Damien's Pov
The lights were blinding, the applause polite, and yet none of it could anchor me to the present. I stood backstage at the International Medical Advancement Summit, moments away from delivering my speech on the evolving methodologies in reconstructive surgery. But all I could think about was her.
Alina.
The memory of her from last night—her dress, her eyes, her damn voice—echoed like a drumbeat in my chest. She was infuriating, stubborn, reckless, but also... brave. Too brave for her own good. And somehow, in the mess of revenge and bloodlust that fueled her, I saw something raw. Something real.
“Dr. Damien Voss, our keynote speaker this evening, is not just a pioneer in facial reconstructive surgery but a relentless force in post-trauma healing. Please welcome him."
I heard the words, registered the claps, but none of it mattered.
“You’re up next, Dr. Voss,” the coordinator whispered beside me.
I nodded, exhaling slowly, trying to shove her out of my mind. My fingers cu
