LOGIN"You need to tell me everything," Helena said, standing up to face him.Alexander looked up at her from the couch, his colour slowly returning. "There's nothing to tell.""Nothing?" Helena's voice rose. "You nearly collapsed in front of a hundred people tonight, Alexander. Your vitals are all wrong. Your symptoms point to catastrophic systemic failure, and you're telling me there's nothing to tell?""I had a dizzy spell…""I'm not buying that. That's not what that was!" Helena paced in front of him, trying to catalogue every symptom she'd witnessed. "Violent tremors, severe pallor, diaphoresis, tachycardia, hypotension, altered consciousness. That wasn't a dizzy spell. That was a full systemic crisis."Alexander sighed, rubbing his face. "Helena, you're overreacting.""Am I? Then explain the blood work.""The blood work was perfect. You saw the results yourself.""Exactly. Too perfect." Helena stopped pacing, her eyes boring into his. "Nobody with those symptoms has completely normal
"Dance with me," Alexander said, extending his hand with that practised smile that had charmed every investor in the room.Helena hesitated, glancing around at the other couples swaying on the polished dance floor. "I'm not sure…""Come on, Doctor. You've played the part perfectly all night. One dance won't kill you."She took his hand, and he pulled her onto the floor with smooth confidence. His arm circled her waist, drawing her close as the orchestra began a slow, romantic melody."See? Not so bad," Alexander murmured, his breath warm against her ear.Helena found herself relaxing into him, their bodies moving in sync. "You're a good dancer.""I had lessons. My mother insisted all Grant men should know how to waltz.""How very aristocratic of her.""She had her moments." His hand tightened on her waist. "You know, when you're not scowling at me in the kitchen or forcing blood draws, you're actually quite pleasant company.""When you're not collapsing in the room or lying about you
"Is it really necessary I be here?" Helena whispered, tugging at the emerald fabric pooling around her legs. "I could be home, reading medical journals. This feels… I don't know."She was sitting rigid in the back seat, wearing a shimmering, deep-emerald gown. Her hair was swept into an elegant, elaborate updo that made her feel like a stranger.Alexander, equally immaculate in a perfectly tailored tuxedo, glanced over, his eyes appreciating her transformation.He turned, placing a warm hand over hers, his smile fading into something serious and compelling."It is entirely necessary, Wifey," he said in a low voice, only for her ears. “Please?”"You know, when I proposed this arrangement, I didn't exactly sign up for playing dress-up at fancy galas.""I think you knew exactly what you were signing up for.""Maybe… but I think I want some compensation.""You mean a bribe?""Call it whatever you want.""Fine, fine. Don't worry." He lifted her hand, brushing his lips across her knuckles i
The shot of hydrocortisone went into the patient's central line with a smooth push.For a moment, nothing happened. The monitor continued its frantic, failing alarm. Victoria's smirk deepened. Dr. Wallace's jaw tightened.Then… within thirty seconds, the monitor changed.The blood pressure, which had been hovering at a catastrophic 55/30, began to climb. 60/35... 65/40... 70/45.The patient's heart rate, which had dropped to a deadly 42, began to rise. 50... 58... 65."Wait," the anaesthesiologist said, leaning forward. "His pressure's coming up.""Heart rate's stabilising," a nurse called out in disbelief.Dr. Wallace stared at the monitor, then at Helena, his mouth slightly open. The whole trauma bay fell into a shocked silence as they watched the numbers continue to improve."BP's at 85 over 50 now," the nurse monitoring vitals reported. "And climbing.""I'll be damned," Wallace breathed. "It worked."The patient's colour began to improve, the deathly pallor fading to something app
"Thirty-year-old male, crushed under steel beam. GCS 13, BP plummeting, paradoxical chest wall movement," the paramedic rattled off, pushing the gurney into the bay.The hospital's Code Blue announcement had pulled Helena into a wave of chaos. The Emergency Department was filled with the sound of screaming sirens, rushing feet, and the sharp scent of blood and disinfectant.Helena was assigned to Trauma Bay Three, working alongside Dr. Wallace, a gruff, seasoned cardiac surgeon with silver hair and steady hands. And to her immediate dismay, Victoria was there too, assisting with the initial wound assessments, her face showing a mix of serious concentration and barely hidden disdain.Dr. Wallace immediately began coordinating the trauma protocol. "Get two large-bore IVs in! Prepare for chest tube insertion. Grant, you're assisting with the line. Victoria, monitor his airway."They moved with speed. Hele
"Is that an order, Doctor Grant?" Alexander asked in a low and rough voice.Helena, still standing close to him, felt the heat of his gaze. She recognised the challenge in his voice, but also the surrender. She let a slow, confident smile play on her lips… the smile of Dr. Helena Grant."Absolutely," she confirmed, dropping her hand from his chest to the small of his back, mirroring the intimate gesture he'd made earlier. "And you, Mr. Grant, are going to obey. I may not be able to defend my job publicly, but I can certainly exercise my medical authority in this kitchen."Alexander's eyes darkened, but a familiar, suggestive spark replaced the fear that had been there moments ago. "My body is entirely at your disposal, Doctor," he murmured, "But be warned: I take my orders very, very seriously."The tension shifted entirely. The threat of Victoria and the dizziness faded, replaced by the lingering heat of their interrupted moment.Helena felt her face flush. She was intensely aware







