Flash Marriage To The Dangerous Billionaire - Chapter 65: Chapter 65

It looked like he was reviewing recent surgical reports. When he looked up and saw Hallie, his eyes curved with a warm, genuine smile.
"Ah, Hallie! I heard it was your fundraising that made that little girl's life-saving surgery possible. Truly impressive work." Declan praised.
Hallie gave a faint smile. "I can't take all the credit. The person who we should really thank is the donor."
With that, Hallie placed the document in front of Declan.
Declan smiled as he flipped through the documents, taking a leisurely sip of his coffee. "Now, now, don't be so modest. It was all thanks to you... Oh, by the way, I heard the donor this time is that big-shot CEO who helped you before, right?"
Declan tossed out the question casually, as if it were just an afterthought. Hallie knew exactly what he was fishing for, but her expression didn't give a thing away.
"Yeah, he did help me," Hallie said, "but he's not some big-shot CEO. He's actually the CEO's chauffeur.
"He just happened to be in a position to connect me to the right people and get the CEO's attention on this. It was really the CEO's generosity that made all of this possible."
She thought back to the gossip she'd overheard in the hallway—about her supposedly chasing after some wealthy tycoon.
Hallie mused inwardly, 'I thought telling Celine he was just a chauffeur would shut her up, but instead of dying down, the rumors somehow spiraled into something even wilder.
'Then again, with Nelson's imposing presence, it makes sense that no one believes he's just a driver. If I'd known, I should've just said he was a department head or something. At least then, no one would have questioned it so much.'
Since Hallie had stated it so plainly, Declan couldn't exactly push further about Nelson's identity. So he switched gears, probing her with another question.
"That 150 thousand dollars really was a lifeline," he said thoughtfully. "I was thinking we should invite the CEO over sometime so the staff and the patients can thank him in person. If we don't say anything, it might make our hospital look ungrateful. Don't you think so, Hallie?"
Hallie hesitated, a flicker of reluctance finally showing on her usually composed face. "That... might be a bit difficult.
"I've been calling him 'the CEO' this whole time, right? That's because I honestly don't know who he actually is. When Nelson agreed to help me, he told me not to ask questions.
"I figured he must be some big-name figure—maybe even a high-society type—who doesn't want his identity revealed, let alone make a public appearance."
Her answer was flawless, leaving Declan with nowhere to probe. Failing to get what he wanted, Declan frowned, looking slightly impatient. The warm, friendly facade he'd kept up vanished, and his voice turned cold. "Fine. Get back to work then."
Just then, Hallie paused as if she'd suddenly remembered something. Instead of turning to leave like she usually did, she remained in her spot.
Declan had no patience for anyone he considered no longer useful to him. Noticing she was still standing there, he looked up sharply, frowning as he asked. "You have something else to say?"
Hallie hesitated for a moment, then decided to go ahead and asked, "Dr. Arnold, could I get a copy of this year's medical equipment procurement list and pricing sheet?"
Declan froze for a moment, clearly caught off guard by Hallie's unexpected question.
When he finally processed it, his expression turned grim immediately. He looked Hallie up and down, his gaze suddenly sharp and guarded.
"Is that really any of your business?" Declan snapped sharply. "All medical equipment procurement is covered by strict NDAs, and our hospital has never made that information public. What exactly are you trying to do?"
Hallie didn't understand why equipment purchase lists and pricing needed to be so secretive, but since it had always been hospital policy, she didn't think too much of Declan's guarded reaction—at least not in that moment.
"It's nothing serious," Hallie replied politely. "I was just curious. If it's inconvenient to share, then forget I asked. I'll get back to work now."
With that, she turned and left. But Declan's gaze stayed locked on her back. A dangerous edge burned in his gaze like he might devour everything in front of him.
Declan wondered, 'Was she really just making casual conversation? Or had she actually found out about something and came to probe me for information?'
Around 9 PM that night, Hallie returned to the villa. After showering, she turned on her laptop and pulled up her backup proposal, along with detailed reports on the foreign company currently competing with Blair Group.
She'd reviewed this material countless times already, but her eyes kept drifting back to the words "medical equipment".
Titania Biopharma was a foreign company with partnerships with major hospitals nationwide. Its true edge over Blair Group wasn't just its connections. It was the fact that Titania owned a prestigious overseas pharmaceutical research institute and held a near-monopoly on medical equipment exports.
Originally, Nelson's plan to acquire Berry Bay and secure control over Kerriston's pharmaceutical raw materials was meant to counter Titania Biopharma's dominance directly.
Initially, Blair Group held a clear advantage. But no one expected Titania to suddenly form an alliance with the Chandler family.
The Chandler family—one of Hernland's four great families—was a powerhouse in its own right. Yet in nearly every major field, they'd always played second fiddle to Blair Group, leaving a simmering resentment between the two.
This new partnership with Titania was a blatant declaration of war against Nelson. Now, Titania held the upper hand. To regain control, it all depended on the government's stance.
Hallie thought, 'I need to find a way to go with Nelson to check things out myself. Ideally, I could even meet the officials in charge of the project face-to-face.'
"Medical equipment? You're not completely clueless after all." Out of nowhere, Nelson's deep, magnetic voice snaked right by her ear, so close it sent a chill down her spine.
Hallie had been sitting there with her chin propped in both hands, completely absorbed in her thoughts. The sudden voice startled her so badly that she jerked to the side, nearly toppling out of her chair. Honestly, she felt like her soul almost left her body.
In the dead of night, with only a single desk lamp casting a soft glow, the villa was quiet as a tomb. Outside, it was pitch black. Hallie hadn't even realized when Nelson had slipped into the room.
"Nelson! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" Hallie's face drained of color, her heart hammering in her chest as she shouted at Nelson.
As the shock wore off, it was quickly replaced by a flood of raw, burning anger. Nelson, meanwhile, looked completely unfazed. He shot her a lazy, sideways glance without an ounce of guilt on his face.
"If you're this weak mentally, maybe you're not cut out to be a doctor," Nelson said with a smirk.
Then, as if nothing had happened at all, Nelson shifted his attention to the laptop screen, where her cursor still hovered over the words "medical equipment."
"Smart of you to notice that's precisely their biggest advantage right now. That's exactly why I put you in charge of Berry Bay. Get it?" he asked.
Hallie hadn't expected Nelson to lay out their current disadvantage so bluntly. She thought, 'At least when it comes to work, he's straightforward. That makes it way easier to actually communicate with him.'
But remembering how he'd just scared her half to death out of pure spite, she couldn't help but jab back. "Wow, here I thought you would always stay untouchable and above everyone else. Guess I was giving you too much credit."