Chapter 81 [ 502 words ] Chapter 81: She swallowed hard, trying to push down the frantic beating of her heart. She wrapped her arms around her waist, pulling the trench coat tighter. “You vanished,” Caroline said. Her voice came out raw, stripped of the formal distance she had planned.

Chapter 80 [ 510 words ] Chapter 80: Caroline groaned and rolled out of bed. She walked back into the dark living room and sat on the floor, leaning her back against the sofa, and pulled her knees to her chest. She stared at the black phone on the coffee

Chapter 79 [ 494 words ] Chapter 79: She didn’t wait for him to respond. She practically ran down the opposite hallway, desperate to escape his probing eyes. Julian watched her go. He let out a quiet sigh, knowing she was lying through her teeth. The next three days passed

Chapter 78 [ 488 words ] Chapter 78: Julian let out a deep, rumbling chuckle. The sound vibrated in the quiet space between them. He reached across the counter, his long fingers gently brushing a stray lock of hair away from Caroline’s forehead and tucking it behind her ear. The

Chapter 77 [ 481 words ] Chapter 77: She turned on her heel and walked away, her strides long and powerful. She didn’t look back. Melanie sat on the cold linoleum. Her throat throbbed. She stared at Caroline’s retreating back, the fear in her chest slowly mutating into a dark,

Chapter 76 [ 487 words ] Chapter 76: “Disappointed the patient isn’t in a body bag?” Melanie let out a blood-curdling shriek. She spun around so fast her feet tangled, her back slamming violently against the heavy wooden door. Caroline was standing right there. She had moved completely silently, stepping

Chapter 75 [ 506 words ] Chapter 75: “Shut up, Tammy!” Melanie screamed, her voice cracking with pure hysteria. She glared at Caroline, her eyes burning with a toxic mix of hatred and absolute dread. Caroline took a slow step back. She smoothed down the front of her blue scrubs,

Chapter 74 [ 499 words ] Chapter 74: “What are you doing hiding in here, Thompson?” Melanie spat, her voice entirely too loud. “Slacking off again? Do you want me to go get Dr. Cromwell and get you another write-up?” Caroline didn’t blink. She didn’t slow down. She walked right

Chapter 73 [ 499 words ] Chapter 73: Caroline’s stomach dropped. The gratitude remained, but it was joined by a sharp spike of realization that she was navigating a minefield. She quickly averted her eyes, staring hard at the floor. She didn’t say a single word. She spun around, grabbed

Chapter 72 [ 521 words ] Chapter 72: Caroline’s jaw locked. Her gray eyes fixed on the empty vial with a cold, lethal stillness. She had known the vial on her tray was poison. That was why she had smashed it. But seeing the container that had held the toxin,

Chapter 71 [ 472 words ] Chapter 71: Caroline stayed pressed against the wall. Her eyes darted around the room, cataloging the heavy brass paperweight, the metal scissors on the desk, the sharp edge of the bookshelf. Her body was a coiled spring, ready to strike. “What are you doing,

Chapter 70 [ 488 words ] Chapter 70: His gaze was so intense, so commanding, it felt like it was boring straight through her skull. A heavy, shaky exhale pushed past his lips, as if he had just outrun a moving train. “Bring the rest of the emergency kit,” Julian

Chapter 69 [ 499 words ] Chapter 69: She reached for the wall-mounted phone next to the patient’s chart. Her fingers trembled slightly as she punched in the four-digit extension for the hospital pharmacy. The line clicked, then rang once. “Pharmacy, this is David,” a bored voice answered. “This is

Chapter 68 [ 507 words ] Chapter 68: Behind the fabric shield, Melanie’s hand shot out. In a swift, practiced motion, she snatched the critical cardiac vial from the floor and swapped it with an identical-looking one from her pocket. The movement was a blur of blue scrubs and pale

Chapter 67 [ 497 words ] Chapter 67: She felt the prickle of eyes on the back of her neck. She heard the synchronized, stealthy squeak of rubber soles matching her pace. Caroline didn’t turn her head. She kept her posture slumped and defeated. As she pushed the cart past

Chapter 66 [ 487 words ] Chapter 66: “Are you kidding me?” one of the nurses hissed. “First the billionaire, now the new star surgeon? What kind of voodoo is she using?” Melanie didn’t answer. She was staring at Caroline’s face. She saw the way Caroline’s tense shoulders relaxed as

Chapter 65 [ 490 words ] Chapter 65: Caroline didn’t look at her. She kept walking. But deep in her chest, a cold, lethal anger began to freeze over. By noon, Caroline’s legs felt like they were made of lead. She had been assigned the worst, most physically demanding tasks

Chapter 64 [ 474 words ] Chapter 64: Melanie slowly raised her wrist and tapped the face of her watch. “Well, well, well,” Melanie announced, her voice loud enough for the entire floor to hear. “Look who finally decided to grace us with her presence.” Four other nurses stopped charting

Chapter 63 [ 478 words ] Chapter 63: The last shred of her rational control snapped. Caroline tilted her chin up. She closed her eyes and pressed her lips against his. The moment she touched him, Jarrod let out a low, guttural groan. He took total control. His left hand

Chapter 62 [ 482 words ] Chapter 62: Caroline looked into his intense eyes. She swallowed hard and gave a tiny, almost imperceptible nod. Jarrod’s shoulders instantly relaxed. The hard lines of his face softened. A faint, relieved smirk touched the corner of his mouth. He stood up straight, pulling