Charlotte and her team were completely absorbed as they performed the excision in the operating room. Her movements were swift and precise—she made a clean incision along the front edge of the sternocleidomastoid, then carefully separated layers of tissue to expose the carotid bifurcation.
She didn’t even need specialized retractors; her hands alone deftly navigated the subcutaneous tissue, skillfully avoiding the vagus and hypoglossal nerves as well as the superior thyroid artery. Under the microscope, she meticulously peeled away the plaque and intimal tissue without the slightest slip.
For the rest of the team, it was their first time assisting her. They were stunned by her “blind knife” technique—operating by touch and experience rather than relying on constant visual cues.
Even the seasoned surgeons in the hospital, those with decades in the OR, rarely dared such bold precision.
“Keep an eye on the blood pressure,” Charlotte instructed, not even glancing up.
The nurse and anesthesiologist kept their eyes glued to the monitors, nerves taut, terrified that any fluctuation might trigger a hematoma.
The entire procedure took just three hours—thirty minutes shorter than expected.
Once Charlotte closed the vascular incision, she immediately released the temporary clamps on the common carotid, internal carotid, and superior thyroid arteries.
She checked for a steady blood flow—everything was perfect. The surgery was a success.
Outside, Mrs. Connelly was pacing anxiously in the hallway.
Soon, the surgical light switched to green, and a nurse stepped out.
“How did it go?” Mrs. Connelly and her son hurried over.
The nurse smiled. “The surgery was a success. There might be some complications, so the patient will stay in the ICU for three days before transferring to a regular room.”
Mrs. Connelly breathed out in relief. “As long as it went well, that’s all that matters.”
Charlotte emerged from the operating room. Mrs. Connelly rushed up to thank her.
Mrs. Connelly didn’t care whether Sadie was guilty or not; all she saw was that her daughter had brought chaos and embarrassment to the family. She turned to the others, apologizing, “I’m sorry you had to see that. My daughter’s going through a rebellious phase. She never listens—maybe it’s best if the police set her straight.”
Charlotte watched with a complicated mix of emotions. For a moment, she was reminded of her own past, of choices she could never take back. She was about to say something when a nurse approached, phone in hand.
A quick glance at the trending topics made things clear: the “healthcare worker” Natalie had mentioned… was her.
But she’d never done anything to offend that girl, had she?
Mrs. Connelly soon noticed her husband being wheeled out of surgery and hurried over, ending the conversation.
Once everyone had cleared out, Charlotte turned to Natalie. “Did Evander Howard send you?”
“Mr. Howard saw the slander against you and was worried you were in trouble. He asked me to come make sure you were alright.”
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