Cassian's povIt's been a week since Holden vanished, a week since I forced Maya out of my life. I push down the heavy feeling looking at one of the guards.“Any sign of Holden?”“Not yet sir.”I huff looking at the plans on the table just as Leo steps in a smirk on his lips.“Did you do it?” I ask the sound of the lawn being trimmed filling the space. I look at the Gardner who mindlessly goes back and forth and I scowl.“He was very eager to hire her back.”Good.“I hope you cleared anything that can lead back to us.”He smiles. “Of course.”The silence stretches before I speak again. “How much money did you offer them?”“One hundred million.”I nod something crossing my chest. I wonder what Maya would think if she found out about this.“I thought you wanted her as far away as possible?” He asks and my chest tightens.“She will just get her job back, I'm not planning on getting her back in my life.”Not even if it will kill me.He nods, stepping beside me. His eyes scan the plan unce
Maya's povDear Maya Isabelle Sanchez,I am glad to inform you that you have received a position back at Mercy Grace Hospital as a resident. After reviewing your case file and after much discussion with the board, we have concluded that your termination was unwarranted. You are a talented surgeon and one mistake should not shape your whole career. We would be honored to have you return and work for us so that we can nurture you into the fine surgeon you've always wanted to become.Chief Surgeon,Xavier McKinney.”I re-read the email again my hands trembling.“Am I dreaming?” I chuckle softly, overwhelmed in disbelief.Do they want me back?They want me back.I clutch my phone tightly and for a split second I almost run to show my parents but I remember they don't know the predicament that I was in.What I lost. What I gave up on.But that doesn't matter anymore I can be a surgeon again.Cassian.I shake my head.“No, he is yesterday's news.”This is a second chance to get what I want
Maya's povI scrub my hands smiling through the enclosed space. I never thought I'd be back here.“Mrs Sanchez,” Dr Ben calls, sliding to the tap next to me. I look at him briefly before focusing my attention on the operating room — it's beautiful.Tools are arranged properly in basins, minimal fluorescent lighting, and nurses surround the patient. It's like heaven on earth.“Mrs Sanchez,” he repeats his voice, breaking through my thoughts. “Uh, did you say something?”We walk inside the scrub nurses helping us with the surgical clothes. “I asked if you prepared for the surgery.”I nod standing across from him. “Then tell me what it's about.”“We are performing a coronary artery bypass grafting, to restore blood flow to the blocked artery with the vessel we take from the patients leg.”“Okay, so what is the first step?” He asks, his piercing blue eyes pinning me in place.I clear my throat. “You make an incision on the chest.”He glares at me. “The median sternotomy, then you split th
Cassian's povI remove the pods from my ears watching Holden's figure meander inside the house. He wears an ugly brown hood and washed-away jeans that make him look homeless.“Holden,” I call grabbing his attention. He looks up, dark circles covering his eyes.“Where have you been?” I ask my voice echoing around the house. He sighs touching his temples. “Why are you being so loud?”He brushes past me and I grab his arm. The stench of alcohol wraps around him and my stomach twists. “Seriously, where have you been?”He unclutches my fingers from his arm. “Just around.”I trail his face. “Are you okay?”Something etches in his face. “When did you start caring about my well-being”“When you decided to disappear for more than three weeks,” I counter.“It doesn't matter, I'm back.”Before I can ask him more questions he moves to the stairwell climbing up. I watched him until he disappeared through the hallway.I huff rubbing my hand over my forehead. What is going on with him?I look throu
Maya's pov I grunt, rolling to the other side of the bed ducking my head under the pillow. The banging on my door intensifies with each minute, each thud sharper and more insistent. With a frustrated sigh, I shove the stack of books off my bed, shuffling for my phone under the covers. Coming out empty-handed I step off the bed; the polished floor biting at my bare feet. The pounding on my door grew louder and by now I wanted to kill whoever was on the other side. If it's another drunk who has confused his house number again, I will lose it. I grabbed the baseball bat that I had loaned from Mr Crawmey down stairs since it was either that or a gun that had a body count on it, and that was not an option. I reach the living room tripping over a can of coke and before I can regain my balance the door flies open. Silhouettes of men stand at the door, their clothes covered in dirt and blood. Two of them hold an injured man, dripping blood on the rug my mother hand-sewn for me. One flicks
Maya's pov Tears that I had been holding in stream down my face. “Please,” I beg, as he turns me around. “Are you deaf?” he asks. “I said don't move.” “I know… I know I just.” “I hate being disrespected,” he says, his voice low but controlled. “I'm sorry I'm just scared,” I cry. “Does it look like I care?” He asks, so close I can smell the mint on his breath. “No.” I shake my head and his hand, tight and firm presses on my jaw. His skin is hard, like someone that does manual labor, the callouses scraping against my skin. “Then why did you think to open this pretty mouth of yours to tell me that you're scared?” He pushes me to the door hard and I wince in pain. “Do you want to die?” he asks, running the butt of his gun on my stomach. The cold surface has me shivering. I try to shake my head, but he presses harder, till the metallic taste of blood fills my mouth. “I'm going to forgive you since you saved my brother, but if you ever disrespect me like that again I will take
Cassian's pov I turn from the couch and look at her. Her hair now is in a French-Braided ponytail. She wears a pair of blue jeans that accentuate her curves in a way that would make any man water for her. “I didn't tell anyone,” she says, fear laced in her tone. I grunt motioning for her to come in. “I didn't say you did.” “Then why are you here?” she questions, holding the strap of her bag so tight her knuckles turn white. I move from where I was seated, going to close the door. “Take a seat and I will tell you,” I say, pointing to the couch. She drags herself to the couch, her chapped lips open as if she wants to say something but decides otherwise. She looks at the gun and blue file on the table taking a seat. “What do you want?” She asks, her gray eyes wary. “To talk,” I reply, sitting beside her but leaving as much distance as possible. “I already told you I will not tell anybody,” she pleads, her jaw set. “I swear.” I open the file, crossing my legs over the other. “M
Maya's Pov I let out a guttural scream, the sound easing some of the tension in my chest. What just happened? My life was fine two days ago. I had a plan, finish my residency, become the future of Ophthalmology, pay off my medical debt and help my parents. Not treat goons or operate on murderers. The shrill cry of my phone takes me out of my thoughts. My mother's name flashes on the screen and I grunt. “Hello sweetie,” my mum says, her voice as cheerful as ever. I clear my throat, looking at the boxes of unopened items and stacks of medicine books lining the coffee table. “Uh, hi mum.” “How are you? How is the big city?” “It's fine, how are you, how is Dad?” I ask, wiping away my tears. “We're fine, but you're dad, he went to see Dr. Charles and he says his blood pressure is shooting up and his vision is getting blurry,” she says, worry laced in her tone. “Uh, is he taking his medicine properly?” I ask, knowing how stubborn he can be. “Yes, I remind him every day. Maya, I
Cassian's povI remove the pods from my ears watching Holden's figure meander inside the house. He wears an ugly brown hood and washed-away jeans that make him look homeless.“Holden,” I call grabbing his attention. He looks up, dark circles covering his eyes.“Where have you been?” I ask my voice echoing around the house. He sighs touching his temples. “Why are you being so loud?”He brushes past me and I grab his arm. The stench of alcohol wraps around him and my stomach twists. “Seriously, where have you been?”He unclutches my fingers from his arm. “Just around.”I trail his face. “Are you okay?”Something etches in his face. “When did you start caring about my well-being”“When you decided to disappear for more than three weeks,” I counter.“It doesn't matter, I'm back.”Before I can ask him more questions he moves to the stairwell climbing up. I watched him until he disappeared through the hallway.I huff rubbing my hand over my forehead. What is going on with him?I look throu
Maya's povI scrub my hands smiling through the enclosed space. I never thought I'd be back here.“Mrs Sanchez,” Dr Ben calls, sliding to the tap next to me. I look at him briefly before focusing my attention on the operating room — it's beautiful.Tools are arranged properly in basins, minimal fluorescent lighting, and nurses surround the patient. It's like heaven on earth.“Mrs Sanchez,” he repeats his voice, breaking through my thoughts. “Uh, did you say something?”We walk inside the scrub nurses helping us with the surgical clothes. “I asked if you prepared for the surgery.”I nod standing across from him. “Then tell me what it's about.”“We are performing a coronary artery bypass grafting, to restore blood flow to the blocked artery with the vessel we take from the patients leg.”“Okay, so what is the first step?” He asks, his piercing blue eyes pinning me in place.I clear my throat. “You make an incision on the chest.”He glares at me. “The median sternotomy, then you split th
Maya's povDear Maya Isabelle Sanchez,I am glad to inform you that you have received a position back at Mercy Grace Hospital as a resident. After reviewing your case file and after much discussion with the board, we have concluded that your termination was unwarranted. You are a talented surgeon and one mistake should not shape your whole career. We would be honored to have you return and work for us so that we can nurture you into the fine surgeon you've always wanted to become.Chief Surgeon,Xavier McKinney.”I re-read the email again my hands trembling.“Am I dreaming?” I chuckle softly, overwhelmed in disbelief.Do they want me back?They want me back.I clutch my phone tightly and for a split second I almost run to show my parents but I remember they don't know the predicament that I was in.What I lost. What I gave up on.But that doesn't matter anymore I can be a surgeon again.Cassian.I shake my head.“No, he is yesterday's news.”This is a second chance to get what I want
Cassian's povIt's been a week since Holden vanished, a week since I forced Maya out of my life. I push down the heavy feeling looking at one of the guards.“Any sign of Holden?”“Not yet sir.”I huff looking at the plans on the table just as Leo steps in a smirk on his lips.“Did you do it?” I ask the sound of the lawn being trimmed filling the space. I look at the Gardner who mindlessly goes back and forth and I scowl.“He was very eager to hire her back.”Good.“I hope you cleared anything that can lead back to us.”He smiles. “Of course.”The silence stretches before I speak again. “How much money did you offer them?”“One hundred million.”I nod something crossing my chest. I wonder what Maya would think if she found out about this.“I thought you wanted her as far away as possible?” He asks and my chest tightens.“She will just get her job back, I'm not planning on getting her back in my life.”Not even if it will kill me.He nods, stepping beside me. His eyes scan the plan unce
Maya's povI take some of the money from my purse and hand it to the cab driver. I get off a heavy weight settling in my chest. He takes my things outside the house a beaming smile on his lips. I inhale sharply, willing my legs to move forward.What was I thinking about coming here?The house is nestled just at the edge of the farm town. The red brick house stands with quiet charm, wrapped in the scent of earth and wildflowers. The brick walls, weathered by sun and rain, held stories of simpler times, while a rust-red tin roof glinted in the afternoon light. A white picket fence framed the tiny garden out front, where tomatoes, sunflowers, and mint grow side by side. Smoke curls lazily from the stone chimney, and chickens clucked softly in the nearby coop.I knock on the door and it opens almost immediately. Mum stands there with an apron tied around her waist. She holds a china in one hand and a tablecloth in the other. Her eyes widen when she sees me. “Maya, what are you doing here
Cassian's povI take in sharp breaths trying to stop the ache in my chest but nothing helps. I feel like I'm being torn apart piece by piece. My fingers are trembling not trying to turn the doorknob and chase after her.Tell her how much I love her and I was just being a stupid jerk like always. But I can't, I have to put her safety first.There will always be a Roxanne somewhere in my life and her being next to me is a target.“Is she gone?” I ask when Leo enters his hands on his back.“Yes.”I nod my eyes glued to the table like it has the answers to all of my problems. “Is that all?” I ask when I still feel his presence.He clears his throat, placing a piece of paper on my desk. “What is this?” I ask my brows furrowed.“The paternity test,” he answers, making my heart stop. I sit up straight. I totally forgot about this.I unseal it, my fingers digging inside the papers with force. My fingers trail the words hurriedly and there it is. Fifty percent positive.Uterine half-siblings.
Maya's povI look at the claer front doors of the hospital remembering how excited I was to work here. How happy I was that a local town girl had gotten a chance to work for a big-time hospital in Los Angeles. Now I have nothing.Absolutely nothing.Not even Cassian.I walk through the door the acrid smell of antiseptic feeling like a taste of deja vu. The beeping of monitors, the slow cry of patients, and the distant murmurs around the waiting room wrap around me like a soft blanket on a cold night.I exhale giving myself a few seconds to take it all in.God I didn't even know how much I missed this place. I'm assigned an empty bed in the clinic and my fingers are twitching at the hem of my sundress wondering who will come to see me.The curtain slides open and Dr.Ben with a team of residents stands beside him eagerly. “Maya,” he calls surprised. I pull on a small smile looking at the interns.They've probably heard the rumors about me already.“Can you excuse us,” he says, shooing t
Cassian's povI roll on the bed the soft glow of the morning sun bouncing over my face. Maya is safely cradled between my legs her breathing coming out in slow even breathsThe previous nights escapades burn and I feel my crotch twitch. Sex when you have feelings for the other person is ten times better than when you don't.I rub her back softly just as the door pushes open slightly and Holden comes in holding a tray of food. It clutters to the floor when our eyes meet.My heart plummets to my stomach. He looks at Maya who stires for a while before drifting back to sleep. He walks out and I push Maya aside grabbing a sheet from the bed and draping it over my waist.I skip the mug of spilled tea and pancakes following after him.“Holden wait,” I call. He stops tears already streaming down his face.“How could you?” He asks his voice thick with emotions. “After I told you I loved her,” he continues.“You went behind my back and slept with her.”The words slap into my face and no words
Maya's pov**Explicit content ahead**“Excuse me?” I ask, not believing my ears. After all we've been through.He looks at me his gaze softening. “All those times I asked you to let me go because I felt safe we're reason enough.”I shake my head. “Now you have the decency to do it?”He looks away and I swallow the lump in my throat. “I'm selfish.”“I was selfish,” he corrects.“Look at me,” I scream tears rolling down my face. “You don't care about my safety,” I deadpan.“You are just worried that this — whatever is happening between us is turning into something and you can't handle it.”He rakes his hand over his hair. “Maya.”“If you're not going to tell me how you're feeling then don't bother.”He sits in the bed and it dips slightly. “I'm scared, I don't think I have ever felt like this,” he says, his voice low and vulnerable.“It's okay,” I whisper.“It's not,” he protests. “You deserve someone who can love you wholeheartedly.”“And you're not that person?” I ask the question fe