Tiffany smiled with the confidence of someone who had never truly been challenged.
“My husband is Mark Thompson. The CEO of this entire hospital. He can have you thrown out, blacklisted, destroyed. So unless you want every doctor in New York refusing to treat your family, you better get on your knees.”
For the first time since entering the lobby, Katherine smiled.
It was not a kind smile.
It was the sort of smile that made Henry quietly step backward.
“You said your husband is Mark Thompson?” Katherine asked.
“That’s right,” Tiffany snapped. “Scared now?”
Before Katherine could respond, David Chen stepped between them, jaw tight, eyes shifting from the coffee stain to Tiffany’s phone.
“Miss Jones,” he said evenly, “why are you causing a disturbance in my hospital?”
Tiffany scoffed. “Your hospital? You’re just a doctor. Mark runs this place.”
David’s expression never changed. “Hospitals are run by people who save lives. Not by people shouting into cameras.”
Tiffany flushed bright red. “I’ll have Mark fire you.”
Katherine lightly touched David’s arm. “No,” she said softly. “Let her call him.”
Then Katherine removed her own phone.
Tiffany’s smirk flickered.
Katherine dialed Mark’s number and switched the call to speaker.
The phone rang four times.
When Mark answered, his voice sounded hurried and low. “Honey, I’m in a major meeting. Did you land already? Why didn’t you tell me? I would’ve sent a car.”
The lobby went completely silent.
Color drained from Tiffany’s face.
Katherine stared directly at her.
“You need to come to the main lobby,” Katherine said.
