CHAPTER 22: CHAPTER 22- A COMPLETE SUCCESS

Not long after Riley and her two companions arrived outside the operating room, the red light above the door finally went out.

Catherine shot to her feet, heart pounding. Moments later, the surgeon emerged—still in scrubs, but already removing his mask.

Seeing the anxious look on Catherine’s face, he offered her a reassuring smile.

"The surgery was a complete success. Just make sure to take good care of your mother during recovery."

The moment Catherine heard the words "a complete success," tears flooded her eyes. She bowed repeatedly, her voice trembling with gratitude.

"Thank you... thank you so much, Director simon."

Her relief was overwhelming.

To her, nothing in the world mattered more than the fact that Renata would live.

"There’s no need to thank me,"

the doctor replied with calm professionalism.

"Saving lives is what we doctors are meant to do."

With that, Director simon turned and began chatting with Bert, who had been waiting quietly nearby.

Catherine knew this was all thanks to Bert—without him, her mother might not have survived.

She wanted to thank him properly, maybe ask for his name and contact information, so she could express her gratitude later.

But Bert was still talking with the doctor, and soon the nurses began wheeling Renata out of the operating room.

Catherine immediately turned her full attention to her mother.

Renata was then transferred to the ICU for post-surgery observation. Catherine was only allowed a brief visit, since ICU access was restricted.

Renata was still unconscious, pale beneath the fluorescent lights.

Catherine didn’t speak—she simply sat by her mother’s bedside, gently holding her hand.

She trusted the doctor’s skill, and she trusted in Renata’s own fierce will to live.

She would recover. She had to.

When Catherine finally stepped out of the ICU, Duke and Riley were still waiting in the hallway—but Bert was gone.

Riley noticed her searching glance and spoke first:

"He left after chatting with Director simon for a bit."

Duke, who had already suspected something, looked at his sister questioningly.

Riley then confessed to him that she’d lied earlier—that Bert wasn’t actually Catherine’s boyfriend; she’d only said that to irritate Gerald and Lucca’s family.

So this time, even in front of Duke, she didn’t bother hiding it.

Catherine frowned slightly.

"Ah... I didn’t even get his name or phone number. He helped me so much, and I don’t even know how to thank him."

Riley waved it off with a bright smile.

"If it’s meant to be, you’ll meet him again. And besides, gratitude doesn’t always need to be rushed—you’ll have plenty of chances in the future."

Then she added cheerfully:

"Oh, right! You still need to move, don’t you?

Since your ’free labor’ here—" she gestured toward Duke "—is available, and Renata’s stable for now, we should help you move today. That way, once she wakes up, you can focus completely on taking care of her."

Duke nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, with me here, all you two need to do is pack. I’ll handle the heavy lifting."

Catherine thought about it for a moment and agreed.

She and Renata had already sold their old apartment; the new owner hadn’t rushed them to move, so they’d stayed a few extra days.

Now that Duke was there to help, it seemed like the perfect time.

The move went quickly—Catherine had already packed most of their belongings, so all that was left was organizing boxes while Duke carried them downstairs with ease.

When everything was finally out, the small, slightly worn apartment stood empty.

Though humble, it had been home for so many years; every corner held memories of her and her mother’s quiet life together.

As Catherine stood in the doorway, looking at the bare walls, a wave of sadness welled up in her chest.

Riley sighed softly beside her, patting her on the back.

"Out with the old, in with the new, right?"

Catherine’s new place was a small two-bedroom apartment. It wasn’t spacious, but it was enough for her. After helping her move all her things upstairs, Duke took his leave, while Riley stayed behind to help her unpack. By the time everything was done, both of them were so exhausted they could barely move. Catherine ordered some takeout, and after eating together, they each collapsed into a deep sleep.

For the past few days, Catherine had barely slept at all. The anxiety over Renata’s surgery had been gnawing at her constantly. Now that the operation had finally succeeded, the tension that had been gripping her for so long melted away. For the first time in days, she could finally sleep soundly.

As for Bert, once Renata’s surgery was confirmed successful, he left the hospital without another word.

In his mind, that was it — everything between him and Catherine was over.

Just as he drove out of the hospital gate, his phone rang. It was Morrison, his voice brimming with enthusiasm on the other end.

"Hey, how about grabbing lunch together?"

The surgery had lasted several hours, and it was already noon by now. Bert accepted the invitation without hesitation. He more or less knew what Morrison was after — that "friendly lunch" was nothing more than an excuse to dig into gossip about him and Catherine.

Ever since that day when Morrison had so conveniently mentioned knowing a top neurosurgeon, Bert had already guessed his ulterior motive. Under normal circumstances, Morrison would prefer to stay as far away from him as possible.

Driving straight to the restaurant Morrison had mentioned, Bert soon spotted him and sat down across from him.

After ordering, Morrison went straight to the point.

"How did Renata’s surgery go?"

Bert took a sip of water and replied flatly,

"Very successful."

He spoke sparingly, each word precise and distant.

Morrison, eager to continue the conversation but unsure how to steer it toward Catherine, hesitated for a moment. Then, deciding to try a more subtle approach, he smiled and said,

"I’ve looked into Catherine a bit, you know. She’s actually a really good girl — in both character and every other way—"

Bert cast him a sidelong glance, his tone calm but edged with quiet mockery.

"Tell me, Morrison — how do you think Lilian would react if she found out you were secretly digging into another woman’s background?"

Morrison froze instantly.

A long pause stretched between them before he shot Bert a glare, his voice rising in frustration.

"I only did it for you, damn it!"

He was utterly exasperated. He’d gone through the trouble of having Catherine investigated inside and out, and all for Bert’s sake — yet the man had the nerve to threaten to tell Lilian, just to make him suffer.

If it weren’t for Bert, why would he bother prying into the life of some stranger? He barely had enough time to dote on his own wife, let alone waste his energy digging up information about another woman — or finding a top surgeon for that woman’s mother!

But Bert didn’t show the slightest bit of gratitude. His sharp, cold gaze bore straight into Morrison.

"I’d say you were just meddling in things that don’t concern you."

"..."

Morrison clenched his jaw, turning his head toward the window in silent fury. So much for being kind — this was what he got for trying to help.

While he was still stewing, Bert’s steady, low voice cut through the tension.

"Still," he said evenly, "I should thank you. For helping me find a good doctor."

Morrison let out a short, cold snort.

"Right. You go out of your way to find her a top surgeon, and you still claim you’re not hung up on her?"

A faint smile curved Bert’s lips.

"I think you misunderstood," he said softly. "I didn’t help her because I still care. I did it because I owed her — a debt from that night two years ago. Now that I’ve repaid it, there’s nothing left between us."

Then, as Morrison stared at him in disbelief, Bert’s expression hardened again.

"So do yourself a favor," he warned coolly, "and save your matchmaking fantasies for someone else. Maybe use that energy on Lilian instead."