Just thinking about what happened made Anne’s fear grow worse. Tears streamed down her face.

"Tyler, what if something bad happens to Ms. Lloyd? What am I supposed to do? If it weren’t for me, she wouldn’t have been like this. What should I do?”

“Don’t think about that right now. We’ll wait until the doctor comes out. Blaming yourself won’t change anything. Focus on getting your own injuries looked at first.”

Anne’s mind was a mess. Panic clouded her thoughts; deep down, she was terrified that Tyler really would blame her for what happened to Rachel.

She had never wanted Rachel to die. She just wanted to be with Tyler.

Tyler was drowning in his own anguish. All his thoughts were fixed on Rachel, and he naturally ignored Anne. To Anne, though, his reaction mattered so much more, especially now.

After all, Rachel had been hurt saving her. When it came to shouldering responsibility for something like this, no one wanted to bear it. Escaping it would always be the easier path.

Tyler’s eyes never left the operating room doors.

Anne finally couldn’t take the silence anymore. “Tyler, I feel awful. Can’t you at least talk to me?”

Even the calmest person would snap under Anne’s repeated pressing.

Tyler turned to face her. His expression was dark, and his brows furrowed tightly.

“Anne, the only reason I haven’t said anything is because of your current state. But don’t think for a second that what happened to Rachel has nothing to do with you. So here’s what you’re going to do: either find a doctor and get checked, or sit here quietly and rest—but stop talking.”

Anne had rarely seen Tyler truly angry. Her heart ached as if someone were squeezing it tight. It hurt so badly that she could hardly breathe.

She broke into sobs.

“Tyler, are you really going to treat me this coldly?”

He pursed his lips.

“You wanted clarity, so I’ll give it to you. First, Rachel is in that operating room right now because of you. You bear direct responsibility for that.

“Second, I admit I shouldn’t have said those things to you at the bar. That gave you hope for something never possible. But Anne, you’re an adult. I’ve seen your professionalism at work. You’re not acting like that now.

“And third, Rachel and I are in a relationship. That’s what I need you to understand.”

His words hit Anne like a bomb. She stared at him in disbelief.

“What did you just say? You and Ms. Lloyd are together? I thought you two were just boss and subordinate?”

“We are boss and subordinate, but we’re also dating. We had some misunderstandings before, so maybe it wasn’t confirmed. But tonight, it is.”

Anne’s mind reeled. She thought back to their dinner earlier. Tyler was constantly concerned about Rachel. He even remembered her smallest needs without trying.

“The things you said to me at the bar were all to provoke Rachel, weren’t they? You wanted to test her feelings for you, and I was just the perfect excuse to push you two closer together!” she snapped.