Chapter 734

“Just passing by,” Aaron’s words stuck in Lena’s head like a bad pop song. Passing by? In the OB-GYN department? What kind of grown man randomly “passes by” here unless there’s a reason? And, of course, there was only one explanation: his girlfriend. She had to be here for an appointment or something.

It made sense. Aaron was in his prime—tall, polished, and attractive in that effortless way that made women swoon. Back in school, Lena had been his unofficial love-letter courier, collecting stacks of notes from all his admirers. Now, with age and a whole new level of sophistication, he was probably even more of a heartbreaker.

Meanwhile, the aftermath of the department’s recent drama wasn’t dying down. The patient’s family had posted a video, and it blew up online, even reaching Lena’s parents. Her dad called, his tone full of concern. “Lena, we saw that video about your department. You weren’t involved, were you?”

“Dad, Mom, I’m fine,” Lena assured her parents quickly.

“You sure? If something happened, just tell us. We’ll figure it out together,” Mrs. Lane pressed.

“Seriously, I’m okay,” Lena said, trying to steer the conversation. “By the way, Mom, has Uncle Aaron gotten a girlfriend?”

That question threw Mrs. Lane for a loop. “How would I know? He doesn’t talk about personal stuff with me. Honestly, you’re both so secretive—it’s like pulling teeth to get anything out of you.”

Lena winced as Mrs. Lane rambled on. “Why? Did you see someone with him? What’s she like? You know your grandma’s been worried he’ll end up alone forever.”

“No, no, it was just a random thought,” Lena said, cutting her off before things spiraled. After all, it was just… a hunch.

Mrs. Lane wasn’t buying it. “Oh, please. You wouldn’t bring it up unless you saw something. Spill—what happened?”

Cornered, Lena gave in and told her about Aaron’s unexpected visit to the OB-GYN department. Mrs. Lane nodded like she’d cracked the case. “Has to be a girlfriend. What else would he be doing there? I’ll ask him about it.”

Oh, great. Lena could already see how this would go. If Aaron did have a girlfriend, Grandma would be over the moon. And when Grandma was happy, Mrs. Lane would be happy. And when she was happy, the whole family would throw a parade.

But Mrs. Lane wasn’t done. “Speaking of relationships, what about you and Nate? Long-distance isn’t forever, you know. When’s he transferring back? You need to speed things up. You’re not getting any younger, and neither is your uncle. Maybe it’s time to figure things out, huh?”

That was classic asking-for-trouble territory. Lena had walked right into it. “Mom, I’ve gotta go—emergency patient!” Lena blurted.

Ever since Nate had met her parents, it was the same thing every time. When’s he coming back? What’s the plan? At first, Lena had excuses for days. Now, she didn’t even bother pretending she had answers. Because the truth was, she didn’t. Nate was so busy, he barely had time for her. How was that supposed to be a relationship?

The thought hit harder than she expected as her eyes drifted to the bag of ointment Aaron had left behind. Her chest tightened with a pang of bitterness. Is this really what I want from love?

The news about the mom and baby’s deaths was everywhere online, blowing up with so much drama that people were showing up at the hospital with wreaths and banners. Things got so wild the cops had to keep stepping in. Then, just as the hospital was about to lose it completely, a new headline crashed the internet, stealing the spotlight: [Million-Dollar Hunt: Thorsten Drago Desperately Searches for Missing Daughter!]

My heart basically stopped. Nina? Missing? I wasn’t Sasha’s biggest fan, but Nina? That kid was adorable—like, sugar-rush cute. I still remembered her begging me to hang out for her birthday. Spoiler alert: I never showed. Cue the guilt.

I called Sasha immediately. She picked up, sobbing like a total wreck. “Keira, have you seen Nina? Did she come to you?”

“I… Wow, no pressure. No, I haven’t. That’s why I’m calling. What happened? How long has she been gone?” My words came out fast.