Dozens of pairs of eyes fell on Callie, who was making quite an entrance in the captivating red dress instead of her usual white lab coat.Their voices were not particularly loud, yet Callie could hear every word clearly.Her heart raced, and a faint blush coloured her cheeks.She instinctively glanced up at Elias, only to find him already looking at her.This time, Callie didn’t rush to distance herself from Elias as she had done in the past.Instead, she walked alongside him, their steps in sync.‘What’s on your mind?’ Elias inquired with great interest. ‘You are not going to hide anymore?’‘I’m done hiding,’ Callie replied with a nod. ‘Today, we attended Abby and Simon’s wedding together. Many of our colleagues were there. It won’t be long before the rest of the hospital find out about us.’‘Do you think they’ll start calling you Mrs Westwood now?’‘What?’Elias’s smile was tinged with a hint of mischief as he spoke, ‘I’ve already submitted the necessary paperwork for our marriage.
Callie repeated the doctor’s mantra in her head, determined not to let him affect her.Taking a few deep breaths, she finally managed to regain her composure.Her gaze settled on Elias’s injury, noting the haphazardly applied bandage.If Callie’s keen observation served her right, Elias had taken care of it himself—a crude attempt at best.Did he really think he could do this on his own, when some of his injuries were on his back?Moreover, sweat had caused the gauze to stick to the wounds.Callie furrowed her brows, gingerly gripping a corner of the gauze with a pair of tweezers, preparing to remove it.‘This might sting a little,’ she warned. ‘I need to clean the wound thoroughly, so brace yourself for a little discomfort.’‘All right,’ Elias replied, his tone nonchalant.With his consent, Callie proceeded with her task.Fearful of causing him pain, she carefully unravelled the adhesive gauze, going as slowly as she could.Surprisingly, Elias didn’t find it painful.Compared to the
Callie, with her medical knowledge and understanding of human anatomy, had a theoretical grasp of the physical desires between men and women.However, she had never experienced it first-hand, leaving her with limited practical knowledge.As their lips locked in a passionate kiss, the ward door swung open, shattering the moment.‘Oops, sorry, Callie. I forgot to bring this,’ Wendy began, realising she had chosen the worst possible moment to interrupt.Elias and Callie abruptly separated, but their ragged breaths and lingering blushes betrayed their heated encounter.Wendy couldn’t decide whether to advance or retreat. ‘Um... Should I come back later?’While she was rooting for Callie to find a better man to get over the pains of her previous breakup, this new relationship seemed to progress a bit too fast, even for her taste.Little did she know that Callie and Elias had already taken their vows, an unexpected revelation that would leave her jaw hanging wide open.Callie’s face burned
Relieved, Callie prepared to release a sigh, but Elias gently turned her body to face him, their forms now pressed together.‘Bunny, why are you keeping yourself so far away?’ Elias grinned, mischief dancing in his eyes. ‘You scared I’m gonna gobble you up?’‘Elias, quit playing around and get some sleep,’ Callie admonished, her tone serious.Elias knew she was just worried about him.‘All right,’ he said with a smile. ‘But don’t curl up at the edge. I don’t want you to fall off the bed.’Before she could say anything, he added, ‘Don’t worry, I won’t do anything you’re not ready for.’Callie relaxed fractionally.Slowly and cautiously, she wriggled back towards him.True to his word, Elias simply held her in his arms, respecting her boundaries.Gradually, Callie’s guard came down.Her entire body relaxed, growing warmer against Elias’s comforting presence.Afraid of the cold, she snuggled up closer to Elias, who was radiating heat like a furnace.Drifting into sleep, she wrapped both
‘Yup,’ Wendy confirmed, her expression solemn. ‘I don’t know all the details, but rumours from other departments suggest that his wrist is fractured.’She looked pensive. ‘Callie, doesn’t it strike you as strange? It was his wedding yesterday, how could he end up with a broken wrist? I had to work yesterday, but you were there. Did you see what happened?’Callie bit her lip, torn between divulging the truth and keeping silent.She knew exactly what had happened, but she couldn’t reveal the truth to Wendy.Wendy tapped her chin. ‘Maybe his karma finally caught up with him. But who could’ve done it to him? I bet it’s not anyone from this hospital. You know, Simon’s the director’s son-in-law now. Wouldn’t he have kicked up a huge fuss if one of his coworkers did this to him?’Wendy was inching closer to uncovering the truth, but Callie remained tight-lipped.She could only nod in agreement, hoping the nurse would soon be distracted by another topic.***Meanwhile, the atmosphere at the C
Callie scooped up a spoonful of chicken soup and gently blew on it until it ceased steaming.She extended her hand, offering it to Elias. ‘Say aah.’A faint smile tugged at the corners of Elias’s lips, softening his cold expression.He parted his thin lips and tasted the soup. ‘Not bad.’‘Do you want more?’ Callie asked.He nodded.Callie obliged.When she noticed the soup was finished, she rose from her chair and said, ‘You should rest a bit longer. I have to go to work. After my shift, I’ll come back to see you. Don’t run around or your stitches might burst open again.’‘Yes, ma’am.’ Elias watched her leave.Callie left the ward.As she turned down a hallway, she spotted Abby making her way towards her.Callie had no desire to engage in conversation with Abby.However—Just as Callie was about to walk past Abby, the latter swiftly moved, blocking Callie’s path with her body.‘Callie, feeling quite proud of yourself, aren’t you?’ Abby arched an eyebrow, her eyes filled with unmistaka
Abby watched with satisfaction as the original form transformed into countless fragments.Her gloomy expression dissolved, and she settled back into the plush leather chair, a contented smile gracing her lips.When Stuart returned to his office, he found his beloved daughter occupying his seat, looking rather pleased with herself. ‘Abby.’‘Dad.’ Abby rose from the chair, greeting him with a smile. ‘Mom said you wanted to talk to me.’Stuart closed the door. ‘Your mother told me about the argument you had with Simon.’‘Oh.’ Abby’s smile faltered. ‘I thought this was about work.’Stuart’s tone carried earnest concern. ‘You two are married now, so you can’t act the way you did before. I don’t know who or what started the argument, but I’ve seen how Simon treated you. I’m inclined to think he’s not to blame in this case. You are going to have to stop picking fights with him.’‘Dad, I know what I’m doing,’ Abby replied nonchalantly. ‘Just because we’re married doesn’t mean he gets a free p
As he pondered this, Elias wondered what it would take for Callie to be jealous, or if she was even capable of such an emotion.‘Elias!’ Callie snapped her fingers when she sensed his distraction.‘What?’‘Hurry back to your room,’ Callie said. ‘What if you rip your stitches again? Even if I’m the world’s best surgeon, that’s not going to be of much use if you keep undoing my hard work!’Elias smiled. ‘Bunny, this is the first time a doctor has ever nagged at me and tried to boss me around.’‘So?’ Callie put her hands on her hips. ‘This is Rosedale Hospital, not your military camp. Pulling rank doesn’t work here. Actually, maybe it does—I’m the doctor, you are the patient. Therefore, I outrank you. You have to listen to me.’‘I’m kind of tired after my walk. Can you lend me a hand?’ he asked, raising an eyebrow.‘Fine.’ Callie gave an exasperated sigh, then extended her hand towards him. ‘I’ll help you.’But instead of leaning on her, Elias grasped Callie’s soft hand with his left.De