44.Neils pov
The apartment had been silent for hours.
Neil sat on the couch, her memories weighing heavily on his brain. The investigation files were open on the table, but he hadn’t read a single page in the last twenty minutes.
Because every few seconds—
his eyes drifted towards her room.
Empty.
Still.
Looking at the door waiting for her to come back.
Then he saw a shadow under the door.
Neil froze.
His heart reacted before his brain did.
Eva.
He knew it.
He didn’t know how.
Didn’t know why.
But he felt her presence instantly.
Like his body recognized her before the sound even reached him.
He stood up immediately.
Too fast.
“Eva—”
The name escaped unconsciously as he walked quickly toward the door.
Not composed.
Not controlled.
Just desperate.
He unlocked it fast and pulled it open—
Empty hallway.
Neil stopped breathing for a second.
No.
His eyes searched immediately.
Then—
He noticed something near the door.
Keys.
The Porsche keys.
His chest tightened painfully.
“She came…” he whispered to himself.
For a second he just stood there staring at them like they had personally broken him.
Then instinct kicked in.
Neil stepped out quickly, looking down the hallway.
Nothing.
The elevator doors were already closing downstairs.
He moved fast toward the balcony instead.
Opened the glass door harshly.
Cold air hit his face instantly.
And there—
Down on the street—
He saw her.
Walking away.
Again.
A cab waiting nearby.
Ria standing beside it.
Eva’s figure looked small from up there.
Too far.
Too unreachable.
Neil gripped the balcony railing tightly.
Every instinct inside him screamed to go after her.
To stop her.
To explain everything.
To pull her back home.
But his feet stayed frozen.
Because love wasn’t the problem anymore.
He was.
He watched her open the cab door slowly.
For one second—
She paused.
Like she felt something.
Like she knew he was watching.
Neil’s breath caught.
But she never looked back.
And when the cab finally drove away—
Something inside him left with it.
Tears blurred his vision he didn't let them fall.
His grip on the railing tightened harder.
He had performed surgeries with steadier hands than this.
Neil lowered his head briefly.
Exhaling shakily.
God.
The apartment behind him was massive.
Luxurious.
Cold.
But without her—
It felt unlivable.
His eyes closed for a second.
Neil allowed himself to admit the truth he had been forcing down.
He missed her.
Not casually.
Not temporarily.
He missed her in every quiet second of the day.
In every moment he reached for his phone before remembering he no longer had the right to call her.
And the worst part?
He was the one who pushed her away.
Neil laughed bitterly under his breath.
A broken sound.
“She probably hates me now…”
The thought should’ve hurt less if it meant she was safe.
But somehow—
It hurt exactly the same or even more.
---
Ria was in the college, after the class scrolling through random pictures from yesterday when her phone buzzed.
Ryle Calling.
A small smile appeared instantly.
Ria answered the call.
The moment she picked up—
Ryle: “Hey, Walter.”
That stupidly charming voice.
Ria rolled her eyes automatically.
“What do you want?”
Ryle: “Wow. Aggressive. And here I was planning our next hangout.”
Ria: “Who said I agreed for another one?”
Ryle: “Your voice.”
“Excuse me?”
Ryle: “It says you missed me already.
Ria scoffed dramatically.
“You need medical help.”
Ryle: “Lucky me, both my brother and sister in law are doctors.”
Ria’s smile faded slightly.
He continued casually—
“So. Tomorrow? Coffee? Or should I impress you again with another ridiculously expensive activity?”
Ria stayed quiet for a second too long.
Ryle frowned slightly on the other end.
“Ria?”
Ria swallowed.
Then said softly—
“Ryle… did Neil not tell you anything?”
Silence.
“What?”
Her grip tightened around the phone.
“Eva and Neil…” she paused carefully, “they got divorced.”
Dead silence.
The kind that immediately feels wrong.
Ryle laughed once.
Confused.
“What?”
“No, I’m serious.”
Another silence.
Longer this time.
“What do you mean divorced?” His voice changed instantly.
Ria closed her eyes briefly.
“It happened two days ago.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
The charm was gone now.
Completely.
“He gave her papers. She signed.”
Ryle’s breathing sharpened slightly through the phone.
“No.”
Ria didn’t respond.
Because there was nothing else to say.
On the other side of the call, Ryle stood frozen beside his car outside the court, disbelief crashing into him.
Neil?
Divorce?
Eva?
Impossible.
His brother would burn the world before willingly losing her.
So why the hell did he let her go?
“Where is Neil?” he asked sharply.
“I don’t know.”
The line went quiet again.
Then—
“I’ll call you later.”
The call disconnected.
Ria stared at the screen.
Meanwhile—
Ryle got into his car immediately.
Engine roaring alive.
His jaw tight.
Mind racing.
He drove straight toward Neil’s apartment.
Fast.
Too fast.
Ignoring calls from his next clients.
Ignoring traffic lights turning yellow.
Because one thing kept repeating in his head—
What did you do, brother?
The apartment was dark except for the kitchen light.
One light.
One man.
And complete silence.
Neil sat at the dining table, t-shirt all sweaty, untouched whiskey resting beside him.
His gaze fixed on the car keys on the table beside his glass.
Eva’s fingerprints are probably still on them.
The apartment felt strange tonight.
Not empty.
Haunted.
By memories.
By silence.
By her.
His gaze stayed fixed until-
BANG.
The apartment door slammed open so hard it hit the wall.
Neil didn’t even flinch.
Ryle stormed in.
Furious.
Rain still dripping from his jacket.
“What the hell did you do?!”
Neil stayed silent.
That silence only made it worse.
Ryle walked closer aggressively.
“Answer me Neil!”
Neil leaned back slightly in the chair, exhausted.
“Lower your voice.”
“No!” Ryle snapped. “You divorced Eva?!”
Still no response.
Ryle laughed in disbelief.
“You’ve officially lost your mind.”
Neil finally looked at him.
Tired.
“Leave me alone.”
“Oh, screw that,” Ryle shot back instantly. “Do you even realize what you’ve done?”
Neil’s jaw tightened.
“I know exactly what I’ve done.”
“Then explain it to me!”
Silence again.
Ryle stared at him.
Then noticed something.
Bunch of alcohol bottles on the kitchen counter.
The exhaustion in his face.
The apartment was a mess.
The keys on the table.
The Porsche keys.
Ryle frowned.
“She returned it? of course she will.” he remembered Neil was excited for this surprise.
Neil looked away.
Ryle ran a hand through his hair roughly.
“You love her don't you?.”
Neil’s expression hardened immediately.
“This discussion is over.”
“No, it’s not!” Ryle shouted. “You don’t get to shut down and act like some tragic hero!”
Neil stood up finally.
Tall.
Intimidating.
But exhausted.
“You don’t understand the situation.”
“Then make me understand!”
“I can’t.”
“That’s bullshit!”
Ryle stepped closer now.
“You think pushing her away protects her?”
Neil’s eyes darkened slightly.
“Yes.”
Ryle stared at him.
“And what if she didn’t want protection?” he asked quietly now. “What if she just wanted you?”
That landed.
Hard.
Neil looked away for the first time.
And that was the moment Ryle realized—
His brother was broken too.
Ryle exhaled sharply.
“What happened in New York?”
Silence.
Then finally—
Neil spoke.
Low.
“Eva might face allegations because me."
Ryle cursed under his breath.
“Neil…”
The room went still.
“I won’t let her get dragged into this mess.”
“So your solution was divorce?” Ryle asked incredulously.
“My solution,” Neil replied coldly, “was making sure she is safe..”
Ryle stared at his brother.
“You know what’s insane? I always thought if there was one thing in this world you’d never let go of… it was her.”
That hit.
Neil looked away.
“The patient who died in New York…” His voice was low. “It wasn’t an accident.”
Ryle frowned.
“What?”
Neil walked toward the table slowly, grabbing a file from beneath it.
He threw it in front of Ryle.
Confidential reports.
Signatures.
Internal investigation notices.
Ryle’s expression changed as he flipped through pages.
“What the hell is this?”
Neil leaned against the counter.
“The surgery was successful,” he said coldly. “The patient died because information was hidden from my team.”
Ryle looked up sharply.
“By who?”
Neil laughed once.
Humorless.
“That’s the interesting part.”
Silence settled heavily.
“The patient wasn’t just a VIP,” Neil continued.
“He was connected to investors, politicians… people tied to the hospital board.”
"Some one from the board wanted him dead,and it was all pre-planned to get him to our hospital and make sure I was doing the surgery and blame me in it." Saying it out loud Neil then stopped speaking.
Ryle’s face hardened.
He cursed under his breath.
“So fight it.”
Neil’s eyes darkened slightly.
“You think it’s that simple?”
“Yes!”
“No, it isn’t.”
“If this goes public, the media won’t stop at me.”
Ryle stilled.
Neil continued quietly—
“They’ll drag the entire family into it.” A pause. “Especially Eva.”
The room went silent.
Ryle slowly lowered the papers and looked at Neil's tired posture.
Like he had been carrying this alone too long.
"Her name was in charts someone logged in with her Id to manipulate the case.She didn't even assist me that day how come was framed in the case."
“She’s about to become a surgeon,” he said softly. “Do you know what one scandal does in medicine?”
Ryle didn’t respond.
“It stains everything.”
Neil’s voice became colder again.
“She’ll stop being Dr. Eva.”
A bitter pause.
“She’ll become the accused surgeon because of me,” he said quietly.
Ryle looked at him.
Neil’s jaw tightened slightly before he continued.
“I was the one who dragged her into this marriage.”
The words sounded heavy.
Honest.
“She didn’t ask for any of this,” Neil said. “Not my family. Not my name. Not this mess.She just needed help and for that one favour I can't ruin her career.”
His eyes lowered toward the papers on the table.
That was the part that truly terrified him.
Not the investigation.
Not the media.
Not even losing his license.
Her future.
Neil exhaled slowly.
“She loves being a surgeon.”
Not casually.
Not for status.
Eva loved medicine with her whole heart.
The long shifts.
The studying.
The exhaustion.
The pressure.
She loved all of it.
Neil had seen it in every late-night study session… every excited rant after surgery… every moment her eyes lit up inside an OT.
And he knew—
If this scandal touched her name—
That light would disappear.
“I can’t take that away from her,” he whispered.
Ryle stayed quiet.
"But-" rule tried to speak.
“But that’s exactly what’ll happen if she stays Mrs. Neil Morris during this investigation.”
His voice hardened again.
“Years of hard work… gone. Just because she’s my wife.”
The room fell silent.
Ryle swallowed slowly.
He understood why his brother looked so cruel.
“I need to take Eva’s name away from this case completely,” he said quietly.
Ryle frowned.
“She’s not even involved.”
“She’s involved because she’s attached to me.”
His voice was sharp now.
Controlled.
Dangerously focused.
“The board already started digging into my personal life. Once the media gets even a hint about my marriage…” he laughed bitterly,
“…they’ll turn her into another headline.”
Ryle cursed under his breath.
Neil continued—
“And I know exactly how this works. First it’s questions. Then speculation. Then suddenly she’s ‘the surgeon’s wife involved in hospital controversy.’”
His jaw flexed.
“She worked too hard for her career to become someone’s gossip article.”
Silence.
Neil took the untouched glass and gulped the whiskey at once as if he was gulping all the sorrow and placed the glass on the table again.
He stood up and walked toward the large glass wall overlooking the city.
“This doesn’t feel right,” he said suddenly.
Ryle looked at him carefully.
“What do you mean?”
Neil turned slightly.
“The surgery was clean.”
Immediate answer.
“I checked every step myself after the death.”
His eyes darkened.
“Someone wanted that patient dead.”
The room went still.
“And someone wanted me blamed for it.”
Ryle slowly straightened.
“You think this was planned?”
“I know it was.”
Neil’s voice dropped lower.
“There are missing reports. Altered timestamps. Internal files disappear.”
Ryle stared.
“And the board is trying way too hard to close the case quickly.”
That was suspicious.
Very suspicious.
Neil continued coldly—
“This isn’t about medical negligence anymore.”
“It’s bigger.”
Ryle’s expression hardened.
“So what now?”
For the first time that night—
Something dangerous appeared in Neil’s eyes.
Not heartbreak.
Not grief.
Focus.
“I find out who’s behind this.”
“And until then?”
Neil looked away briefly.
“Eva stays away from me.”
That sentence hurt him even while saying it.
But he forced himself to continue.
“I already destroyed my marriage to protect her future.”
A pause.
“I’m not letting that sacrifice become meaningless.”
Ryle looked at his brother silently.
And finally understood—
Neil Morris wasn’t giving up on Eva.
He was going to war for her.
From a distance.
---
Dr. Lucas walked calmly through the corridor like he owned the place.
Patient case sheet in one hand.
And phone on the other.
Lexi followed beside him, trying very hard to act normal.
Unfortunately—
The elevator incident from last week kept replaying in her head at the worst possible moments.
Especially when he looked this good.
Professional. Focused. Annoyingly attractive.
Lucas stopped near Bed 12.
“How’s the post-op pain?”
The patient answered while Lucas checked the dressing carefully.
Lexi stood beside him writing notes, but her attention betrayed her for a second.
His sleeves were folded slightly today.
His watch loose around his wrist.
That stupid vein on his hand visible again.
“Lexi.”
She blinked.
“Hm?”
Lucas looked at her calmly.
“The notes.”
Right.
The patient.
The hospital.
Life.
She cleared her throat quickly.
“Pain has reduced since last night. Mobility improving. Referred to the physical therapist.”
“Good,” Lucas nodded.
Professional.
Like he hadn’t kissed her breathless in an elevator days ago.
Which somehow annoyed her.
They moved to the next patient.
An old lady smiled seeing them.
“You look good Dr.Lucus”
“Thank you,” he replied casually.
“Who is this beautiful young lady?”
“This is Dr.Lexi.” Lucas said"My girlfriend"with a wink and whispered.
Silence.
Lexi stared at him in disbelief.
The old woman laughed warmly.
“I like him. Keep him.”
Lucas looked entirely too satisfied with himself.
Meanwhile Lexi wanted the hospital floor to swallow her whole.
As they walked out of the room, she whispered harshly—
“What is wrong with you?”
Lucas looked innocent.
“What?”
“‘Girlfriend?!”
He shrugged lightly.
“I believe in optimism.”
She glared at him.
He smiled slightly.
And there it was again—
that soft tension between them.
Less awkward now.
More dangerous.
They stopped near the nurse station while Lucas signed a chart.
Lexi crossed her arms.
“You flirt during rounds?”
“I multitask well.”
“That’s unethical.”
His eyes finally lifted toward her slowly.
“Want me to stop?”
“Dr. Lucas, nextconsult in room number 22A”
Lucas nodded once and started walking toward the elevator casually.
Behind him—
Lexi almost stopped walking.
“Coming?”
Not the elevator again.
Absolutely not.
Lucas stood in front of the elevator, one hand in his pocket, calm as ever.
Meanwhile Lexi looked like she was mentally preparing for war.
The elevator dinged softly.
Before the doors could fully open—
“I’ll take the stairs,” Lexi blurted out instantly.
Lucas turned slowly.
“…what?”
“The stairs,” she repeated quickly. “Cardio is important.”
“We’re going to the eighth floor.”
“Good for lung capacity.”
Lucas stared at her for two seconds.
Then realization hit.
A smirk slowly appeared on his face.
“Oh.”
Lexi immediately regretted speaking.
“No ‘oh.’ Don’t make that face.”
“What face?”
“That face.”
“The one where I realize you’re scared of elevators with me?”
“I am not scared of elevators!”
The doors opened fully.
Lexi took one step backward.
Lucas grabbed her wrist smoothly before she could escape.
“Dr. Lucas—!”
Too late.
He pulled her inside effortlessly.
The elevator doors closed.
And just like his luck wished—
Only them.
Again.
Lexi internally cursed the universe.
She immediately moved to the farthest corner possible and stood facing the opposite direction entirely.
Like the elevator wall suddenly became the most interesting thing in existence.
Lucas watched her with visible amusement.
“Lexi.”
No response.
He leaned slightly closer.
“Calm down.”
Still nothing.
Then his voice dropped lower, teasing softly—
“I would love to…”
Lexi’s shoulders stiffened instantly.
A pause.
“But I won’t.”
Her breath left dramatically.
“Oh my God.”
Lucas chuckled quietly.
“You panic too easily.”
“You’re the problem!”
“Hm.”
She refused to turn around.
Which only made him enjoy this more.
The elevator continued moving upward quietly.
Then suddenly—
DING.
The doors opened.
Lucas walked out immediately like nothing happened.
Professional again.
Completely normal.
Meanwhile Lexi stood frozen for two whole seconds before realizing—
“WAIT FOR ME!”
And he smiled to himself while walking toward room 22.
---