Bella immediately went to her room and closed the door, muffling Dominic's roar of "Bella!" She didn't want to pay him any attention, biting back the sadness welling up inside her.

Several things had puzzled her. Had there been anything between Dorothy and Richard? Or were they merely childhood friends? If they were just friends, how had Dorothy caused Richard's divorce? Bella had been too young to understand. Was Dominic's version of the truth accurate? Had Dorothy done everything she could to entrust Bella to the Millers before she died? It seemed plausible, though Bella had never dared to dwell on it.

Now, three of the people involved were deceased. Even if they had left clues, Bella had no chance to investigate their validity. This gnawed at Dominic, who wouldn't let her probe the matter.

That afternoon, Bella went to Felix's house. He was home, just as he had been the day before. After greeting him, she patiently began teaching Yvonne to play the piano. Felix sat beside them, observing silently, making Bella feel slightly awkward. She told herself she was overthinking his behavior.

Felix was a capable man. Why would he be attracted to her? He'd been too young back then to know any better.

During their break, Felix poured her a glass of orange juice. "I remember you drinking this in school. You haven't changed your favorite, have you? It's freshly squeezed." It was the first time someone had remembered her preferences from so long ago, and it touched her.

She set the juice aside, saying, "Thank you."

Felix smiled. "During university, my dad cut me off financially to toughen me up. I survived on a scholarship and part-time work. I thought you'd ask about that. Who knew you'd never been curious?"

Bella grinned. "Sometimes, stifling curiosity is a form of respect. I'll ask Yvonne to come over later. We'll continue our lessons then."

Her phone rang—a call from the hospital. She apologized to Felix and stepped away.

"Hello," Bella answered.

Peter White, the chief physician, sounded panicked. "Bella, where are you? We're short-staffed today. A patient from the ER needs surgery. Please come now!"

Bella was troubled. She hadn't expected to be called in on her day off, but lives were at stake.

After hanging up, she looked at Felix hesitantly. Before she could speak, he said, "If you need to go, go. We can reschedule Yvonne's lesson. It's fine."

Relief washed over her. Felix was easygoing. "Thank you so much. There's an emergency surgery. I have to go."

Felix looked her over. "I didn't expect you to become a doctor. I wasn't so lucky; I followed my father's plan. Let me drive you."

Bella quickly shook her head. "I've already inconvenienced you enough by leaving Yvonne's lesson unfinished. I'll take a cab."

Felix gently pushed her toward the door. "Why are you being so polite? We're old friends and fellow medical students. Of course I understand the urgency. Let's go."

His warm hand on her shoulder calmed her. She agreed, likely influenced by his charisma. She always felt relaxed around him.

At the hospital, Bella hurried out of the car after thanking Felix. She discovered the emergency patient had already been taken to the operating room. Someone had replaced her as the primary surgeon.

Relieved but confused, she wondered why Peter would have called if the department wasn't overwhelmed. Why a sudden replacement?

A young nurse urgently knocked. "Dr. Jones, please come to the operating room. Dr. Clarke was just transferred; he's unfamiliar with our equipment. You need to help him. Dr. White told me to wait for you!"

Bella agreed and followed. Rounding a corner, she ran into a familiar figure.

"You"

(The final sentence is left as is, preserving the suspense.) The added promotional text was removed as it was irrelevant to the passage itself.