Chapter 6

A few minutes later, Scott returned. Vanessa kept eating as if nothing had happened.

"I'm sorry, something came up at work. I gotta go," he said, stopping by the table.

"Okay." Flat. Detached.

She glanced up — caught it. Flushed lips. Smudged guilt. That kiss burned in her mind like a bad memory on repeat.

Must be a thrill, sneaking around while she sat right here.

Scott was already halfway out the door when Vanessa calmly set down her fork.

She reached for the necklace he'd given her.

Straight to the trash.

***

With just days left before her move to Italvia, Vanessa headed back to the hospital to wrap up work and kill time.

That afternoon, she got assigned to cover at a different branch. As her shift wound down, she found herself blocked in by a group of angry, stick-wielding troublemakers.

Shouts echoed through the lobby, the air thick with tension as they stormed in, yelling at the staff.

Vanessa instinctively stepped in front of her younger colleague. A stick came down hard, smacking her head. Pain shot through her, and warm blood ran down her forehead, making the mob freeze in shock.

Security and a few male doctors wasted no time, dragging the troublemakers out.

"Dr. Jahn! Are you okay? You're bleeding!"

"I'm fine," Vanessa said, brushing them off, though her head pounded, and the edges of her vision blurred.

As a colleague guided her toward the treatment room, they rounded a corner—and ran straight into Scott and Cindy.

The lobby seemed to fall silent as they locked eyes.

Scott was holding Cindy's handbag, while Cindy, practically glued to his arm, beamed up at him.

But the moment Scott saw the blood streaking Vanessa's face, his expression shifted. He dropped Cindy's bag and rushed over.

Cindy stumbled, barely catching herself, and glared at Vanessa.

"Vanessa! What happened? Are you hurt?" Scott's voice was full of panic.

Exhausted and irritated, Vanessa shot him a cold glance. "It's nothing. Don't concern yourself."

Before he could push further, one of her colleagues jumped in, giving Scott a quick rundown of what had happened.

Vanessa had no energy for this. She brushed past him, ready to leave, but Scott moved faster. He scooped her up and carried her to the treatment room without even sparing Cindy a glance.

The doctor patched up Vanessa's wound quickly, but while she got her shot, Scott stayed glued to her side. Cindy hovered by the door, arms crossed, refusing to budge.

The air was thick with tension.

"You can go now. I'm fine," Vanessa said.

Scott shook his head. "You're hurt. How can I just leave?"

Vanessa gave him a faint and tilted her head toward the door. "Don't keep her waiting too long. Standing there must be exhausting."

Scott glanced over at Cindy, just as a doctor approached with a piece of paper.

"Miss, here's your report. Make sure to come back for your next prenatal checkup on time," the doctor said.

Cindy plastered on a fake, cheery smile, snatching the report. "Thank you! I won't miss it."

Her voice was loud enough for everyone to hear.

Scott's face drained of color as his eyes darted nervously toward Vanessa. "She broke up with her boyfriend and found out she's pregnant," he said quickly. "She wasn't feeling well, so as her boss, I brought her here. Don't misunderstand, Vanessa."

Vanessa couldn't help it—she laughed. A dry, humorless chuckle. Cindy's face paled in response.

"You're such a thoughtful boss. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were the father."

Scott forced a shaky smile. "Don't joke like that. I'm only interested in being the father of our child."

Cindy's expression twisted, her hand crumpling the report into a tight ball.