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Ellie

I was heading over to Carla to leave something with her, using the excuse to stretch my legs and clear my head a bit.

Instead, I walked into a situation.

“Oh, there she is,” Dr. James said with a smile but then looked around. “I’m not sure the conference room off of the emergency department will hold all of us.”

“All of us?” I hedged, glancing around and seeing all the department heads gathered.

Along with the remaining members of the board of directors.

And Dr. Mandy Tate with them.

“She wasn’t invited to the meeting,” Dr. Carla Greer seethed. “Her email is wrong on here. It’s ‘read’ instead of ‘reed’ in the address.” She shot the board a look. “You tried to trick us all into meeting thinking it was something Ms. Reed had approved.”

“May I?” I asked her as I held out my hand. I quickly read over the email on her tablet, getting the gist fast. I gave it back and studied the remaining board members. “Another coup? Really? The last one didn’t end well for people.”

“That was about power, this is about what’s best for the hospital,” Leroy Gordon interjected.

“Yes, so much so you had to lie to get people together,” I drawled before glancing at Mandy. “And you picked the wrong person to make this move with. But go ahead. Take your best shot. I’m fine with ending this today.”

Rage filled his eyes at being dismissed and mocked. He went into a lecture about my unprofessionalism and discrediting doctors—my complete contempt for them. That my jealousy and even my misogyny because I was jealous of female doctors was the problem with the hospital.

“They’re all doctors, Ms. Reed,” Leroy Gordon finished, gesturing to the department heads standing behind me that I could feel rage coming from.

“ Doctors should run a hospital. Dr. Tate is definitely right about that. Your qualifications are lacking, and you’re not fit to run this hospital.

The board agrees after how things have spiraled out of control. ”

“You’re right, doctors should run a hospital,” Dr. Alan Carpenter said firmly as he stepped forward from the group of department heads. “You are right, and this mistake should be corrected. Today even.”

I bit back a laugh and glanced at all of the department heads. “Are you in agreement? You agree with that to make this move?”

“Beyond ready,” Dr. James bit out.

Leroy Gordon seemed shocked but then smiled. “I’m glad the department heads all agree. That’s reasonable and—”

“We’re having two different conversations here,” Alan chuckled as he walked over to him.

He clapped him on the shoulder hard enough to almost knock the man over.

“We’re agreeing that the board should be dissolved since none of you are doctors.

You’re right that people who aren’t doctors shouldn’t be involved in running a hospital. ”

“We are talking about Ms. Reed,” he seethed. “We’re business advisors on the—”

“You’re parasites who take money away from funding we could use better and your egos make you useless,” Dr. Renee Bass cut in.

“And you keep making these stupid plays without the right information, also not doing your research. It’s theatrics and unbefitting of your positions. You should be removed from them.”

“And it’s just ridiculous since we’re all on her side. We’re on Doctor Reed’s side ,” Alan added.

“You’re supposed to be on the hospital’s side and—what?” Gordon did a double take and then frowned. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“No, you don’t,” I sighed as I pulled out my wallet, glad I had it since I was going to swing by the vending machines.

I opened it and easily found my medical license ID card and handed it over to Gordon.

“Your entire premise is faulty, though the hypocrisy that I would need to be a doctor as CAO and you don’t as the board is a joke. ”

“And don’t even bother trying to say it’s fake,” Alan chuckled. “I’m the one who certified her ongoing accreditation as a surgeon.” He gestured to the other department heads. “Several of them do the same. We knew she was a doctor.”

Gordon blinked at it like he couldn’t fathom what he was seeing. “You’re licensed in several fields? There’s a list on here.”

“I am,” I confirmed, meeting Mandy’s gaze. “More than you, Dr. Tate.” I took it back from Gordon and held it up to the other board members. “I warned you that your days were numbered if you made another play. You should have made it good if you were going to try another coup.”

“This makes no sense. Why would you ever push everyone to call you Ms. Reed if you were a doctor?” one of the members snapped.

I raised an eyebrow at him. “People used to call me Doctor. When I worked here even. But decades ago, there was still a bit too much sexism in our world—especially in the hospital and medical field. Any time I asked anything, too many of the doctors saw it was a challenge because of the letters after my name.”

“It was always drama and power plays,” Dr. Bass confirmed, gesturing to the board like they were exactly the problem as well.

“So now that we’ve established you once again have no idea what you’re talking about, let’s put the final nail in this coffin,” I about purred, focusing on Dr. Tate. “And how silly you were to listen to this woman’s idiocy and manipulation.”

“Dr. Tate is—” Gordon started to blast.

“Not going to be a doctor much longer,” I chuckled, spilling the beans. I smirked at her. “‘Criminal negligence,’ right? That’s what you’ve been charged with so far. They’re still deciding what else to bring against you after you killed—”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she seethed. “You’re making up wild stories to cover how you behaved yesterday and—”

“It’s true,” Ha-joon said from my left.

I hadn’t even known he was there. I blinked at him a moment, internally wincing at how much trouble I was probably in personally after he learned about me being a doctor this way.

“I just received the same information from my mum,” he said firmly, meeting Mandy’s gaze.

“Go ahead, tell everyone here that the Alpha Mate of London is a liar, Mandy.” He chuckled when she didn’t.

“Yeah, I didn’t think so when your family is still in that pack.

And it’s a stupid play. Just because you got a new job here doesn’t mean the charges won’t be—”

“She thinks we’d cover it up so the hospital wasn’t embarrassed,” Dr. James chuckled.

“No, we wouldn’t. We’d be the first to turn you over.

” He chuckled when Mandy seemed equal parts shocked and disbelieving.

“ You are the problem, and we protect the good medical staff here. The patients. Who you are a threat to. So yes, we’d turn you in. ”

“Immediately,” one of the other department heads confirmed.

“And you thought if you announced we were together again that my parents would intervene for you,” Ha-joon added as he moved closer to her with a sneer.

“Except they always hated you. Your family was almost kicked out for how you treated me when we were kids. But we’re not kids anymore and I’m not some dork who lets a pretty girl push him around.

“You’re toxic . You’re a manipulative narcist who cannot accept responsibility and blames everyone else.

Who are you blaming for killing a pregnant woman and her child, Mandy?

Who are you going to try and pin this on?

This is why I told people not to hire you.

You learn nothing from your mistakes and think you can skate through—”

I was there in a flash to grab her wrist when she went to slap him. “No, you don’t get to smack him for speaking the truth . You killed that woman and her baby.” I glanced behind the group and smiled. “And my people are too smart to believe your crap and will do as they should.”

She glanced back and went pale. “Why would you call the police here? The matter to handle is in the UK—”

“Which you fled ,” I purred, not letting her go when she tried to pull away. It surprised her. A wolf was normally stronger than a vampire.

Normally. I was much older and special.

“You missed your hearing, Ms. Tate. A warrant is issued then. This whole plan was ridiculous. They would have just come to collect you from here once—”

“It’s in your contracts that your attorneys will protect the doctors,” she snapped.

Oh fuck, this woman was ridiculous. “From problems here at the hospital. Not just anything you do, idiot.” I nodded to the police who moved through the people. “This woman is wanted in the UK for serious charges. I assume you know who to contact and how to hand her over.”

He nodded. “Your security briefed us when they called and said they’d hold her. Thank you very much.”

“Get your hands off of me,” Mandy screeched as he went to put handcuffs on her.

“If you shift now, there will be additional charges and in North America,” the officer warned her.

She went off on him, bile coming out of her mouth. She had some choice words for me as well and even threatened Ha-joon that he would always regret doing this to her.

He laughed. Full belly laughed and had to hold his side which took a lot of the steam out of her.

Then she was gone. People watching the show shocked and confused. Well, those who came later were or even patients coming in for appointments.

It was so horrible we were doing this all in the main lobby. It disgusted me to see more patients coming in and witnessing this.

“Resign from your positions and you will get the rest of the quarter’s pay or I take the seats away through paperwork I don’t want to do and you get nothing,” I told the remaining board members.

I waved for security to handle them. “Get their hospital identification and security credentials to access areas. Also, add them to the banned list.”

“You don’t have the authority to—” Gordon tried to blast.

“I do. We all know I do,” I drawled.