"I am Penney. I’m here to treat Matriarch Ford," she answered calmly, her voice entirely flat and devoid of emotion.
Cyrus Ford narrowed his long, sharp eyes. The smirk tugging at the corners of his lips was colder than ice. There was something too familiar about her.
"Is it a doctor’s duty to barge into someone’s room wearing a mask?" Without waiting for an answer, Cyrus reached out mercilessly, his hand swiping through the air so fast it audibly sliced the wind.
When his fingertips were mere inches away, Zoe Shaw turned her face aside. Her pitch-black hair slipped over her shoulder. He couldn’t see her lips; he could only make out the delicate line of her neck drawing down to her collarbone, casting a faint, ambiguous allure in the dim light.
"I am only here to treat the patient. Please show some respect, Mr. Ford." Zoe pushed the door handle and took a step back, her resistance palpable.
Cyrus let out a low chuckle. "I get the feeling you’re afraid of me. We know each other, don’t we?"
The question hung in the air, unanswered. Zoe’s breathing hitched. His oppressive aura was even stronger than it had been in the past. If she hadn’t been tempered by years of hardship, she probably would have surrendered and confessed everything right then and there.
Cyrus wasn’t a patient man. He suddenly grabbed Zoe by the chin. She winced in pain as his other hand moved to rip off her mask.
The butler abruptly pounded on the door, halting him in his tracks. "Bad news! The Matriarch fainted again! Young Master, Miss Penny isn’t in her room—"
"I’m here!" It was as if Zoe had grabbed onto a lifeline. Without a second thought, she used his moment of distraction to break free from his grip.
Cyrus stood in the darkness, thoughtfully staring after her fleeing figure. The faint scent of her perfume lingered on his fingers. It was a very familiar fragrance—gardenias. He only knew one person who liked that scent: Zoe.
***
Zoe jogged downstairs, rushed to her room to grab her medical kit, and barged straight into Madam Ford’s room. The room was packed with people, but she didn’t care to pay them any mind. Just as she was about to step up to Madam Ford’s side, someone blocked her path.
"Whose servant is this? Where are your manners? Can’t you see Dr. Zane is examining the Matriarch? What if your sudden intrusion startles her?" Claire Lockwood’s perfectly made-up face contorted with contempt as she looked Zoe up and down dismissively.
"I am the doctor here to treat Matriarch Ford. Please step aside and don’t interfere with my diagnosis." Zoe frowned slightly at Claire’s hostile attitude.
Even five years ago, she had this exact same entitled, high-and-mighty demeanor. Zoe had no idea what she was so proud of. Whether it was family background, looks, or capabilities, Claire had absolutely nothing to show for herself in Avenburg’s high society, and she was frequently the subject of gossip and criticism. Yet here she was, having not grown or improved at all.
"Miss Lockwood, this is the renowned Dr. Penney," the butler interjected, trying to smooth over the awkward atmosphere with a strained smile. "She is highly skilled in medicine and flew back from abroad specifically to treat the Matriarch’s illness."
Claire crossed her arms and smirked, the thick foundation on her face creasing at the edges of her mouth. Her tone was dripping with sarcasm. "Her? Look at how young she is! How capable could she possibly be? They say the older the doctor, the wiser the diagnosis. Only someone old and experienced can be called ’highly skilled’! Who the hell does she think she is?"
Claire’s words managed to offend quite a few people in the room. Even Dr. Zane’s expression instantly soured.
"You’re so young, yet you refuse to walk an honest path! I’ve seen plenty of swindlers like you!" Elaine Carter chimed in coldly. Throwing her weight around as Mrs. Ford, she glared in disgust at Zoe, who was still hiding behind her mask. "How could the world-renowned Dr. Penney possibly be a woman in her mid-twenties? Ridiculous! If you’re truly the famous Dr. Penney, why don’t you even have the guts to take off your mask and hat?"
"Matriarch Ford’s lips are turning purple. She is clearly in critical condition, and you’re sure you want to stand here spouting nonsense?" Zoe shot back. "If something happens to her, who will take responsibility? Or could it be... you harbor ulterior motives?"
Zoe hadn’t wanted to stoop to their level, but Madam Ford had treated her very well in the past. There was no way she could just stand by and watch her die. Thus, she had no choice but to casually toss such a heavy accusation onto their heads.
The two women blanched. Realizing they couldn’t possibly shoulder the blame if the Matriarch died, they barked in unison, "Don’t spout nonsense! Who has ulterior motives?!"
"Step aside." Zoe’s voice was stern and unyielding. Her aura wasn’t the least bit inferior to anyone else’s in the room, and her sharp eyes seemed to spark with the promise of war.
Claire reluctantly linked arms with Elaine. "Miss Ford, Dr. Zane is an excellent physician I went through great lengths to find. There definitely won’t be any problems if we let him treat her."
Stepping up to the plate, Dr. Zane hovered behind Zoe and watched as she opened her medical kit. To his shock, it was filled entirely with ten-inch-long silver needles. He watched her take the patient’s pulse, falling into deep thought for a long time.
Madam Ford’s body had essentially been worn to the ground. God only knew how many potent, over-nourishing tonics those quacks had prescribed her. The weaker a person’s body was, the less they should rely on heavy tonics. Otherwise, it would only backfire, forcing the body to expend its own vital energy just to process the strong medicinal properties.
Having made up her mind, Zoe unhesitatingly used a silver needle to prick all ten of Madam Ford’s fingertips. Pitch-black blood welled out, some even splattering onto Zoe’s clothes.
"Butler, look at her! Isn’t she trying to kill someone? Look at all that blood!" Elaine shrieked at the top of her lungs, immediately drawing everyone’s attention.
The others harbored their own selfish motives. Dr. Zane certainly didn’t want to watch this highly lucrative job get snatched away by another woman. Moreover, in all his years of practicing medicine, he had never seen such a bizarre technique!
"Quick, stop her! She’s using dark magic!" Compared to Zoe, whom they had only just met, everyone implicitly trusted Dr. Zane’s words. A group of people surged forward, ready to pin her down and tie her up.
"Stop!" Cyrus Ford’s broad silhouette appeared in the doorway.
In an instant, an overwhelming aura washed over the room like a ten-mile wave of frost, paralyzing everyone present.
Claire was the first to recover her senses. Pinching her voice to sound sickly sweet, she hurried to explain, "Cyrus, this woman is actually trying to poison Grandma! You have to seek justice for her!"
"Let her go. Let her treat the patient." Cyrus didn’t even spare her a single glance.
"Cyrus, have you fallen for a honey trap? I’ve heard a thing or two about Penney’s reputation. A miracle doctor of that caliber must be in her early fifties at least!" Elaine suppressed her temper and pulled Claire behind her. "I am the one calling the shots here. We’re letting Dr. Zane examine her!"
"I don’t want to repeat myself." Cyrus’s face was as cold as frost, his low, chilling voice escaping from his attractive thin lips. His cold, ink-black eyes swept over the crowd, but his gaze ultimately anchored on Zoe.
Cyrus was actually disrespecting his stepmother in public! Elaine ground her teeth, fuming but not daring to speak out.
Hearing his voice, Zoe’s heart gave an inexplicable tremble. Focusing entirely on the needles in Madam Ford’s fingertips, she kept track of the time and said coldly, "Everyone, get out. No one is allowed to disturb me while I’m practicing medicine!"
"Oh? You won’t let us watch? Are you feeling guilty? Afraid we might see through you?" Claire knitted her brows and shot Zoe a vicious glare before coming to a sudden realization. "Could it be that you’re just Penney’s assistant, posing as her?!"