chapter 12: Final exams

I stared at the large clock hanging above the examination hall.

Two minutes left.

My pen hovered over the final question of my advanced pediatric nursing paper.

I read my answer one last time.

Exhaled loudly.

And closed the booklet.

Done. Finally, incredibly, wonderfully done.

The weight of the past four years lifted off my shoulders so fast I felt lightheaded.

No more midnight cramming sessions.

No more falling asleep on textbooks.

I was twenty-two years old, and I was officially finished with my final nursing exams.

The invigilator called for our papers.

I handed mine over with a smile I couldn't suppress.

When I pushed through the heavy double doors of the campus building, the bright afternoon sun almost blinded me.

"Grace!"

Before my eyes could even adjust, a blur of energy collided with me.

Mia wrapped her arms around my neck, nearly taking us both down to the concrete.

"We survived!" she squealed, pulling back to grab my shoulders. Her hair was a mess from stress, but her eyes were glowing.

"Tell me you aced it. Tell me we are officially nurses now!" I laughed, adjusting the strap of my bag, my cheerful mood bubbling over.

"I think I did well. And yes, Mia, we are officially done."

She pumped her fist in the air. "Yes! No more studying! We need to celebrate.

Tonight after you're done withĺ engagements, we should go for drinks. Dancing. The whole

package." She said winking at me

"I don't think..."

"Grace! Mia!" A voice called out from behind us. We both turned to see Daniel jogging down the campus steps toward us.

Daniel was our class representative.

He was tall, had sandy blonde hair, and always wore a bright, easygoing smile. He was incredibly sweet and had helped me out with missed notes more times than I could count.

"Hey, Daniel," I smiled brightly as he caught up to us. "How was the paper?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, his cheeks turning a little pink as he looked down at me. "Brutal, but I think I passed. I was actually hoping to catch you, Grace."

"Me?" I blinked, entirely confused.

Beside me, Mia let out a long, exaggerated sigh and suddenly found the sky very interesting.

"Yeah," Daniel smiled, shifting from foot to foot. "A bunch of us are going out to celebrate tonight. I was wondering if you... well, if you wanted to come? I could pick you up."

"Oh!" I smiled, genuinely touched by the invitation. He was always such a good friend. "That's so nice of you, Daniel. But I actually can't tonight. I have a really important family dinner."

His face fell slightly, though he tried to hide it with a quick smile.

"Oh. Right. Family first, of course. Maybe next time?"

"Definitely next time," I agreed cheerfully.

"Have fun tonight!" He waved awkwardly and walked away.

The moment he was out of earshot, Mia aggressively nudged my ribs.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"You are so blind," Mia groaned, dragging me toward the campus gates. "The boy is head over heels for you. He practically had heart eyes."

I laughed, swatting her arm. "Stop making things up. Daniel is just being friendly. He's the class rep."

"Friendly? Grace, he offered to pick you up. He has a crush on you. A massive one."

I shook my head, refusing to believe it. "No way. We're just friends. Besides, even if he did, it doesn't matter anymore, does it?"

Mia's teasing grin immediately morphed into an expression of pure glee. "Exactly! Because you, my sweet, naive, twenty-two-year-old best friend, are getting married to a thirty-two-year-old military powerhouse next week."

I immediately shushed her, looking around frantically. "Keep your voice down!"

A few students walked past us, laughing among themselves, completely oblivious to my panic.

I let out a shaky breath. I had hoped to keep the wedding entirely private. No media. No press releases. No news articles. Just a quiet, closed-door registry and a small private dinner.

"Relax," Mia whispered, though she was practically vibrating with excitement.

"Nobody heard me. But seriously... he's coming to your house tonight, isn't he?"

My stomach did a complicated flip. "Yes. Just for dinner. To officially greet my dad."

"A dominant, intimidating General sitting in your cozy little dining room," Mia sighed dramatically. "Pray for your sanity."

"Pray for me and my cooking," I muttered, hugging her goodbye. "I'll text you later!"

***

The house was incredibly quiet when I unlocked the front door.

"Dad?" I called out softly, dropping my keys into the bowl by the entrance.

"In the living room, sweetheart!" I walked in to find him sitting on his favorite armchair.

He was discharged from the hospital last week.He looked better than he had a few days ago, but there was still a fragility to him that made my heart ache.

Two weeks ago, his blood pressure had spiked so dangerously high that he had collapsed. Rushing him to the hospital had been the most terrifying night of my life.

The doctor's warning had been clear: He needed absolute peace.

Any extreme stress or worry could trigger another hypertensive crisis.

It was the exact reason I had signed that contract.

Knowing I was settled and protected by someone as powerful as Alexander Reeves was the only thing that had instantly lowered my father's blood pressure. Even though it was just a contract marriage.

I walked over and kissed his forehead. "Have you checked your BP today?" I asked, slipping instantly into nurse mode.

"120 over 80. Perfect as a teenager's," he smiled, patting my hand.

"How was the exam?"

"It went well. I'm officially done.

" His eyes watered slightly. "My girl. I am so proud of you. Your mother would be so proud."

A lump formed in my throat, but I forced a bright, cheerful smile. No crying today.

"Thank you, Dad. Have you taken your medication?"

"Yes, bossy," he chuckled. "Now go start cooking. The General is coming at six-thirty."

I froze.

I looked at the wall clock. It was already five.

"Six-thirty?!" I yelped. "I thought you said seven!"

"I said six-thirty yesterday!" I hadn't heard a word. My mind had been too full of nursing terminologies and contract clauses.

Panic mode: Activated.

I rushed into the kitchen, tying an apron around my waist.

For the next hour and fifteen minutes, the kitchen was a battlefield.

I chopped, seasoned, boiled, and prayed. By the time I pulled the roast chicken out of the oven, the house smelled wonderful, and nothing was on fire.

A massive victory.

I ran upstairs, took a ten-minute shower, and threw on a simple, knee-length beige dress. I brushed my hair, leaving it to fall naturally down my back, and applied a tiny bit of lip gloss.

I wanted to look nice.

"Wait why do i want to look nice" i thought

Not like I tried too hard. Just... presentable.

*Ding-dong.* I stopped breathing.

The doorbell echoed through the house.