Chapter 46 Plagiarism

Seraphina's POV:

So, after that day, Silas told me he'd keep his nose outta my business with Cecilia as long as I didn't drag him into it. I promised him I wouldn't, no need to push my luck.

Leaving that crazy fancy estate behind, I went back to my regular, boring life. Been a month now working at Hope Hospital.

Silas? Nowhere to be seen, thank God. We're from different planets, and mixing our worlds would be a disaster.

But Barry? That guy's been a pain in my butt. Every day, he dumps the most pointless tasks on me, one after another.

Even when he's "nice" enough to let me see patients, it's always the weird cases no one else wants to touch.

Watching me run ragged seemed to make him happy, like he wouldn't chill until I quit.

I was beat and feeling pretty hopeless, but I kept going.

That just ticked Barry off more. He stopped giving me even the dumb tasks and shoved me to work at the reception desk.

I wasn't thrilled, but I went along with it. Spent the whole morning swamped, didn't even get a sip of water.

Finally, as noon rolled around, things slowed down, and I got to sit and take a drink.

Barely two minutes in, I see Barry storming over.

By now, I'm used to it. I put down my cup and stood up, tired as hell.

Does this guy have nothing better to do? Every time I try to rest, he pops up to yell at me.

"Stella, the hospital didn't hire you to sit around!" Barry's eyes were bulging like he wanted to murder me.

"I just sat down for a sec," I said.

"No excuses! If you don't wanna work, then leave!" he snapped.

"Fine!" I was too tired to argue and started to walk away.

"What kind of attitude is that? Are you ignoring me?" Barry was losing it, chasing after me, fuming.

"Hello." Just then, an old man in modest clothes came up with his granddaughter and asked politely, "I'm looking for Eden Garcia."

"Hello." I quickly responded, hoping to dodge Barry's wrath. "Eden's office is—" 

Barry cut me off. "Eden isn't here today." He looked the old man up and down like he was trash. "Eden's too busy to see just anyone."

Barry's snobbiness was showing again, and it pissed me off.

"Well," the old man frowned, glancing at his granddaughter who had her head down. "This is gonna be trouble."

"No trouble. She's also a doctor; you can talk to her." Barry pointed at me with a fake smile. "Stella, take care of this."

Then he strutted off, not wasting another second on the old man.

His attitude made me furious, and I glared at his back.

But I quickly pulled myself together and smiled warmly at the old man. "Can you tell me a bit about your granddaughter's condition?"

"This child had high hopes pinned on her even before she was born," the old man sighed, starting to explain. "Our family wanted her to achieve great things, and she was really smart when she was little.

"But six months ago, something big happened in our family. She seemed traumatized and stopped talking. She's not lively or smart like before; it's like she lost her soul."

The old man's eyes were red with sorrow.

"This kinda thing happens a lot in psychology," I said, trying to reassure the old man with a smile. "When people go through major trauma, they can change a lot. Some, like your granddaughter, stop talking. Others just shut themselves off from the world.

"It's like their way of protecting themselves by shutting down."

"So, what do we do?" The old man was getting anxious. "She can't stay like this forever."

"Don't worry. This needs both doctors and family to work together. I'll do everything I can to help her. Come with me; I'll take her for some simple tests," I said, keeping my cool.

"Alright!" The old man nodded and hurriedly followed me with his granddaughter.

But just a few steps in, we saw Eden rushing over with a bunch of doctors, and a freaked-out Barry trailing behind.

I was a bit confused, not sure what was going on. Eden walked right past me and warmly shook Edgar Miller's hand, apologizing with a smile, "I'm so sorry, Edgar. I should've met you at the door. My bad."

"Eden, don't worry about it. Your staff has been very kind," Edgar smiled at me.

Hearing this, Eden gave me a grateful smile.

So, this humble old man was actually a big shot from the Pinewood Wolf Clan. Guess one really couldn't judge a book by its cover. Barry was in deep trouble now.

Thinking about it, I shot Barry a smug look.

Barry's face turned beet red, and his guilty, scared expression made me feel pretty satisfied.

"Edgar, I really apologize for not recognizing you!" Barry tried to fix things, awkwardly stepping forward. "Otherwise, I would've introduced you to our best doctor. This is Eden's daughter, April!"

He then introduced April to Edgar. "April's got deep expertise in psychology. She just got back from advanced studies abroad. With her help, your granddaughter will definitely get better!"

Edgar hesitated, looking at me, clearly not wanting to accept April but also not wanting to offend Eden.

"Barry, sorry, but I can't hand this patient over. I already know her condition well, and switching doctors now wouldn't help her recovery!" I said.

"You're so clueless and arrogant! April is extremely—" Barry started.

"Extremely what?" I cut him off with a snort and looked at Eden. "I trust Eden will make a fair decision and not just favor his daughter."

Eden, put on the spot by my words, had to think it over.

After a moment, he said, "I believe both doctors are very skilled in this field. It's hard for me to decide. How about we have an academic discussion and then make a decision?"

"Sure!" I wasn't scared and agreed right away.

"Great! Let's see who's overestimating themselves!" April crossed her arms and gave me a smug look before strutting towards the conference room in her high heels.

I found her attitude laughable and followed the group without a care.

Alexander then gathered all the free doctors and nurses into the conference room.

When he asked who wanted to start, April confidently took the stage first and began her presentation on her psychological research.

As soon as she started, I felt something was off. As she went on, I realized what was happening.

I smirked, watching April on stage with a mix of amusement and disdain.

Interesting! First time seeing someone steal so blatantly.

When her presentation ended, the room erupted in applause, with everyone praising Eden for having such a perfect daughter.

Eden looked proudly at April.

"Your turn," April said smugly, towering over me. "But I suggest you know your limits and avoid embarrassing yourself."

I snorted, pushed her aside, and walked up to the microphone. "April's presentation was indeed impressive! But the journal she plagiarized is mine!"