The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Faced with Barbara's accusations, Faye felt not a ripple of disturbance inside her; she even felt an urge to laugh.

“Oh? You're saying | intentionally provoked you? Then why is it that someone reported you and not me?” Faye crossed her arms

and looked towards Barbara, “You were causing a scene in the patient's room, seriously disrupting their rest. How does that

translate toprovoking you?”

“It was you who insisted | follow into the room, wasn’t it? And you used the pretense of making rounds to argue within there.

We already had our differences, and you still had to do this!” Barbara pointed accusingly at Faye.

Seeing this, the intern Faye was mentoring couldn't help but frown. She stepped forward to stand with Faye, “Speak your mind, but

there's no need to be as loud and unruly as a fishwife here. Don’t you know the hospital’s most basic rule is to keep quiet?”

“And who do you think you are, shouting atlike this? Do you even want to remain here?” Barbara looked down upon the intern

with disdain.

The deputy director recognized the situation for what it was. Even though he had been forewarned by Barbara's influential family,

their domestic issues were well known.

“Dr. Barbara, mind your manners!” Despite the pressure, the deputy director scolded Barbara for her behavior.

Barbara looked at him in astonishment, “Deputy director, she’s an intern under Faye. Of course, they would take Faye’'s side. She's

not even fully qualified and dares to speak tolike this. What next, will she slapin the face after getting certified?”

Faye bit back the urge to snap at her, “Since we all have our own opinions, why don’t we just check the surveillance footage to see

what really happened? Otherwise, you'll keep claiming innocence and I'll remain baffled by your allegations.”

Hearing Faye suggest checking the surveillance, Barbara momentarily felt a surge of triumph, knowing well that there were no

cameras inside the patient rooms, thus no evidence of what transpired could be found.

The deputy director knew handling this situation poorly could affect his position, especially with Logan still present in the hospital.

After a brief moment of consideration, they all headed towards the surveillance room.

On the way there, Barbara almost hummed a tune, feeling inexplicably relaxed.

Just as Logan was finishing a follow-up with a patient, planning to consult the director about sissues, he bumped into the

group.

“What's going on here?” Logan asked instinctively.

Had the deputy director not been putting on a strong front, he might have been on the verge of a breakdown. Now, with everyone

gathered, it seemed like a storm was brewing - one that might threaten his position.

Seeing Logan's raised eyebrow waiting for an answer, the deputy director quickly deflected, “We're just heading to the surveillance

room to check on a few things, Logan. You go on with your work; we won't be long.”

Rushing off without giving Logan a chance to respond, the deputy director led the group away.

Logan, puzzled but sensing trouble, headed towards his office.

Along the way, whispers and gossip about the incident filled the halls, with people discussing the matter in hushed tones. Logan

didn’t stop to eavesdrop, but snippets of conversation reached him nheless.

“Did you hear? Dr. Barbara went after Faye again. Those two are always at it, like clockwork, but this tthey've even dragged

the deputy director into it.”

“In a way, they're like frenemies.”

“Frenemies? More like Faye’spletely fed up with Dr. Barbara constantly pestering her. Today, Barbara even showed up at her

door.”

“Hey, do you know the full story? Spill the beans; | just got done with a patient and missed all the .”

“Well, you know the schedule got switched yesterday, right? Barbara must've missed the memo. This morning, her rounds were

reassigned to Faye's area. They ran into each other on the fifth floor. Faye went in first, and Barbara followed right after, starting an

argument in front of the patients. There wereplaints, and now they're heading to the surveillance room for evidence.”

Logan, surrounded by these murmurs, had no interest in lingering on the conversation. He barely put down what he was holding

before making a beeline for the surveillance room, a smirk playing on his lips at the thought of the hospital's never-ending .

In the surveillance room, everyone stood in a line, eyes glued to the screen.

The footage showed Faye leading the way into the room, followed by a clearly agitated Barbara.

Seeing this, the deputy director had a good idea of what transpired but was in a tough spot. Barbara had connections in high

places, making her untouchable. Her presence in the hospital was merely for show.

On the other hand, Faye, who had no such backing, was a valuable asset to the hospital but stood no chance against Barbara's

influence.

After reviewing the footage, Barbara preemptively defended herself, "She was verbally provokingthe whole tin that room. |

was pushed to my limit; how else would | react towards those patients?"

The deputy director coughed lightly, seeking a way out, “Dr. Faye, do you have anything to say in your defense?”

“The room had no surveillance, so there's no proof. Dr. Barbara, those words are better suited for you to hear, don’t brainwash

yourself too,” Faye retorted coldly, “Don’t et, if | was at fault, why didn’t theplaints mention me? Is that so hard to

understand?”

Faye’s disdain was palpable, leaving Barbara fuming and desperately seeking the deputy director's support.

If he wanted to keep his position, he'd need to tread carefully.

With a sigh, the deputy director turned to Faye, “Dr. Faye, perhaps it’s best if you just apologize to Dr. Barbara. Let's just let this go,

shall we?”

Everyone, except Barbara, was taken aback by this conclusion. Despite the clear evidence, the deputy director chose to side with

Barbara, revealing the true dynamics at play.

At this point, Faye had no intention of playing nice with the deputy dean. "If you're willing to take Dr. Barbara's word for it without a

second thought, then go ahead and make your decision. No need to draginto it."

The color drained from the deputy dean's face at Faye’s retort, his brows furrowing in irritation. "What's that supposed to mean, Dr.

Ellis? I'm here trying to see justice done, and you're accusingof taking sides with Dr. Barbara?"

His gaze swept over the interns nearby, the powerful aura he wielded had already ensured that the one with connections had been

whisked away, leaving behind those with talent but no influential backing.

Who would be willing to risk their future to stand by Faye?

Faye could see right through the deputy dean'’s little scheme. "Oh, so you're familiar with the concept of bias? Here | was thinking

you'd play the oblivious card."

Her tone, dripping with sarcasm, infuriated the deputy dean. "I'm giving you a chance to save face, you'd do well to take it!"