From Betrayal to Brilliance Her Rise to a New Life novel Chapter 313

**TITLE: Her Rise 313**
**CONTENT: 313 The Chosen Patient**

Athena made a conscious choice to keep certain details from Zaden. She could sense the tension in the air and felt it was best to tread lightly.

With a casual tone, she responded, “Hmm, well, he used to be my assistant, so yeah, we got along pretty well. What he just said was a joke. Don’t take it seriously.”

Zaden absorbed her words, but the weight pressing down on his heart remained unrelenting.

Kit was a Rice, after all. With his lineage and social standing, it seemed utterly implausible that he would ever take on the role of an assistant.

Unless, of course, there was something more to it—something hidden beneath the surface.

Zaden couldn’t shake the feeling that Kit’s motives were obscured, and that uncertainty gnawed at him. When he had entered the room earlier, Kit’s tone had not conveyed humor; it had been laced with an earnestness that made Zaden uneasy. Perhaps Kit was indeed sincere, and that meant Zaden had to remain vigilant.

Across the room, Kit had returned to Preston’s side, scanning for any sign of Maya, who was conspicuously absent.

Preston squinted at Kit, his expression unreadable. “So, you and Athena seem quite chummy? You know her pretty well?”

Kit noticed the intensity in Preston’s gaze, a silent acknowledgment that he was scrutinizing Athena for reasons unknown to him.

But Kit had no intention of betraying Athena or turning her into an enemy. If Preston chose to side with Maya, Kit knew he wouldn’t stand a chance against his brother’s determination.

“Uh… we’re okay, I guess,” Kit replied, his voice lacking conviction.

Preston, perceptive as ever, could see through Kit’s facade. His eyes narrowed, sharp with suspicion, but he chose not to press further.

What truly occupied his mind was whether Athena possessed the skills to perform a complete surgery.

If she was still as competent as she had been in the past, he intended to enlist her to operate on Desmond. Maya’s personal vendettas? They were inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.

Meanwhile, Maya found herself seated in Barbara’s office, recounting the day’s events with a mix of anxiety and determination.

“Professor Gordon, Athena found a patient who actually agreed to let her perform the surgery,” Maya explained, her voice tinged with urgency. “I pushed her to do it tomorrow, but I can’t shake the feeling that she might have some sort of secret weapon.”

Though she attempted to project confidence, a gnawing unease simmered just beneath the surface.

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