Chapter Thirteen: Lines That Bleed

Nathaniel didn’t answer Selena immediately.

The ringing phone sat heavy in his palm, vibrating like a warning. Iris watched him from the passenger seat, her body still buzzing from fear, from his arms around her, from the unspoken truth burning between them.

“Don’t,” she said softly. “If it’s going to cause trouble”

“It already has,” he replied, voice flat.

He answered.

“Where are you?” Selena demanded, skipping every pleasantry.

Nathaniel’s jaw tightened. “That’s not your concern.”

A sharp laugh crackled through the speaker. “Everything you do is my concern. Especially when you’re sneaking around with interns.”

Iris stiffened.

“They are trainees,” Nathaniel said coldly. “And you will not speak about her like that.”

There was a pause. Then Selena’s tone softened, dangerous in its sweetness. “So it’s true.”

Nathaniel didn’t deny it.

“I warned you,” Selena continued. “I warned you what would happen if you embarrassed me.”

“You crossed a line tonight,” he snapped. “Send another person after her and I’ll involve the police.”

“You think this is about intimidation?” Selena scoffed. “Nathaniel, this is about ownership.”

His grip tightened on the steering wheel. “You don’t own me.”

A beat.

“Then choose,” she said. “Because tomorrow, this hospital will choose for you.”

The line went dead.

Silence swallowed the car.

Iris’s chest felt tight. “What does she mean by that?”

Nathaniel stared straight ahead, eyes dark. “She has influence. Board members. Donors. People who think my personal life is their business.”

“And me?” Iris asked quietly. “What happens to me?”

He turned to her then, something raw breaking through his control. “Nothing will touch you.”

“You can’t promise that.”

“I can,” he said fiercely. “And I will.”

When he finally walked her to her door, neither of them moved to say goodbye. The hallway lights hummed softly above them.

“I should tell my grandma,” Iris murmured. “She worries.”

Nathaniel nodded. “I’ll have security walk you in and out starting tomorrow.”

She looked up at him. “You don’t have to do all this.”

“Yes,” he said simply. “I do.”

The air thickened again. His gaze dropped to her lips before he could stop himself.

“Iris,” he whispered, voice strained. “This is not just attraction.”

Her heart hammered. “Good. Because I don’t want it to be.”

For one reckless moment, his restraint snapped. He cupped her face and kissed her.

Not gentle.

Not slow.

It was desperate, claiming, filled with everything they had been denying. Iris gasped against his mouth, fingers clutching his coat as heat rushed through her veins. His body pressed close, solid and overwhelming, and she felt just how much control he was losing.

He pulled back abruptly, breathing hard.

“This can’t happen again,” he said, though his eyes said the opposite. “Not like this. Not yet.”

She nodded, dizzy. “Okay.”

But they both knew it was a lie.

The next morning, the hospital buzzed with tension.

Whispers followed Iris down the hallway. Nurses paused mid-conversation. A few trainees openly stared.

Selena stood at the nurses’ station, flawless and smiling.

“Iris,” she called sweetly. “A word.”

Nathaniel stepped in instantly. “Anything you have to say to her, you say in front of me.”

Selena’s eyes flashed. “Of course you’d protect her.”

“I will,” he replied. “Every time.”

Selena leaned closer to Iris, lowering her voice. “Enjoy his attention while it lasts.”

Then she straightened and addressed the gathered staff. “As of today, certain trainees will be reassigned. Effective immediately.”

Iris’s stomach dropped.

Nathaniel turned sharply. “You don’t have that authority.”

Selena smiled. “Check your email.”

His phone buzzed.

He opened it.

The color drained from his face.

Iris’s name was highlighted.

Status: Suspended Pending Review.

Iris looked at him, heart breaking. “Nathaniel… what did she do?”

He met her eyes, fury burning.

“She just declared war.”