Dear Ex Wife Please take me back by The Every Woman

ATHENA

"Vitals are stable." The nurse announces as the beeping of the monitors grow even louder in the pounding of my

ears.

My gloved fingers tremble slightly as | grip the scalpel, my eyes locked on the exposed part of the patient's

abdomen.

I've done this kind of procedure more times than | can count, but today, it feels foreign.

Like I'm watching myself from the outside.

"Dr. Dawson?" The nurse softly nudges me, and | mumble a low,

"Thanks."

But it's automatic.

My thoughts aren't aligned.

So many questions are picking inside my brain, and | can't seem to push it back.

Zayan is the one who holds the answer to the biggest question, but he hasn't answered my calls in hours.

Which is very odd.

Steadying my breathing by taking a deep breath, | make an incision along the artery to clamp it, but the moment

| do, a sharp rush of blood splashes across my gloves.

"Pressure's dropping!" a nurse shouts.

My eyes widen.

Shit. Shit.

"I need suction, now!" | try to steady my breathing, trying to see where | went wrong.

As | move my fingers, | notice that | missed a damn artery and cut it.

The beeping machines start getting louder and louder as waves of Alex lying in a hospital bed flash in my mind.

Has the formula worked?

What if he dies?

Who else knows his secret?

I'm suddenly frozen in place when | hear an angry voice,

"Move!" lan commands as he pushes in beside me.

He steps in and takes over, his hands ready to fix the mess | just made.

"lan, I've got this," | try to push my way through, but he doesn't even look up as he responds coldly,

"You don't have anything!"

"I said | can fix it, just givea minute!"

Finally, his head snaps up. His expression is made of stone.

"Get out of the way, Athena," he says coldly.

I don't move.

I won't.

"You're not taking over just because | made one mi-"

"You will not kill my patient just to prove a damn point!" he snaps, his voice booming over the beeping machines.

The entire OR stills. Even the nurses stop moving.

lan's eyes are locked on mine, full of fire and disappointment. lan has always been the soft and kindest out of

them. Seeing him look atwith so much anger is new and unsettling for me.

"Go out," he says coldly, "or stand back. Just stay the hell out of my way."

The words hit harder than any slap.

| step back, my feet stiff and my eyes weak. The shsinks deep into my skin

like acid. | retreat to the corner of the room, watching as lan works fast and clean, stabilizing the bleed within

seconds.

Everyone in the room pretends not to look at me.

But | can feel their judgment pressing down like a weight.

You failed.

You've never been good enough!

You should have stuck to something simple!

You'll never be as good as your parents.

A taunting voice whispers in my head, making my vision blur.

Everything is just going so wrong. Seeing that the patient is in good hands, | slowly walk out of the OR. My head

hanging low in shame.

Everyone at this hospital now knows my parents made the formula, yet | kept quiet and refused to take part in

the program. | can see their judgemental faces and the disappointment in their eyes.

| used to be everyone's favorite doctor. That changed in the blink of an eye.

"Look who we have here. if it isn't the little liar!" Melania laughs as she crosses her arms over her chest.

"You're done for! The Kings stock price is dropping every minute thanks to your stupid staunt!" Her minion Alicia

adds.

Melania laughs, "Stole the formula? What a joke! Alex wouldn't steal anything. He has the power to make

anything his." She steps closer, "But you selling out his secret was pretty bitchy! Why? She cooks her head to

the side, "Did you think that would get his attention,you little whore!" s

"Move!" | spit, not having any energy left to argue with them.

They can think whatever they....

Wait.

"What did you just say? Sold out his secret?" My brows meet and my breathing changes.

Alicia throws her head back in laughter, "The little snitch doesn't even know she's a snitch! Did they promise to

keep you anonymous? Well I'm sorry but your names are right there in the news article Honestly-" s

| don't even let her Finnish as | sprint outside.

| push through the hallway doors, barely aware of the startled looks from other

staff.

My breath comes in short, ragged bursts as | shove open the exit and spill into the

parking lot, the sun burning my skin through my scrubs.

My hands are still shaking with blood still on my gloves.

| pull them off and throw them in the nearby bin. It's a little reckless but I'm not

myself right now.

| pull my phone out with trembling fingers and dial his number again.

It rings.

And rings.

And rings.

Then... it goes to voicemail.

"Zayan," | choke into the receiver, "call me. Right now. | need to know what the

hell is going on. Please-" my words are caught in my throat as | stand face to face

with Luca.

Usually I'd feel safe but right now | feel the opposite.

In his black T-shirt and dark jeans, Luca looks like a nightmare that clawed its way

out of hell just for me.

His inked arms ripple with tension, veins bulging under the skin that's pulled tight over the muscles.

There's blood on his knuckles and it looks Fresh.

His jaw ticks as he watches me.

But it's his eyes that paralyze me.

They're wild, dark and unreadable. Like a storm that's about to split the sky in half

and swallowwhole.

He doesn't move at first.

He just stands there, the faint breeze ruffling his hair, his shoulders rising and

falling slowly like he's holding himself back from doing something unspeakable.

Even the air around him feels heavier.

It crushes my lungs and silences the world around us.

The phone slips from my hand, clattering to the concrete.

My lips part to speak, to explain, to beg, to say something but | can't form a single

sound.

Because the way he's looking at me...

It's the look of a man who has cto collect blood.

And | suddenly understand:

Zayan didn't just ignore my calls.

Something did indeed happen.

And Luca knows everything. If he

also believes | sold Akex out the 'm done for Luca is not only unforgiving, he holds no value for

human life, he finds pleasure in ending anyone who irritates him. s

Atleast that's what I've heard about him.

His lip twitches with a cruel smirk as he takes one slow step forward, his eyes still

burning holes through me.

"Well, well..." he drawls, his voice low and lazy, like I'm wasting his tby just

existing.

"If it isn't our enemy's precious informant."

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