“Just… call him, and when he picks up, tell himI’ve changed my mind and he can come home now.” Elena said to her assistant before returning her gaze to the screen.She was trying to work, trying to do whatever it took to keep herself from thinking that she might have made the worst decision by getting back together with Marcus.Shaking her head, she forced herself to not think about it. She has been in love with Marcus all her life, and Alex was nothing but a standalone.Alex was the one she shouldn’t be bothered about, but then…. Why does her chest hurt so much? Why does she feel like she’s losing something that could be of utmost importance to her.Elena’s fingers hovered over the keyboard, the cursor blinking incessantly on the screen as if it was mocking her as her assistant lingered in the doorway, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.The young woman cleared her throat, drawing Elena’s attention to her as she tugged at the edge of her skirt. “What are you still waitin

Elena swallowed as something very dark settled in her chest, it was so uncomfortable that she shifted on her legs. There were lots of things that she wanted to know, but she didn’t want to let herself go down that hole.An excruciating bile lodged in her throat as her fingers tightened around the phone until her knuckles ached, the cool metal pressing into her palm as she fought the sudden tightness in her throat.The private investigator’s words echoed in her mind—Julian, a lawyer, an inn, a note, and then nothing. Just… gone. Why did he need a lawyer? What did he tell Julian, and who was this Julian?“What else do you know?” she demanded, her voice sharper than she intended, cracking at the edges. “I mean, Alex doesn’t have friends, so I’m a little interested in knowing who this Julian person is.” She paced to the window again, the city lights blurring into streaks below.Her assistant words rang in her head, and Elena’s body stiffened as she swallowed again, rubbing the bridge of h

Elena didn’t say anything, she just sighed, the sound heavy in the quiet bedroom, carrying the weight of everything she refused to name. Forcing a smile at Marcus, she reminded herself, over and over in the silence of her mind, that Alex being gone was actually good for her.She tried to force herself into believing that the fact that Alex was gone only meant that things could go on smoothly for her, she could have Marcus fully.Her mind drifted to what her assistant had said about her perfect schedule, and she recalled the horrible coffee she had that tasted nothing like the one Alex made for her.Shaking her head, she tried to forget about it. She could do all those things by herself without Alex, she doesn’t need him, and she wasn’t supposed to be thinking this much about him.“You know what, you’re right.” She finally spoke as she forced a smile, the corners of her mouth pulling tight as she turned toward Marcus in the dim light.“After he’s done having a temper tantrum, he’ll com

The space fell so silent that even the sound of a pin dropping could be heard, and just as suddenly, laughter and relieved chatter filled the air around the medical tent as the nurses clustered near Alex, their voices overlapping in a warm, grateful wave.One of the nurses couldn’t help but rush over to Alex, a bright smile on her face. It was the nurse who had wanted to pull the rod out before they started treatment.Her cheeks were streaked with tears, and she grabbed his forearm gently, her eyes shining with tears she refused to let fall. “Doctor Alex, I… thank you…. I was going to… and…. Oh my god! You saved him. You really saved him.”Another nurse, younger with wide eyes still wide from the ordeal, stepped closer, wiping her bloody hands on her apron. “We all thought it was over.” The nurse said.“We were already thinking about how we’d tell his family, how we’d prepare the body. The bleeding, that pole sticking out… it looked impossible….” Her voice trailed off as she looked in

Julian opened his mouth to protest, but he was shunned by the sound of Alex’s loud voice. “EVERYONE, LISTEN UP!” Alex barked, voice cutting through the tension like a command.His anxiety simmered beneath the surface, but he shoved it down, channeling it into a sharp focus because the last thing he wanted was to be distracted by voices in his head telling him he couldn’t do it.He had no idea who this woman was, but that doesn’t matter now.“Move her, Carefully to the….” He cleared his throat when he recalled that they didn’t even have a normal OR. “Makeshift OR.” He eventually said, refusing to look at Julian.“I need sterile drapes, every clamp we have, suction if it still works. Prep the IV with whatever saline we’ve got left—ration it, two lines.” He continued ordering. “Someone get me the brightest lamps we have, angle them right over her abdomen.”“You—” he pointed at a wide-eyed nurse, “scrub in with me, and Julian, if you’re helping, glove up and monitor vitals every thirty se