That evening, a few minutes before 9 PM, Kage and John were en route to the party. From the back seat, Kage watched John fidget with his bow tie, a slight frown creasing his face.“You hate ties?” Kage asked.“No, sir. Just a little… I’m good,” John replied. His gaze was unsteady, trying hard to avoid looking at the rearview mirror while his grip tightened on the steering wheel.Lie."It was a little tight" John added.He avoided Kage’s gaze in the rearview mirror. He tried to smile, but it came out strained, almost unsettling. A nearly blank expression, wide teeth, and a distant, cold-like look in his eyes.Kage sensed something simmering beneath John's surface, bordering on a panic attack. He had seen lots of panic attacks in his profession and John's reaction was beginning to look like one.Come to think of it, he had never seen John wear a tie or bow tie before. John always wore official attire, suits mostly in black and white, but never a necktie. Yet, his neck was always cov

Walking to the car with his mug of coffee, Kage caught a glimpse of John in the rearview mirror through the open window. For a split second, he thought he saw something on John's neck, a faint discoloration, almost like a scar.He tilted his head, trying to get a better look. He knew John had always been self-conscious about his neck, even shying away from wearing a standard tie. It only deepened Kage's curiosity about what had really happened.As he moved closer, Kage leaned in slightly, intending to get a clearer view, but John abruptly straightened, his hand instinctively reaching up to cover the area as he fixed his collar. John pretended not to notice Kage until just that moment, then offered a polite smile and a small nod."Sir. Ready for work?" John asked, his voice carefully neutral.Kage smiled in return as he settled into the car. From the other side, Gina slid in, the car starting immediately, heading towards the hospital."...So I arranged the files and patients you'll be s

The court date. At last.Kage Allen walked into the courtroom, John trailing closely behind. The moment he entered, surprised gasps rippled through the small crowd. The wheelchair charade had ended the night before. Hence his choice of the Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail: two seats, no room for a wheelchair.Now he stood tall, each step a testament to his determination. The stares were intense—some curious, others judgmental—as he walked to the front. He felt Clara’s gaze fixed on him, a mix of shock and anger.Ignoring her, he took his seat, heart pounding. The judge entered, and the room fell silent. “Case number 2025-456, Clara Reed versus Kage Allen,” she announced, her voice firm and authoritative.Clara’s lawyer, a sharp-looking woman with an air of confidence, stood to present the case. “Your Honor, we are here today to prove that Mr. Allen is guilty of domestic violence, verbal abuse, and workplace bullying. My client, Clara Reed, has suffered immensely under Mr. Allen’s m

Despite her probation, Clara's employment contract didn't cover weekends unless it was an emergency, a scenario that had never materialized. It was Sunday, two days after the court hearing, and as she stood beneath the pulsing spray of the shower, Kage was the only thing consuming her thoughts. The way he had walked into that courtroom, radiating self-assurance, not appearing to need anyone's support. Although she knew, from their time together, that he had undergone grueling therapy to regain his ability to walk, she had never truly believed he would succeed so completely."...Aside from work matters, she shouldn't even speak to me..." His words echoed in her mind, sharp and accusatory.He dared to get a restraining order against her?!"Shit! I made a mistake," Clara thought, scrubbing shampoo into her scalp with unnecessary force.The look in his eyes that day...it felt like a taunt. He knew something about the accident. She should had asked for rte restraining before he did.The w

Clara stood frozen in the elevator, her gaze locked onto Kage as he stepped inside. The familiar weight in her chest intensified, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird. He was heading to HR, she was sure of it. The urge to unleash a torrent of rage, to smash his face against the cold metal walls until he was broken and bleeding, surged through her veins. But she couldn't. Not now.Before the doors could grind shut, she jammed her hand between them, the metallic clang echoing in the confined space as the doors recoiled. Her pulse throbbed in her temples, a dangerous mix of dread and fury churning in her gut. The restraining order loomed over her like a death sentence, each word a shackle binding her."FYI, the restraining order doesn't apply here because I work—" She faltered, the words catching in her throat. What could she say? That she had just been fired? That she was being thrown out of Bridges Hospital, her once-promising career in ruins?"I worked here," she s