Flash Marriage To The Dangerous Billionaire - Chapter 64: Chapter 64

A sharp, needle-like pain stabbed at Hallie's heart. But on the surface, she stayed calm and collected, wearing a gentle, reassuring expression as if this were just another routine case.
She knew all too well that if she couldn't keep her own emotions in check, she couldn't possibly steady her patients.
Hallie's clear eyes carried a soft, reassuring warmth as she gently ruffled Lily's hair.
In a calm, soothing voice, she said, "Lily, why would you think something like that? It's just a little procedure. Be a good girl and take a nap. When you wake up, you'll be going home with your dad."
The assisting doctors also spoke in gentle, soothing tones to Lily, and only then did she gradually release her grip on Hallie's hand.
Within seconds of the anesthesia kicking in, Lily's eyelids fluttered closed, and her steady, rhythmic breathing echoed through the operating room.
The previously relaxed atmosphere vanished in an instant as the medical team snapped into focus. A palpable tension filled the operating room, thick with the gravity of the procedure ahead.
Hallie exchanged a quick, steady glance with her colleagues, wordlessly confirming they were ready to start.
For high-risk surgeries like this, the team typically consisted of a few doctors who were well-acquainted and had worked together before.
The remaining few unfamiliar faces in the room were either interns or visiting physicians from other hospitals.
Among the core team, everyone knew each other well and worked together seamlessly, doing everything in their power to minimize risks. But even so, no one dared to promise a perfect outcome. Everyone's nerves were stretched tight.
As the lead surgeon, Hallie was as steady as ever. Her hands were sure, her focus unwavering—she embodied the calm precision expected of a top cardiothoracic surgeon.
Watching her work so confidently helped settle the nerves of the other doctors in the room. The surgery lasted over four tense hours, running from 1 PM until just after 4 PM.
Finally, the operating room lights went off. Hallie was the first to step out, pulling off her mask, now damp with sweat.
A relieved smile spread across her face as she turned to Lily's father, Shawn Myers, who waited anxiously in the hallway, and informed him that the surgery was a complete success.
With tears streaming down his face, Shawn choked out, "Thank you to the hospital, and thank you, Dr. Levine. I heard you personally secured the funding for my daughter's surgery. I could never repay your kindness, not even if I gave my life.
"If you ever need anything—anything at all—just say the word. I'd walk through fire for you." Before Hallie could react, he suddenly dropped to his knees and slammed his forehead to the floor in a heavy bow.
Startled, Hallie instinctively took a step back, completely thrown off balance. Nearby doctors, nurses, and patients all turned to look, their gazes filled with surprise and curiosity.
Hallie had always tried to avoid such situations from happening. For the past three years, she had quietly donated to the hospital's charity fund, which only Clarissa and Raymond knew about. She did it to spare patients from feeling any additional emotional burden or obligation to repay her.
Even Nelson's donation for this surgery had been kept discreet. With frustration simmering beneath her otherwise calm exterior, Hallie wondered, 'Who could've leaked this?'
She had to coax the man several times before he finally got up from the floor. Back in her office, Hallie turned on her computer, and a news alert immediately popped up.
The reporters had moved even faster than the surgical team. Splashed across the top of the trending list was a headline that read: [A Touching Story: Dr. Hallie Levine of Mentville Medical Center Raises 150 Thousand Dollars for Critically Ill Girl's Life-Saving Surgery].
It was published just two hours ago, with her full name right there for everyone to see. The comments section was overflowing with praise, along with stories from former patients recounting their own experiences with Hallie.
The top-liked comment read: [My little sister had heart disease too when she was only twelve. The 150-thousand-dollar surgery in Callopston is already considered affordable, as it would have cost 300 thousand dollars back in Whitestone. If only she'd had a kind doctor like Dr. Levine back then.]
The replies under that comment were almost entirely discussions comparing surgery costs across different major cities. Hallie scrolled through them for a while before finally turning off her screen with a tired sigh.
'I can control medication prices,' she thought, 'but most of the medical equipment is imported. A single machine can cost millions, sometimes tens of millions of dollars. By the time all those costs trickle down, one major surgery is enough to wipe out an average family's entire savings.'
But more often than not, families would not even get the chance to go bankrupt because they never make it far enough to get the surgery in the first place.
Hallie leaned back in her chair, staring up at the sterile white ceiling as a wave of helplessness washed over her.
Although the surgery was a success, Lily still required over a month of hospitalization for observation. The hospital stay, plus follow-up treatments, would once again add up to a hefty sum. Fortunately, the online fundraising campaign had nearly covered all these expenses.
After completing the surgical report, Hallie went up to the fourth floor of Mentville Medical Center to submit it to Declan for review.
Medical equipment accounted for the bulk of the surgical costs. These expenses had to be reviewed by Declan first before being forwarded to the finance department.
Hallie took the elevator to the fourth floor. Just as she was about to turn the corner, she suddenly overheard a conversation between a man and a woman.
"With all that publicity she's drummed up, that exchange program spot is basically in the bag for Hallie now, huh?" the female doctor remarked, and soon, a male voice followed.
He sneered, "Exactly. She's cozying up to that big-shot billionaire and climbing the ladder any way she can. Who wouldn't grab that chance if they could?"
"Ugh, it's not that I'm jealous," the woman huffed. "But come on, all of us at Mentville chipped in, donated, did our part. And now, suddenly, all the credit is hers? What, the rest of us don't even count? Our efforts are just pocket change now?"
The man sneered. "Face it. She just knew how to play the game. She jumped on the chance and made everyone else look like her backup dancers. Didn't you see that guy earlier? He was kneeling and bowing to her like she was some saint.
"Now she's the big savior, and online they're calling her 'Callopston's Most Beautiful Doctor'. Who the hell dares to say otherwise?"
There will always be people in this world who expect others to be saints—utterly selfless, without a hint of personal desire. Over the past three years of working at the hospital, Hallie had learned to see these people for exactly who they were.
But she had never bothered to engage in that kind of talk. Even when she overheard their gossip, she let it wash over her like a passing breeze.
Hallie's expression remained composed. Without hesitation, she turned the corner and walked ahead.
The two doctors froze mid-sentence, the hallway falling into an awkward silence. Their expressions shifted, caught somewhere between embarrassment and guilt.
But Hallie didn't spare them even a glance. She simply walked right between them, her steps steady and unhurried, as if they didn't even exist.
They watched her figure disappear down the hall, their eyes filled with bitterness and frustration. Though Hallie had never wronged them and rarely even interacted with them, they just couldn't stand her holier-than-thou attitude.
Hallie reached Declan's office and knocked on his door lightly. Soon, a deep, steady male voice called out from inside. "Come in."
At that moment, Declan sat comfortably in his chair, sipping his coffee appreciatively as he flipped to the next page of the file in his hands.