4 Cold Treatment

Sophia Baker was one in a million. She was Harvard-educated, born into a doctor family, and had resounding success in the medical world at a young age. She was only twenty-seven years old but had already surpassed many big-league peers. The female doctor was a leading researcher and authority in cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery. An insider had leaked the news that she had performed surgeries on various royal family members across nations.

Sophia was such a voluptuous beauty that TIME magazine featured her as the sexiest doctor of the decade. The bombshell had a million followers on Instagram. She was fashionable and filthy rich; even popular international brands signed her to promote their products.

That international celebrity Sophia Baker would arrive in Springfield to treat a random elderly patient shocked the hospital administrators. Edgar Damone used to be a successful businessman, but now he was just an infirm old man whose name was relatively unknown in Springfield. Why was Sophia interested in his case?

"Edgar Damone?" Dr. Hodge asked, taken aback. He looked anxious all of a sudden. "Yes, of course. He's in the ICU as we speak. Regrettable case," he said, shaking his head.

Sophia raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by regrettable? Tell me the current status."

"Err…" the Director hesitated. "He may not be fit to operate on." Hodge looked around with shifty eyes as if he was hiding something.

"Well?" Sophia urged with irritation. "Is that your professional opinion?" The Hospital Director appeared incompetent by her standards. She was half his age but had scaled great heights already while he was going to retire as Director of a hospital. If she was a giant in the medical field, he was a dung beetle.

Dr. Hodge figured that keeping any information from Sophia would be foolish. Her knowledge far exceeded his, and any untruth would be immediately exposed. He took a deep breath and said, "Mr. Damone was admitted last week due to chest pain. We diagnosed that he needed a thoracic aortic dissection repair. Moreover, he was facing renal failure. It is quite impossible to operate on such an elderly person at this serious stage. I would advise against taking up this patient, Dr. Baker. It would not go well on your perfect record of successful surgeries."

Sophia eyed him with annoyance. "Did I ask for your advice? Do you think I have come to this backwaters hospital for mundane discussion?"

The Director turned pale. "My apologies, Dr. Baker. Please go ahead if you must. My staff and hospital are at your disposal."

The elegant female doctor passed Victor and Carol but failed to notice their presence. Edgar was wheeled to the operating room within minutes, and green lights went on. Carol stayed close to Victor in anxiety. She was both confused and worried about the sudden reversal of events.

Why would a celebrity doctor arrive at that exact time to treat Edgar Damone? Who summoned her? Wouldn't such a person have tremendous influence and power?

"Do you know Dr. Sophia Baker?" she asked her husband.

Victor answered calmly. "There's no justification for me to know who she is."

Carol nodded. His words made sense since she was a huge celebrity while Victor worked in a failing company with a small turnover. There was no way her towny husband remotely knew Sophia Baker.

Carol did not know that her husband meant something different when he said, 'There's no justification for me to know who she is.' Sophia was the one unfit to talk to him. Not the other way around.

"Then why did she arrive out of the blue to treat grandpa?" Her husband did not answer this question, nor did she push him. Edgar's life was hanging by a thread at the moment, and Victor had been behaving abnormally since last night. Moreover, she wondered how much Sophia would charge for her medical services. It would probably cost millions and bankrupt the Damone family. She bit her lip anxiously, imagining Victor as a homeless person.

After ninety minutes, Sophia walked out of the operating room with her team. Her cold and aloof attitude had not wavered. She ignored Victor but talked to Carol. "I presume you are the patient's family?"

Carol nodded. "The surgery was successful," the female doctor said monotonously. "The patient is stable now."

Carol exhaled and cried out with relief. She looked at her husband, but his expression was cold as always.

Sophia turned towards Victor but did not look into his eyes. "My fee of three million dollars will be charged to the organization. There are some separate costs which I will bill separately." It was as if she was addressing a wall from which she expected no answer.

Carol was speechless. Three million dollars? What organization will she charge it to? Did Sophia perform the surgery for a charitable organization? She nodded to herself. That would make sense since Victor had no money to compensate such a top-notch doctor. Perhaps the same organization also paid the original six hundred thousand demanded by Springfield Hospital.

Carol wanted to clarify this from Sophia but did not dare to ask. The female doctor had an intimidating personality which made her unapproachable. Moreover, she had just saved Edgar's life, and it would be rude and ungrateful to ask such intrusive questions. The celebrity doctor was at par with her in looks, but her confidence and attitude made her even more attractive.

"Can you hand me your husband's unlocked phone?" Sophia asked Carol. "I need to save my number."

Carol was confused by the unconventional request. Why wasn't she directly asking Victor to save her contact number? Regardless, she obliged and handed his phone to her after unlocking it.

Sophia was expressionless while she typed a number, gave a missed call to her own smartphone, and then saved the contact.

Victor's wife eyed her with unease. Was there something between Sophia and her husband? Would something happen between them if they stayed in touch?

Victor was middle-class but tall and handsome. It was shocking how someone like him could stay in such good shape. Perhaps it was good genetics.

What if the celebrity doctor was looking for a random hook-up while she was in Springfield? Carol shook her head to rid herself of paranoia. She should be grateful to the doctor rather than be suspicious of her.

Victor scowled. 'Sophia Baker is insidious,' he thought. 'She used underhanded methods since she dared not talk to me directly. She created an excuse to contact me later. And finally, the vixen used my wife to gain my number. Now that I have returned to the NWO, I must put up with such rude intrusions into my personal space. This is just the beginning. My life will soon be taken by storm.'

As Sophia returned Victor's phone and walked away, she thought about Carol. 'That woman is as good-looking as I am, but she doesn't deserve to be with Caesar. The bitch doesn't understand that she's married to a remarkable human specimen. Such a legendary man deserves a suitable match who'd complement him. Someone like me! I'll do whatever is in my power to snatch him from her!'

***

Outside Springfield Global Hospital, a Ferrari cruised to a halt at the parking lot's end. The side window rolled down, and James Colbert's face appeared. Beside him was Josh Atelier, Carol's brother. He had a devilish grin across his face.

James chuckled as he got off the phone. "I just talked to the Hospital Director. He has done everything possible to delay Edgar Damone's surgery. I've also paid off Dr. Trucker, the only cardiac surgeon qualified for this operation. And to be safe, I also bribed all private hospitals in the city. The respective administrators were asked to reject all requests from Springfield Global."

Josh joined in the laughter. "You are brilliant, big bro James. In fact, I should already call you brother-in-law. After Edgar dies, Carol will realize how impotent her husband is and will divorce him without delay. She'll come running into your arms in no time."

James nodded. "Yes. Once I marry your sister, I'll purchase Edgar's dying company and make you the CEO. You'll get your reward for cooperating with me, sport."

Josh's eyes lit up. His poor management contributed to the Atelier company's downfall, but the Damone company had good managers. It only lacked investment, which James Colbert had agreed to provide. He could rest on a comfy chair while others do his job for him. "That's awesome, bro! You are too generous. Your disposition is opposite of that miser Damone family."

"We wouldn't have to wait that long to see Victor suffer," James added. "I've been planning this forever. I tipped their competitor company when Edgar fell ill about his impending demise. The competitor has already poached the key people in Damone Industries. Today, Victor will receive the shock of his life."

Both began to abuse Victor Damone mutually and discussed what other tactics could be applied to make his life a living hell.

Just then, a helicopter flew in and landed on the roof.

"What the hell?" James exclaimed. That looks like a Johns Hopkins chopper. Has some bigwig celebrity come to Springfield Global that they had to fly in staff from the top hospital?"

After fifteen minutes, he received a call from the corrupt Hospital Director of Springfield, Dr. Hodge. He shared the news that the celebrity cardiac surgeon Sophia Baker had arrived and was about to operate on Edgar.

"This is bullshit!" James barked, seething in anger. "Everything was going perfectly according to my plan! How did a popular cardiac surgeon find Edgar? What kind of weird coincidence is this?" The billionaire stepped out of his car and rushed into the hospital.