Callie felt herself falling into his trap, struggling to maintain a hardened heart as his doting gaze softened her resolve.‘Callie, you’re my wife. We are supposed to share a bed,’ his voice, deep and intoxicating, whispered in her ear.He embraced her tightly, a possessive need evident in his hold.‘Callie, I want you to love me like before. I lied to protect you. But now I realise I was wrong. I promise, no more lies. Please, at least don’t ignore me. It breaks me...’ His eyes, full of affection, revealed vulnerability.Elias, usually so strong, trembled in his plea.His voice carried a hint of regret. ‘I messed up, and damn it, I know it. Are you willing to forgive me?’Callie sighed. ‘Elias, just promise not to pull something like this again.’‘I won’t hurt you with lies anymore,’ he vowed.‘No more lies, Elias. Not even one,’ she declared.‘I swear.’ To seal his promise, he planted kisses on her forehead, eyes, and nose, soothing her turmoil.Dylan’s knock shattered Elias’s plan
Callie, weakened but resilient, looked up as Elias entered the ward.A soft smile played on her lips despite the pain that lingered in her eyes. ‘I was wondering where you disappeared off to.’Elias took a moment to absorb the sight of her, the woman he loved, fighting her way back to health.The bandages on her abdomen marked the physical toll of the recent events, but the warmth in her eyes brought a sense of calm to Elias’s troubled soul.‘Hey, Bunny,’ Elias greeted, his smile genuine as he approached her bedside.He gently took her hand, mindful of her injuries. ‘How are you feeling?’Callie’s eyes sparkled with gratitude. ‘Getting there. The doctors say I’ll make a full recovery with time.’Elias nodded, his heart heavy with the weight of recent events. ‘There’s something I need to tell you.’As Elias shared the shocking truth about General Conway’s betrayal and the revelation about his parents’ deaths, Callie’s expression shifted from concern to disbelief and, ultimately, sorrow
‘Who the hell are you? What are you doing? Let go, mm—’Callie’s protest was silenced by the man’s rough hand clamped over her mouth.Who would’ve thought that after finishing her night shift and returning home, she’d get ambushed right at her doorstep!No black belt in self-defence here, but if this guy thought she’d be easy prey, he was dead wrong!Callie swallowed hard and chomped down on the man’s palm, hoping to inflict some serious pain.To her surprise, the man didn’t even flinch, not even a tiny groan.Instead, he tightened his grip.What was wrong with this guy?Maybe her bite wasn’t quite ‘chompy’ enough?Just as Callie geared up for another bite, she heard approaching footsteps and men’s voices.More accomplices?Since when did muggers operate in groups?A man’s slightly nasal voice said, ‘I just got word from HQ. He killed Viper! This time, we can’t let him slip away.’‘Don’t worry! He’s wounded, ain’t going far.’‘But if he does escape, we’re screwed!’…Callie’s heart po
Despite her distaste for his cold, domineering manners, Callie couldn’t stand by and watch him bleed to death.Besides, there was a certain fearlessness in his actions, a determination to shield her from harm.Callie sighed, giving in to her better judgment.Suppressing the urge to leave him behind, she decided to carry him back to her place.Despite the cool, drizzling autumn night, beads of sweat formed on her forehead as she struggled under the weight of his unconscious body.By the time she manoeuvred him onto the bed, her face glistened with perspiration, and she was panting heavily.But Callie didn’t allow herself much rest.She bent down, pulling out the emergency medical kit stowed beneath the bed.Initially, she had planned to rip open his blood-soaked shirt just as he had done to hers, but her strength failed her.With a sigh, she resorted to cutting his shirt open with a pair of scissors.As Callie glanced down, she was met with a sight that almost drew a wolf whistle from
Elias’s eyes zeroed in on a dark bruise marring her pale wrist.It was a stark reminder of the pain he had caused her unintentionally, when his mind was fogged by agony.Elias touched her wrist, feeling guilty.Though she didn’t recognise him, he remembered her very well.He couldn’t resist the urge to caress her lips gently, savouring the memory of their sweet taste from last night.But his touch interrupted Callie’s peaceful slumber, and she responded by biting down on his finger in annoyance.Surprisingly, the sensation sent a jolt of arousal through Elias, his body instinctively responding before his mind could process the complex mix of emotions coursing through him.Reluctantly, Elias withdrew his hand.He got out of bed and stood.She was still wearing the same blouse from the night before.Its back was ripped open, exposing her fair skin to his view.Elias swallowed hard and forced himself to look away, a difficult task.At the same time, he couldn’t help but feel a little exa
Callie made a conscious effort to focus on her work, refusing to engage with Abby’s taunts.At least she had the satisfaction of not giving Abby the reaction she desired.But fate had a way of throwing unexpected challenges her way.One day, after finishing her gruelling morning shift, Callie was looking forward to heading home and catching some shut-eye.Just as she was about to change out of her white coat, she received an urgent notice, summoning her back to duty.The hospital had received an order from the military, requiring all available doctors to attend to a group of patients.These were no ordinary patients—they were soldiers wounded in a daring mission, their injuries severe and their lives hanging by a thread.The army made it clear that every effort must be made to save them.Callie hurriedly donned a pristine white coat and dashed into the bustling emergency room at Rosedale Hospital.Inside, she found a total of nine patients being triaged.Four soldiers were in critical
‘Shut up! Shut up! I know!’ Panic washed over Abby as she futilely attempted to staunch the unrelenting flow of blood with surgical sponges, then suction devices.The bright red colour of the blood meant she must have nicked an artery somewhere, but with so much blood flooding his chest cavity, it was hard to identify the exact location of the leak.‘Sh*t, sh*t, sh*t!’ Abby’s hands shook violently.Her confidence had misled her into believing this surgery would be a breeze.Disregarding Callie’s warning, she had taken matters into her own hands, operating without proper authorisation.And now, everything had spiralled out of control.Not only had she violated the hospital’s rules, but she had also caused a medical mishap.To make matters worse, the patient lying before her was a soldier.What if he died on the operating table?The weight of the consequences pressed upon her, leaving her paralysed with fear.Her trembling hands failed to halt the bleeding, rendering her helpless.Wendy
Wendy shot out an arm to steady her. ‘Are you all right?’Callie blinked away the black dots. ‘I’m fine. Just needed a sec.’Her entire left arm felt numb, like she had a dead tree branch attached to her body.Enduring the weird sensation, Callie removed her mask with her right hand and walked towards the door. ‘Wendy, let me know if anything changes.’‘Will do, Dr Hawthorne.’Callie beckoned at Abby, who had not made a sound since she entered the operating theatre. ‘You. Come with me.’Abby hesitated, her expression a mix of fear and defiance.But she had no choice but to follow Callie out of the room.Wendy shook her head as she watched the two women leave.Though both were surgical residents, in her mind, only one of them could be called a doctor.As they stepped into an empty hallway, Abby braced herself for a dressing-down. ‘I was only trying to—’Smack!Before she could finish her sentence, Callie’s right hand connected solidly with Abby’s cheek, leaving a fiery mark behind.The