Read Chapter 16: — MARCUS CHOOSES A ROAD

Marcus went into orthopaedics for reasons he only half-admitted.

He liked procedures. He liked visible results. He liked the hierarchy, the decisiveness, the practical certainty of fixing something broken.

He also liked the money around the specialty: implants, devices, private operating lists, commercial relationships.

Daniel warned him once.

"Industry isn't the enemy. Hidden incentives are."

Marcus bristled.

"Easy for you to say when everyone is offering you research money."

"Research money has rules too."

"And you always follow them?"

Daniel looked at him.

"I try to make sure someone can audit me."

Marcus heard judgment even where Daniel intended caution.

Their friendship cooled.

Clara's relationship with Daniel became public without announcement. People simply stopped being surprised when they arrived together.

Marcus dated other women.

He told himself he had moved on.

He had not.

Still, he became a good surgeon.

That fact mattered later.

People prefer rivals to be incompetent. Reality is rarely that convenient.