Wyneth checked the message fifteen minutes after it arrived. 'A patient? I thought Simo had someone covering for him? Why is he seeing patients now? Did something happen to Hayden?' Worried, Wyneth quickly clicked on Simeon's profile to message him directly.Wyneth: [I thought you had backup today? Why the patient visit?] She waited, but Simeon did not reply. A few minutes later, she typed out another message: [Hey Simo, grabbed lunch yet?]Holding her phone tightly, Wyneth's face grew more worried. 'Am I just overreacting? Even if I'm upset with Hayden, he's been through a lot with his health issues.' As she pondered this, her phone vibrated with a new message from Simeon.[Hello, I'm Dr. Beard's assistant. He's in emergency surgery right now. Are you his girlfriend? I'll have him reach out once he's finished.]'Emergency surgery?' Wyneth left her salad untouched, grabbed her purse, and quickly headed out, worrying about Hayden. As she was driving to the hospital, she texted him.

Hayden kept staring at her, now playing with her fingers. Speechless, Wyneth watched as he lifted her hand to his lips, first brushing against it, then giving it a light kiss.Finally, she snapped. "Enough, Hayden."She tried to pull her hand away, but he held on, even pulling her hand to his chest, letting her feel his heartbeat. Wyneth's face turned red. The gesture was simple but felt flirtatious. 'What's gotten into him?' she wondered."Let go," she said through gritted teeth.Hayden chuckled softly. "I won't let go. Now that I've got you, I won't."Seeing the look on Hayden's face, Wyneth bit her lip and decided to just let him be. 'Why am I even resisting? The moment I heard about Simo's surgery, I rushed to the hospital, not even knowing who the patient was. My actions have already shown how I feel. So, why am I pushing him away? It can't be healthy to constantly fight against my own feelings, can it?'Once Simeon finished his surgery, a nurse told him someone was looking

"Really?" Hayden's face darkened. "But you called someone else's nickname."Feeling cornered, Wyneth tried to make sense of his reaction. She figured it was not about the nickname but the fact she had a special connection with someone else. If Hayden had not overheard, maybe he would not have been so bothered. Given the tension between them, the idea of giving Hayden a nickname now seemed unthinkable. Absorbed in these thoughts, Wyneth's face clouded with uncertainty."Yeah, I used a nickname for someone else. So what?"Hayden's expression changed immediately. "Are you upset with me?" Nervously, he reached out, taking her hand. "I won't mention it again, okay?"Wyneth was not sure how to react. She had put on a stern face to test his reaction, and, to her surprise, he reacted just as she had hoped. 'He sure backed down fast,' she thought. She felt a laugh bubbling up but managed to keep it in. "Really? You promise not to bring it up?""Mhm, I promise.""And if you go back on that

Wyneth sighed. 'If people see me with another woman, they won't care much. But if I'm seen with a man, the news might create fake stories about us.'Simeon: [Want me to pack it up? You can eat in my office.]Wyneth brightened. 'Great idea.' She quickly texted back: [Thanks, Simo. I'm starving.] Then she glanced at Hayden and said, "I'm gonna get something to eat."Hayden's eyes flicked open, a hint of tension in his gaze. "You're heading out to eat?""Yeah, Simo is getting lunch for me. I'll be back after."Hayden's brow furrowed. 'That Simeon guy... What's he up to? But she needs to eat, so I should be grateful.' "Okay, go ahead."He was more agreeable than Wyneth expected, and his lack of anxious comments took her by surprise. "Alright, get some rest," and with that, she turned to leave."You..."Hayden's voice made her pause."What's up?"Hayden hesitated. "Nothing. Just come back soon."Wyneth raised an eyebrow but did not respond, walking off. She knew Simeon's office l

Hayden's expression darkened as he pursed his lips. 'It's been ten minutes. Why hasn't she come back? The walk from Simeon's office isn't that long. She might've gotten held up. Maybe she went to the restroom or stepped out for coffee after her meal.' With these thoughts, his anxiety eased slightly, and he continued to wait.Ten more minutes went by without any sign of Wyneth. Feeling uneasy, Hayden texted Simeon: [Didn't you say she was back? Where is she?]Simeon took a minute before responding: [Hasn't she been with you this whole time???]The exaggerated question marks only deepened Hayden's concern.Hayden: [No, she hasn't been with me. Can you check if something's happened?]Simeon: [Okay. I'll go right now.]Hayden then texted Wyneth: [Where are you?]He got no reply. Wanting to call her but worried she would find him annoying, he hesitated. "Just twenty minutes without seeing me and you're already chasing me down?" he imagined her saying. Yet, his concern for her safety