Chapter 5

Brianna

I stared at Cole in shock, a thin layer of cold sweat already seeping down my back.

I didn't know whether my identity had been exposed.

Fear started pulling me backward. I had no powerful connections to fall back on.

Once my identity was exposed, I could disappear off the face of the earth in the next second—along with my family.

Cole seemed to read my fear. He stepped forward and caught my wrist.

His grip was light, but carried something that left no room for refusal.

He leaned in and crouched down, trying to bring his eyes level with mine, easing the pressure of his presence.

His tone was almost impossibly gentle:

"Brianna, don't be afraid."

"I've already had the patent attribution corrected to your name."

"I know you're worried about retaliation from whoever purchased the patent, but rest assured—I've handled it."

"From now on, with me here, you can attach your name to your patents openly. You won't have to sell them to anyone again."

"Your mother's medical expenses—I'll cover all of it."

I looked at Cole in disbelief.

Clearly, what he was worried about and what I was worried about were completely different things.

Which only deepened my confusion about how he had known I was the inventor of this patent.

Before I could ask, my phone rang.

It was the patent buyer—my largest client.

I gave Cole an apologetic look and stepped out to take the call.

"Brianna, I'm so sorry to disturb you."

"We didn't tell Cole that you're L. We only told him you were a Ronaldo University student who sold the patent because of your mother's illness. You don't need to worry."

"At the same time, we hope that on the surface, the Caesar family can be responsible for your safety—there are certain matters we aren't in a position to handle directly."

"However, what we find strange is that we don't understand how Cole knew you were the developer. We're still investigating internally."

I gave a quiet acknowledgment and hung up.

Though I still didn't understand how my identity had been uncovered, I was grateful for everything Cole had done.

Returning to the hospital room, I looked at Cole:

"Why did you do all this?"

Cole stood up and offered a gentle smile:

"She's my team doctor—naturally I take responsibility for her."

"The Caesar family doesn't allow me to mistreat my own people."

"Here with me, you can be yourself, Brianna. A genius shouldn't be buried and humiliated."

At that moment, my heart lurched into a violent, rapid beat.

This feeling—I wanted to call it gratitude.

No, it was more than gratitude. There was something else mixed in.

I couldn't hold back. I stepped forward and threw my arms around Cole.

He was simply the light in my life.

I would never have to take dangerous risks under L's identity to earn money anymore.

I had a legitimate identity now. I could step into the sunlight.

No more hiding like a rat in the gutter, scurrying from shadow to shadow—I could be completely, fully myself.

All the recognition and research achievements that had always rightfully been mine would never be buried again.

The teammates around us watched this scene in shock.

After all, Cole was someone who intensely disliked physical contact.

With anyone—man or woman alike.

With men, Cole's contact stopped at a high five, even when the team won the championship.

While other teammates were hugging and celebrating, he would only stand at a distance watching, wearing a smile, occasionally exchanging high fives with players.

With women, it was another matter entirely.

Once, a crazed female football fan rushed up to hug Cole and was shoved back dozens of feet by him.

He hadn't hurt her, but from that day forward, no girl ever dared approach Cole.

They simply stood at a distance, admiring him.

The bolder ones—girls like Kate—only dared inch close enough to chat with him. Physical contact was out of the question.

Watching my reckless embrace, everyone in the room drew a sharp breath.

They'd already braced themselves to come to my rescue.

But the extraordinary thing was that Cole didn't push me away.

Instead, he gently patted the top of my head.

"Alright—everyone's watching."

Only with Cole's reminder did I realize what I'd done.

I released him in a fluster.

Jess and Kate's expressions darkened completely.

Kate bit down hard on her lip, trembling with rage, but there was nothing she could do.

She had absolutely nothing left to argue with.

All she could do was stare at me—watching me hold Cole, watching me receive his undeniable favoritism.

Jess's gaze toward me shifted too, his initial disgust giving way to stunned disbelief.

Cole looked out at everyone and spoke:

"Brianna is my team doctor. If anyone still has a problem with that, you're welcome to leave with Jess."

With Cole's patent documentation in hand, no one was willing to side with Kate and Jess anymore.

After all, having a genuinely gifted medical talent as team doctor was something the entire team could only dream of.

The teammates stepped forward one by one to greet me, their earlier hostility dissolving into courtesy and admiration.

"Sorry, Brianna—we hope you'll forgive our rudeness earlier."

"Welcome aboard."

Cole stood beside me the whole time, one hand resting lightly on my shoulder, giving me a steady sense of security.

Watching everything unfold before her, Kate screamed in desperation:

"Brianna! All you have are academic results on paper!"

"But I'm telling you—being a team doctor requires hands-on practice!"

"Tomorrow is the college football league match. I'd love to see how you put that textbook knowledge to use!"

Hearing Kate's words, Jess snapped back to attention and chimed in:

"Cole, a patent alone doesn't prove she has sufficient practical ability."

"Being a team doctor isn't just about theoretical scores!"

"I'm very curious to see how she treats your players with her precious book knowledge."

"Let's hope she doesn't end up just standing on the sidelines writing one of her laughable written reports!"

This time, I stepped forward before Cole could speak.

I didn't want to keep standing behind him.

He believed in me so completely, giving me confidence and support—I refused to let him down.

Nor would I let anyone question Cole's judgment or leadership.

He had already done so much for me. Now it was my turn to prove to the world that his choice wasn't wrong.

I looked at Jess and Kate and offered a quiet smile:

"Sorry to disappoint you."

"My practical scores are exactly the same as my academic scores."

"Perfect marks, across the board."