Ryan’s jaw tightened. A flash of genuine fear crossed his eyes before he forced his arrogant smirk back into place.
“A nurse who settled out of court, Claire,” he hissed. “A file that was permanently sealed by the hospital board. You were just a broke, nobody medical student who couldn’t afford a lawyer. And looking at you now, nothing has changed. Your own mother just told half the room you empty bedpans in Ottawa. Leave this reception, before I make a phone call and have your little medical license permanently revoked.”
He turned on his heel and walked back toward the head table, straightening his tuxedo jacket as if he had just swatted a fly.
I didn’t leave. I didn’t even flinch. I just smoothed the fabric of my dress and walked toward the champagne fountain, waiting for the trap to spring.
The Setup
Ten minutes later, the music resumed. Jenna’s father had been safely transported to the hospital, and Ryan was busy playing the hero for the remaining guests. My parents were fawning over him, practically ignoring my brother, the actual groom.
I watched from the edge of the dance floor as Ryan spotted me. He whispered something to my father, then gestured toward an older, distinguished man standing near the bar. I knew exactly who the older man was: Dr. Thomas Sterling, the Head of the Provincial Medical Ethics Board, and a close friend of the bride’s family.
Ryan was going to make an example of me.
He led Dr. Sterling and my parents directly to where I was standing.
“Dr. Sterling,” Ryan said smoothly, loud enough for the surrounding tables to hear. “I want to apologize for the scene earlier. This is Marcus’s sister, Claire. She claims to be in the medical field, but she has a history of erratic behavior and fabricated accusations from our time at Toronto General. I think she needs to be escorted out before she causes another disturbance.”
My mother sighed, looking at me with absolute disappointment. “Claire, please. Don’t ruin your brother’s wedding with your jealousy. Ryan is a top-tier surgeon.”
I didn’t look at my mother. I kept my eyes locked on Dr. Sterling.
The older man had been politely nodding at Ryan, but as he turned and finally got a clear look at my face under the vineyard lights, the color drained from his cheeks. He lowered his scotch glass, his mouth falling slightly open.
He locked eyes with me and froze right there. “You’re the Chief of…”
“Hush,” his wife, Eleanor, a prominent hospital trustee, murmured as she stepped up beside him, a knowing, razor-sharp smile spreading across her lips. “She is.”
The Reveal
Ryan frowned, his arrogant mask slipping. “Chief of what? What are you talking about?”
Dr. Sterling looked at Ryan as if he were a complete idiot. “Ryan, do you have any idea who you are trying to throw out? This is Dr. Claire Mercer. She is the Chief of Trauma Surgery at Ottawa General, and as of last month, the newly appointed Co-Chair of the Provincial Medical Ethics Board.”
My father’s champagne glass slipped from his hand, shattering against the stone patio. My mother physically staggered backward.
