David stood frozen, his mind struggling to process Emma’s words. "I won’t be operating on Henry." The relief he had felt moments ago turned into something heavy and unbearable. He had expected anger, maybe even some resistance, but outright refusal? No. Not from Emma—not when she had admitted that Henry’s condition, though delicate, wasn’t impossible to treat. His chest tightened. He couldn’t understand. His voice came out uneven, disbelieving. "You— You’re refusing? Why?" She did hate Alison and David, and she did hope that they would not have an easy life, but Henry was innocent. How could she tell them that the probability of Henry surviving and recovering was very low? How could she say such cruel words? "I don’t owe you an explanation, David," she said. "I have the right to refuse any case, and I’m exercising that right now." David’s breath hitched. "The right to refuse?" He let out a dry, humorless laugh, rubbing a hand over his jaw. "You mean to tell me that after eve
Emma sat at her desk long after David had stormed out, her fingers still curled into the armrests of her chair. “I refuse to believe you'll just sit there and watch Henry die, Emma. Hell, This is not the Emma I know! When did you become like this?” David’s words echoed in her head, and she hated how much they affected her. She wasn’t heartless. She wasn’t cruel…but why did she feel so unsettled? Her jaw tightened as she suddenly felt angry. She had done nothing wrong. Henry’s condition was complex, and her decision was based on medical reasoning. She wasn’t obligated to explain herself to David. And yet… Why was she feeling bothered? She had believed she had moved on. That the past no longer held power over her. But in just a few minutes, with only a handful of words, David had unsettled her in ways she never expected. Had she really made the right decision? The thought disturbed her. By the time she left the hospital that evening, a deep frown had settled on her face. She
In the middle of the night, Emma's phone rang sharply, jolting her awake. She reached for the phone, blinking against the darkness. "Dr. Morgan speaking," she answered, voice hoarse from sleep. "Dr. Morgan, this is Dr. Allen from New York City Hospital. I’m sorry for the late call, but—" The voice on the other end was tense, rushed. "It’s about Henry Lawson." Emma sat up, fully awake now. Her fingers tightened around the phone as she heard his name. Henry… He continued. "His condition suddenly worsened. We’re doing everything we can, but he’s not responding as expected. We need a second opinion, and we were hoping—" Dr. Allen hesitated. "If you would be willing to consult on this." Emma was silent, not knowing what to say at this point. After a brief moment, she responded. “I'll think about it,” and hung up. She closed her eyes, feeling conflicted. She had promised herself that she wouldn’t get involved. That this wasn’t her fight. That she had already made her decision. But
The next day, Emma called Christian and invited him over for dinner. She wanted to talk to him about something important, and she felt she needed to see him in person. By evening, Emma busied herself in the kitchen, preparing a simple meal. Cooking had always been therapeutic for her, a way to ground herself when her thoughts became overwhelming. Tonight, she needed that sense of normalcy. As she placed the dishes on the counter, a soft knock echoed through the apartment. She wiped her hands on a kitchen towel, took a deep breath, and opened the door. Christian stood there, his familiar, easygoing smile on his face, dressed in a dark sweater and jeans. His presence was a welcome comfort, but as his gaze swept over her face, his smile faded, and a more serious expression settled in its place. "You look like you’ve made a big decision," he observed, stepping inside and glancing around. Emma gave a small nod, closing the door behind him. "I have." Christian walked into the dinin
The hospital room was quiet except for the steady beeping of the heart monitor. Allison sat beside Henry’s hospital bed, her fingers gently wrapped around his small, fragile hand. His skin was cold—too cold. Every shallow breath he took sent a shiver of fear down her spine. She wanted to believe that everything would be okay, that Henry would wake up and smile at her again. But fear clawed at her chest, whispering dark thoughts she couldn't ignore as she watched her weak and pale son lying helpless on the hospital bed. What if he didn’t make it? What if she lost him? And—though she hated herself for even thinking it—but what if losing Henry meant losing everything else? For years, the world had seen her as Mrs. Lawson. Even though David had never married her, she had been the mother of his son, the woman always by his side at events, the one reporters called his partner. That alone had secured her place by his side, made her important, made her somebody. But without Henry, what
New York at night carried an air of nostalgia that Emma couldn’t shake off. As the car rolled through the familiar streets, she gazed out the window, watching the twinkling city lights blur past. It had been years since she had last been here, yet the city still felt like a distant memory rather than home. Seated beside her, Claire was brimming with excitement, her little face pressed against the glass. “Mommy, it’s so bright here! Have you lived here before?” she asked curiously. Emma smiled softly, tucking a strand of her daughter's hair behind her ear. “A long time ago,” she murmured. Christian, who sat in the driver’s seat, glanced at Emma through the rearview mirror. “You’ll get used to it again,” he said lightly. “New York has a way of pulling people back.” When they finally arrived at Christian’s apartment, Emma took a moment to admire the sleek yet cozy space. She turned to him with curiosity. “I thought your family mainly stayed in Europe. Why do you have a place here
"Emma is Dr. Morgan." For a brief moment, the air seemed to freeze, and a heavy silence swallowed the room. No one moved. No one dared to breathe. Then, instead of reacting with shock or disbelief, Isabel let out a sharp, mocking laugh—loud and unapologetic, as if David had just told the most ridiculous joke of the century. Allison, on the other hand, pressed her lips together, trying—and failing—to suppress her amusement. A quiet chuckle escaped her, and she quickly turned her head away, as if pretending to clear her throat. But the slight tremble in her shoulders gave her away. Isabel didn’t bother hiding her reaction. She shook her head, laughing openly, her voice dripping with mockery. "Oh, that’s rich!" Isabel sneered, wiping an imaginary tear from the corner of her eye. "Emma? Dr. Morgan? Please, David, be serious!" Allison chuckled, folding her arms. "You seriously expect us to believe that SHE is the famous Dr. Morgan?" Isabel scoffed as she glared at Emma condescen
Dr. Allen and David both turned to Allison in complete shock, their eyes wide with disbelief. “What?!” They both exclaimed. Allison’s face hardened as she met their stares, her jaw clenched. She had expected their shock, but it didn’t deter her from the decision she had already made. She squared her shoulders, her jaw tightening as she met David’s gaze with defiance. “I don’t trust her with my son,” she said firmly. “And I'm not about to risk my son's life. So, my answer is no! Emma will not be handling Henry's surgery.” Everywhere was silent. Dr. Allen was utterly confused by the turn out of the event. How could Allison refuse to let Dr. Morgan handle her son's surgery? Did she really know what was at stake here? Did she actually think about the situation at hand before speaking? Emma, who had been standing calmly the entire time, finally spoke. “If my medical expertise isn't needed here, then I’ll take the next available flight back to Geneva.” “No,” David interjected sharp
"Claire, don’t forget to put your lunch bag in the car," Emma called out from the kitchen as she zipped up her bag."Already did, Mom!" Claire shouted back from the living room, hopping around with her little pink backpack.Emma suddenly heard the front door open. She assumed it must be Claire, already heading to the car to wait for her.She smiled faintly and wiped her hands on a towel.Just as she turned to grab her keys from the counter, she felt a familiar pair of arms wrap around her waist from behind. She stiffened slightly, caught off guard."Good morning," Christian murmured softly into her hair, his breath warm against her neck as he planted a soft kiss on her neck.Emma closed her eyes for a moment. "Hey... you're early.""Wanted to see you before I headed out to work," he said, his arms holding her a little tighter. "How’s work been these past few days? I'm sorry I've been so occupied with work these days."Emma smiled. "It’s fine, I understand. Work has been okay. I mean,
After finishing their drink, Max leaned back in his chair and checked the time."Oh man. I have an early morning meeting," he said, pushing his chair back and reaching for his jacket. "Gotta head home now."David gave him a short nod and a half-smile. "No worries. Thanks for tonight.""You guys take care," Max said as he patted Felix on the shoulder and gave David a nod. A few seconds later, he exited the dimly lit lounge and headed for the parking lot.Felix turned to David, who had been relatively quiet for the past ten minutes, staring into the near-empty glass in front of him."I'm going to use the restroom quickly," Felix said, standing up. "Wait for me here. I'll drop you home."“I'd rather wait outside. I could use some fresh air anyway."“Alright. That sounds cool. I'll be with you shortly.”Felix walked off without thinking much of it. The night had just been…uneventful so far— especially when he had gotten the message an hour earlier, before they headed to the bar, about Gav
Dr. Allen adjusted his glasses as he removed the stethoscope from David’s chest. A small, satisfied smile curled his lips as he read the vitals on the monitor beside the bed.“Well, I must say,” he began, scribbling something on his clipboard, “you’ve responded remarkably well to treatment, David. Much better than expected.”David, still seated upright in his hospital bed, gave a faint smile. “That means I’m finally getting out of here?”Dr. Allen chuckled. “That’s exactly what it means. I’m officially discharging you today.”David sighed in relief. It had been weeks of pain, rehabilitation, and heavy silence. The idea of leaving those sterile hospital walls felt like finally breathing after being underwater.“However,” Dr. Allen added, his tone firm, “there are some things you must avoid for now if you want to make a full recovery. No carrying anything heavy, no sudden strenuous movement, no driving yet, and definitely no alcohol.”David raised both hands in surrender. “Got it. No he
"I'm just tired, Sophie," Emma admitted, leaning her head back against the wall. "I don't even know what I'm doing anymore. Everything feels like it's spinning, and I can't catch my breath."Emma sat on the edge of her bed, her phone pressed tightly to her ear. Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke, though she tried to keep it steady.Sophie, on the other end of the line, responded gently. "Emma, calm down, okay? Take a deep breath. Everything will be fine."Emma let out a hollow laugh. "You always say that. But things aren’t the same as before, Sophie. Ever since you moved overseas, everything changed. I feel like I lost one of the few people who actually understood me."Sophie sighed. "I know. I miss you too, Em. But you have to stay strong. For Claire, at least. She needs you more than anyone. You have to find a way to completely move on. Let go of him."Emma's voice grew quieter. "I have, Sophie, I have. I just….I honestly wasn’t thinking straight when I sent those messages to
David stood motionless in the middle of the hospital parking lot, watching the tail lights of Christian's car disappear into the distance, taking Emma with them. His heart felt like it had been ripped apart and left open in the cold. The wind picked up again, fluttering his shirt, but he didn’t feel it. Not really. Not when the weight of those messages he had once thought were filled with hope had now become a cruel reminder of what he had lost.Slowly, he turned away, each step heavier than the last. He didn’t know where he was going, didn’t even care. His body just moved, his feet dragging him forward, down streets he didn't recognize, past people he didn't see. All the while, his mind played the memory of Emma's voice again and again."I thought I was texting Christian."Those words. That mistake. That accidental plea for help that had revived the hope in his heart only to crush it completely.By the time David became aware of his surroundings, he had already left the hospital gro
David froze when he saw that several text notifications had suddenly appeared at the top of the screen.And they were all from Emma.One by one, he opened them.Emma: Where are you?Emma: Please...Emma: Can you come?Emma: I'm really scared right now.Emma: Please...Emma: I don’t know who else to call.Emma: Are you coming?Emma: Please answer me...Emma: Are you there?Emma: I need you.He stared. Stared like the wind had been knocked out of him. The silence of the hospital room suddenly felt deafening.Ten messages.All from Emma.His fingers trembled as he held the phone. His breathing became shallow. Every part of him froze, as though struck by lightning. He blinked, but the messages remained on the screen.What happened to Emma?!His mind was full of questions he couldn’t answer. But then something hit him…Emma had texted him.When she was afraid.When she didn't know who else to call.She had thought of him first.A wave of emotion surged through him—disbelief, hope, relief,
David walked slowly into his hospital room, his eyes dull, his steps heavy. His two closest friends, Max and Felix, stood up from the chairs near his bed the moment they saw him."There you are!" Max said, walking toward him. "We were just about to go look for you. Where the hell did you go? Why did you leave your room in your condition?""Yeah, man, we came in and didn’t find anyone here. Not even Allison," Felix added. "The guards outside said you left without telling them where you went. We’ve been really worried."David didn’t answer. He didn’t even acknowledge their presence. He just walked slowly toward his bed and sat down, staring blankly ahead.The two friends exchanged glances."David," Max said carefully, bending down a bit so he could meet David’s eyes. "What’s going on with you? You okay? Did something happen?"Still no reply.Felix pulled a chair closer and sat beside the bed. "Talk to us, man. We’re not just here to visit. We’re your friends. You can tell us anything."
"Are you going to pretend you didn’t see me?”Emma froze. Her fingers tightly clutched the clipboard as she closed her eyes.“Stay away from him, Emma,” She said to herself. “Stop caring. Draw the line.”Yet just as she opened her eyes, hardened her resolve not to meddle into David's affairs anymore, and turned to leave again, she heard it—a low, painful groan.Emma turned around sharply.David had slumped down to the floor, holding his side, his face twisted in pain."David!" she called, rushing toward him without thinking. Her heart thudded in her chest as she knelt beside him. Her hands trembled as she touched his arm.He shouldn’t have been out of his room. His body was still weak, still healing. He had no business walking around the hospital like this."You shouldn’t be here," she whispered, trying to steady her voice.David groaned again.Emma glanced around. It was obvious he wouldn’t be able to return to his ward in that condition. Emma didn’t have a choice. She had to take hi
Dr. Allen had seen enough patients to know when someone was pushing themselves too far. And David, seated upright on the bed with a restless expression and an IV line still in his arm, was doing just that."I just need a walk, Dr. Allen," David muttered. "I’ve been in this room for too long. I feel fine now."Dr. Allen arched a brow, folding his arms. “You feel fine? David, you were brought in barely breathing a week ago. Your body’s still recovering. Walking around unsupervised is not just reckless—it’s dangerous."David exhaled, his eyes fixed on the window. His once sharp features were now pale and hollow, his frame thinner than usual. The last seven days had taken a toll, though he would never admit it aloud.“I hear you,” David said after a pause. “I do.”Dr. Allen studied him for a long moment. There was something else behind that tired gaze—impatience, yes, but also pain. Emotional, not physical. But he had done his duty.“Good,” Dr. Allen finally said. “Get some rest. I’ll che