Chapter 5

Sarah POV

My expression instantly turned cold, and my voice held no warmth at all. "This is my business. It has nothing to do with you."

Ethan's brows were tightly knitted. "How does it have nothing to do with me? You were transferred from our hospital to the western desert, and you can't come back without approval. But what did you do?"

His tone was stern. "You have no sense of responsibility. You left your post without permission and snuck back here, and now you're making up some excuse about going abroad? Sarah, do you know how terrible an impact this will cause?"

Listening to his series of questions and accusations, I sneered in my heart.

So after all these years, it turned out that in his heart, I was this kind of irresponsible person.

He did not even have the most basic trust in me.

Ethan stopped looking at me and turned toward my parents by the hospital bed, his tone easing a little yet still heavy. "Sarah snuck back this time. If she's found out, the consequences will be unimaginable. I have to send her back immediately, and I hope you can understand."

My mother's face went pale, and my father froze too, looking at me in disbelief.

"Sarah, did you really sneak back?"

"No." I frowned and explained to my parents, "I came back with approval."

I took the leave slip out of my coat pocket and handed it over.

Ethan reached out first and snatched the paper. Without even looking at it, he tore the leave slip into scraps in his hand the next second.

"Sarah!" He flung the scraps into the air and said darkly, "You actually dare to forge a leave slip. That makes your offense even worse!"

Seeing the family visit leave slip I had only gotten by joining the international peacekeeping medical team be torn apart without hesitation by him, I was so angry that my whole body shook.

"Ethan, what right do you have to tear up my leave slip? Are you insane?"

Ethan's eyes grew even darker, and without giving me any chance to argue, he grabbed my arm with one hand, his grip so strong it felt like he was going to crush my bones.

"Come on. You're coming back with me right now. I'll help you fight for a lighter punishment as much as possible!"

"Let go of me!"

I struggled desperately, but he was too strong, and I was dragged two staggering steps toward the door.

Just then, my mother's urgent cry came from behind me. "Sarah!"

I turned back and saw my mother anxiously struggling to sit up from the bed, her face pale, gasping for breath, and reaching out as if she wanted to grab something.

"Sarah."

Before the words fell, my mother's body went limp, and she collapsed straight back onto the bed, closing her eyes.

The monitor suddenly let out a piercing alarm.

"Mom!"

I did not know where the strength came from, but I suddenly shook off Ethan's hand and threw myself to the bedside.

My father was also terrified and shouted with a trembling voice, "Wake up!"

"Mom! Mom, don't scare me!" I frantically pressed the call button at the head of the bed, my voice hoarse and broken. "Doctor! Doctor, hurry! Someone come quickly!"

The doctor soon rushed over, checked my mother's condition, and looked grave.

"The patient's condition is critical. She must be resuscitated immediately."

"Then resuscitate her!" I was so anxious that tears fell straight down. "What are you standing there for? Hurry!"

But the doctor did not move. He stood there, his gaze passing over me and turning toward Ethan, who stood at the door.

I followed his gaze and instantly understood.

This was Ethan's hospital.

Here, his power was greater than the sky.

Ethan met my eyes, his expression calm and his tone flat. "Sarah, as long as you're willing to honestly go back to the desert with me and accept the punishment, I'll immediately arrange for people to resuscitate your mother, use the best imported medicine, and guarantee her safety."

My breathing stopped, and all the blood in my body seemed to freeze at that moment.

I looked in disbelief at the man before me, the man I had loved for a full ten years and once thought I would spend my whole life with.

To keep Mia from losing her promotion spot, he was actually using my mother's life to force me back to that desert?

All my disappointment, anger, and sorrow broke through my chest like a flood.

But as I looked at my mother's pale face on the hospital bed, unconscious and unmoving, every second of delay meant another degree of danger for her.

So at that moment, I could not explode, and I could not go against him.

The most important thing right now was to save my mother first, because nothing mattered more than her safety.

I clenched my hands tightly, my nails digging into my palms, desperately holding back all my emotions. "Fine."

I heard my own voice, barely forced out of my throat. "I'll go back with you."

Only then did Ethan smile in satisfaction. "If you had listened this obediently earlier, she wouldn't have passed out from anger again."

Hearing that sentence, I felt cold all over.

I thought, it's fine. Once I return, the supervisor can prove she came back with approval.