Bella nodded, sweat beading across her forehead. “Then it has begun.”
Rumors spread like wildfire. By the end of the week, the board of directors demanded answers. Patients gathered outside Rafael’s suite, begging for help. Some prayed. Some shouted. Some simply waited with exhausted hope.
Corporate interests trembled. Pharmaceutical representatives arrived with polished smiles and hidden threats. A lawyer named Dylan Mercer confronted Rafael in his office.
“This ends now,” Dylan warned. “If this girl continues, you will both face criminal charges. Practicing medicine without certification. Endangering patients. Fraud.”
Rafael’s wheelchair hummed softly. He was not sitting in it. He stood beside it, his hand trailing along the handle. His knees shook, but they held.
“You came too late,” Rafael said. “The world already knows.”
Dylan faltered. “You will not win.”
Bella stepped out from behind Rafael. “Healing is not something to win. It is something to share.”
Dylan left without responding.