Chapter 17

The light above the operation ward door finally turned from red to green. The top-class surgeon approached Bradley with delight. "Mr. Warner, Mr. Felix's surgery was a success. His recovery will follow, and he can lead a normal life if all goes well." Bradley, who had been anxious, finally felt relieved. "Cole, reward all the medical personnel involved in the operation with an additional one-year bonus," he instructed. Cole replied, "Yes, sir." Joy filled Bradley's eyes as he looked at Felix through the glass in the room. He asked, "When can I go in and see him?" "After 72 hours," the surgeon replied. Bradley nodded. "I'll leave him to you then." As for Esther, who was still in the surgery ward, Bradley didn't even spare her a glance. Now that Felix's surgery was successful, she had lost her value. "Cole, inform the company's finance department to give every employee a three-month bonus," he commanded. "Yes, sir," answered Cole. After departing from the hospital ward, Bradley rushed to the cemetery to convey the good news to his grandfather's grave. - Once Bradley was gone, Cole escorted Esther from the operation ward to her hospital room. Before leaving, Cole collected some of Esther's hair and gauze with Felix's blood. He then headed to the hospital's lab test department. "Mr. Johnston, how can I assist you?" the department head asked politely. Cole handed him the samples he had prepared and said seriously, "Please run these samples for a paternity test." "No problem," the department head agreed without hesitation. "When will the results be ready?" Cole asked. "Usually, it takes at least 72 hours, even with expedited processing. However, I'll try to get you the result within 24 hours." The department head knew that Cole was Bradley's right-hand man, so he naturally wanted to be on his good side. "Keep this confidential," Cole added, sensing something amiss. "Please do the test yourself. I want to ensure nothing goes wrong." "Don't worry," the department head reassured him. - Ten hours after the surgery, Esther finally woke up. When she opened her eyes, she saw the white fluorescent light on the ceiling and detected the stinging scent of antiseptic. Feeling completely drained of energy, she struggled to sit up, but her whole body felt weak and limp. Esther bit her tongue and tasted blood in her mouth. Amidst the fog of anesthesia, her mind briefly cleared. She reached for her phone on the bedside cabinet and discovered its battery had run out. She searched for the charger and plugged it in. Once her phone was charged, she immediately called Jasper. "Jasper, where are you? How's Tinkerbell?!"