuous diagonal cardiac suture!" 

"Did she sleep with Adam or something?" 

"Ugh, she gets the perks and the happiness? So unfair!" 

"No way! There's no chance Dr. Duncan's into her—I refuse to believe it!" 

"Then explain why he handed her this opportunity. You think there's no deal involved?" 

"They're friends! Maybe Dr. Duncan's just helping out a buddy." 

"Oh, come on! Have you ever seen an intern hand over a surgery like this to another intern—their rival, no less?" 

"…Dr. Duncan's not your average intern. Haven't you noticed he's basically leading surgeries now?" 

"…Whatever, I still don't buy it. There's gotta be some shady deal between them!"

The gossip was flying, and most people were convinced Christina and Adam had some kind of sneaky "friends with benefits" arrangement. Adam, of course, had no clue—and even if he did, he wouldn't care. The truth always came out eventually, thanks to the sharpest little nurses who got him. They'd squash the rumors fast, and soon it'd be hospital gospel: "Dr. Duncan's such a stand-up guy. Man, I'd love to work under him."

And Christina? She'd started off just thrilled to get a free shot at this, but now she'd have to publicly acknowledge the huge favor. Do this a few more times, and that "just happy to freeload" vibe would crumble under the weight of public opinion and guilt.

Dr. Duncan's been so good to you—how could you turn against him or compete with him? 

Adam's actually pretty great to me. He's climbing fast—maybe sticking with him isn't a bad idea.

As the old saying goes: Every problem's a mindset issue. Get your head straight, and the problem solves itself.

Once the suture was done, Christina was still buzzing with excitement, but Adam took back the reins. You don't hand out all the goodies at once—dole them out slowly, keep 'em hungry. Like eating good food: stuff yourself silly, and it's misery. Leave 'em wanting more, and that's the sweet spot 😋.

The surgery went off without a hitch.

Afterward

Adam and Christina went to meet the bald guy's ex-wife and daughter.

"How's my dad?" The daughter, still showing a shred of decency, rushed up anxiously.

"Surgery was a success. The next 24 to 48 hours are critical, but if nothing goes wrong, he'll be fine," Adam said calmly.

"Thank you, Dr. Duncan!" The daughter teared up, then lunged forward, wrapping her arms tight around Adam's waist in a grateful hug.

"Jenny!" The curvy ex-wife snapped after a moment, noticing her daughter wasn't letting go. The young, handsome doctor's face was starting to look a little helpless. Her tone turned sharp.

"What?" Jenny finally let go, glaring at her mom. "Can't I be happy Dad's surgery went well? Do you hate seeing us happy or something?"

"Enough! I'm your mother! You don't talk to me like that!" The ex-wife exploded.

"Or what?" Jenny shot back, smirking like she had the upper hand.

"Your rent, your car, your spending money—pay for it all yourself from now on. Don't expect a dime from us," the ex-wife said with a cold laugh.

"No way!" Jenny freaked out. "That's my mental health treatment fund—you have to pay it!"

"Or what?" The ex-wife echoed her daughter's earlier taunt.

"You—!" Jenny was fuming.

"You gonna threaten me?" The ex-wife smirked. "Let me tell you something—I'm going home and confessing everything to Tom."

"What?!" Jenny's jaw dropped. "No way!"

"Just watch," the ex-wife said icily. "The first time it happened, I felt so guilty. I wasn't going to tell Tom because I thought it'd never happen again. But it kept happening, over and over, until one day, I stopped feeling guilty altogether. Now, with this mess—and thanks to your little reminder—I'm wide awake. I can't keep doing this. The truth always comes out. I'd rather Tom hear it from me than someone else. Because I love him!"

"…" Adam and Christina exchanged a look, both stunned by this dramatic love declaration. Uh… wow. Didn't see that coming! 😳

Jenny was floored too. After a long pause, realizing her mom wasn't bluffing, she panicked. "No, Mom, wait—I'm sorry! I won't tell Uncle Tom! I don't need the heated seats, okay? Or the LV bag! Don't be mad—I'll drop the mental health fund too. Just help with rent and maybe a new car? We can talk it out! You don't have to pay, just don't stop Dad from pitching in. Still no? I'm your daughter, come on…!"

Adam shook his head. The older generation's still got the upper hand. Jenny thought she could leverage some dirt to blackmail her mom, but her fierce mom turned the tables and had her spinning. Maybe the ex-wife really meant to confess and break free from the threats earlier—but seeing how easy it was to control her daughter now, that urge faded. After all, slapping a "cheater" label on herself, even for true love, wasn't exactly a comfy fit. Why bother when she could keep it under wraps? As long as her beloved Tom stayed in the dark 'til he kicked the bucket, does fooling someone for a lifetime even count as deception? Hmm. She'd promised him a lifetime of happiness, hadn't she? 🤔

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