Chapter 51

"What brings you here, Evelyn? Were you looking for me?" Lila Sinclair's voice dripped with false sweetness as she grasped Evelyn Hartley's wrist with deceptive gentleness. "Come, let's go inside."

The automatic doors of Silvercrest General Hospital's cardiac wing hissed open, revealing the controlled chaos of the cardiac surgery department. Lila led Evelyn past nurses pushing medication carts and interns clutching clipboards, their path ending at the glass-walled doctors' lounge.

As they entered, the hum of conversation paused. Several doctors looked up from their charts, their expressions shifting when they noticed Evelyn standing beside their golden girl.

"Lila, who's your lovely companion?" asked a young resident, adjusting his glasses.

"My sister," Lila announced with a theatrical flourish that made Evelyn's skin prickle. "Evelyn Hartley."

Murmurs of appreciation rippled through the room. Evelyn could practically see the mental calculations happening behind their eyes - the Sinclair name carried weight here, and Lila was the department's rising star.

Lila turned those calculating blue eyes on Evelyn, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Darling, have you finally come to accept my offer? I've arranged everything - you'll be my personal assistant while you prepare for your licensing exams."

Before Evelyn could respond, Dr. Vivian Cross, the deputy chief physician, interjected. "Your sister's joining us, Lila? How wonderful!"

"Of course!" Lila's smile didn't reach her eyes. "She graduated top of her class at Stanford Medical, though..." She trailed off meaningfully, letting the unspoken implication - that Evelyn had abandoned her career for Nathan Black - hang in the air.

Evelyn's voice cut through the tension like surgical steel. "I'm not here to be your assistant, Lila."

The room went still. Lila's perfectly manicured fingers fluttered to her chest in mock distress. "Evelyn, please don't be difficult. I know it's not ideal, but where else would take you without board certification? At least here I can protect you."

Two senior nurses exchanged glances before one snapped, "You should be grateful! Most interns would kill for this opportunity."

"Indeed," added Dr. Cross, her lips pursed. "Without Lila's influence, you'd be lucky to get a position at a community clinic."

Evelyn met their stares without flinching. The fluorescent lights overhead cast sharp shadows across her angular features, emphasizing the stubborn set of her jaw. She'd spent years bending to others' expectations, but no more.

Lila's carefully constructed mask slipped for just a moment, revealing the venom beneath. "Evelyn, be reasonable. After everything you've put our family through—"

"Everything I've put you through?" Evelyn's laugh held no humor. "That's rich, coming from you."

The tension crackled like static before a storm. Around them, medical staff shifted uncomfortably, caught between loyalty to the hospital's darling and curiosity about this mysterious sister who dared challenge her.