Chapter 13: These Aren't the Drugs I Ordered!

Charlotte Xiao's pupils constricted violently.

The next instant, she shouted in panic, "Doctors! Nurses! Get in here—now!"

"Elena, what's wrong?" Daniel Lockwood's voice cracked with fear as he reached for her.

"Get away from her!"

Blinded by rage, Charlotte shoved Daniel so hard he crashed onto the floor.

At that moment, Dr. Lin Tong rushed into the room.

"Status report!"

"Madam Vanderbilt just vomited blood after drinking some soup!" Charlotte's nails dug into her palms.

Lin Tong's stomach lurched.

Could it be... the three herb substitutions?

No. Impossible.

The replacement herbs had nearly identical properties—even with minor variances, they shouldn't cause hemorrhaging.

The acupuncture!

That old fool's needles must have triggered this.

Masking his panic, Lin Tong briskly checked Elena's pulse and pupils.

Charlotte grabbed his sleeve. "Dr. Lin! How is she?"

He delivered the lie with perfect clinical calm:

"My preliminary assessment confirms the medication is not at fault."

"Her vomiting blood must have been caused by the acupuncture!"

What?!

Charlotte Xiao and Wyatt's faces drained of color instantly.

The acupuncturist had been arranged by Daniel Lockwood!

They'd always found it suspicious—since when did Daniel genuinely care about finding a miracle doctor to treat Elena?

Now the truth was clear: Daniel had been plotting to kill her all along!

Just then, Daniel surged up from the floor and grabbed Dr. Lin Tong by the collar, slamming him against the wall.

"You quack—what did you tamper with? If anything happens to my wife, I'll annihilate your entire family!"

His eyes burned crimson—a feral beast unleashed.

"Daniel, enough!" Charlotte's voice was a whipcrack. "And to think I almost believed you'd actually found some 'legendary physician'!"

"You were trying to murder Madam Vanderbilt from the start!" She pointed to the door, hand trembling with rage. "Get out! NOW!"

"Cough—!"

Another splatter of blood stained the sheets as Elena convulsed.

"Madam?!"

All three froze in horror.

Without another word, Daniel yanked out his phone and dialed Dr. Zhang Zizhen's number, fingers shaking over the screen.

Thirty minutes later...

Dr. Lin Tong wiped the sweat from his brow. "The patient's condition is temporarily stabilized."

Charlotte Xiao exhaled sharply in relief. Thank god.

But then Lin Tong's gaze slid meaningfully toward Daniel. "However, Ms. Xiao, I must emphasize—trust our hospital's expertise. Don't let... unvetted practitioners interfere with treatment. We can't bear responsibility for complications."

"Understood, Dr. Lin. It won't happen again," Charlotte affirmed.

Yet the moment she spoke, Dr. Zhang Zizhen and his apprentice Lin Xiao hurried into the ward—the elderly physician still in his traditional tang suit, forehead glistening with sweat from his rushed arrival.

Charlotte's expression turned glacial.

"Stop right there!" She blocked the doorway, then shot Daniel a venomous glare. "If not for your interference, Dr. Lin Tong could've cured Madam Vanderbilt with surgery by now!"

"Instead, she's hemorrhaging—all because of your so-called 'miracle doctor'!"

"I'll die before letting him near her again!"

Daniel's jaw tightened. "Lin Tong is a hack who can't heal Elena. We don't yet know why she's bleeding—let Dr. Zhang examine her!"

Lin Tong scoffed. "Mr. Lockwood, we're medical professionals. The diagnostics confirm acupuncture caused this!" Turning to Charlotte, he added, "Ms. Xiao, I recommend calling the police. These frauds should face justice for endangering lives!"

"Shut your mouth!" The hotheaded Lin Xiao snapped, fists clenched. "My master has practiced medicine for decades without incident!"

"When my master was treating patients, you were probably still playing in the mud!" Lin Xiao retorted fiercely.

Dr. Lin Tong responded with a cold laugh, "The evidence is undeniable—you're endangering lives for profit. The patient's blood is right there!"

"That still doesn't prove—"

Before Lin Xiao could finish, Dr. Zhang Zizhen restrained him with a firm hand.

The elderly physician's weathered face remained impassive as his clouded yet sharp eyes settled on Lin Tong. "Young man," he said calmly, "my acupuncture only disperses stagnant blood—it never harms. The true cause of her hemorrhage requires proper examination."

"Hah!" Lin Tong sneered. "So now it's our hospital's fault?"

Without waiting for a reply, he turned to Charlotte Xiao, his tone uncompromising:

"Ms. Xiao, if you allow these two near the patient again, our hospital will accept no liability for any medical consequences."

"Furthermore, if you insist on their involvement, you must discharge Madam Vanderbilt immediately."

Charlotte's expression darkened.

Discharge? In Elena's critical condition? Impossible!

She pointed decisively at Dr. Zhang and Lin Xiao. "Leave. Now. Or I'm calling the police."

Daniel Lockwood's face hardened. "Charlotte, that's enough!"

He could endure her insults, her contempt—even her hatred. After all, he had been irredeemable before his rebirth.

But obstructing Dr. Zhang from saving Elena?

That line, he would never let her cross.

"Ha... I'm the one making trouble? I don't have the right to stop you?"

Charlotte Xiao let out a bitter, mirthless laugh, her eyes blazing. "Your talent for playing the victim never changes, Daniel! If you don't want to spend the night in a jail cell, take these two frauds and get out!"

Daniel's patience snapped.

"Charlotte Xiao," he bit out, voice low and dangerous, "legally, I'm still Elena's husband. As her next of kin, I have the right to decide her treatment. Now move aside!"

Charlotte opened her mouth—then closed it, frustration choking her.

He was right.

No matter how strained their relationship, Daniel hadn't signed the divorce papers. In the eyes of the law, he was Elena's spouse, her primary family.

And what was she? Just an assistant. She had no legal standing to dictate Elena's care.

But even without that right, she'd be damned if she let Daniel get away with murder.

"I won't let you through!"

"Wyatt!" she barked. "Secure the door!"

Instantly, Wyatt and a team of black-suited bodyguards formed an impenetrable wall in front of Dr. Zhang. Their stony expressions made it clear: no one was getting past without a fight.

Just as tensions reached a breaking point, Dr. Zhang spoke—his voice calm but unyielding.

"Young lady, this isn't necessary. If my acupuncture truly caused harm, I'll accept full responsibility."

"But at least allow me to examine her and determine the truth."

His words were measured, his gaze steady.

Before Charlotte could respond, Lin Tong stepped forward with a derisive snort.

"No need for your 'expertise.' Our hospital will conduct a full examination—we don't require the help of charlatans."

"Enough!" Charlotte's voice cut through the tension like a blade. "I don't trust your so-called diagnosis. I only believe in the hospital's medical reports!"

Dr. Zhang Zizhen's brow furrowed slightly as he turned a silent, questioning gaze toward Daniel Lockwood. His decades of medical expertise meant nothing if the patient's family refused to let him treat her. This was Daniel's battle to fight now.

Daniel's expression darkened as he assessed the situation. With Wyatt and the team of professional bodyguards blocking the entrance, forcing his way into the ward was impossible.

Then his sharp gaze landed on Dr. Lin Tong - and a dangerous smile curved his lips.

"Dr. Lin," Daniel said, his voice deceptively calm, "how convenient that you blame the acupuncture for Elena's condition while absolving yourself of any responsibility."

Lin Tong's smug expression faltered. "Mr. Lockwood, what exactly are you implying?"

"Implying?" Daniel's voice turned icy. "I'm stating clearly that I suspect your hospital's malpractice caused my wife to hemorrhage!"

The color drained from Lin Tong's face. "You'd better have proof before making such outrageous accusations!"

"Proof?" Daniel scoffed. "Then show me your proof that the acupuncture caused this!" His piercing gaze then shifted to Charlotte. "Or perhaps this is a conspiracy between the two of you? Are you trying to kill Elena together?"

"Charlotte," he continued, voice thick with betrayal, "I always thought you were her closest friend - not just her assistant. Yet here you are, colluding with outsiders to harm her!"

Both Lin Tong and Charlotte paled at the shocking accusation, their mouths falling open in stunned silence.

"Mr. Lockwood, it was clearly your so-called doctor who caused the patient's condition!" Dr. Lin Tong said coldly. "How dare you make such baseless accusations?"

"Daniel, stop your nonsense and quit trying to shift blame!" Charlotte Xiao's voice trembled with barely contained rage as she clenched her fists. "Where's your proof for these outrageous claims?"

"I don't have proof—that's exactly why we need to investigate!" Daniel countered calmly, though his eyes burned with intensity. "The fact that you're blocking us speaks volumes about your guilt."

"That's absurd!"

Even knowing Daniel's despicable nature, Charlotte was stunned by his audacity. To think he'd dare accuse her—Elena's most loyal protector—of harming the woman she'd dedicated her life to serving!

"Absurd?" Daniel's lips curled into a humorless smile. "Then prove it. Let Dr. Zhang examine Elena and determine the real cause of her bleeding."

"Never!" Charlotte spat.

"Then your guilt is obvious."

"Daniel, you bastard!"

Charlotte saw red. After all the pain he'd caused Elena, after all the times she'd picked up the pieces of her boss's shattered heart—now he had the gall to paint her as the villain?

But through the haze of fury, one thread of rationality remained: Elena's life came first.

"Fine!" she ground out between clenched teeth. "Check her! But examination only—no treatment! And if you find nothing, Dr. Lin Tong takes over her care completely. No more interference from you!"

Her mind raced. Once Daniel was out of the picture, Lin Tong could perform the surgery. Elena would recover. She had to.

Daniel's gaze never wavered. "We'll see after the examination."

"Let's examine her first."

With those words, Daniel turned to Dr. Zhang Zizhen. "Doctor, if you would."

The elderly physician nodded solemnly and approached Elena's bedside. His experienced fingers pressed gently against her wrist, his expression turning grave as he assessed her pulse.

After thirty tense seconds, Dr. Zhang straightened and fixed Daniel with a piercing gaze.

"Mr. Lockwood," he said, his voice carrying the weight of decades of medical expertise, "your wife's hemorrhage was not caused by my acupuncture. This is the result of medication."

Then came the question that would unravel everything—delivered with the precision of a scalpel:

"Did you procure the herbs exactly as prescribed in my formula?"