Flash Marriage To The Dangerous Billionaire - Chapter 58: Chapter 58

Today, Hallie had two major surgeries scheduled, in addition to her regular rounds. She must perform the surgeries, but she'd need Clarissa to cover her rounds. And she still had to get permission from Raymond to take time off.
After finishing a minor surgery, Hallie barely had twenty minutes to catch her breath before jumping straight into a major one. She peeled off her first scrub, only to slip into the next without missing a beat.
Four exhausting hours later, the operating room lights finally clicked off. Hallie stepped out with the other surgeons, all of them still in their scrubs.
It was already 5.30 PM. As Hallie peeled off her off-white leather gloves, her fingers emerged ghostly pale and so wrinkled from hours of sweat that they looked almost bloodless.
After quickly washing her hands and disinfecting them with alcohol, Hallie rushed straight to Raymond's office to request leave for the rest of the afternoon, as well as the next two days.
Known at the hospital as a workaholic who never slowed down, Hallie hadn't taken such a long break once in her three years on the job.
Raymond couldn't help but worry, asking if she was feeling unwell from overwork or if something had happened at home.
Hallie shook her head. "Don't worry, I'm fine. But if I can pull this off, I might be able to solve all of that little girl's heart problems in one shot."
Raymond frowned, looking conflicted and upset by her answer. "After all this, it's still about the patients. Honestly, I was hoping you'd just tell me you needed a couple of days off for yourself."
A soft warmth shimmered in Hallie's eyes. From the moment she started working at the hospital, Raymond had mentored her patiently, later even connecting her with top cardiac specialists, never once caring about credit or recognition.
Yet no matter how many mentors she'd had along the way, in Hallie's heart, Raymond had always been her true teacher.
Many at the hospital criticized Raymond for being set in his ways, soft-hearted, and inarticulate—constantly failing to protect his team and easily getting outmanoeuvred by others.
But Hallie never saw it that way. She considered herself fortunate to have Raymond as her mentor when she first joined the hospital. In him, she witnessed his unwavering dedication and sacred commitment to the medical field.
Hallie thought to herself, 'Just like how Mom dedicated herself to it back then.'
"Don't worry, Mr. Roth. I know my limits. If it's beyond me, I won't force it." Hallie assured him.
With the signed leave slip from Raymond, Hallie headed first to the admin office to file it officially. Then, she found Clarissa to ask her to cover her rounds for the week and explained her sudden absence.
Of course, Hallie still kept Nelson's identity and the true nature of their relationship to herself. She thought, 'In six months, we'll just go our separate ways without any drama. It wouldn't be too late to explain everything by then.'
Clarissa patted her chest confidently. "Don't worry and just go. Leave this piece of cake to me. If you actually manage to get 150 thousand dollars out of Nelson for the treatment, I'll feel like I've lucked out too."
With her mind at ease, Hallie headed to the locker room to change out of her work clothes and into her own.
As she walked down the hospital corridor, she drew curious, startled glances from doctors and nurses alike.
"Wait... why is Dr. Levine out of her scrubs? Is she... leaving?"
"Could it be a family emergency?"
"That's possible. Someone as dedicated as Dr. Levine wouldn't take time off unless it was something serious."
"Relax, guys. I know exactly what's going on," Celine suddenly cut in, dragging out her words with that smug, gossipy tone. Instantly, everyone's ears perked up.
One of them asked, "Dr. Payne, you know why Dr. Levine took time off?"
"Mhm." Celine nodded, lifting her chin with that smug little sniff, clearly loving the attention and absolutely milking the suspense.
The nurses clung to Celine's arm, playfully begging her to spill. After dragging it out just long enough to drive them crazy, Celine finally dropped the bomb. "I saw Nelson drop Hallie off this morning, and she straight-up admitted she's the one chasing him."
One of the nurses gasped in shock. "Oh my goodness. Are you saying Dr. Levine is pursuing that guy we saw the last time?"
"I thought he was the one chasing her. She's the one making the first move? That's insane!" another nurse shrieked, practically bouncing with excitement.
"But... what does that have to do with Dr. Levine taking time off?" an intern asked, looking completely lost.
Celine clicked her tongue and gave a smug little smirk. "Tsk, you really don't get it, do you?" Then, she leaned in like she was about to spill a top secret.
"He took his boss' car just to pick her up this morning. Come on, that's him trying to impress her for sure, so he's obviously not indifferent to her.
"And then about Dr. Levine suddenly taking time off in the middle of work? She probably misses him so much she can't even focus. I bet they're off on some cute date right now," Celine explained.
Realization dawned on everyone at once. One nurse gasped, "Ohhh, so that's why Dr. Levine took time off. Turns out she's off on a date."
Another nurse chimed in, "Sure, Nelson might be just a chauffeur, but he's ridiculously handsome. And honestly, with that kind of commanding presence, he looks way more like some rich CEO than a driver!"
"Please," someone snorted. "If you spend enough time driving rich people around, you will pick up that polished vibe whether you like it or not."
"Ugh, who cares what he does for a living?" Celine said, waving dismissively. "The point is, Dr. Levine likes him. And come on, she's from the Levine family. Money is the last thing she'd worry about."
Everyone nodded in agreement, happily chatting away, eating up the gossip like it was the best thing they'd heard all week.
A nurse said, "You know, Dr. Levine's been here three years and never dated anyone. But the second she finally falls for someone, she takes time off. Guess her job and responsibilities suddenly dropped to second place, huh?"
Another agreed. "Tell me about it."
Though some people questioned Hallie taking time off for a date, they quickly let it go when they remembered how much she'd sacrificed for the hospital over the years.
Meanwhile, Celine just shook her head.
She'd already assumed she had no chance at the exchange program that came around only once every five years. But now, with Hallie wrapped up in romance, she thought this was her chance to shine and finally get the director's attention.
Hallie was completely unaware that rumors about her were spreading like wildfire through the hospital as she sat in the car, heading to the Levine Group.
Ever since her grandfather passed away, Hallie had never set foot in Levine Group again. She only maintained contact with a handful of veteran executives—all in their sixties—who had remained fiercely loyal to her grandfather.
Though she hadn't set foot in the company, Hallie was aware of its every development like the back of her hand.
Over the past month or so, Tucker had already asked Gracie Miller to move into Levine Villa. With the support of his loyal faction, he also managed to secure an internship at Levine Group for Natalie Levine, who had just graduated from Midwest University.
Outside her internship, Natalie spent all her free time floating around high-society banquets. Lately, rumor had it she'd gotten especially close to Miles Chandler, the heir to the powerful Chandler family, and the tabloids were having a field day with it.
Tucker was probably counting on the Chandler family's influence to sway the shareholders into turning their backs on Hallie. That way, he could break away, build his own power base, and finally be free from the limits of Hallie's 50% stake.