Emma sat at her desk long after David had stormed out, her fingers still curled into the armrests of her chair. “I refuse to believe you'll just sit there and watch Henry die, Emma. Hell, This is not the Emma I know! When did you become like this?” David’s words echoed in her head, and she hated how much they affected her. She wasn’t heartless. She wasn’t cruel…but why did she feel so unsettled? Her jaw tightened as she suddenly felt angry. She had done nothing wrong. Henry’s condition was complex, and her decision was based on medical reasoning. She wasn’t obligated to explain herself to David. And yet… Why was she feeling bothered? She had believed she had moved on. That the past no longer held power over her. But in just a few minutes, with only a handful of words, David had unsettled her in ways she never expected. Had she really made the right decision? The thought disturbed her. By the time she left the hospital that evening, a deep frown had settled on her face. She
In the middle of the night, Emma's phone rang sharply, jolting her awake. She reached for the phone, blinking against the darkness. "Dr. Morgan speaking," she answered, voice hoarse from sleep. "Dr. Morgan, this is Dr. Allen from New York City Hospital. I’m sorry for the late call, but—" The voice on the other end was tense, rushed. "It’s about Henry Lawson." Emma sat up, fully awake now. Her fingers tightened around the phone as she heard his name. Henry… He continued. "His condition suddenly worsened. We’re doing everything we can, but he’s not responding as expected. We need a second opinion, and we were hoping—" Dr. Allen hesitated. "If you would be willing to consult on this." Emma was silent, not knowing what to say at this point. After a brief moment, she responded. “I'll think about it,” and hung up. She closed her eyes, feeling conflicted. She had promised herself that she wouldn’t get involved. That this wasn’t her fight. That she had already made her decision. But
The next day, Emma called Christian and invited him over for dinner. She wanted to talk to him about something important, and she felt she needed to see him in person. By evening, Emma busied herself in the kitchen, preparing a simple meal. Cooking had always been therapeutic for her, a way to ground herself when her thoughts became overwhelming. Tonight, she needed that sense of normalcy. As she placed the dishes on the counter, a soft knock echoed through the apartment. She wiped her hands on a kitchen towel, took a deep breath, and opened the door. Christian stood there, his familiar, easygoing smile on his face, dressed in a dark sweater and jeans. His presence was a welcome comfort, but as his gaze swept over her face, his smile faded, and a more serious expression settled in its place. "You look like you’ve made a big decision," he observed, stepping inside and glancing around. Emma gave a small nod, closing the door behind him. "I have." Christian walked into the dinin
The hospital room was quiet except for the steady beeping of the heart monitor. Allison sat beside Henry’s hospital bed, her fingers gently wrapped around his small, fragile hand. His skin was cold—too cold. Every shallow breath he took sent a shiver of fear down her spine. She wanted to believe that everything would be okay, that Henry would wake up and smile at her again. But fear clawed at her chest, whispering dark thoughts she couldn't ignore as she watched her weak and pale son lying helpless on the hospital bed. What if he didn’t make it? What if she lost him? And—though she hated herself for even thinking it—but what if losing Henry meant losing everything else? For years, the world had seen her as Mrs. Lawson. Even though David had never married her, she had been the mother of his son, the woman always by his side at events, the one reporters called his partner. That alone had secured her place by his side, made her important, made her somebody. But without Henry, what
New York at night carried an air of nostalgia that Emma couldn’t shake off. As the car rolled through the familiar streets, she gazed out the window, watching the twinkling city lights blur past. It had been years since she had last been here, yet the city still felt like a distant memory rather than home. Seated beside her, Claire was brimming with excitement, her little face pressed against the glass. “Mommy, it’s so bright here! Have you lived here before?” she asked curiously. Emma smiled softly, tucking a strand of her daughter's hair behind her ear. “A long time ago,” she murmured. Christian, who sat in the driver’s seat, glanced at Emma through the rearview mirror. “You’ll get used to it again,” he said lightly. “New York has a way of pulling people back.” When they finally arrived at Christian’s apartment, Emma took a moment to admire the sleek yet cozy space. She turned to him with curiosity. “I thought your family mainly stayed in Europe. Why do you have a place here
"Emma is Dr. Morgan." For a brief moment, the air seemed to freeze, and a heavy silence swallowed the room. No one moved. No one dared to breathe. Then, instead of reacting with shock or disbelief, Isabel let out a sharp, mocking laugh—loud and unapologetic, as if David had just told the most ridiculous joke of the century. Allison, on the other hand, pressed her lips together, trying—and failing—to suppress her amusement. A quiet chuckle escaped her, and she quickly turned her head away, as if pretending to clear her throat. But the slight tremble in her shoulders gave her away. Isabel didn’t bother hiding her reaction. She shook her head, laughing openly, her voice dripping with mockery. "Oh, that’s rich!" Isabel sneered, wiping an imaginary tear from the corner of her eye. "Emma? Dr. Morgan? Please, David, be serious!" Allison chuckled, folding her arms. "You seriously expect us to believe that SHE is the famous Dr. Morgan?" Isabel scoffed as she glared at Emma condescen
Dr. Allen and David both turned to Allison in complete shock, their eyes wide with disbelief. “What?!” They both exclaimed. Allison’s face hardened as she met their stares, her jaw clenched. She had expected their shock, but it didn’t deter her from the decision she had already made. She squared her shoulders, her jaw tightening as she met David’s gaze with defiance. “I don’t trust her with my son,” she said firmly. “And I'm not about to risk my son's life. So, my answer is no! Emma will not be handling Henry's surgery.” Everywhere was silent. Dr. Allen was utterly confused by the turn out of the event. How could Allison refuse to let Dr. Morgan handle her son's surgery? Did she really know what was at stake here? Did she actually think about the situation at hand before speaking? Emma, who had been standing calmly the entire time, finally spoke. “If my medical expertise isn't needed here, then I’ll take the next available flight back to Geneva.” “No,” David interjected sharp
Allison took a deep breath, forcing a hesitant smile as she looked up at David. “Maybe… maybe you’re right,” she said softly. “I just need a moment to process everything. Can you get me a drink from the cafeteria? I need something to calm my nerves.” David’s tense expression softened slightly. “Of course. What do you want?” “Just water,” she replied quickly. “Thank you.” Without a second thought, David nodded and turned toward the hospital cafeteria. The moment he was out of sight, Allison’s expression hardened. She spun on her heels and hurried down the hallway. She had one goal in mind—find Emma’s office and give her a piece of her mind. And she wasn’t leaving until she made sure Emma stayed out of their lives for good. It didn't take her long to locate Emma and when she got to her office, she didn’t even knock before pushing the door open. Emma barely had time to look up before Allison hissed, “Leave New York. Right now.” Emma arched a brow, unimpressed. “I don’t take
"Christian… would you… be willing to be with me?”The moment the words left Emma's mouth, she shut her eyes, unsure if she had said too much or not enough. Her heart was pounding now.There was a pause on the other end. For a second, she thought maybe the line had gone dead.Then his voice came through, gentle and serious."Are you still at home?" he asked."Yes," she replied quietly."Don’t go anywhere. Just wait for me."Before she could say anything else, he hung up.Christian stared at his phone for a second, as if trying to process what just happened. Then a wide smile spread across his face. His heart raced, his hands felt a little shaky, but in the best way possible.Without wasting a second, he grabbed his keys and headed straight for the door. He didn’t care how late it was or how tired he felt. All he knew was that he needed to see Emma right now. When Christian got to Emma’s apartment, he didn’t even wait for her to buzz him in—she was already by the door, waiting.He stoo
Christian pulled up in front of Emma's house. The car ride had been quiet, really quiet. As he parked, Emma unbuckled her seatbelt and said, "Thank you." Her voice was soft, almost distant.Christian watched her closely as she reached for the door handle. He wanted to say something—anything—that would make her pause, look back, maybe smile. But Emma just stared ahead, her face tired and unreadable.Before she could step out, he gently reached for her hand.“Emma,” he said softly, “how are you feeling?”She turned her eyes to him, surprised by the touch. There was a long silence before she finally shrugged.“I’m okay,” she muttered, but even she didn’t sound convinced.Christian gave her hand a small squeeze. “Don’t think too much about everything that happened tonight, alright? I know it feels heavy right now, but things will settle. Your dad… he’ll come around.”Emma let out a bitter scoff and looked away. “You think so? He’s too wrapped up in Isabel and Allison’s vines of lies to s
Christian stepped out of the car and walked straight toward David. His face was cold, and his eyes were sharp."I've given you enough chances, David," Christian said firmly. "More than once, and now, you've lost all your chances."David frowned, confused by the sudden confrontation. Before he could ask what Christian meant, Christian went on."I gave you the first chance to protect Emma. You failed. Then, I gave you a second chance—this time, to take her away with you. I deliberately stayed out of it, hoping you'd finally make a move. But, as always, you hesitated.”David opened his mouth to respond, but Christian cut him off."You decided to still be the same coward Emma fell in love with five years ago," Christian said bluntly.David's eyes showed a flicker of emotion, but he tried to stay calm. Christian just didn't care."Do you know the difference between the both of us?” Christian suddenly asked. “You don't need to answer that; I'll tell you myself. You're a very selfish man.”"
Christian didn’t waste anymore second.He stepped forward and pulled Emma’s hand away from David’s grip. His face was calm, but his eyes were sharp and cold. There was no need for words—his action said it all.“It’s getting late already,” Christian said, “Since the restaurant manager is here to handle things, and no one’s talking about what happened anymore. So, I guess everything’s fine and we can take our leave now.”David stayed quiet, his hands by his side, but his eyes followed Emma sadly.Christian turned to Mathew and gave a small, stiff nod. “Thank you for your hospitality tonight,” he said.And just like that, he turned to leave with Emma by his side.But they hadn’t gone far when Mathew called out.“Emma,” he said loudly.They stopped walking. Emma turned around slowly, her face calm but tired.Mathew walked toward her with a guilty look on his face. His voice was quiet and unsure.“I’m sorry… for how things turned out tonight,” he said. “I-”“This is the last time,” she sai
The garden had fallen into complete silence. Allison's words hung heavy in the air, like a bitter fog no one could escape from.David stood frozen, still holding Emma's wrist, but the strength in his fingers slowly weakened. His mind was in chaos, and guilt spread through his heart. Allison's voice kept repeating in his head, making him wonder if he had truly failed as a father.Emma felt David's grip loosen. She looked up at him and saw the guilt written clearly on his face. Her heart ached as she realized what he was thinking. He believed Allison's words. He believed he had been a bad father.Emma couldn’t stay silent anymore. Enough was enough. For too long, she had allowed Allison to control the conversation with her false accusations, her self-pity, and her guilt-tripping. But not anymore.She pulled her hand away gently from David and stepped forward, facing Allison head-on. There was a cold sneer on her lips as her sharp gaze met Allison's teary, dramatic expression."I don’t c
Christian, standing silently at Emma's side, had his eyes fixed on Isabel, but even he couldn't predict what was about to happen. He froze for a second, caught off guard. His instincts screamed for him to protect Emma, to shield her from the flying vase, but before his body could react, another figure shot past him at lightning speed.In that split second, Emma, standing still in shock, raised her arms halfway to shield herself. Her eyelids tightly closed, bracing for the sharp sting of glass and the crushing pain that was sure to follow.But the pain never came.Instead, she felt something else entirely. Strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her into a protective embrace.CRASH! The vase smashed against the figure's back with a loud, bone-jarring crack. The sound made Emma flinch even more as she closed her eyes even more tightly. Her heart was racing, her breath hitched, but the arms around her didn’t loosen even an inch.A loud voice broke through the heavy silence that followe
The commotion from the garden was impossible to ignore.The loud noise quickly pulled the attention of the guests inside the restaurant. Mathew and his family were not left out. They hurried to the garden, confused and anxious, only to find Allison sitting on the grass, tears running down her face. Emma stood a few feet away, her hands on her waist, her face calm but cold.Isabel let out a gasp the moment her eyes landed on Allison. Without a second thought, she rushed to her daughter’s side, crouching and cupping Allison's cheeks with trembling hands, her voice breaking as she asked, "Allison, what happened?! Who did this to you?!”Allison didn’t answer right away. She was in so much pain that she could barely speak. She was holding her cheeks, which still stung from the heavy slaps Emma had given her. For once, she wasn't faking the pain or the tears. Her head felt light, almost dizzy, from the force of the slaps.David, who had also seen the heartbreaking sight, stepped closer.
Emma wasn't surprised to see Allison standing there, blocking her path in the garden.In fact, she had half-expected it. Ever since the moment Allison had leaned forward at the dinner table, hiding behind her fake smiles and pitiful acts, Emma had sensed that she was likely to find her and cause trouble.There was a flicker in Allison's eyes, a hint of mischief beneath the polished act, and now, standing just a few feet away, that same flicker had transformed into a full-blown, wicked smile.Allison stepped closer, the expression of a wronged saint from the dining room now entirely gone, replaced by the one Emma remembered all too well."I did a wonderful job choosing this restaurant, right?" Allison asked, her lips curling as she spoke. The sweetness in her tone had vanished, and the woman standing before Emma was the real Allison — sharp, manipulative, and utterly unrepentant.Emma met her gaze, her face calm but her chest heavy with old memories. Her stomach twisted, not from fear
Emma let out a long, tired sigh. She placed her fork down on her plate, her appetite already gone even before the main course arrived. The shrimp cocktail she had been picking at just moments ago now sat untouched. No matter how fresh and well-prepared it looked, the sight of it no longer appealed to her. Her stomach twisted with frustration instead of hunger.Would these two ever stop? David and Christian were just throwing jabs at each other like schoolboys fighting over the last piece of candy. She had come here hoping, even though she knew it was almost impossible, for a quiet dinner, maybe even a little peace since Allison and Isabel hadn't said or played out any of their dramas yet.But instead, it felt like sitting in the middle of a war zone, with indirect insults flying across the table like wild bullets. The air at the table had grown thick and uncomfortable. Even Mathew, old as he was, wasn’t blind to the tension. He cleared his throat, loud enough for everyone to hear.