THE ROGUE, THE ALPHA AND ME

Dr. Elaina Rivers didn't expect her Thursday to begin with a haunted elbow and end with the looming threat of a billionaire CEO crashing her hospital gala.

But fate had always had a twisted sense of humor.

The break room buzzed under flickering fluorescent lights and the familiar aroma of coffee that had long given up on tasting like coffee. Elaina, twenty-six, overly caffeinated and thirty seconds into her break, twirled her stethoscope like a Grammy-winning mic.

"I'm not saying I'm Beyoncé," she announced to absolutely no one, "but I am definitely the queen bee of this hospital."

"Bee as in buzzing nonsense?" Nurse Tara deadpanned, leaning on the counter with an arched brow.

"Ouch," Elaina clutched her chest like she'd been mortally wounded. "Stung by my own hive."

Despite being a skilled doctor, Elaina had the attention span of a golden retriever and the energy of a child on a sugar rush. Most people in the hospital adored her. Mostly because it was hard not to love someone who gave out lollipops with prescriptions and danced through hallways like she was on a sitcom.

Before Tara could retaliate with another jab, Nurse Jamie popped her head in, eyes wide. "Heads up—Mr. Jenkins says his elbow's haunted again."

Elaina lit up. "Finally! My favorite kind of medically-unexplainable nonsense."

---

Room 103

Mr. Jenkins, a spry old man with wild eyes and a forehead bandaged for no medical reason, pointed accusingly at his elbow.

"It flipped off the TV," he whispered.

Elaina blinked. "The elbow?"

"Yes! I was watching cricket, and it just—" he wiggled the limb dramatically, "gave the commentators the bird."

Elaina held back a grin, lifting his arm like it was a cursed artifact. "Well, if it's angry about poor sports commentary, I totally understand."

"You think I'm crazy."

"I think your elbow might just be haunted by a sports critic. Let's negotiate with cookies."

Mr. Jenkins laughed so hard his bandage slipped.

From the hallway, someone shouted, "She gave me green Jell-O again!" followed by, "Sir, that's not a hat, that's a surgical glove!"

Just another Thursday.

Nurses' Station – Later

Elaina leaned on the counter, sipping lukewarm coffee and watching Daisy, her best friend and fellow doctor, typing like the keyboard owed her money.

"You're coming to lunch today," Daisy said without glancing up.

"I might be dying," Elaina sighed dramatically.

"You said that yesterday. Turned out to be bloating and a highly emotional rewatch of Grey's Anatomy."

Elaina pointed her coffee cup at her. "That was a private breakdown and you said you'd never bring it up again."

"I lied."

"You're toxic."

"I'm a doctor. We can detox you."

Their banter was interrupted by the ding of Elaina's phone. The group chat with her med school friends was popping—full of memes, dating horror stories, and Daisy's latest "Worst Patient of the Day" entry.

Today's gem: "Man brought emotional support snake to the ER. Claims it can sense appendicitis."

Elaina snorted and typed back: "More accurate than half the interns."

Just as she hit send, her eyes landed on a bulletin board across the hall. One flyer stood out like a glitter bomb in a morgue.

"Annual Blackthorn Gala – Benefiting Children's Hospital. Dress Code: Elegant. No scrubs allowed."

Elaina raised an eyebrow. "Wow. Rude. What if scrubs are my aesthetic?"

Daisy appeared beside her, peering over her shoulder. "Blackthorn. As in Lucien Blackthorn?"

Elaina groaned. "Ugh. The ice king? The CEO of everything cold, expensive, and emotionally unavailable?"

"The one whose jawline looks like it was carved by angels and death threats."

"Yup," Elaina muttered. "If I see him at the gala, I'm bringing green Jell-O and pure chaos."

---

Across Town – Blackthorn Enterprises

Lucien Blackthorn didn't believe in distractions. Which is why his assistant, Kade, was his daily nightmare.

"You convinced someone to move their daughter's wedding?" Lucien asked, slowly looking up from his laptop.

Kade beamed. "Yes. With subtle threats and complimentary caviar."

Lucien stared, deadpan. "Remind me why I haven't fired you."

"Because I'm loyal. And fun. And you secretly like me."

"I tolerate you."

Kade held up a tablet. "Children's Hospital Gala is Saturday. You're attending. Smiling optional but strongly recommended."

Lucien's face barely moved. "Hospitals are loud. Children are sticky. This sounds like my personal hell."

"And yet," Kade chirped, "you own the hospital."

Lucien paused. "Why would I attend a charity event when I already fund the place?"

"Because PR matters. And because your brother said if you don't show up, he'll bring puppies into your office."

Lucien visibly flinched. "Fine. But I'm leaving after ten minutes."

"Twenty."

"Ten and one forced smile."

Kade grinned. "Deal."

---

Back at the Hospital

Elaina strolled down the hallway, clipboard in hand, and high-fived a kid wearing bunny slippers.

"Nice shoes," the kid said.

"They match my soul," she replied. "Soft and mildly confused."

Behind her, Daisy called, "Did you seriously prescribe chocolate again?"

"Technically, I recommended it with medical authority."

She paused as her eyes landed on the gala flyer once more.

Two names. Two worlds.

And this Saturday, a collision neither of them saw coming.