Love on the Fast Track (Derek and Norah)

Chapter 118:

Everyone enjoyed a good promotion and salary increase. Even Norah, usually so indifferent, couldn't hide her joy

upon hearing the news. Her face lit up with a smile as she said, “Thank you, Jamison.”

“Don’t thank me. You earned it with your skills. Just make sure you're well-prepared. This is your big shot,”

Jamison replied.

“Got it.”

Walking back to her office, Norah was in a good mood, the news of her promotion cutting through the gloom of

the previous night.

Jolie cup to her, full of questions. “Wilson, | heard you stepped in for emergency surgery on a girl who was

stabbed in the lobby last night, and you stayed late—more than two extra hours, right? And you didn’t get paid

for it?”

Normally, that meant pay from the hospital. But emergency cases like these often went uncompensated,

essentially making them volunteer work. “Not sure. We'll have to wait and see what the hospital decides.”

Norah grabbed a medical record from her desk and said to Jolie, “Austin, | need to go check on my patients. Let's

chat another time.”

With that, Norah left the office, unaware that Jolie was speaking ill of her the moment her back was turned.

“Really? She used to get along so well with everyone when she first arrived, even flirting with male doctors from

other departments. Now, with a little recognition, she acts as if she’s above us all. What a show.”

Jolie's bitterness had another reason. Norah had been involved in numerous surgeries but never invited her to

participate. Jolie felt insulted, believing Norah did this intentionally.

Baylor raised an eyebrow. “Dr. Austin, what are you implying? Don’t spread rumors. Dr. Wilson is highly skilled.

It's only natural she’s always busy. Given the demands of the Cardiac Surgery Department, with its endless

surgeries and overtime, why make such harsh comments?”

“I'm merely pointing out the truth. Ever since she beca bit known, hasn't she ignored other doctors? You

know, she seems to pander to Gil and Jamison. I'm just saying what | see.”

Jolie scoffed and headed back to her desk. “Oh, Dr. Padilla, is it because Dr. Wilson includes you in surgeries that

you're defending her? | see how it is, loud and clear.”

Baylor retorted, “Dr. Austin, please don’t twist the facts. Regardless of whether Dr. Wilson includesin

surgeries, she’s a doctor of remarkable talent who doesn’t requireto defend her. If you keep slandering her,

I'll have to bring it up with Dr. Wilson.”

“Go ahead. Do you think I'm worried?” Jolie responded with a shrug. She grabbed her notebook and headed out

to start her rounds, completely dismissing Baylor's warning.

At one point, Jolie had a bit of a crush on Baylor, but she quickly realized he was too much of a yes-man for her

taste.

Norah had indeed chosen not to involve Jolie in surgeries on purpose. She operated on a simple principle: to

those who treated her well, she would return the favor. To those who showed her hostility, she wouldn't bother to

curry favor.

Norah knew Jolie had only pretended to care about her. In fact, Jolie had been speaking badly of her behind her

back in the hospital's group chat. After Norah discovered this through a monitoring tool she had set up for the

group chat, she realized it might stem from envy over her growing reputation and favor with Jamison, prompting

Jolie’s negative comments.

Witnessing this, Norah wisely kept her distance from Jolie, opting to avoid conflict with such petty individuals by

maintaining a cordial but distant relationship.

Once her rounds were done, Norah made her way back to her office. It had been a while since she last saw Kason

and Kaiden at the hospital. They had been discharged and were now recovering at home.

The truth was, Norah only had feelings of friendship for Kason, nothing more. Those words she had said to Sean

were meant to politely decline him.

Engrossed in her rewarding work, the end of her shift quickly approached. As Norah exited the office with her

belongings, Jolie’s gaze could almost spew bitterness.

Jolie pondered why Norah managed to leave at the appointed hour every day while she was still compelled to

work overtime, despite years of relentless work and countless extra hours.

Back when Norah first joined the hospital, her lack of overtcould be attributed to her light workload. Yet over

time, despite accumulating a significant number of patients, Norah still wrapped up her day on time.

Jolie couldn’t wrap her head around this.

Moreover, with the recent round of promotions to attending physicians looming, Norah’s nwas rumored to

be in consideration. In a profession where tenure often dictated progression, Norah's rapid rise was puzzling,

especially given her relatively recent arrival.

Jolie felt overlooked and undervalued.

Therefore, she decided to write an anonymous letter to the director.

“Dear Director, there is a situation in the Cardiac Surgery Department where favoritism is influencing decisions.

A doctor with limited experience is being considered for promotion to attending physician. This individual,

despite being the newest and youngest in the department, receives undue advantages from the department

head, including access to superior resources.”

Jolie then paused her writing and carried the letter to the director's office. She looked around to make sure no

one was there before slipping the envelope inside.

She then casually walked away, acting as if nothing had happened.

The mailbox was securely locked, and the person who had been trailing Jolie approached, inspected the

situation, and then left, unable to do anything.

The day before, after using Kason as a pretense in her conversation with Sean, Norah thought it wise to inform

Kason about the letter. This way, if Sean ever brought it up to Kason, Kason wouldn't be caught off guard.

If there had been any hint of romance between Kason and Norah, using his nwouldn't have been an issue.

However, it was clear there wasn't.

Soon, Kason answered Norah's call.

“Hello,” Kason said softly. He was lying in the bushes, quietly enduring the pain from a bullet wound in his leg,

his breathing controlled as he spoke.

Clouds covered the sky completely, turning everything around into a deep shade of night. The gentle sounds of

insects hidden in the foliage added to the feeling of vastness and silence. The moon hung alone in the sky, its

dim light struggling to reveal the surroundings.

“I need you,” Norah said, speaking through the phone. She didn’t notice anything wrong and began to share her

story at a leisurely pace. She carefully left out the absurd evening she had spent with Sean, simply mentioning

that Sean had shown interest in her.

To dissuade Sean, she felt compelled to bring Kason into the conversation, asking for his forgiveness.

Kason was momentarily breathless when Norah said she had affection for him and felt a bit down when he heard

her continue, explaining her use of him as a way to dissuade Sean.

Kason pressed hard on the gunshot wound and said in a relaxed tone, “It’s okay. I'm surprised Mr. Scott feels that

way about you, but it’s nothing to worry about. If you need me, just say the word.”

Hearing someone approaching, Kason whispered, “I've got to go. Something's cup here. Take care.” Norah

didn’t even get to say goodbye before the call was disconnected on the other side.

If Kason was unbothered, she figured there was no need for concern on her part.

Norah played with her phone, noticing a message from Zeke with a video clip of the band’s rehearsal.

The band was in perfect harmony, and the lead singer's voice was mesmerizing, pulling the listener into the song

and the moment.

It was clear that the Dream had thrived in her absence, achieving remarkable progress. With Kris’ departure from

Rosy Secret, it was the Dream’s moment to shine on stage!