Chapter 763

Retta's words were definitely meant to pressure Nate. For once, he didn't argue. Yeah, he was crazy talented, but the world didn't always care. Even the best could get left in the dust if they didn’t play the game right.

Lena wasn’t about to make it worse for him. Even if Retta was laying it on a little thick, better safe than sorry. The last thing she wanted was for his career to tank because of them. That kind of strain could mess up everything.

“Retta’s right, Nate. You should go,” Lena said, her voice calm. This wasn’t about Retta – it was about him.

Nate hesitated, like he wanted to argue, but instead, he brushed his fingers along her cheek. “I’ll make it quick and come right back to you.”

“Okay,” she murmured. He leaned in, kissing her slow and steady. “Wait for me.”

Smiling, Lena nudged her forehead against his before giving him a playful shove. “Now go. Don’t drag it out.”

As Nate walked away, Retta nodded briefly at Lena before falling into step beside him. Lena watched them disappear into the night. She’d told Nate to go, but still, a cold ache settled in her chest.

Going home didn’t feel right, so she turned toward the hospital, heading for her on-call room instead.

“Dr. Lane? Everything okay?” The night-shift nurse looked up, startled to see her.

Lena smiled faintly. “Just wanted to check on yesterday’s patient. How’s she doing? Any family with her?”

The nurse leaned in. “Don’t even get me started. Not one person from her husband’s family has shown up. It’s just her mom – she hasn’t left her side, poor thing.”

She sighed, shaking her head. “Honestly, I see this kind of thing all the time – families that just don’t care. Makes me think marriage and kids aren’t worth it.”

Lena chuckled softly. As lead, her job wasn’t just about medicine – it was about keeping spirits up, too. “Don’t let a few bad cases kill your faith in love. There’s still plenty of good out there.”

The nurse gave her a wistful smile. “Easy for you to say, Dr. Lane. You’ve got the perfect boyfriend who’s totally obsessed with you.”

Chapter 763

But Lena didn’t share the nurse’s optimism. Thinking about her long-distance thing with Nate – and how even now, work kept stealing their moments together – a flicker of bitterness crept in.

Her phone buzzed, breaking the thought. It was her mom.

“Lena, you’re off tomorrow, right? Come with me to visit your grandparents. They’ve been asking about you nonstop.”

Lena hesitated, Nate’s face flashing in her mind. “I can’t tomorrow. I already have plans. I’ll go see them in a few days.”

“You always have something going on. Lena, your grandparents…”

“Mom, I really have to go. Bye!”

Lena hung up fast, shutting down her mom’s lecture before it could start. If she went, it’d just be hours of dodging questions about marriage. Not exactly the vibe when she and Nate barely saw each other. All their time together could probably fit on two hands – and that stung more than she wanted to admit.

Shoving the thought aside, Lena steadied herself with a deep breath and walked toward the patient’s room. The new mother, who should’ve been resting, sat by the window instead, staring out with an expression so heavy with loneliness it made Lena’s chest tighten.

She sighed, steeling herself to step in and offer some comfort. But as her hand reached for the door, a presence behind her sent a chill up her spine.

Before she could fully turn, a hand clamped over her mouth and nose. The sharp, chemical smell hit fast, drowning her senses.

Darkness swallowed her whole.

Chapter 764