Chapter 5
1286 Words
Gabriel was furious. "Enemies? Haven't we always been enemies all these years? Anyway, I'm the one who hit him. If you want revenge, do whatever you want!"
"Hey—"
Evelyn was about to explode with rage, but before she could say anything, Gabriel hung up on her.
Evelyn's anger boiled over. For a moment, she almost threw it across the room.
As the president of Brown Group, she had always prided herself on keeping her emotions in check. But Gabriel's behavior today had pushed her to the edge.
Claire, who had been standing nearby, couldn't hold back her anger. "Evelyn, that useless Gabriel really doesn't know his place. If he keeps acting like this, we should find someone to teach him a lesson."
"There's no need," Evelyn said, taking a deep breath to calm herself. "Whatever I owed him before is paid off now."
"But you can't just let this go!" Claire insisted, her voice rising.
Evelyn raised a hand to stop her. "Mom, that's enough. We have more important things to deal with. The Patel family's charity gala is coming."
"The charity gala? Does it have something to do with the partnership?"
"Yes," Evelyn said. "I just got word that Brown Group is on the Patel family's shortlist. If we make a good impression, we could become their next business partner."
"That's incredible, Evelyn! You have to seize this chance. The Patel family is the wealthiest in Calonia!"
***
In a VIP room at Calonia Hospital, an elderly man lay on the bed, looking frail and pale.
His face was ashen, his lips a faint purple, and his breathing was shallow as if he could slip away at any moment.
Several members of the Patel family stood around him, their faces heavy with worry.
At that moment, Emily walked in with Gabriel.
From the grim looks on everyone's faces, Gabriel could tell the situation was critical.
"Mom, how's Grandpa?" Emily asked softly as she approached her mother.
Alice, Emily's mother, turned to her with a worried expression.
"Emily, you're finally here." She sighed.
"Your grandfather's condition is getting worse. These doctors are a bunch of idiots. They've done everything they can, but nothing's working!"
Alice, draped in glittering jewelry, looked both worried and angry.
"Ms. Patel, we've done everything possible. We've used the best-imported medications and carried out every procedure, but we're only treating the symptoms. The root cause remains unresolved, and his condition hasn't improved."
One of the attending physicians spoke up, his tone apologetic.
Emily's voice turned cold as she said, "If you can't do it, we'll find someone else. Let Mr. Martin take a look."
"Mr. Martin?"
Everyone in the room turned to Gabriel, their expressions ranging from surprise to skepticism.
The man standing beside Emily looked far too young to be a doctor.
"Emily, are you serious? This is the doctor you brought?" Alice asked, her tone full of disdain. "He looks like he's your age. Does he even know anything about medicine?"
"Don't judge a book by its cover," Emily replied firmly. "You'll see if he's capable or not once he examines Grandpa."
To be honest, Emily wasn't entirely confident either. Gabriel had only mentioned in passing that he knew medicine, but with no other options left, she decided to take a chance and ask Gabriel for help.
Alice's skepticism deepened as she eyed Gabriel up and down.
"Do you really know medicine?" she asked.
Gabriel remained unfazed. "I know a little."
"A little?" Alice sneered. "Don't be ridiculous. The doctors in this ward are the best in Calonia. If even they can't help, what makes you think you can, 'Dr. Know-A-Little'?"
"Mom!" Emily frowned, clearly embarrassed as she stomped her foot. "Why are you being so rude?"
"I'm just worried, Emily," Alice replied anxiously. "He doesn't look like a good doctor. What if he makes things worse?"
"That won't happen, Mom," Emily said with a frown. "I went through a lot to bring him here. Let him at least take a look."
Alice raised her head, still unconvinced. "I won't trust him unless he proves himself first."
Gabriel met her gaze calmly. "How do you want me to prove it?"
Alice hesitated for a moment, then frowned. "Diagnose me. If you can tell me what's wrong with me, I'll believe you."
"Are you sure?" Gabriel asked.
"What, are you scared?" Alice scoffed. "If you can't do it, just leave and stop wasting our time."
Without another word, Gabriel gestured for her and said, "Please stick out your tongue."
Alice hesitated but eventually complied.
Gabriel leaned in briefly to check her tongue, then straightened up.
"There's something wrong with your liver, which makes you irritable. You don't sleep well, you get frequent headaches, and you have hormonal imbalances and irregular periods. Also, you've been dealing with a toothache on your right side and hemorrhoids."
Alice's face froze.
"How... How do you know that?" Alice stammered as her eyes widened, and her cheeks flushed bright red, a mix of embarrassment and shock on her face. She hadn't expected this young doctor's diagnosis to be so accurate.
'Is this doctor really that amazing? Could it just be a lucky guess?' she wondered.
Noticing Alice's surprised expression, Gabriel remained calm and explained, "I studied medicine in the East. There, we focus on observation and inquiry. Just by looking, I can diagnose with about 80 to 90 percent accuracy."
"Mom, do you believe him now?" Emily's lips curved into a small smile. She was sure Gabriel had wonderful medical skills.
"He's my friend's ex-husband. He'll never lie to me."
Emily mentioned Gabriel's identity to reassure her mother.
"Your friend's ex-husband? Who is that friend of yours?" Alice asked.
"Evelyn."
"What? He divorced Evelyn?"
"Yes, recently," Emily replied.
Emily's heart fluttered, and a wave of pride swelled within her. Gabriel had only revealed a fraction of his abilities, yet it was already remarkable. There was no denying he possessed real talent.
Alice, noticing the trust and perhaps even a touch of affection her daughter showed toward Gabriel, felt a pang of unease. She refused to admit defeat and couldn't resist taking a jab at him.
"Hmph! That was nothing but dumb luck. What's so amazing about that? You'd better watch out and not let him fool you!"
Emily gave Gabriel an apologetic look and quickly defended him.
"Gabriel, don't mind my mom. She's just too stubborn to admit she's wrong."
Gabriel didn't seem bothered at all. He gave her a calm, faint smile.
"It's alright. Let's focus on the treatment."
He turned his attention to Emily's grandfather, Brandon Patel, stepping closer to examine him carefully. Within moments, he had pieced together a clear understanding of the situation.
Straightening up, Gabriel was just about to explain Brandon's condition and outline the treatment plan when the door swung open. A pretty young woman entered the ward, followed by a strikingly handsome man in his thirties.
"Emily, I brought an amazing doctor!"
The girl, Jessica Reed, was Emily's younger cousin.
With a proud smile, Jessica gestured toward the man beside her. "This is Aaron Freeman. He's a doctor who just came back from studying in the East. He's already made a name for himself as a miracle doctor in Calonia."
Her eyes sparkled with admiration as she glanced up at him.
Aaron acknowledged everyone with a suave nod and a self-assured smile. He looked to be in his early thirties, impeccably dressed in designer clothes, with sharp features and a perfectly balanced frame. He was the very picture of a wealthy, charming gentleman.
But the moment Aaron's gaze landed on Gabriel standing by the bedside, his expression shifted. His voice was sharp and direct.
"Who is he?"
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