Chapter 2

The Gessner family had only one heir over the past three generations. As the current head of Gessner Group, Hugo Gessner had always hoped that Tania would leave Cillian. "That's good," he exclaimed, clearly delighted. "As long as you walk away, Cillian will agree to leave the hospital and return to take over the company. Then, he can marry a woman who can bear children. "I'll send the divorce papers to you now, and in a month, I'll arrange for you to go abroad." Not long after, the Gessner family's butler, John Brown, arrived and handed Tania a document. Tania took the pen, her fingers trembling. Her marriage was about to end, yet her mind was still drifting back to the day she'd first met Cillian. It had been a similar autumn afternoon. She was under a tree on campus, trying to rescue a cat stuck between some branches. Then, a tall figure approached and stopped her. "That's dangerous. Let me do it." The man climbed the tree himself and rescued the cat. Just like that, the hands of a future top surgeon were covered in scratches. Only later on did Tania learn that he was the Gessner family's heir, Cillian Gessner. When someone as dazzling as him began to pursue her relentlessly from that day on, she couldn't bring herself to refuse. She had long fallen for him, and they'd married right after graduating from university. Those memories stung Tania now. Bitterness spread through her chest, and her hand shook so badly that she could barely hold the pen. Still, she steeled herself and signed the divorce agreement, slowly but steadily. Then, she handed it back to John. Just then, Cillian stepped through the door. "John, what are you doing here?" he asked, puzzled. "What's that in your hand?" No one answered him. Cillian frowned. He was about to reach for the document when Catherine's voice sounded behind him, "Cillian, I'm borrowing your research paper." She skipped in wearing a bright red dress, her lab coat thrown casually over it. She was waving several sheets of paper at him. Those were the reports Cillian had spent several nights perfecting to secure research funding. He'd never even let Tania touch them. Yet now, the papers were all crumpled in Catherine's careless grip. Cillian immediately lost interest in John and the document in his hand. He indulgently shook his head and chided, "You're not wearing your coat properly again." He pulled Catherine close and fastened each button for her with long, steady fingers. "You used to button them for me all the time," Catherine said, giggling. She was already in her 20s, but that didn't stop her from burying herself in her adoptive brother's arms, clinging to his waist as she pouted at him. Over Cillian's shoulder, her triumphant gaze flicked toward Tania. That look stung Tania, and she immediately lowered her eyes. She had long noticed that Cillian and Catherine were strangely close, and out of jealousy, she had confronted him about it more than once. But every time, he would dismiss her and say, "Cathy is just used to relying on me. You should learn from her and stop overthinking." Cillian was famous in the elite circle for his discipline and spotless reputation. Even after marriage, he treated Tania exceptionally well. So, of course, she trusted him and tolerated Catherine's taunts over and over again. She even trusted Catherine so much that she'd endured every painful treatment without a single word of protest. Now, she felt like the biggest fool in the world. Tania looked away, unable to watch the two any longer. Her indifference, however, irritated Catherine. A malicious glint crossed her eyes before she plastered on a sweet smile and reached for Tania's medical reports. "Tania, you're far too delicate. You didn't even finish last round's medication, and that's why you had to trouble Cillian to perform surgery on you. "Let's double the dosage today." Tania snapped her head toward Catherine, horrified. "I wasn't even sick. I'm allergic to the medication, and you still want me to take it? Catherine, what are you trying to do to me?" "What nonsense are you on about?" Catherine fumed. "I'm your attending physician. How could I ever harm you?" Their voices rose, and patients passing by began to sneak glances at them and whisper among themselves. Worried that she'd be exposed, Catherine panicked and stomped her foot. "Cillian, do something. She's trying to ruin my reputation!" Her twisted accusation made Tania tremble with fury. She tried to speak through her raw throat, determined to broadcast the truth to the whole world. But the moment she uttered the first word, Cillian's expression darkened. He signaled his bodyguards over and ordered them to clear the hallway. "Tania, are you sure you want to make a scene? You're a grown woman. Stop picking fights with someone younger," he disapprovingly said. "I'm making a scene? She's trying to kill me, Cillian. Can't you see that?" she screamed, tears spilling over as fury and despair swallowed her whole. However, the effort from speaking triggered a harsh coughing fit. Immediately, Cillian's expression shifted. He rushed to Tania, lifting her into his arms and gently tapping her back. "Don't get so worked up," he said. "You just had surgery, and your wound could tear." Suddenly, he was the gentle, attentive husband she remembered from the past—the husband who'd clean her wound meticulously, change her dressing, and feed her water spoonful by spoonful. Dazed, Tania almost wondered if his indifferent attitude over the past two days had just been an illusion. But once she was settled, Catherine smiled again. Moments ago, she had looked ready to bite. "There's no point changing the gauze. Your trachea will need to be opened again later anyway," she bluntly said. "If you won't take the pills, we can switch to injections. They work even better."