Chapter 13: Denise's Boyfriend

Words : 1908 Updated : Nov 20th, 2025

Most of the experts present had never witnessed Dante's two medical miracles and still believed he was the disgraced black sheep the Swift family painted him as. Everett dropped to his knees, clung to Dante, and wailed. The whole ward and even the hallway outside erupted into chaos. Everyone assumed Everett had been scared senseless at the thought of offending the Davidson family. Only Rodrigo brightened. Hope flashed in his eyes, a smile broke across his face, and he stepped forward. "Dr. Easton, you're here!" Dante ignored the jeers. His gaze swept over the crowd and settled on the bed, where Ambrose lay hunched and convulsing. Denise sensed something was wrong, especially with Everett's strange behavior. She fixed her eyes on Gavin and raised her voice. "What on earth is going on?" Gavin, stunned by Everett's sudden breakdown but with no time to dwell on it, hurried over, his voice trembling. "Denise, this is bad. Mr. Ambrose was already comatose, and after Everett's treatment, he could die any minute!" Denise's face went chalk white. In Junbert, the Mendes family was top-tier and could throw its weight around. But facing the Davidson family, they had to step aside. She had invested heavily to tie the family's fortunes to the Davidsons. If she messed this up, she would bring down the Mendes family. They might even cease to exist. Everett's howling plea at her feet made her fury spike. She snapped a kick into his shoulder. "Get out! Don't get in the way!" She turned to Dante, her expression taut, eyes full of desperation. "Mr. Easton, please save my family." People had thought Everett was crazy to beg a wastrel for help. Now, seeing even a billionaire CEO like Denise humbling herself in the same way, shock and suspicion rippled through them. Had Denise lost her mind, too? "Ms. Mendes, you're asking him?" A man in his forties or fifties, rimless glasses perched on his nose, lab coat neatly pressed, stared in disbelief. "Haven't you heard about him?" "Enough!" Denise's eyes turned ice-cold, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees. "You believe rumors? Have you seen it with your own eyes?" The respected medical expert before her was struck speechless. The others fell silent too. It seemed none of them had actually seen Dante do bad things. They only parroted gossip about his character and supposed lack of filial piety. What surprised Denise was how Dante took the slander and sneers without the slightest flicker of anger. His composure was unshakable. "Denise, you finally show up." Carmen's voice cut through Denise's chill like a blade. Her fury erupted like a volcano. The whites of her eyes were streaked with red, and her tone was glacial. "My grandfather traveled south to support this Ecological Summit. He fell ill, and you failed to find a competent doctor. You brought in quacks and useless trash. Are you trying to kill my grandfather?" "If anything happens to him, your family will be finished. Denise Mendes, your family's fate is in your hands." Denise endured the threats without flinching. She glanced at Dante again, bowed slightly, and spoke with respect. "Mr. Easton, I beg you. Please save my family." Dante remained steady. He gently touched her shoulder, then moved into the ward. "Clear the room. Everyone out except those three." His eyes flicked to Everett, Rodrigo, and another elder. Denise sent the rest packing with a single cold, imperious look. They filed out, still muttering doubts under their breath. Only Carmen refused to leave. "I'm staying!" Denise looked to Dante. His face remained unreadable, so she said nothing. The ward fell silent. Those who remained held themselves utterly still, which made Ambrose's retching and spasms sound even louder. Dante extended his hand. He pressed two fingers to Ambrose's wrist. A marvel unfolded. The moment his fingertips touched, Ambrose's convulsions and vomiting rapidly subsided. The elder beside Rodrigo furrowed his brow, surprised but not yet shocked. Carmen let out a breath, but she remained wary of Dante. "You thought this was viral hepatitis?" Dante's gaze cut through the ward and landed on Everett, who went weak in the knees. "I... The symptoms looked alike... They really looked alike..." He knew he had misdiagnosed, but the resemblance had been uncanny. Dante gave him a cold look and spoke with calm certainty. "This is Q Fever. Many of its symptoms overlap with viral hepatitis." He took out his needle case, gave it a light shake, and the array of silver needles gleamed. "Looks like I guessed right." Rodrigo's voice trembled with excitement. He watched Dante's acupuncture technique intently, hoping to witness Ancient Acupuncture work its wonders again. "What is Q Fever?" Carmen asked. Rodrigo didn't look away from Dante. He explained, "Q Fever is a zoonotic disease caused by the Coxiella virus. Early on, it causes fatigue, loss of appetite, and a low fever. When it flares, it comes on suddenly. The muscle aches. The patient will have high fever, headache, liver issues, dry cough, chest pain, and more." "Once it strikes, the patient needs immediate treatment. There's a sliver of hope, but the mortality rate is as high as ninety percent. Brace yourself." "What did you say? Ninety percent mortality?" Carmen's eyes went wide. Her fists clenched so tightly her knuckles whitened. "I don't care what you use. You must stabilize my grandfather. I'll take him back to the capital for the best care... What is it?" She broke off, seeing Rodrigo had a weird expression, utterly absorbed in Dante's hands as he set the needles, all his usual authority forgotten. "This is it. The Rejuvenation Acupuncture..." "Look! This is the legendary Ancient Acupuncture..." Rodrigo grabbed the elder's arm like an excited child. Suddenly, he blurted out, "With Dr. Easton's Rejuvenation Acupuncture, your grandfather will definitely pull through." The elder's emotions surged out of control. He trembled all over, lost the power of speech, and nearly collapsed. Breathing hard, he fumbled out emergency heart pills and swallowed them. "It really exists... I could die happy now, no regrets..." Denise had never seen anything like it. These two men were towering figures in traditional medicine in Junbert, known for their composure, yet Dante's acupuncture technique utterly shook them. Carmen, knowing nothing about medicine, couldn't make sense of their reaction. "Are they... okay?" Denise looked at Ambrose on the bed. Right before her eyes, he was visibly improving. The pale complexion faded, and healthy color returned to his face. "Ms. Davidson, look at Mr. Ambrose." Carmen turned to her grandfather. The transformation was unmistakable and stunning. She had doubted Dante. Now, she trusted him completely. "Ms. Mendes, is he your boyfriend? He's handsome, and he looks hot when he's treating patients!"

Chapter 13: Denise's Boyfriend

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