Chapter 3 A Private Patient

The man on the other end of the call was Forrest Walters. They had gone to the same medical school, though he was two years her senior. He had eventually gone abroad to pursue further studies, and now was a renowned expert in their field.

Forrest had always taken good care of Camila, so they were pretty close.

"What kind of favor is it?" Camila asked directly.

"I have a patient needing treatment, but something urgent came up, and I don't think I can get out of it any time soon. Please tend to the patient for me."

Camila glanced at her watch. She wasn't of office duty today, and aside from two surgeries slated that afternoon, she was practically free. "Okay, sure. Where do you need me to go?"

"I'll text you the address. When you get there, just tell guards that you're there for Mr. Calderon, and they'll handle the rest."

"All right."

"One more thing," Forrest added, his tone turning serious. "Never tell anyone about this, and don't ask unnecessary questions. All you need to do is to treat the patient."

"I see. Of course."

They hung up, and Camila called a taxi to take her to the address.

The place turned out to be in an upscale neighborhood filled with villas, all equipped with top-level security systems.

As expected, a burly security guard intercepted her at the entrance. Camila followed the instructions and mentioned Mr. Calderon. After making a call to confirm her purpose, he waved her into the community.

Camila found the villa easily. She walked up the steps and rang the doorbell.

She didn't have to wait long, as the door opened a few seconds later. It seemed that the situation was indeed urgent.

Willie frowned. They were expecting Forrest, but instead, a female visitor was at the doorstep. "I'm sorry, you are..."

Camila had already presumed from Forrest's directives that this patient valued their privacy. Not wanting to get into any trouble, she thought it wise to wear a mask. Just to be safe.

"Dr. Walters asked me to come here."

Willie glanced briefly at the medical kit she was carrying. "Do you know what to do?"

"Yes, Dr. Walters has given me instructions. I won't tell a soul."

Willie knew that Forrest wouldn't pass his duties to someone who wasn't trustworthy or competent, so he nodded and let Camila in.

He guided her past a massive living room, then up the stairs, and into a bedroom.

It was dark inside. "How would I administer treatment without any light?"

When Isaac heard that it was a woman, he hastily grabbed his suit jacket and pulled it over his face. "Turn on the lights," he ordered through the fabric.

Willie flicked the switch, and bright light flooded the room.

Camila's first thought was that the patient sounded rather familiar, but she chose not to dwell on that. She took in the figure lying on the bed. His white dress shirt was stained with blood that had long since dried.

Camila didn't want to bother with other details. She just told herself to focus on the wounds.

The man clearly didn't want her to know his identity, so it was only right that she obliged him and behaved herself.

She set her kit down on the night stand and took out her surgical instruments.

Camila used a pair of shears and cut up the patient's shirt, exposing his wounds. They were covered by a thin layer of gauze. She got that out of the way, too, and finally saw two gaping wounds on the right side of the man's torso.

Camila instantly got to work, cleaning the wounds with her deft hands.

She remained calm the entire time, her movements swift and efficient.

"Do you have any allergies relating to anesthesia?" she asked after a while.

Fortunately, the wounds weren't deep and only cut into most of the skin, but they still needed to be stitched up.

The process would require local anesthesia.

Camila spoke calmly, almost softly, a stark contrast to her frantic voice from last night.

And so, despite having exchanged a few words, Isaac didn't recognize her at all.

"No," he said in his usual, cold voice, even as he inwardly praised her skill.

Camila proceeded to prepare the anesthetics and injected the substance to a spot near his injuries.

They had to wait a couple of minutes for the drug's effects to set it, then she began to stitch.

Roughly one hour later, she was finally done.

All in all, it was a quick and successful treatment.

Camila looked at her bloodied hands and said, "I need to use the bathroom."

"You can use the one downstairs," Willie replied.

Camila wasted no time and left the bedroom.

Once he was sure that Camila was back on the first floor, Willie closed the door and hurried over next to Isaac.

"I learned that the thugs who attacked you yesterday were sent by your Aunt Audrey. She's probably growing desperate to get rid of you, especially after you removed her spies from the company."

Isaac sat up with a grunt. He pulled himself to the edge of the bed and dropped his feet on the floor. He looked like hell, but his eyes flashed with a dangerous glint.

He turned his piercing gaze to his assistant. "Does that woman I was forced to marry have any connection to Audrey?"

Willie lowered his voice. "As a matter of fact, Audrey has made contact with your father-in-law, Marvin Haynes. He was so insistent in marrying his daughter into the Johnston family, but he never seemed to have considered your cousin, Travis, as a viable candidate. Audrey must have struck a deal with him."

"She's been tossing me one surprise after another, at every turn. It would be in poor taste if I did nothing to return the favor." Issac had only been abroad for a short time, yet she had already made a lot of mess in his absence.

"I heard that Travis has a seedy little establishment in Cavern Street called 'Charm'," Isaac drawled.

Willie immediately understood his boss' meaning. "Yes, they currently have no place in the company. That club is their only source of income, and if it's shut down... Well, they will be in a pretty tight situation."

"Make it happen," Isaac said, his voice turning an octave lower.

Willie ran into Camila as he was going downstairs.

He guessed that Forrest must have warned her beforehand, but it wouldn't hurt to issue another reminder. "If you speak of this to anybody, you will die a horrible death."

If word of Isaac's injuries reached Audrey or her son Travis Johnston, they would certainly take the opportunity to stir up more trouble.

Camila nodded. "I won't tell anyone. I'll retrieve my medical kit and leave right away."

When she returned to the bedroom, she found the man standing by the window on the opposite side of the door. He had his back to her, and she got a perfect view of his wide shoulders and muscular back, tapering off to a narrow waist and what was sure to be a toned pair of buttocks. His body was well-proportioned, almost god-like.

"Aren't you leaving?" the man asked in a mocking voice. He hadn't turned around, but he somehow knew that she was staring. Maybe he had felt her hot gaze.

Camila ducked her head in embarrassment. As much as she hated to admit it, the sight of him had put her in a daze.