45.The fall of Dr.Neil morris ?
Ria sat in the waiting area, knees bouncing nervously.
The modern office of Runway looked intimidating enough already.
Models walking around.
Design boards everywhere.
People dressed like they belonged on magazine covers.
Meanwhile—
Ria was silently convincing herself not to faint.
“You’re Ria Walter?”
She stood up immediately.
“Yes.”
“Please come in.”
Great.
Now she really wanted to faint.
Inside the interview room, three people sat across the table reviewing her portfolio.
One of them adjusted her glasses.
“You’re still a student?”
“Final year,” Ria answered carefully.
Another interviewer flipped through her sketches.
“These are impressive.”
Ria tried to stay calm externally.
Internally?
SCREAMING.
Questions came quickly after that.
Design inspiration.
Fabric understanding.
Ramp styling concepts.
Event pressure.
Ria answered everything sharply despite the nerves.
Because fashion—
This was her thing.
One interviewer finally leaned back.
“You’re confident.”
Ria smiled slightly.
“I fake it professionally.”
That made them laugh.
Good sign.
Very good sign.
A few minutes later—
The senior recruiter closed the file.
“Well, Miss Walter…”
Ria straightened immediately.
“We’d like to offer you the internship position.”
Silence.
“…what?”
The recruiter smiled.
“You’re selected.”
For one whole second—
Ria forgot how to function.
Then suddenly—
“OH MY GOD.”
She covered her mouth instantly.
“Sorry—professionalism.”
The interviewers laughed again.
And just like that—
Ria Walter walked out of the company building trying not to scream in public.
---
“EVA!”
The front door burst open dramatically.
Eva, who had just entered after her shift, blinked in confusion.
Ria came running toward her at full speed.
“I GOT IN!”
Eva barely had time to react before Ria hugged her tightly.
“What—wait—really?!”
“Yes!!”
Grandpa looked proud immediately.
Granny almost emotional already.
“Our girl got selected,” Dadu smiled warmly.
Eva’s exhausted face softened instantly.
“You did it…” she whispered proudly.
Ria grinned so hard her cheeks hurt.
“I DID.”
The house felt alive again.
Cake appeared somehow.
Grandpa repeated “my granddaughters are talented” at least six times.
And Eva—
For the first time in days, laughed properly.
Later That Night
“No.”
Eva didn’t even look up from her phone.
Ria stared at her dramatically.
“Excuse me?”
“No club.”
“Why?”
“Because humans are there.”
“EVA.”
“I’m serious.”
Ria grabbed her arm immediately.
“You are coming out with me tonight.”
“I worked twelve hours.”
“And I got my dream internship.”
Eva paused.
Damn.
That card was unfair.
Ria narrowed her eyes.
“You have to celebrate with me.”
Eva sighed deeply.
“I can celebrate from bed.”
“Nope.”
Thirty minutes later—
Eva found herself standing outside a stylish resto-club wondering she doesn't belong here.
Music echoed softly outside.
Lights glowed warmly.
Ria looked extremely proud of herself.
“You’ll thank me later.”
“I already dislike this place.”
“You even dislike oxygen.”
“Correct.”
Ria dragged her inside anyway.
The place was lively but not too chaotic.
Good music.
Warm lights.
People dancing casually.
The sisters settled into a corner booth.
A waiter approached.
“What can I get you?”
Ria looked at Eva slowly.
Then grinned.
“Drinks?”
Eva raised an eyebrow.
“We’re making bad decisions today?”
“Responsible bad decisions.”
Eva thought for a second.
Then—
“…fine.”
Ria gasped dramatically.
“Oh my God. Write this date down.”
Eva rolled her eyes.
“Don’t make me regret this.”
Too late.
The night just started.
It turned lighter than Eva expected.
Somehow.
Maybe it was the music.
Maybe the drinks.
Maybe just seeing Ria genuinely happy again.
They were simply sisters tonight.
Nothing heavy.
Nothing painful.
Just laughter..
“Okay,” Ria pointed dramatically across the table, “truth or drink.”
Eva narrowed her eyes immediately.
“Not in the mood to play."
“Exactly why we’re playing it.”
Eva sighed.
“Fine.”
Ria smirked.
"You go first!"
“Are you seeing someone without my knowledge?”
Ria choked on her drink.
Eva finally enjoying this.
Ria blinked innocently.
“No.”
“Liar.”
“I’m literally honest.”
“Your face becomes annoying when you lie.”
Ria gasped dramatically.
“My face is beautiful.”
“Your face is guilty.”
Ria grabbed her drink immediately.
Eva laughed softly seeing that.
“Oh my God, there IS someone.”
Ria pointed aggressively.
“No names.”
Eva nodded.
"My turn now!" Ria's laugh was eveish.
“Have you ever stalked someone after a fight?”
Eva took the drink instantly.
Ria burst out laughing.
“I KNEW IT!”
“Shut up.”
“You’re insane.”
“You asked insane questions too.”
The drinks kept coming slowly.
Not enough to lose control.
Just enough to loosen the heaviness sitting inside them.
Ria leaned back in her seat laughing again while Eva shook her head, smiling despite herself.
And then—
Her smile faded slightly.
Because across the less crowded club—
she saw him.
Neil.
Sitting in the far corner booth.
Dark shirt.
Wrinkled slightly.
Head leaning back against the couch.
Denver sat beside him talking about something, but Neil barely reacted.
He looked… exhausted.
Eva’s chest tightened unconsciously.
Ria noticed her distraction.
“What happened?”
Eva quickly looked away.
“Nothing.”
But her eyes drifted back again.
Neil wasn’t drinking much.
Just slowly turning the glass in his hand while staring at absolutely nothing.
Completely isolated despite being surrounded by noise.
Denver seemed frustrated now.
Probably dragged him here forcefully.
And suddenly—
Eva noticed something she hadn’t seen before.
Vulnerability.
Not Dr. Neil Morris.
Not the arrogant surgeon.
Not the cold husband who handed divorce papers.
Just…
a tired man sitting alone trying not to drown in his own mind.
Then Neil looked up.
Their eyes met instantly across the room.
And the world around her blurred for a second.
No anger.
No ego.
Just silence.
Neil’s expression shifted almost immediately when he noticed her.
Not shock.
Not panic.
Something softer.
Like seeing her there physically eased something inside him.
And somehow—
that hurt more.
Eva looked away first.
Her fingers tightening slightly around the glass.
Ria followed her gaze carefully now.
Then noticed him too.
“Oh.”
Eva stayed quiet.
Across the room, Denver finally noticed where Neil’s attention had gone.
He turned.
Saw Eva.
Then slowly looked back at Neil.
And sighed dramatically.
Denver muttered something.
Neil didn’t respond.
Because his eyes never really left Eva after that.
Then—
Her phone buzzed.
The screen lit up.
Grandpa Calling.
Eva’s expression immediately softened.
She answered quickly.
“Yes paa?”
On the other side, his warm worried voice came instantly.
“Eve, when are you girls coming home?”
Eva checked the time.
Almost midnight.
She winced slightly.
“We lost track of time.”
“You both ate ?”
“Yes, Come home safely.”
“We will,” Eva smiled softly.
The call ended.
Eva looked at Ria.
“Come on. Let’s go.”
They grabbed their things and stood up.
Ria didn't complain this time just followed eva.
And as much as Eva tried not to—
her eyes betrayed her for a second, instinctively looking across the room one last time.
But—
The couch was empty.
Neil was gone.
After paying the bill both the walters reached home in no time.
Ria was asleep within minutes the moment they climbed into bed.
But Eva couldn’t sleep at all.
She lay staring at the ceiling in the dim darkness of the room.
Mind restless.
Thoughts tangled.
The club.
Neil.
The way her eyes searched for him unconsciously.
Annoying.
Very annoying.
Eva turned to the other side with a frustrated sigh.
That’s when—
she heard it.
A faint sound outside.
Her brows furrowed slightly.
She slowly looked toward the window.
Nothing.
Just darkness outside and faint streetlights beyond the curtains.
Probably nothing.
Maybe the wind.
She relaxed slightly again and closed her eyes.
Then—
She noticed a moving figure outside the window.
Eva’s eyes opened immediately.
Ria remained deeply asleep beside her, completely unbothered.
Carefully, she moved out of bed without waking her sister.
The floor felt cold beneath her feet as she slowly walked toward the window.
Another faint sound interrupted the silence outside.
Not loud.
But deliberate enough to make her cautious now.
Eva reached the curtains slowly.
Her fingers hesitated for a second before pulling them aside slightly.
And then—
She froze.
A tall figure stood outside near the gate under the dim streetlight.
Drenched slightly from the misty night air.
Hands in pockets.
Head lowered.
Neil.
Eva’s heartbeat stumbled instantly.
“What the…” she whispered.
He wasn’t moving.
Wasn’t calling.
Wasn’t knocking.
Just standing there silently outside the Walter house at nearly 1 AM like a man fighting himself.
Eva stared at him in disbelief.
she thought maybe he’d leave.
But he didn’t.
He just stood there.
Like he came only to make sure she was home.
The street was quiet.
Only faint streetlights and distant traffic existed at this hour.
Neil leaned silently against his car, arms folded loosely, lost somewhere deep inside his thoughts.
Cold night air brushed past him.
But he barely felt it.
His eyes stayed fixed on the Walter house window upstairs.
Maybe she was finally asleep.
A soft hand touched his back suddenly.
Neil didn’t flinch.
Didn’t turn immediately either.
Because somehow—
he already knew who it was.
Eva stood behind him quietly in an oversized sweatshirt and loose pajama pants, hair messy from sleep.
For a second neither spoke.
Then—
“You’re scaring the neighborhood,” she said softly.
Neil exhaled faintly through his nose.
“Couldn’t sleep."
Eva looked at him carefully now.
"What are you doing here Neil ?"
“I miss you !”
Neil looked at her for a second longer than necessary.
“Thought to knock the door but I didn’t trust myself enough to see you tonight.”
That answer landed too honestly.
Eva’s heartbeat betrayed her instantly.
She looked away first.
“You say dramatic things very casually.”
“I’m a surgeon. We survive on drama.”
She rolled her eyes softly.
But neither moved away.
The distance between them remained frustratingly small.
Neil glanced toward the house.
“Why are you awake?”
“You were making suspicious sounds outside my window like a serial killer.”
“My bad!.”
Neil looked toward his car slowly.
“I think I should leave now.”
His voice was quiet.
He straightened slightly, reaching for the car door—
“Neil?”
That one word stopped him instantly.
Eva stood a few steps away now, arms wrapped around herself against the cold night air.
But it wasn’t the cold making her look vulnerable.
It was the question sitting in her eyes.
Neil turned back slowly.
she finally asked the thing that had been destroying her silently.
“Was it just a contract marriage…” her voice lowered slightly, “since the start?”
Silence.
The street suddenly felt too quiet.
Neil’s fingers slowly loosened from the car handle.
Because he knew—
This wasn’t anger anymore.
This was her asking whether any of it had been real.
The late-night studying.
The cooking.
The hugs.
The almost kisses.
The mornings.
The family hangouts.
His almost confessions.
The way he looked at her.
All of it.
Eva swallowed softly.
“You said it so easily that night,” she continued quietly. “‘I want divorce.’”
Her eyes finally met his fully.
“So I need to know…”
A pause.
“Was I just part of some agreement to you?”
Neil looked at her silently.
And God—
that question hurt more than the divorce itself.
Because he realized then—
In trying to protect her—
he had made her question whether she was ever loved at all.
Neil lowered his gaze briefly, jaw tightening once.
Then finally—
he spoke.
“No.”
Immediate.
Certain.
Not a second of hesitation.
Eva’s breath caught softly.
Neil looked at her again now.
Completely honest this time.
“It started as a contract.”
His voice remained calm.
“But somewhere along the way…”
A pause.
His eyes softened painfully.
“You became the only real thing in my life.”
Eva stood frozen.
The night air suddenly felt heavier.
Neil exhaled slowly, looking away toward the dark street.
“I just got selfish enough to start believing maybe I could keep you.”
That sentence broke something quietly inside her.
Because there was no manipulation in his voice.
No arrogance.
Only regret.
Deep, devastating regret.
Neil laughed faintly under his breath.
“I know what it takes to build a perfect career,” he murmured.
Eva frowned slightly.
Neil looked away toward the dark road ahead.
“And you’re almost there.”
His voice softened.
“It can’t be ruined.”
Before Eva could fully understand what he meant—
Neil opened the car door.
She blinked.
“Neil—”
But he was already getting inside.
Like staying any longer would make him say too much.
Or worse—
stay.
Eva stepped forward slightly, confusion written all over her face.
“What does that even mean?”
Neil paused only for a second after starting the engine.
His hands tightened briefly around the steering wheel.
Then he looked at her through the half-open window.
Eyes tired.
Heavy.
Filled with things he still refused to tell her.
“You’ll hate me less one day,” he said quietly.
And before Eva could respond—
the car drove away.
She stood there frozen beneath the dim streetlight, watching the taillights disappear into the empty road.
Cold air brushed against her skin.
But her mind stayed stuck on his words.
It can’t be ruined.
Ruined by what?
Eva frowned softly, arms crossing around herself unconsciously.
Neil Morris didn’t look like a man who stopped loving her.
He looked like a man forcing himself to leave anyway.
---
The atmosphere inside Harmony and Care Hospital felt wrong this morning.
Too quiet.
Too alert.
Doctors whispering near nursing stations.
Interns pretending not to stare.
Phones buzzing nonstop.
Something had happened.
Something big.
Eva walked through the corridor holding patient files against her chest, immediately noticing the strange tension around her.
Two nurses stopped talking the moment she passed.
A group of residents looked away quickly.
Her brows furrowed slightly.
“What now…” she muttered under her breath.
The elevator opened.
Lexi stepped out looking stressed.
Very stressed.
The moment she noticed Eva—
her expression changed.
“Eva.”
Something in her tone made Eva stop instantly.
“What happened?”
Lexi hesitated.
Which was unusual.
Very unusual.
Then quietly—
“The board suspended Neil from surgeries.”
Eva froze.
The words didn’t register immediately.
“…what?”
Lexi exhaled slowly.
“The VIP case.”
Everything inside Eva suddenly went still she knew he was under three months suspension but now?
Eva stared at her.
Because this was Neil Morris.
The top cardiothoracic surgeon.
The man who practically lived inside operation theatres.
Suspending him from surgeries was like cutting oxygen from his lungs.
“What are they saying?” Eva asked quietly.
Lexi lowered her voice more.
“They’re saying post-op complications were hidden.”
Eva’s heartbeat picked up instantly.
“That surgery was successful.”
“I know.”
“No,” Eva repeated more firmly now. “I was there. Dr. Destiny herself said the surgery was clean.”
Lexi nodded slowly.
“Which is why this whole thing feels suspicious.”
The corridor suddenly felt colder.
Eva’s mind raced rapidly now.
The confidential surgery.
The sudden death.
Neil’s behavior.
The divorce.
His words outside the Walter house.
It can’t be ruined.
Her chest tightened painfully.
“Oh my God…”
Lexi looked at her carefully.
“Eva…”
But before she could continue—
The corridor shifted suddenly.
People straightened.
Silence spread rapidly.
And then—
Neil walked in.
Black suit.
Sharp posture.
Unreadable expression.
But the exhaustion beneath his face was impossible to hide now.
The whispers immediately started again around them.
“That’s him…”
“Board meeting was brutal…”
“They might revoke his authority…”
Eva’s chest burned hearing it.
Neil walked through all of it calmly.
Like he was already used to public judgment.
His eyes briefly lifted—
And found hers instantly.
For one second the entire corridor disappeared for both of them.
Then—
Professional masks returned immediately.
Neil looked away first and continued walking toward the board conference room.
Two men in formal suits standing near the hallway watching Neil carefully.
Not doctors.
Investigators.
A strange unease settled inside her stomach.
Meanwhile inside the conference room—
The hospital board sat in complete silence.
Files spread across the large table.
Screens displaying confidential reports.
Chief Harrison looked exhausted already.
“This situation is getting out of control.”
Neil stood near the window silently.
One hand in pocket.
Emotionless externally.
“The media still doesn’t know details,” another board member said carefully. “But if this leaks—”
“It won’t,” Neil interrupted calmly.
One of the investors scoffed.
“You sound very confident for someone under investigation.”
Neil’s eyes finally lifted toward him slowly.
Cold.
Sharp.
Dangerous.
“Because I know exactly what happened in my operation theatre.”
The room fell silent.
Chief Harrison leaned forward.
“You’re still insisting this wasn’t negligence?”
Neil laughed faintly.
Humorless.
“The surgery was successful.”
He placed a file on the table.
“Vitals stabilized post-op. Internal repair successful. No surgical error.”
Another silence.
Then Neil’s voice lowered slightly—
“Someone altered post-operative records.”
That changed the atmosphere instantly.
Several board members looked up sharply.
Chief Harrison frowned.
“You have proof?”
“Not yet.”
“Then these are accusations.”
Neil stepped closer slowly.
“No,” he said calmly. “This is me telling you someone inside this hospital is hiding something.”
The room grew tense.
One board member immediately spoke—
“You should focus more on defending yourself than creating conspiracy theories.”
Neil’s jaw flexed once.
Because that was exactly the problem.
Nobody wanted truth.
They wanted a scapegoat.
And currently—
that scapegoat was Dr. Neil Morris.
Chief Harrison finally spoke again.
“Until the investigation closes…”
A pause.
“You are suspended from all the surgical procedures effective immediately.”
Even after expecting it—
The words still hit hard.
Because surgery wasn’t just Neil’s profession.
It was his identity.
But externally—
he remained calm.
Only his silence became heavier.
Chief Harrison continued carefully.
“You’ll remain attached to the hospital for consultations and administrative cooperation.”
Meaning: not fired.
Not cleared.
Just trapped in limbo.
Neil nodded once slowly.
Professional.
Controlled.
But inside—
everything was burning.
Because this wasn’t just about his career anymore.
Now it was about survival.
And finding out—
who wanted to destroy him.
The room was silent after the final document slid across the table toward him.
A one-year surgical ban.
One year.
For any normal doctor—
it would’ve been career ending.
For Neil Morris?
It was worse.
Because surgery was never just work to him.
It was instinct.
Identity.
Purpose.
The board members sat quietly, watching him carefully.
Almost waiting.
Waiting for anger.
For arrogance.
For him to explode and resign.
Chief Harrison removed his glasses slowly.
“Neil… perhaps taking time away from the hospital would be best.”
Meaning: leave quietly before things get uglier.
Neil stared at the document for a long second.
Three months ago— temporary suspension.
Now— another clause.
Another punishment.
Another public humiliation.
But the thing none of them understood?
Neil Morris was not built to collapse under pressure.
He was built inside pressure.
Slowly—
he picked up the pen.
Several board members exchanged glances immediately.
Expecting resignation papers.
Expecting ego.
Expecting defeat.
Instead—
Neil signed the hospital documents calmly.
One signature.
Clean.
Controlled.
The sound of the pen against paper echoed strangely loud inside the room.
Chief Harrison frowned slightly.
“You’re… accepting the terms?”
Neil placed the pen down casually.
“For now.”
That answer unsettled the room instantly.
Another board member spoke carefully.
“You’ll no longer hold surgical authority during this period.”
Neil leaned back slightly in the chair.
A faint smirk appearing finally.
“So I heard.”
Technically—
he was no longer Seattle’s golden cardiothoracic surgeon.
Now?
Just a cardiologist under investigation.
The title sounded almost insulting.
But Neil didn’t care about titles anymore.
He cared about truth.
And revenge.
Slowly, he stood up from the chair.
Tall.
Calm.
Dangerously composed.
The room unconsciously grew quieter again.
Neil picked up the file and walked toward the door.
Then paused.
His hand resting against the handle.
For a second nobody spoke.
Then—
Neil looked back over his shoulder.
That familiar Morris smirk finally appearing fully.
Cold.
Sharp.
Untouchable.
“You should all pray this actually was my mistake.”
The room stilled instantly.
Because the tone behind those words—
was not a warning.
It was a threat.
Neil’s eyes moved across every single board member carefully.
“Because if I prove someone inside this hospital orchestrated this…”
A pause.
His smirk deepened slightly.
“I won’t stop at just clearing my name.”
Silence.
Heavy silence.
Even Chief Harrison looked tense now.
And then Neil added calmly—
“One year is a very long time.”
His gaze darkened slightly.
“Enough time to destroy -” chuckled "you will know"
Like they were unsure whether they had just suspended a surgeon—
or provoked something far worse.
A slow smirk pulled at Neil’s face.
“Took you all years to build Dr. Neil Morris,” he said calmly.
His eyes moved toward the Chief.
“And now you think a few papers are enough for his fall?”
Neil chuckled softly.
Dangerously calm.
“Seriously, Chief?”
Chief Harrison’s jaw tightened slightly.
Neil tilted his head faintly.
“You really think banning me from surgery is going to end me?”
Silence.
Then his expression darkened just a little.
“No.”
His voice lowered.
“This only ends one of two ways.”
The room felt colder suddenly.
“Either I walk out guilty…”
A pause.
“Or I find out who used my OT as a murder scene.”
Nobody breathed.
Then—
without another word—
Neil Morris walked out of the conference room.
Not defeated.
Not broken.
Just dangerous now.