Chapter 641

"Someone's been murdered! Call an ambulance!" A shrill scream shattered the mall's tranquility.

The crowd erupted into chaos instantly, bystanders pulling out phones to record the scene.

Security chief rushed upstairs with his team just as Ethan Roscente pushed through the gathering crowd. He'd been waiting outside for Vivian Laurent when the commotion drew him in.

"Move aside!" Ethan's voice was dangerously low.

Bianca Semona clutched Vivian's wrist with desperate strength, pressing it against her own throat. Her face had gone deathly pale, lips tinged blue, body swaying unsteadily.

Vivian yanked her hand free. Bianca collapsed to the floor like a marionette with cut strings.

"There's a dead body!" someone shrieked, scrambling backward.

"That woman did it!" multiple voices accused simultaneously.

Emily Garnache emerged from the throng. "Lies! Dr. Laurent would never hurt anyone!"

Ethan crouched beside Bianca, fingers finding her pulse point. "Steady breathing. Normal pulse."

Vivian's lips curled coldly. "She can't even fake unconsciousness convincingly."

Fiona Grandelle trembled. "I saw it—Ms. Semona grabbed Dr. Laurent's hand herself."

"They're in cahoots!" a heckler shouted from the crowd.

Vivian squeezed Fiona's icy fingers. "Don't be afraid."

She addressed the onlookers with measured calm. "I'm Vivian Laurent from Seattle General Hospital's Surgery Department. Also founder of AN Atelier. Verify my credentials if you doubt me."

Murmurs rippled through the gathering:

"The doctor who cured terminal liver cancer?"

"My aunt had surgery performed by her!"

"I heard she turned down a multimillion-dollar offer from Johns Hopkins..."

The tide of opinion shifted subtly. The weight of her medical credentials altered the atmosphere.

Bianca lay motionless on the floor—but her eyelashes fluttered almost imperceptibly.