CHAPTER 50
Nina hated hospitals. Even private ones. Even the kind that smelled like coffee and expensive diffusers. But after the accident, she needed a routine check-up.
She sat in the hallway, scrolling through the news on her phone, pretending to feel calm. But she didn’t. In the past few weeks, “calm” hadn’t been part of her vocabulary at all.
A nurse stepped out of the exam room.
“Ms. Osborne, the doctor can see you in about ten minutes.”
Nina nodded, put her phone away, and inhaled deeply. Everything was fine. Everything was under control.
At that moment, someone turned the corner, and she lifted her gaze straight into Jasper’s eyes.
Their stares collided. Pretending she hadn't seen him would have been pointless.
He glanced briefly at the folder in her hands, then back at her eyes. He stopped beside her. Clearly, he hadn’t expected to find her here.
“Came for your follow-up?” he asked.
“Yes,” Nina said, rising from her seat so they stood level.
From the reception area came a loud voice:
“Did you hear Frank Osborne got picked up today?”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah. Right outside his office. Handcuffs, cops—the whole movie scene. Something drug-related. I can’t believe it.”
Nina’s breath hitched.
She slowly turned toward the voices, as if making sure she hadn’t imagined it.
No. Not imagined.
A lab tech was waving her tablet and gossiping excitedly. Neither woman had any idea that the almost-ex-wife of the man they were loudly discussing stood only a few feet away.
Nina’s mouth felt dry.
Her heart lodged somewhere in her throat. Her stomach twisted into a tight knot. And over all of it washed a wave of pure, overwhelming relief.
“He…” she whispered, barely believing it. “He was arrested?” She looked at Jasper.
“He won’t touch you—or anyone else—again,” Jasper said calmly.
Her mind seemed to stall.
A sharp, electric wave shot through her entire body. Something heavy in her chest—something she’d nearly accepted as permanent—suddenly burst apart.
And vanished.
She heard nothing except those words:
Frank Osborne was arrested.
He would never control her life again.
A smile spread across her face before she realized it. A rush of joy mixed with something close to madness. She didn’t understand what she was doing—she simply reacted.
She let out a breathless cry and flung her arms around Jasper’s neck.
It was pure instinct.
Like the first gasp after nearly drowning.
Her arms wrapped around him, her cheek pressed to his chest.
“This isn’t a dream, right?” she whispered.
She felt him freeze completely, from head to toe. He didn’t even raise his hands to return the embrace.
They stood like that for several seconds. And then she realized what she was doing.
God. This was Jasper. And she had just flung herself at him like some hysterical teenager. She shouldn’t have touched him. She shouldn’t have allowed herself to be that close.
Nina jerked back. Dropped her hands. Stepped away.
“I’m sorry…” she breathed, not daring to lift her eyes. “I just… lost control.”
Silence. Not a sound. Only her own uneven breathing.
“Well, looks like the reporters really did lie about your tragic past,” came a cold, faintly mocking voice behind them. “You look like a real couple.”
Nina jumped and spun around. Jasper did too.
Lynn stood several steps away, a phone in one hand and a plastic folder in the other. No smile. Not even a hint of one. Her lips were pressed into a thin line.
Nina hadn’t seen her since the day Lynn learned the truth.
Something in Nina’s chest twisted painfully. She forced a smile—awkward, strained.
“Hi, Lynn,” she said softly.
Lynn didn’t answer or smile back. Her gaze drifted between Nina and Jasper.
“Why are you here? Weren’t you taking time off?” Jasper asked.
“I decided I’m not going to hide just because people gossip behind my back,” Lynn said coolly. “Well, keep talking. I’m leaving.”
She turned to leave. Nina wished the floor would swallow her up. She couldn’t find a single coherent word. She didn’t even know how to exist around Lynn anymore.
“Don’t worry, she’s almost over it,” Jasper murmured, watching his daughter walk away. “I have to go, but if you’re not busy and want the details of your husband’s case, wait for me in the cafeteria upstairs. Second floor. They serve good roasted potatoes with beef for lunch.”
Nina had no idea what to say. Everything inside had flipped over. She wanted to go, but she was afraid to. She was curious, but unbearably uncomfortable at the same time. Too many feelings at once; she wasn’t sure she could handle any of them.
“Ms. Osborne,” a nurse’s voice sounded beside her. “The doctor is ready for you now.”
“Yes,” she exhaled, turning and nodding. “Thank you.”
She walked down the hallway, leaving Jasper behind—along with the unresolved question of whether she would wait for him or not.
***
“Could you tell me where the cafeteria is?” Nina asked a woman in scrubs once her check-up was over.
“Second floor, to the right, just past the stairs,” the woman answered.
Nina thanked her and headed for the stairs.
She could have just left, pretended Jasper’s invitation wasn’t meant for her.
But she still went upstairs. She convinced herself she only wanted details about Frank’s case.
Nolan barely discussed anything with her.
He and Jasper kept everything locked down.
All she ever got was the occasional document to sign for court.
The second floor was bright and open. The cafeteria sat behind a glass partition. A few small tables by the windows, a drink counter, a food display. There weren’t many people around.
Nina froze at the entrance for a moment, scanning the room for Lynn. Not seeing her brought a small wave of relief. The tension between them hadn’t gone anywhere, and Nina still had no idea how to rebuild any sort of relationship with her.
She walked to an isolated table by the window and sat down. Folded her hands on her lap. Stared at her own reflection in the glass.
Ten, maybe fifteen minutes later, Jasper appeared in the doorway as if he somehow knew exactly how long she needed alone.
He noticed her right away and walked over.
“They serve decent food here,” he said. “Do you want anything?”
“Water,” she murmured.
He went to the counter. Nina watched him go, feeling the sideways glances from the staff. Almost everyone here had read the disgusting rumors. Wonderful. It probably wasn’t easy for him either.
Then again, she reminded herself—why should she care? It was his doing. Now he dealt with the consequences.
He returned and set the glass in front of her.
“Thank you,” she said quietly.
Jasper stepped away again toward the warm-food counter.
Nina didn’t take her eyes off him. Her fingers clenched under the table.
The euphoria from Frank’s arrest hadn’t faded.
She still couldn’t fully believe it was real that it was over, that she could stop being afraid, stop waiting for the day she’d be dragged back into a psychiatric ward.
Jasper came back with a tray. Salad, a cutlet, roasted potatoes with a crispy golden edge.
“I only have half an hour,” he said, setting the tray down. “Then I’m back to surgeries all evening.”
Nina watched him arrange the utensils. He did it quickly, efficiently. Clearly he really was short on time.
“You work at a crazy pace,” she noted, lifting her glass.
“All doctors do,” he smirked, tearing a piece of bread. “Wouldn’t be surprised if they call me in before I finish this, and I won’t eat at all. Usually I shove something down between cases.”
“That’s awful,” she shook her head. “Is it really always like that?”
“Always,” he said simply, cutting into the cutlet. “If you manage to eat between surgeries, you’re lucky. A half-hour nap in the on-call lounge is luxury.”
He wasn’t complaining, just stating facts.
“That’s not how I pictured a doctor’s life,” Nina said softly.
Jasper chuckled without looking up.
“Well, some have lighter schedules and regular lunches. Not me.”
Nina bit her lip and looked away.
“So what’s going on with Frank’s case?” she asked. “I’m surprised you didn’t tell me sooner. Neither you nor Nolan. I felt something was happening, but no one explained anything. And then suddenly I learn about his arrest from the news! How serious is it? And what about my company?”
Jasper pushed his plate aside and looked straight at her.
“We weren’t sure everything would work out,” he said.
“I had a personal stake in this, as you know. That he won’t get out anytime soon—that’s guaranteed.
As for your company and everything else…
” he frowned and took a sip of coffee, leaning back.
He glanced up briefly when a young nurse passed by, greeted him, let out a giggle, and kept walking. “…you should talk to Nolan about that.”
His expression soured slightly—clearly remembering the tension between them.
“He suggested celebrating the whole thing together,” Jasper added. “But I’m afraid that celebration would turn into a fistfight if I showed up.”
Nina couldn’t help smiling.
For a moment she actually felt… relaxed. As if a part of her burdens had suddenly dissolved.
“I’m thinking of sending my daughter abroad until everything settles,” she said with a sigh.
“That’s the right move,” Jasper agreed. “The trial may drag on. It’ll be loud, given Frank’s position. She’s better off far away from the mess. I’d do the same.”
Nina smiled sadly. She and Daphne already didn’t see each other enough. And if her daughter moved abroad…
“How’s Lynn?” she asked quietly, looking down. “She still seems upset.”
“She’s fine. This isn’t our first rough patch.” His expression softened.
“Is it hard for her here?” Nina asked in a low voice. “I mean… everyone must know everything now.”
She noticed him tense for a moment.
“She’s strong,” Jasper said. “Gossip won’t break her. And if anyone was wondering, the fact that we’re sitting here having a pleasant lunch will shut them up quickly enough.”
He glanced over his shoulder toward the counter.
“People love rumors,” he smirked. “But they love watching things with their own eyes even more.”
Nina took a sip of water. Her throat tightened unexpectedly. Too much. Too fast.
“Is that why you invited me here?” she asked, turning away. “To show everyone we’re not at war anymore?”
Her eyes drifted to the folder of medical results lying beside her.
And then a tray dropped sharply onto the table next to Jasper. Nina lifted her head. Lynn took the free seat across from Nina. Her tray held tea and a vegetable omelet.
“How long are you two planning to sit here cooing?” she asked calmly. “You’re already all over the clinic chats. Someone even took pictures—you didn’t notice because you were too busy smiling at each other. At this point most of the staff is convinced there was never any assault at all.”
Jasper froze, the fork halfway to his mouth.
A second later, he cleared his throat roughly, as if dragging his voice back into his body.