Bella couldn't be bothered with Simon. She took Daniel and Laberpart (correct spelling needed) and returned to her office. When she entered, she was glued to the lab results and didn't notice Pere approaching. She bumped into his chest and stumbled back a couple of steps. At six feet three inches, Pere was a wall of muscle; his presence was intimidating.

Flustered, she looked at him. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you."

He reached out to steady her. "It's okay, Dr. Jones. There's nothing wrong with the transplant surgery."

Bella nodded. "Don't worry, the surgery can be done in a few days. Please wait no longer."

Pere breathed a sigh of relief. "That's a relief. I was wondering if you would be free tonight, Dr. Jones. I'd like to invite you to dinner on behalf of my family."

Bella hesitated. "Will Dominic be there?" She'd only go to dinner if he did. Otherwise, she'd rather face her deathbed than go.

Pere was taken aback. Before he could respond, a graceful figure appeared at the entrance. "Good afternoon, Dominic," Pere greeted him respectfully. Dominic's expression was a mixture of surprise and annoyance. "What are you doing here, Pere?"

Bella was dumbfounded. Dominic didn't seem older than Pere—they were about the same age. If Pere was the eldest Sawyer son, he should be older than Dominic. Why was he addressing someone younger than himself so respectfully?

Pere explained, "I'm inviting Ms. Jones to dinner as a token of my gratitude. Would you like to join us?"

Dominic's expression flickered. "There's no need for you to be so formal. You can just call me Dominic. As for dinner, you can forget it; she doesn't like that kind of setting."

His gaze swept to Bella, who responded calmly, "I believe that's the end of that. See you later."

After he left, Bella breathed a sigh of relief. "What brings you to the hospital?"

Dominic glanced at her. "I'm just here to get some suppressants."

Bella mumbled and sat down, pretending to study the lab report. To her surprise, he didn't leave that easily. "Dr. Jones, why don't you write me a prescription?"

Her face turned bored. "This is the emergency department; I don't write prescriptions here."

He reached out and snatched the report from her hand. "Our doctors prescribe in different areas, but I need you to write this prescription for me."

Bella just wanted to get rid of him, so she scribbled a few names on a prescription pad and handed it to him. "Here, take this. I need to get back to work."

However, instead of taking it, he mocked her by tucking it into the pocket of her white coat. "You can keep it and bring the medication home with you tonight."

As soon as he left, she immediately swapped shifts with a colleague to work the night shift. She wouldn't go home that night. Her knees weakened at the thought of how pushy he was. Even though he usually touched her when sober, he also teased her when he was in his right mind. It was driving her crazy.

Later, Dominic got home and realized Bella wasn't there. For once, he actually called her.

Bella reflexively declined his call and turned off her phone. Love was a dangerous game, and she couldn't afford to lose. If she fell for him again and returned to Joville (assuming this is a place name), it would just be a continuation of the same old story, which she didn't want.

The next morning, she got off work early and slipped into the house as quietly as possible. However, as soon as she walked in, she noticed Dominic sitting on the couch with a hardened expression.