Chapter 22

Emilio knew the time for evasion was over. He stood, took a shuddering breath, and began his story: “It all started three years ago. It was the second year after I was appointed head of the gynecology department…”

Mr. Polo listened intently, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. As Emilio spoke, the confession grew increasingly vile. Emilio had, in fact, systematically exploited his position as a doctor, involving several medical interns in sexual activities that blatantly violated professional ethics. In exchange, they received inflated grades, glowing recommendations, and even positions within the Niran Kai Medical Center itself.

According to him, it had begun with a single intern—a young, financially struggling fourth-year student. She was pretty, ambitious, and her charm, coupled with a convincing show of “good faith” and seductive, endearing glances, finally led Dr. Emilio to his first transgression.

But soon, rumors of this “arrangement” spread among the interns. They, in turn, began to seek his attention, deliberately playing the same game. And what started as one transgression evolved into a corrupt system. The worst part was that it wasn’t only him. Other doctors were already practicing this form of predation. Once they realized Emilio was now one of them, the practice gained dangerous momentum.

Interns who were unwilling or simply unaware of the illicit exchange were quickly initiated against their will. This coercion ranged from psychological pressure and professional threats to social isolation until they yielded. The hospital had become a quiet battlefield where fear replaced mentorship.

Among these many forced conquests, unlike his colleagues, Dr. Emilio insisted he had never personally forced anyone to play this Machiavellian game. His only sin, he claimed, was succumbing to the temptations of those who invited him. Nevertheless, within three years of playing with fire, he made the biggest mistake of his life.

One night, after work, he entered a colleague’s office and stumbled upon an ongoing liaison between that colleague and a young intern. Devoid of all moral restraint at that moment, he invited himself in. The woman had not resisted in that moment—she seemed composed, even cooperative—but later he learned she had been a victim, coerced and terrified. By then, it was too late. He was now trapped in the web.

The following year, she graduated quietly. She never reported it, likely because the colleague in question was a doctor with long, influential reach.

Polo couldn’t believe the words spilling from Dr. Emilio’s mouth. He sank onto a nearby bench, struggling to process the horror. However, Emilio’s narrative was entirely different from what he told Malaya. Listening to his confession made sense; if Malaya had known this version, the outcome would have been far worse.

The truth, or at least what remained of it, was even more twisted. However, one detail remained true: Dr. Marz was indeed the one who had made the mistake. When he heard about the rumors, he infiltrated their circle, collecting photos, videos, and recordings of his colleagues’ misconduct via an already-involved intern with the intention of blackmailing them.

When the IVF blunder occurred, it was simply Emilio’s turn to pay the price for his silence. He claimed he had been “clean” since the night he discovered the truth about the abused girl.

So, Malaya had been wrongfully made to believe Emilio was having sex that day; he was, in fact, at the hospital, but he was working.

Mr. Polo’s eyes were wide with disbelief. The scale of it all was staggering. This wasn’t just about one man’s corruption; it was a system. Not only was he dealing with interns hungry for better grades, but there was an entire group who had been coerced—men and women alike. If this scandal were to surface, it wouldn’t just ruin the hospital’s reputation; Niran Kai Medical Center, a derivative of Niran Williams and Kai Malee, would become synonymous with disgrace and would be utterly eradicated from the city and surrounding areas. Evelyn’s case, Polo realized, had only been the spark—the foot that kicked the hornet’s nest.

He rubbed his temples, dizzy with exhaustion. Based on his years of experience, he knew that if Dr. Marz had taken this much time to gather evidence against his colleagues, he was surely well-prepared to blackmail the hospital itself if necessary. Any attempt to silence him would be suicide.

At the same time, guilt gnawed at Polo. How had he missed this? Every year, Niran Kai had been praised for its discipline and excellence. He had believed the system worked. Yet beneath that facade, a hidden trade of favors and abuse had been flourishing.

Emilio then handed a document to Polo. “Mr. Mayeur was here earlier,” he said quietly. “He gave me this.”

Polo glanced at it.

“He’s withdrawing from the case,” Emilio continued. “Now, only the lady remains.”

Polo took the document speechless. The room seemed to tilt, the air heavy with the stench of moral decay. He stepped back, distancing himself from Emilio as though physical space could protect him from contamination. Outside, as he walked through the dim hospital yard, old memories surfaced.

He remembered the day he first met Miss Kai Malee in the courthouse hallway years ago. She looked completely disoriented, her mind miles away. She bumped into him.

“I’m so sorry,” she kept repeating, crouching to gather her things.

He knelt beside her. “It’s all right,” he said, helping her collect the documents. One paper in particular caught his eye.

“Excuse me—are you submitting this?”

Embarrassed, she snatched it back. “No, it was rejected. I have to redo it.”

He smiled kindly. “It’s obvious why. You forgot the official stamp.”

“Yes, I was just told that,” she sighed.

“You need proper legal advice,” he said.

She thanked him, preparing to leave, but he stopped her. “Here,” he said, handing her a card. “It’s free. Call me if you need help. They call me the Scavenger.”

She had smiled for the first time that day. “Scavenger?” she asked.

“You’ll understand why,” he replied.

That was how his friendship with Miss Kai Malee began. Back then, he was still a passionate law professor, eager to help. She was intelligent, ambitious, and beautiful —everything her daughter would later become. He had admired her determination to rise despite everything.

Now, looking back at the hospital, Mr. Polo slipped a hand into his pocket, consumed by a sense of enormous sadness. What if all those who worked hard to make Niran Kai what it had become had ultimately failed? What if, in pushing so hard for excellence, they had created the very monsters they feared—ambitious predators disguised as saviors?

The names Emilio had uttered still echoed in his mind. Could those people truly be capable of such cruelty? He didn’t know. But he did know that Emilio, now stripped of illusions, had nothing left to lose. The pressure had finally burst.

As Polo stood gazing at the hospital entrance, he didn’t notice the figure watching him—Dr. Williams.

She had never seen that look on his face before. His eyes were red, his expression weary, haunted. For a moment, she wondered if he was ill. He caught her gaze, managed a faint smile, and gestured politely just as Romaric parked the car and opened her door.

Williams entered the car, the weight of the day pressing on her shoulders, unaware that the real storm had just begun.

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