"Sophia, this had better be a damned one-off, or your future here is toast! And I'll personally ensure you pay dearly for it!" "If there's one thing a doctor should never do," Dr. Sarah began, her tone sharp as a scalpel, "it's to walk into an operating room or commence a procedure with a heart full of conflicting emotions! With the accolades you've received in this hospital, I'm certain you need no reminder of this fundamental rule. Yet, you faltered the moment you stepped inside!" It was 10 AM the next morning, and Sophia found herself seated in Dr. Sarah Mitchell's office, the assistant to the Chief of Surgical Service Director. Dr. Mitchell, a young woman with honey-blonde hair, exuded an air of disapproval that hung heavily in the room. Her demeanor toward Sophia was far from friendly, as her interactions were marked by a noticeable coldness and rudeness, making the atmosphere tense and uncomfortable. Sophia wasn't supposed to be here. She was meant to be with
Sophia's gaze was drawn to the nurse outside, who was now encircled by a small group, her forehead showing signs of injury. To either side of the door, two armed men stood guard. But she was more surprised about the fact that none of his family members were present."Did the patient cause this?" She inquired, facing the injured nurse, and the chief, a middle-aged man with glasses and dark hair, nodded. He stood by the side of the door, his back resting against the wall, his furrowed brows revealing the stress he was already under. "I'm entirely uncertain about the cause of the patient's sudden agitation. That's why I requested for you," he uttered, his voice thoughtful. "Maybe you should attempt to engage in a conversation with him," he suggested.Before Sophia could respond, he added, "You're the only doctor on duty who can handle this patient. Please be cautious." With that, he gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder and departed."Should we consider getting a psychiatrist?" Arie
Sophia felt a sudden rush of sweat as the room grew uncomfortably warm, and his intense gaze remained locked on her eyes. She finally mustered the courage to ask, "How do you know about the twins?""I searched for you, Sophia," he admitted, his eyes revealing regret and longing. "You weren't in the country, or else I would have found you. I learned about them after your return.""How long have you known?" Sophia's voice trembled, her clenched fists betraying her emotions. The fact that he had known about Aiden and Adeline all this time, yet never reached out, infuriated her."I knew about the twins from the moment you set foot back in the country," Alex confessed through clenched teeth. "It's been three years. I spotted you and the twins, but I couldn't bring myself to reveal my presence. There were...complications.""Can I meet them?" Alex asked, his pale green eyes bore into her, his voice low - his gaze dropping briefly before locking onto Sophia's face, even behind her mask, recog
Hearing the loud, disruptive voice that barged into the room, Alex remained unfazed and calmly used one of the pillows to cover his ears before muttering "Shut the hell up! This is a hospital, and you're being obnoxiously loud!""For someone who injured a nurse, you have no right to lecture me on hospital etiquette!" Matt, with his chiseled jaw and intense brown eyes, shot Alex a stern look as he entered the room. His dark hair, slightly tousled, added to his rugged charm. He dropped himself heavily onto the couch, his sleeves rolled up to reveal intricate tattoos that snaked down his forearms.He had just arrived at the hospital a few minutes ago and he overheard a few of the nurses talking about an aggressive patient in the hospital who pursued his attending nurses from his room and threw a mug at one. Matt had laughed at how ridiculous that sounded, thinking the patient might be mentally unstable.Only to end up finding out that this patient was none other than Alex.Matthew Carson
After conversing for hours, Nick and Matt finally left, leaving Alex in the room, gazing blankly at the ceiling. He looked down at the IV connected to his hand and recalled the brief touch of Sophia's hand on his skin.A brief sigh escaped his lips, realizing how he couldn't stay a moment without thinking about her. It's been years, he is happy to see her, and he couldn't wait to meet the twins also.Even at the thoughts of this; guilt and regret were heavily buried inside his heart.Yes, he was and still is a jerk for not remembering the night he slept with her. Although, he still recalls the night he went home heavily drunk. But what happened after was hazy in his memory. Alex's attention was drawn to the door when he heard a gentle knock."Come in."The door was slowly opened from outside and a young lady peeked her head in, her eyes lighting up when she saw Alex."Alex!" she squealed before fully stepping into the room. "I was so scared when I heard about what happened, how are y
"I've mentioned it countless times and I'll keep on saying it, Dr. Smith. If you ever have a problem or an issue to solve, do tell me. In as much as it's something I can do or get my hands on. I will," The CEO said immediately after Sophia sat down. He leaned forward, his eyes revealing a mixture of concern and curiosity.Unlike what she had expected, he appeared calm and wasn't scolding her about the incident from earlier."Of course, I know, sir," she responded with a smile and a nod."Then about earlier. What happened? Are you sure you are okay, and how are Aiden and Adeline? Are they okay?" This isn't the first time the CEO is showing so much worry about her.It had always been like this ever since she saved Mrs. Johnson from the brink of death. He cared for her much like a father would do to his daughter. As much as it wouldn't have been needed, Sophia could say that Mr. Johnson, the CEO, has over the past months clouded the space of a father that she yearned for.Mr. Johnson is a
Sophia's fear was unmistakable, a chilling grip on her racing heart as she clung to the couch for support. The discomfort in her abdomen seemed to grow more intense with each passing second, a stark reminder of a painful incident from years past.Just recently, she found out their lives might not be as safe as she had always expected, and now this-"It's been three hours," she murmured, her voice quivering with anxiety. "Three hours. Anything could happen in three hours. In three hours— my babies" Her thoughts were spiraling out of control, and emotions becoming increasingly difficult to rein in."I'm sure they'll be okay. Let's try to stay positive," Olivia tried to reassure, although her fears gnawed at her. Sophia was usually composed, but when it came to her children, her composure crumbled and her thoughts became muddled up that it was hard to stay sane.In her rush, Sophia clutched her phone with trembling hands, its cool surface providing little reassurance. As she paced aroun
Sophia's heart sank, and she muttered inwardly, "No, I can't let him meet the twins now." Beads of sweat began to form, tracing a glistening path down her forehead and neck.Clutching the crumpled paper in her hands, Sophia fought to conceal her anger and carefully unfolded the letter. Her gaze was drawn to their wedding picture frame, a stark contrast to her present emotional turmoil.In the photograph, she radiated happiness – the smile of a woman marrying the soul that had resided in her heart for years.Sophia's arms were draped affectionately across Alex's shoulders as they faced each other. But as her eyes lingered on the image, she noticed the difference in their expressions. While her face beamed with love and joy, Alex wore a plain, detached look, his hands resting at his sides rather than around her.How had she missed the undercurrent of his displeasure on their wedding day? Perhaps she had been too wrapped up in her happiness to realize that he wasn't thinking of her the w
Sophia stared at Lucas for a while, before she eventually nodded. The air between them settled into a comfortable silence as they both focused on the food before them. Lucas broke the silence when he suddenly asked, "Although, she never mentioned their names," he sounded interested in the topic about her kids, she realized and glanced up at him. "Aiden and Adeline," she told him, and he smiled, his eyes brightened the slightest. "You love kids?" Sophia couldn't help but ask him. Lucas nodded with a smile curving up his lips, "I love kids," the smile on his lips was so warm, and genuine. "Do you have a sibling?" She asked him, taking a small sip from the water on the table before her. Lucas looked up from his plate, "Oh, I do," he answered, "Two younger sisters," he told her, she noticed a subtle flash of hurt glint in his eyes, "Initially, three. I lost one of them last year to an accident," he had a small smile on his face. And she quickly noticed it was a forced smile. Not
Sophia arrived at the restaurant five minutes early. She stood outside the place for a moment, before eventually walking in after a while.The moment she entered, her eyes traveled across the expanse of the place.The atmosphere was warm, with golden lights casting a soft glow over the polished wooden tables and deep red leather booths. She glanced around, her gaze sweeping over the guests until she spotted a man at the far end of the room. He was waving subtly, with a relaxed posture and an easy grin that drew her attention.She took it to be Lucas, and walked over to the booth he was sitting, slipping into one of the seats, "Hi," she mumbled, giving him a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.She wasn't certain on how to feel about this setting yet, and she was quite tired after spending her whole day going through a couple of files."You are early," she told him as she placed her bag beside her on the table."I arrived just a couple minutes back," his voice was deep and lo
The hospital room was silent. Too silent. And as Sophia closed her eyes, calming her nerves to the quietness of the room, she could hear the fast beat of Alex's heart. And with how close they stood, leaning into each other—she could feel his heart beating so fast. Pressing her lips together, she pushed away from him, and took a step back, creating a significant distance between them. She wasn't ready for this, whatever was between them. His gaze burned through her skin, and she was very much aware of it, despite the fact that she wasn't looking at his eyes. Without a word, she created more distance between them, taking a step at a time, before she eventually turned around and reached for the door's handle. Staying here for much longer would do her no good. "Get back to bed. You shouldn't be walking around." She opened the door, ready to step out without another word to him, but she couldn't do that. She couldn't do that to her babies. "The kids have an event in their sch
Alex brushed his fingers through his hair, he closed his eyes and released a deep, long sigh, "Sophia..." he opened his eyes and stared straight at her. "I may not have been a good husband. I may have been the worst one could call a husband for all I did, and for not listening to you." His voice broke with every single word, and she could feel the weight of his regret dripping into the air, "But please... give me a chance to prove to you, and prove to our children that I can be a better father." Sophia swallowed, feeling her eyes grow blurry. Her heart was in tatters. Her mind was in utter chaos. Why couldn't she just hate him completely? why?...why? She looked away from his eyes, unsure of what to say to him. She didn't want to give him any chance. But somehow, she did. She wanted him to prove her wrong. Despite all she had gone through cause of him, she knew there was more to the situation. She knew somewhere small in her heart, that there was more to Alex. Breaking his g
The corridor was dead drop silent and there was no one walking around the room, nor were the security guards outside. It was completely empty.Pursing her lips, Sophia rubbed her clammy hands and released a deep breath. She reached out for the door handle and pulling it down.Before heading to his room, she was hundred percent certain that her emotions would stay in check. How difficult could it be to just check on the patient and leave? she had done it numerous times, so Alex being the patient this time around shouldn't make any difference, she thought.But as soon as she stepped into the room, a wave of uncertainty consumed her.Sophia stared down at Alex who sat on the bed, completely dressed in the hospital attire and typing something in his laptop, his brows were creased into a frown and she wondered what it is that was getting his shoulders worked up and stiff just few hours after he regained consciousness.It took him time to notice her presence as he had thought it was one of
"What the heck. What kind of people are these anyway?" Sophia heard Finn utter from behind her, she had almost forgotten that he was here with her—and just like him, she also found those words stupid. She tilted her head to meet his gaze, Finn's tall frame stood protectively beside her, his arms crossed tightly over his chest, betraying his growing frustration. His jaw clenched, and his eyes darted between Sophia and the agitated family, silently observing, it appeared he was ready to intervene if needed.Sophia decided to play calm, internally reminding herself that 'all situations could be solved amicably' just like Adeline always says, and she asked, "What compensation?"The mother and son glanced at each other before he spoke out, "Seven hundred thousand dollars is what we request. Pay that, and we'll leave.""If you refuse to listen to our demands, we'll file a lawsuit and demand for millions instead." His mother added with a threat.Sophia lifted her brows and suddenly chuckled
Sophia could feel the beads of sweat forming under her skin, she released a deep breath before returning to where the others were seated, gazing up at her as she approached."Mommy, are you okay?" Aiden asked he was about to stand up and hand her water since he couldn't think of what she might need, at least water helped, but Sophia waved him off with a smile."I'm okay," she said."Sophia," Finn called, with creased brows, but just before he could say anything, Sophia flashed him an honest smile."I'm okay for real, everything is alright, I just need to get to the hospital, now." Walking over to where Aiden sat, she gave him a soft peck on his cheeks, before doing the same to Adeline."I'm so sorry, guys, but I've got to leave. We could make arrangements and do this another day, but it can't be today anymore." She explained.Sophia continued, "Oh, Evelyn, and Beth, not sure how long you both intend to stay—" She wanted to ask if they could stay with the kids for a while, but Evelyn co
"Serious, are you going out on a date? A blind date?!" he asked slowly after Sophia didn't respond for a while, his tone was softer.Sophia lifted her brows, was it that surprising to him? "Umm...yes?" she responded."Oh," Finn said, before standing straight, but his eyes were on her, yet she could barely deduce what he was thinking."Thought I should tone down a bit. Does it seem that surprising?" Sophia chuckled, Finn simply shook his head, not saying anything; perhaps keeping his words would be better than stating them, so all he did was smile."You look surprised, confused, and..." Sophia trailed off, unsure of what other expression Finn was giving her, and just before she could point it out, he looked away and brushed his hair to the back; with his fingers, smoothly."Surprised 'cause you didn't mention it to me before and I found out this way," he paused, Sophia lifted her brows at him and he cleared his throat, "I'm not trying to pry, but mentioning it to me wouldn't have been
Nearly two days have gone since Alex underwent the surgery, but yet there was no sign of him waking up soon. More than anything, Sophia wanted him to wake up, not because of anything but her kids.They hadn't said anything since the last time they checked on Alex, but she was certain they wanted to say something but were holding back—maybe she shouldn't have yelled at them days back, cause now they weren't expressing themselves to her and it bothered her.It was the weekend, and she had the day off before her shift resumed later, at night. So, rather than busying herself with other things, she decided to spend the day with Aiden and Adeline. Sophia stared deeply at the mirror, her hands gently fiddled with her hair brush. A while later she stepped out of the room and walked downstairs to see Aiden focused on something in his tablet, while Adeline was nowhere to be found."Where's Addie?" she asked as she stepped into the living room. Aiden looked up immediately when he heard her voic