Chapter 145

The next morning. Once Sloane wrapped up her rounds and handed off responsibilities to the day team, her phone buzzed. Ethan. She stepped out of the hospital doors and slid into his car. He didn’t start the engine right away. Instead, he passed her a slim folder, names, credentials, specialties. “These are the senior researchers at the Scott Institute,” he explained quietly. “Most of them are legends in their fields. They’ve spent their whole lives pushing medical science forward.” Sloane flipped through the pages. White hair, lined faces, accolades that filled entire paragraphs. These were the giants whose textbooks she once studied. Ethan exhaled, long and tired. “I recommended you,” he said. “But they weren’t convinced. My eldest brother is leaning toward… cutting the company in half. Sacrificing a limb so the rest survives.” He swallowed. “If that happens, we lose control of our core division. We become only half a family business.” His voice cracked, frustration leaking through. “