All Chapters of The Cardiologist’s Forbidden Trainee: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Iris Moore learned quickly that hospitals had their own unspoken language.It lived in sideways glances, in pauses before answers, in the way people lowered their voices when power walked past them. And in the cardiology wing of Hale Heart Institute, power had a name.Dr. Nathaniel Hale.By seven-thirty that morning, Iris was already in her scrubs, standing stiffly beside the nurses’ station, reviewing patient charts with more focus than necessary. Her mind kept drifting back to the way Dr. Hale had looked at her the previous day. Not openly. Not boldly. But like he had noticed something he hadn’t expected to see.She shook the thought away.Focus, she told herself. You’re here to learn.Nathaniel arrived precisely at eight. The hallway seemed to straighten itself when he walked in. Conversations dropped. Nurses adjusted posture. Even the air felt more disciplined.“Good morning,” he said, his voice calm, authoritative.A chorus of greetings followed.His eyes found Iris almost immedi

The morning sun had barely pierced the tall windows of Hale Heart Institute when Iris arrived. Her stomach churned with a mix of anticipation and dread. Ever since Selena had appeared yesterday, the air in the cardiology wing felt heavier. Every glance from a nurse seemed sharper, every passing comment tinged with judgment. It was as if her presence alone had stirred the calm waters of the hospital into a storm.Nathaniel was already there, reviewing patient charts with the quiet authority that made the nurses straighten in their stations. He didn’t look up when Iris approached; he didn’t need to. He had already noticed her, and he had already assessed her readiness.“Good morning,” she said softly, her voice steady, though her hands trembled slightly.He finally looked up, his sharp eyes locking with hers. “Follow me. Rounds start in five.” There was a hint of concern beneath the professional tone—a subtle acknowledgment of yesterday’s tension.As they moved through the wards, Nathan

Iris Moore had never imagined that a hospital corridor could feel like a battlefield. Yet, as she adjusted her scrubs and gripped her clipboard, she realized it wasn’t just Selena or the staff’s whispers—it was Nathaniel Hale himself, walking beside her, the air around him charged and heavy.“Today we’ll cover emergency cardiology rounds,” Nathaniel said, his voice calm, deliberate, but with an underlying edge that made her pulse spike. He had a way of speaking that demanded attention, and Iris couldn’t help but notice how close he was when he leaned over to explain a patient’s vitals. Every brush of his hand, every subtle shift of his body, sent a heat running through her veins she wasn’t prepared for.“Monitor the blood pressure while I check the ECG,” he instructed, handing her the stethoscope. She swallowed, noticing the warmth of his fingers as he guided her hands. The proximity was almost unbearable, her heartbeat hammering not just from the training but from the way he looked a

The door closed behind Selena with a sharp click, sealing the office in a silence so thick Iris could feel it pressing against her skin.Nathaniel didn’t look at Selena immediately. His back was to her, shoulders rigid, hands resting on the edge of his desk like he was grounding himself. Iris stood a few feet away, heart racing, acutely aware of how small the room suddenly felt.“I told you,” Nathaniel said calmly, though the tension in his voice betrayed him, “this is not the place.”Selena laughed softly. “You’ve never minded before.”That was when Nathaniel turned. His gaze was cold, firm, unmistakably final. “Things have changed.”Iris’s breath caught.Selena’s eyes flicked to her, slow and deliberate, scanning her from head to toe. The smile she wore was polite, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “So this is her.”Iris straightened her spine, refusing to look away.“This is my trainee,” Nathaniel replied sharply. “And you will respect her.”Something dark flashed across Selena’s face.

Iris didn’t realize how exhausted she was until she stepped into her grandmother’s small apartment.The scent of ginger tea and something warm simmering on the stove wrapped around her instantly, loosening the tight knot in her chest. For a moment, she just stood there, bag slipping from her shoulder, the weight of the hospital finally crashing down on her.“You’re home late,” her grandmother said gently, emerging from the kitchen with concern etched into her face.Iris tried to smile. It failed.That was all it took.Her grandmother crossed the room in three quick steps and pulled Iris into her arms. The dam broke immediately. Iris’s breath hitched, then shattered as quiet sobs tore free.“Oh, my child,” her grandmother murmured, rubbing her back. “What did they do to you today?”Iris didn’t answer at first. She couldn’t. The words felt too heavy, too tangled. When she finally pulled back, her eyes were red, her lashes wet.“They don’t want me there,” she whispered. “They make things