Chapter 2 The Doctor's Return

Mandy couldn't hide the flash of disgust in her eyes as she looked at Lily, who had always been like an untamable animal—impossible to win over despite years of effort.

For the past four years, Mandy had pretended to care about Lily's wellbeing, tending to her daily needs and frequently taking her to medical appointments. If Lily wasn't her ticket to becoming Mrs. Frost, Mandy would not waste any time trying to win her affection.

Even though Lily clearly disliked her, Mandy still put on a brave face and extended her arms toward Lily.

"Lily, come to mommy for a hug," she cooed.

At Mandy's words, Lily immediately turned away and clung tightly to Harrison's neck.

"But I want Daddy to hold me," she said in her childish voice. "Daddy hold."

Seeing Lily's reaction, Harrison gently stroked her back with affection.

"It's okay, sweetheart. Don't be afraid. Daddy's here. Daddy's holding you," he comforted her before turning to Mandy with a cold expression.

"Lily is still very young. If she doesn't want you to hold her, don't force her," he said firmly. "Right now, finding Dr. Johnson is your most important contribution."

Just as Harrison finished speaking, his assistant Simon approached with a phone in hand.

"Mr. Frost, our contact at the hospital just called. Dr. Johnson has already arrived at Westland General Hospital."

As Mandy heard this, her expression changed instantly.

"What? We've been standing here with the welcome sign for so long, and she went straight to the hospital?" Mandy had assured Harrison that Ella would be on this flight. Now, having missed her, Harrison would surely be displeased.

Simon glanced awkwardly at Mandy, waiting for Harrison's response.

After a moment, Harrison gave his order. "Let's go to the hospital."

Meanwhile, Elena, who had already arrived at the hospital, was reviewing test results and surgical plans for Zander's father with Nathan.

Nathan stood beside her, explaining the situation. "Elena, my skills aren't quite sufficient for such a complex procedure. With the patient's advanced age, I'm not confident I can handle it. That's why I called you back—we need your expertise."

While examining the documents, Elena responded professionally, "It's fine. This type of case is indeed rare domestically, and the surgery is quite challenging. Tell the operating room we'll begin in thirty minutes. I'll need you as my surgical assistant."

Nathan nodded immediately. "Of course. It's an honor to assist you."

Indeed, Elena had spent years abroad perfecting her surgical techniques. Her medical expertise was not only unparalleled domestically but also highly respected internationally. However, she preferred to maintain a low profile, practicing under the name Ella Johnson and becoming something of a mysterious figure in medical circles.

If not for her past connection with Nathan as former classmates, he wouldn't have dared to take on Zander's father's case.

With all pre-surgical preparations complete, Elena spoke to her two children before entering the operating room.

"Connor, Mia, I need you both to wait quietly in the rest area. This surgery will take quite some time, so please behave yourselves," she instructed gently. "As soon as it's over, your godmother will come to the hospital to pick us up. If you need anything, just ask the hospital staff—they'll help you."

Both children nodded obediently. Connor held a laptop while Mia clutched a high-performance smartphone, both deeply engaged in their devices.

Connor waved at Elena. "Mom, don't worry about us. I'll take good care of Mia."

Elena looked at her children with pride. Over the years, despite her demanding work schedule and financial pressures, both children had grown remarkably independent, which had been a blessing for her.

After settling her children, Elena entered the operating room.

At that moment, Harrison and Mandy arrived at the hospital with their entourage. When they learned from their contact that Dr. Johnson had already entered surgery, Harrison grew anxious.

His daughter Lily had been born with a minor heart condition. For years, he had taken her to hospitals both domestically and internationally, but no doctor had been willing to perform surgery on her. After hearing about Ella's exceptional skills, he had hoped to seek her help for Lily, but they had repeatedly missed each other.

Sensing Harrison's concern, Mandy asked, "Harrison, what should we do now?"

Harrison gave her an irritated look. "There's nothing else to do but wait"

"But what if she doesn't come out for hours? Are we just going to wait here all this time? She's just a doctor—isn't she being rather arrogant?" Mandy complained.

Harrison turned to her with displeasure. "Mandy, you should watch what you say. She's not 'just a doctor'—she's one of the top surgeons internationally. Lily's operation depends entirely on her decision," he reminded her sternly. "This is our daughter's health we're talking about. Don't you care about that at all?"

Faced with Harrison's questioning, Mandy forced an awkward smile. To achieve her goals, she adopted a submissive tone.

"Harrison, that's not what I meant. I spoke without thinking because I'm so worried about Lily," she explained. "I'm her mother—how could I not be concerned about her health? I'd give my own heart for her if I could."

Her words rang hollow. The idea of sacrificing her heart for Lily was absurd.

Harrison didn't engage further in the argument. He found a chair and sat down with Lily in his arms.

Throughout their wait, he continued to care for Lily attentively, even feeding her fruit piece by piece to ensure she wouldn't choke.

Watching Harrison's tender care for Lily, Mandy felt a surge of jealousy. The little brat was born lucky—what had she done to deserve Harrison's affection?

Harrison had intended to wait outside the operating room for Ella, but midway through their wait, he received an important call about an urgent matter at the company that required his immediate attention.

As the situation reached an impasse, Mandy saw her opportunity to step in.