Ethan’s POV “Sir, are you alright? We got here as fast as we could!”The door burst open, and just like that, the room was no longer quiet. The energy shifted, urgent, familiar, grounding. My aides swarmed in, four of them in tailored suits that had clearly traveled through the night. One more trailed behind, slightly out of breath, his badge still clipped from the late shift. But it was Tim I looked for. And there he was.“Mr. President,” Tim called out with a grin that pulled the fresh pink skin of his recently healed face tight. “Don’t tell me you missed me that much.”I let out a low chuckle, careful not to shake my ribs too much. “Tim. Looks like you couldn’t wait to get out of a hospital bed just to toss me into one.”The entire room burst into laughter. Even I cracked a wider smile, despite the dull throb pulsing through my side.“Wouldn’t dare, sir. You’re the only one who makes those hospital gowns look presidential,” he quipped, stepping forward with a mock bow.“Then you h

Vanessa’s POV “You didn’t think he’d jump into your arms, did you?” I hissed under my breath the moment I shut the door behind me, my nails digging into my palm as if pain could soften the sting of rejection.I paced the dimly lit hallway, clutching my phone like it was the last piece of sanity I had left. My heels tapped a sharp rhythm on the tiled floor, each step echoing everything I couldn’t say to his face. Ethan had made it painfully clear that I was tolerated, not welcome. And yet, why did it sting so damn much? That look in his eyes, cold and clipped, as if I was just some inconvenient visitor overstaying my welcome.“You okay, Miss?” A nurse passed by, eyeing me with mild concern, her voice breaking through my spiraling thoughts.“I’m fine,” I replied a little too fast, forcing a small smile that didn’t reach my eyes.Of course I wasn’t okay. I’d fed him, cleaned up after him, stayed by his side like some loyal pup, and how did he repay me? A verbal pat on the head and a cas