The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

The moment she made her demand, everyone was gobsmacked. No one expected this Mrs. Johnson to have the audacity to make

such an outrageous request. It was like she was living in a fantasy world.

"How about it? My request is quite simple. My son is way out of your league. If it weren't for your doctor gig, you wouldn't even be

in the running. What's with that look?!"

The onlookers couldn't bear it any longer, vocally expressing their disdain for the shamelessness of the family.

"Seriously? You think your son is sprince charming? Doctors wouldn't give him a second glance!"

"The doctor has a bright future ahead. Now stuck dealing with this mess, | bet hospitals will think twice before accepting such

patients."

"This isn't a patient; this is a nightmare, preying on young women!"

"Are you out of your mind? Your son's old enough to be her father, and you want her to marry him? Ridiculous!"

Clearly, Mrs. Johnson didn't foresee the crowd turning against her, and in a fit of rage, she lashed out at them.

"You lot have no clue. Don't you know older men are more caring? My son is such a catch, marrying him would be climbing the

social ladder for her. Stop sucking up to the doctor; your kid might end up in the sboat. Easy for you to say when you're not in

pain!"

Mrs. Johnson, undeterred by the numbers, continued her tirade, now focusing on Logan. His gaze had been fixed on her, making

her feel ufortable under his emotionless yet angry stare.

For a moment, she felt a twinge of guilt, but quickly straightened up and pointed at Logan with defiance, "What's with that look?

You planning to hit me? Go on, hitin the face, let everyone see the kind of riffraff this hospital employs!"

It seemed like Mrs. Johnson was addicted to lecturing others, now directing her barrage at Logan, "She made a mistake; she should

own up to it. Why are you defending her?"

"Letguess, you've got a thing for Doctor Faye?" She continued, ignoring Logan's increasingly sour expression, "A woman who

causes more problems than she solves and she still has admirers? Odd. But you're out of luck; she's destined to be with my son!"

At this, Logan snapped his pen in frustration.

Seeing this, Mrs. Johnson doubled down on her theatrics, sitting down and starting to wail.

The hospital director rushed over after hearing about the scene, but before he could speak, it was clear Logan was furious.

"What's happening here?" the director asked, frowning.

After hearing a brief explanation, he bypassed Mrs. Johnson and approached the patient's window, shaking his head at the

absurdity.

The idea of forcing their top female doctor to marry her son was ludicrous. And him? At his age?

The patient, pale and with his legs hoisted, was on an IV.

"What's the situation here?" The director's presence gave Mrs. Johnson a false sense of support, mistakenly thinking he was there

to back her up.

"Family's been causing a scene at the door, we haven't been able to check on the patient," a doctor explained.

The director, trying to mediate, "Please, we need to assess his condition. He looks quite ill."

But Mrs. Johnson was unyielding, blocking the door as if her life depended on it.

"Today, Faye must agree to my terms, or else it's on her if anything happens to my son."

Logan, at the end of his tether, approached, causing Mrs. Johnson to back away in alarm.

"What do you think you're doing? You wouldn't dare hit me, would you?" she taunted.

Ignoring her, Logan moved to enter the room. Mrs. Johnson, realizing she couldn't stop him, tically threw herself to the

ground.

"You doctors are attacking me! You've already harmed my son, now me? What are your true intentions?"

Her cries could be heard throughout the building, with seven capturing the scene on their phones.

After a quick check, Logan looked at the director, shaking his head, "We need to operate immediately, or he might lose his limb."

Mrs. Johnson's theatrics halted at the mention of amputation, suddenly demanding Logan take full responsibility.

"It's your fault my son is like this. You have to cure him!" She demanded, her fury evident.

People scoffed at her antics; it appeared she was here to scheme, trying to force a young, talented doctor into marriage while also

pinning her son's medical expenses on them.

Logan glanced at her coldly, "I'll take care of the surgery."

As he prepared to move the patient, Mrs. Johnson chased after them, blocking their way, "No! What if you take revenge on my son?

How can we trust a doctor like you? You just threatenedin front of everyone. | don't trust him; he cannot operate on my son!"

The director, struggling to contain his anger, tried to calm her, "Please, Logan is highly respected in the medicalmunity. He

wouldn't jeopardize his career over this. No one here is more skilled than him. His willingness to operate for free is already more

than generous."

But Mrs. Johnson failed to see the director's growing irritation, showing just how disconnected from reality she really was.

"I've had it with this! All of you in this hospital are in cahoots, shielding those who want to harm us, thinking you can push us

around because we don't have any clout. Well, think again!" Mrs. Johnson turned away, her voice crackling with defiance. It was a

mystery where she found such strength, but she managed to block the exit with her body, effectively trapping them.

The hospital director, on the verge of losing his temper, caught sight of a camera tucked away in a corner, its lens trained on them.

Realizing the reputation of the hospital was at stake, he was forced to swallow his anger.

"Fine, then tell me, which doctor do you want to perform your son's surgery? We will cover all the expenses," he said, managing to

keep his voice steady despite the turmoil brewing inside.

Without missing a beat, the old lady extended her hand and pointed at Dr. Abernasy, who had been silent the entire time. "I want

him, Dr. Abernasy, to be in charge of the surgery from start to finish."