Page 22 of Ellie 3

Ellie was gracious with those who stayed and handled themselves better than they had. She didn’t tell them to get out right away. She said she’d take two weeks or a month’s notice,but she expected their best their last days. It was all she would give them so their next employer didn’t find out they were part of the mutiny.

Like everyone would know about the others who stormed out. That threat was clear, and Ellie would make it happen for sure.

Also, that she expected no issues with people training their replacements or they would be fired on the spot and she would make their lives hell. This wasn’t even personal and she wasn’t settling a score. People didn’t seem to believe that, but she reminded them that this was a hospital that savedlivesand a chunk of the staff threw a mutiny.

Yeah, this needed to be handled well and handed over better than things had been. They did that well and she’d be gracious too.

That seemed to cut through their stupid and wrapped things up.

Awesome. Seriously, she was so fucking awesome.

Now I just had to meet the current—and several former—presidents.

Good times.

Actually, it was. Ellie didn’t brush off our relationship or try to dodge it. She warned them it was new so not to scare me off or she’d be pissed. It was pretty damn perfect, but now that it was beyond ASH, I quickly texted my parents that we were official and out.

I didn’t want them blindsided even if I couldn’t tell them she was the founder of ASH. It shouldn’t matter and they didn’t need to know.

I wanted Ellie to be my family one day and that meant protecting her as well. Some of my “family” would try and use that information to their benefit.

It was fairly amazing to see how respected Ellie was by presidents when so many in the hospital treated her like crap. I was pretty sure that was why Dr. Carpenter allowed most of the attendings to join the brunch. He wanted them to witness that and maybe it would trickle down to their staff.

Maybe—just maybe—this bullshit of how people treated her could seriously end. Nothing would ever be perfect, but the animosity and blatantbullshitneeded to stop. Even if she was only the position she said, that wasn’t a paper-pushing admin like she was fucking entry-level.

No shade on people who were in that position, but she wasn’t. She ran ASH and… It was all jealousy and pettiness, other idiots who didn’t understand that was where it stemmed from.

Now maybe others would see the truth. Sheshinedand was in her element cracking jokes and deflecting questions with presidents.

“So how does a pup wolf land maybe one of the most impressive women our world has ever seen?” one of the former presidents asked when there was a lull in the conversation.

I snorted, not bothered by the jab. People didn’t hide their shock that I reacted that way, dismissively even. “I’m the youngest and strongest child of one of the most powerful packs. There’s nothing you can throw at me to set me off, sir.” I gestured around the room. “I grew up in this setting. It’s not my favorite, but I swim just fine in these waters.”

“And he’s very impressive in many ways,” Ellie added, rolling her eyes when several people chuckled or choked on their drinks. “Oh, you’re all dirty.”

But she’d said the innuendo intentionally to completely shift the conversation and turn it back on them. I knew that much about her.

“I meant hismind,” she drawled. “We had many presentations of ideas and how to develop ASH. He was the only one who had four and they were all great. All the department heads agreed. Hell, one was an idea I was pushing for with the board for years. He made my version better.”

“Yours was better than mine too,” I praised. “You’re way more read in on the state of things and where to start. I didn’t have the time to do more research, and I felt bad when I realized it was so incomplete.”

She snorted. “You weren’t making a final pitch. You’re—you are too damn perfect. Every single proposal you made was more fleshed out and researched better than almost anyone’s. You were a rockstar, not lacking in any way.” She smiled up at me. “I’m so glad I was wrong about you and the board forced me to hire you. It’s the only good thing they ever did.”

And I no longer felt guilty for using their greed and how they went behind her back to get me in. Her saying that was what I needed to finally forgive myself for being underhanded to get into ASH.

I was also relieved she felt I’d been worth it and it wouldn’t hang over our relationship.

7

Ellie

I was stunned beyond belief at how well revealing I was the founder had gone. The negative attitude too many had towards me at ASH did a complete one-eighty, several apologizing to my face even. I had meetings with HR that employees had set up to get things on the record and clear the air.

Mostly women.

And it wasgenuine.

A dozen female doctors admitted they had listened to bullshit that I was sleeping with the founder and his plaything which was why I had the power I did. They thought I made female professionals look bad and were resentful of me especially when I preached to everyone else to be better.

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