Prologue Continue Story
After leaving Aiden with Wang Wei at the Children's Cardiac Ward for a while, Serena managed to meet Dr. Yuan, a friend and also a Aiden's doctor since infancy.
"I still can't believe they reassigned Aiden's surgery last minute," Serena muttered, her voice low but tight. She stood beside Dr. Yuan near the cardiology wing, her arms crossed as her eyes flickered toward the ward entrance. "You've been with him from the beginning, Yuan."
Dr. Yuan offered a patient smile, though the corners of his eyes betrayed the same disappointment she felt. "I know, and believe me, I protested. But Dr. Jian is one of the most respected specialist in the field even if he's new here. He was brought in directly from Fuwai Hospital. They didn't even consult me until after the decision was made."
Serena narrowed her eyes. "You sound too calm for someone being replaced."
Yuan chuckled, though it lacked real amusement. "I'm trying not to take it personally. I'll still be involved during recovery and honestly, Serena, this might be the best shot Aiden has. Jian's methods are experimental, yes, but promising. He's made breakthroughs in cases even more complex than Aiden's."
Serena gave a reluctant nod. She didn't care who the doctor was, not really. As long as her son came out of surgery breathing.
Yuan hesitated for a second, then nodded toward the hallway. "Jian's office is just around the corner. If you want to speak to him now, it's a good time. I heard he just finished consulting. Go, i'll be nearby if you need me."
As she turned and walked down the hallway, their conversation echoed in her mind. Questions pressed against her temples. Doubts. Hopes. Silent prayers.
The air grew heavier the closer she got. Her fingers brushed against her coat pocket, where Aiden's latest scan report was folded. Her steps slowed at the door to the consultation room. She reached out, steeling herself to knock-
But the door opened first.
And the moment shattered.
A man stepped out. Tall. Lean. Wearing a steel-gray coat, his hand still resting on the knob. His hair was neatly pushed back, and wire-rimmed glasses caught the light. Behind them were onyx eyes, calm, distant, unreadable.
Her breath caught.
Her entire body stilled.
Because behind those glasses were the same eyes she had once kissed under soft lamplight. The same face she had memorized, traced with trembling hands five years ago.
The man barely looked at her. Just one fleeting second, clinical. Indifferent. Then he walked past her without a word.
Serena's world tilted.
It wasn't Leo. It couldn't be.
But it was.
His height. His posture. That silence.
She turned slowly, watching him vanish into the hallway. His footsteps grew fainter with each second, like the slow fade of a dream, no, a nightmare that refused to be shaken off.
Her heart thundered.
It wasn't possible. Leo was gone. Buried. Grieved. Lost.
And yet...
That was his face.
His voice, softer now she heard it briefly, a low murmur to the nurse at the end of the hall.
Only a thinner frame, a sharper jaw, and those glasses set him apart. And still, it was him.
Her chest rose and fell unevenly, panic gripping her like a vice.
Her mind screamed to chase after him.
But her body couldn't move.
Everything she had built to survive these last five years brick by fragile brick was crumbling. All it took was one glance.
Because seeing that face again was like having her heart torn open a second time-and this time, there wasn't even a name to scream.
She was still staring down the hallway, stunned, when a voice interrupted her spiral.
"Excuse me?"
She blinked, startled, turning toward the doorway.
A second man stood there, slightly older than the one who had just walked past. His expression was warm but curious, his head tilted slightly. The name stitched onto the front pocket of his white coat read Dr. Jian.
"Oh-um..." Serena quickly straightened, her voice catching. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and forced herself into composure. "I'm actually Aiden Martin's guardian."
At the sound of the name, Dr. Jian's expression shifted to recognition. He nodded immediately, a polite smile forming on his face.
"Ah, yes. I've reviewed his charts," he said with a welcoming tone. "Please, come in."
He stepped aside and gestured for her to enter.
Serena nodded faintly and walked into the consultation room, her heels clicking softly against the tile. She took the chair opposite his desk and slowly lowered herself into it-still acutely aware of how unsteady her body felt.
As she settled in, her eyes briefly scanned the desk.
A file lay open. Aiden's. But her gaze caught something else.
A second folder sat partially beneath it.
The name typed cleanly at the top of the page:
Jay Carson.
Her heart jolted, but she masked the reaction with a subtle glance away, folding her hands in her lap. She drew in a slow breath and lifted her chin to meet Dr. Jian's gaze.
"Thank you for seeing me," she said softly.
Outside, the hospital hummed on just another ordinary evening. But inside Serena, nothing felt ordinary anymore.
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