Genius Kids' Scheme: Claiming Daddy's Billionaire Empire Chapter 74

"Ready for your evening treatment?" Irene asked, setting down her medical kit. Another day, another session - though after everything that had happened today, even this familiar routine felt different.

"Your progress is looking good," she noted while placing the electrodes. "The nerve response is much stronger than last week."

Adam watched her work in silence for a moment. "The board meeting ran longer than expected. You didn't have to come tonight."

"Please," she shot him a look, "since when do doctors get to pick and choose? Besides, your recovery schedule is more important than some corporate drama."

His lips twitched slightly at that. For a moment, it seemed like he might say more, but instead he just watched her finish the preparations with that intense focus of his. "Wait. Dr. Sterling." He nodded to Thomas, who retrieved a folder from his desk. "These are the documents for the villa next door. All the paperwork is complete - the property is officially in your name."

Irene accepted the folder with a small nod. "Thank you, I appreciate it." She hesitated before adding, "I should mention - this week might be a bit irregular. Treatment times could vary - might be late night, might be during the day. I hope you can be flexible."

"Not a problem," Adam replied smoothly. "I'll work around your schedule."

Something flickered in his eyes - curiosity perhaps - but he didn't push for details. That was one thing she genuinely appreciated about him; he never pried where he wasn't invited.

As she packed up her equipment, her mind was already racing ahead to what waited for her. Brandon Sterling - her brother in name if not in reality - lying in a hospital bed with his career and future hanging by a thread. The irony wasn't lost on her. The family that had thrown her away was now unknowingly turning to her for salvation.

Back home, Irene's phone chirped. Katherine's message was brief but loaded with meaning: 'Brandon Sterling's back in the country. Checked into Silver City Private Medical Center.'

Irene's fingers hovered over the keys before typing: 'Alright, we'll see him tomorrow morning.'

'You got it! I'll handle all the arrangements. Time for Dr. Joy to work her magic! 💫' Katherine's reply came with her signature enthusiasm.

Standing in her study, Irene took a deep breath. From this moment on, she needed to be Dr. Joy - the miracle worker from R Country, the surgeon who could make the impossible possible. No trace of Irene Sterling could show through that mask.

\---

Silver City Private Medical Center's security guards did a double-take when Katherine's pink Lamborghini rolled up - as if her signature ride wasn't eye-catching enough already. Irene, on the other hand, kept things strictly professional, hidden behind a surgical mask and cap. Two different approaches to making an entrance, but both got the job done.

The hospital director practically tripped over himself rushing to greet them. "Dr. Joy? What an honor! I'm the medical center's director. Welcome, both of you!"

"I'm Joy," Irene replied simply. "Please show me to the patient."

If the director was thrown by her youth or brusque manner, he hid it well beneath enthusiastic hospitality. His attitude screamed *VIP treatment* as he personally escorted them to the private wing.

The single ward screamed money, but none of that mattered right now. Brandon lay propped against his pillows, his legs wrapped in bandages and stabilizers. The contrast between this broken figure and the dashing race car driver from magazine covers was stark enough to hurt.

A man hovering anxiously by the bed straightened at their entrance. "Dr. Joy!" His voice cracked with desperate hope. "Please, you have to help Brandon! He's a world-class racer - he can't lose his legs! If they amputate..." He swallowed hard. "It would destroy his whole life, not just his career!"

"I'll need to conduct a thorough examination before determining any treatment plan," Irene replied evenly. "I won't make promises I'm not certain I can keep."

Brandon's head snapped around, eyes blazing with the kind of fury only champions know - the rage of someone who's never accepted defeat. His fingers gripped the sheets so hard his knuckles went white. "Aren't you supposed to be the best? Every other doctor was too scared to even try, and now you won't even guarantee anything?"

His voice cracked, all that champion's pride crumbling at the edges. A quick glance at the racing trophies lining the windowsill said everything words couldn't - watching your whole life slip through your fingers wasn't pretty, no matter how fancy the hospital room.

"Dr. Joy doesn't do empty promises," Katherine cut in, cool as could be. "She's too busy delivering actual results. That's why she's the best."

"Even miracle workers are only human," Irene's voice could've frozen hell over. "I deal in facts and solutions, not false hope. Take it or leave it."

The anxious man - Henry, Brandon's assistant - jumped in quickly. "Please forgive him, Dr. Joy! He's just frustrated with the situation. We know you're our last hope!" His eyes darted meaningful glances at Brandon, silently begging him not to antagonize their miracle worker.

Brandon turned away with visible effort, swallowing whatever retort had been building. The famous Sterling arrogance warred briefly with desperate need before surrendering to reality.

Irene maintained her professional distance, examining Brandon's legs with clinical precision. Inside, a lifetime of complicated emotions churned - this was her brother, yet a complete stranger. The Sterling blood they shared meant nothing compared to the years of separation and rejection.

But none of that mattered now. She wasn't Irene Sterling here - she was Dr. Joy, and Dr. Joy had a job to do. Whether this patient was her brother or a complete stranger didn't change the medical reality facing them.

She straightened up, pulling off her examination gloves with practiced efficiency. "I'll need to review your complete medical history and all imaging studies. Have everything sent to my office." Her tone left no room for argument. "Once I've studied the case thoroughly, we can discuss treatment options."

Henry nodded eagerly while Brandon remained sullenly silent. The famous racer's entire world had shrunk to this room, his future balanced on the opinion of a doctor he'd dismissed moments ago.

Walking out, Irene felt the weight of dual identities pressing down. Dr. Joy might be Brandon's last hope for salvation, but Irene Sterling was a secret that had to stay buried. One wrong move, one slip of the mask, and everything would unravel.

Katherine fell into step beside her, their heels clicking in sync down the polished corridor. Her friend's presence was steadying - a reminder that she didn't have to carry this burden alone.

"Ready for this?" Katherine asked quietly.

Irene's chin lifted slightly. "Dr. Joy has never failed a patient yet."

They both knew it wasn't really an answer, but it was the only truth that mattered right now.