?Chapter 274:


    Instantly, a ripple of anxious whispers swept through the guests. “That mark might be treatable with new meds, but a scar? That’s a whole other headache.” The air buzzed with doubt, but Christina stayed perfectlyposed. She looked up, her gaze sweeping the room with unshakable poise. “I’ve heard Dr. Emmett’s ointment works miracles. Not even a trace of a scar left behind,” she dered nonchntly.


    At the mention of Emmett’s name, the crowd erupted.


    “Wait, did she just say Calvin Emmett?”


    “She can’t mean that Calvin Emmett, right? The best surgeon in the country?”


    “Miss Jones, Dr. Emmett’s basically retired. He lives all the way out in Lorbridge! You can’t just call him up for a favor.”


    “Even if that ointment is real, what are the odds she’ll get her hands on it? Dr. Emmett only operates for the highest-profile clients. Last heard, some VIP pulled every string to get him for a single operation.”


    A voice from the crowd rang out. “I heard Dr. Emmett has a small jar of that miracle scar cream—but it’s nearly impossible to get. A high-ranking officer’s daughter once got her face scarred, and even he had to beg forever before Calvin gave him a tiny bit. There’s no guarantee the Hubbards could even get their hands on it.”


    As the whispers and doubts floated around the room, Christina spoke coolly. “Well, that’s not your concern, is it? Dr. Emmett is still in Dorfield, and I can have him personally stitch up Miss Hubbard’s wound. I promise—she won’t have a single scar.”


    The crowd sucked in a sharp breath and stared at Christina. Could this woman really summon Calvin at will?


    A skeptical voice chimed in, “You’ve got to be joking! People like us can’t even get a glimpse of Dr. Emmett, let alone ask for a favor!”


    Christina’s lips curved into a faint smile as her gaze drifted to Brendon. “Why not ask the Dawsons? They’ve met Dr. Emmett before because of me, and Dr. Emmett is still in Dorfield.”


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    Christina wasn’t bluffing. Brendon had used Bethel as a front to trick Calvin, and now the Dawson and Mitchell families were both cklisted by Calvin. Calvin had been furious when he told her. He’d ranted for minutes but then suddenly switched to begging her to take him on as an apprentice.


    All eyes turned to Brendon and his family.


    Brendon didn’t dare lie—not now. Calvin was already livid with him. One more misstep, and if Calvin made their feud public, people would line up to take the Dawson family down just to win Calvin’s favor.


    “She can really get Dr. Emmett,” Brendon admitted through clenched teeth, his face dark.


    Another round of shocked gasps rippled through the crowd. Even Carson was looking at her differently now. The woman he’d intended to hold ountable for any misstep actually had ties to Calvin.


    Omar and Vanessa exchanged a stunned nce. Even they might struggle to get an appointment with Calvin—yet Christina spoke as if she could snap her fingers and summon him. Who was she?


    Freddie Hubbard, Omar’s father, stood off to the side, taking in every word, his nerves stretched thin. He paced anxiously, hands twisting, heart pounding in his chest. “They said they were going to drain the poisoned blood. Why hasn’t it started yet? If they keep dying like this, what if something happens to my Eloise?”


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