Chapter 13
June
“What is this?”
He opened the small velvet box, the kind that usually held jewelry—rings, engagement ones especially. The soft click of the hinge made my heart skip.
“Your ring,” he murmured simply.
I swallowed, my throat dry. “I was really hoping it’d be a necklace… or a pair of earrings.” My awkward laugh echoed in the quiet room.
“Nope.”
“It’s not really mine, though. We weren’t really—”
“I know, I know.” He let out a sigh, exasperated but still warm. “You’ve mentioned that like a thousand times. But I bought it with you in mind. And I want you to keep it, even if you were never going to be mine.”
“Oh, Dannie.”
The way he uttered it—so certain, so gentle—made something inside me ache.
It was hard not to be tempted by a man like him. I wasn’t even sure what I really wanted from a man anymore, but Dannie… Dannie was everything I should have wanted. A man who had seen hell and still chose kindness. A man whose smile could silence my worst thoughts.
He was the definition of a fine man—great-looking, successful, charming in that quiet, effortless way. And putting the triad aside, he was good.
Deep down, I knew he was good. He didn’t choose that life; it was forced upon him. He stepped up because his family needed him—and somehow, that made him even more honorable in my eyes.
Even now, lying in the hospital bed with an IV in his arm, he still looked devastatingly handsome.
His broad chest rose and fell under the thin blanket, his eyes gleaming with that teasing spark.
I’d caught the nurses sneaking glances, whispering, giggling behind their masks.
They didn’t know him like I did—but even strangers could tell there was something magnetic about him.
And yet, beyond all the charm, what drew me most… was how he felt like home.
“I…” My voice wavered. He hadn’t proposed, not exactly, but I knew what he meant by that little box. “Let me think about it.”
He took my hand, his palm warm against mine, and kissed the back of it softly. “That’s all I ask.”
Yes. Definitely yes. My brain screamed for me to say it. He was perfect. We were perfect. So why was it so hard to form that tiny, three-letter word?
Did he love me? Maybe.
Did I love him? I… I wasn’t sure.
And that uncertainty scared me more than anything.
A knock on the door startled me. I turned, blinking away the haze in my head. A nurse stood at the doorway, holding a clipboard.
“Dr. Bennet?”
“Yes?”
“Sorry to bother you,” she whispered, stepping closer. “I think we have a small problem.”
My stomach tightened. “What kind of problem?”
“Dr. Chan refused to sign off the form.”
“What form?”
“The blood test.”
“Why?”
She hesitated, clearly uncomfortable. “I’m not sure.”
“I’ll talk to him.”
Before she could say another word, I was already halfway down the hall. My heels clicked against the tiles, echoing through the corridor as adrenaline kicked in. I didn’t wait for the elevator—I sprinted down the stairs, every step a mix of anger and urgency.
Dr. Chan was at his desk in the emergency wing, head bent over his computer, typing away like nothing was wrong.
I came in too fast—too furious—and lost my footing, slamming a hand on his desk to steady myself. A stack of files slipped to the floor in a messy sprawl. Heads turned. I didn’t care.
“Why aren’t you signing the form?” I demanded, breathless.
He blinked up at me, startled. “I’m sorry, what?”
“It was just a simple blood test. What was the problem? Can’t write your own name?”
The words slipped out before my brain had a chance to filter them. The moment they left my mouth, I realized how sharp they sounded—but honestly? I didn’t care.
Dr. Chan slowly looked up from his computer, his jaw tightening. His tone was calm, but that faint smirk playing at the edge of his mouth said everything.
“I’m still his doctor, Dr. Bennet. I didn’t think it was time to do another blood test.”
That patronizing tone again. The one that always crawled under my skin. The one he used whenever he wanted to remind me that, in his mind, I was too young, too emotional, and—God forbid—too female to tell him what to do.
“Then when?” I asked flatly.
“Later.”
“Later when?”
“Two hours later.” His drawl made my teeth clench, as if I were some intern asking for permission instead of the owner of the damn hospital.
“You’ll order the blood test in two hours but not now. Why?”
“No reason.” His faint smile irritated me more than the words. ”That’s my choice as his doctor.”
The smug grin—oh, I wanted to wipe it off his face. “I want it done now.”
“No, I can’t do that.”
The words hit casual, dismissive, each one dripping with condescension. He wasn’t refusing out of medical judgment—only because I’d told him to do it.
My chest burned with restrained fury. “Listen!” My voice rose. “You either sign the form now, or you can pack your bag and leave.”
He didn’t argue this time. He just stood, brushed imaginary dust off his coat, and stormed out—his silence louder than any insult he could’ve thrown at me.
Maybe I went too far, I thought briefly, but no—he had it coming. Just because I had the gall to be both young and in charge.
Nearby, a doctor with a neat ponytail and a nervous smile caught my eye. “You,” I said, pointing at her. “Sign this form, and you can have his job.”
Her eyes widened, but she grabbed the pen with surprising speed. Nurse Anu, who had been quietly standing behind me the whole time, slid the form forward. The woman signed it with a grin so wide it almost made me laugh.
Later, with the printed report in hand, I finally had a moment to breathe—or tried to. The hallway lay silent, save for the low hum of the hospital lights. I stared at the bloodwork, the numbers glaring up at me like flashing warning signs.
Anu had already seen them. I could tell by how quickly she’d slipped away, muttering something about checking on another patient. No one wanted to be the one to say it out loud.
Pacing the corridor, I reread the results again and again, praying there’d been some mistake. But the numbers don’t lie. Dannie’s temperature had spiked again—forty degrees. The infection was spreading fast.
That was why I’d pushed for this test in the first place. My instincts had screamed that something was wrong.
Now I had proof.
High CRP, white blood cell count through the roof, liver toxins climbing fast, red blood cell count plummeting—forty percent lower than it was this morning.
Dr. Chan’s delay could have cost us precious hours.
And as much as I tried to push the thought away, I couldn’t help it. If Dannie didn’t make it, I’d never forgive myself for letting his arrogance get in the way.
“I’m guessing it wasn’t what you wanted to see?”
Nurse Anu was back, holding out a small cup that smelled faintly of roasted beans and cheap machine foam.
“Nope,” I said, popping out the “p” a little too loud. “What is it?” I gestured toward the cup before taking a sip.
“Cappuccino. I figured you wouldn’t like your coffee black, but I wasn’t sure how you take your coffee.”
“Thanks. This is perfect.” I smiled tiredly. I didn’t even care that it was lukewarm, half foam, half sugar. At this point, caffeine was caffeine, and I needed it like oxygen.
“I just want to say…” She grinned, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “What you did earlier—that was really cool.”
“What was?”
“The thing with Dr. Chan.”
A soft groan escaped as I shook my head. “No, not really. I’m sorry you had to see that. It was unprofessional.”
The words felt like a confession. That wasn’t me—not the me I used to be, anyway.
I wasn’t a reckless person.
Slap.
The sound echoed in my head—the car crash, the desperate act I’d done to lure Kai out not too long ago flashed before my eyes.
“I’ve never seen anyone stroll in and buy a hospital just because her husband is sick,” Anu said with a teasing lilt.
The joke hit too close.
“Dannie isn’t my...” The words stalled on my tongue. It was easier to let her believe it. Let the world think I was the kind—or crazy—woman who bought a hospital for love, not out of guilt, or fear, or some tangled mix of both. What would it sound like if I told her the truth?
“And it wasn’t me who bought it,” I said quickly, needed to correct something. “It was the hospital group I worked for.”
“Oooh…kay.” The word stretched from her lips, disbelief lacing every syllable. A thin, polite awkwardness settled between us.
“Anyway,” I said, desperate to shift the focus, “do you think I offended Dr. Chan?”
“Definitely.” Her nod was immediate. “And it was very cool. No one ever challenges him. He totally deserves it.”
A low chuckle slipped out, even as guilt knotted my stomach. “Hmm, but you know, it’s not official yet. Nothing’s been signed.”
“It’s only a matter of time, right? Sooner or later, you’ll be his boss.”
“I guess.”
“He never imagined this place would be taken over by another woman. A younger, more beautiful one, too.”
“Are you saying he…” I hesitated, afraid that my instinct was correct. “Has some sort of problem with…”
“Yes. He’s a little too old-fashioned,” she said matter-of-factly. “He hates taking orders from a woman. Still thinks women should stay at home and serve their husbands.”
“Are you serious?”
“Kind of. Especially beauties like you. But it’s okay for ugly women like me to work, apparently, we need to make a living since no husband would want us.”
My hand flew to my mouth. “Please tell me he didn’t actually say that to you?”
“Not to me directly. But loud enough for everyone to hear. Some of us didn’t think he was joking.”
“That’s unacceptable.”
Anu shrugged softly, like she’d already built walls around it. “Here, we just call people like that old-fashioned. We just wish he’d retire already.”
Maybe. If today bruised his ego hard enough, he just might. And for once, I wouldn’t feel sorry about it.
My hand brushed her arm gently. “I think you’re beautiful, by the way.”
“Thanks.” Her cheeks flushed, but she smiled faintly. “We’re kind of used to him by now. But sometimes, you know, it just feels nice to rant a little.”