The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Logan's office was eerily quiet.

He hadn't slept well last night and was currently squinting his eyes for a quick rest, having skipped breakfast which left his

stomach in knots.

So, when he heard footsteps, Logan immediately becalert. The moment the door swung open, he lifted his eyelids to see who

it was.

Their eyes met unexpectedly, and both were surprised to see each other so clearly at first glance.

“What brings you here?” Logan was the first to recover, dropping his hand from where it had been resting on his stomach.

Faye noticed his small movement and extended her hand towards him, “Got you this. Passed by the convenience store and figured

you skipped breakfast too, so | brought you something.”

A part of Logan that had been tightly sealed suddenly began to loosen. He stared at Faye, stunned.

So she still cared...

“Consider it a thank you for covering my shift last night. After all, it's only polite to return the favor,” Faye said, instantly uprooting

the little sapling of hope Logan had just begun to nurture.

After all, she was just trying not to owe him anything!

Faye didn’t understand why Logan's mood could shift so drastically in such a short time. Was there something wrong with her

actions?

Dr. Pendleton: This isn’t just a problem; it's a huge issue!

“There was no need to go out of your way. It was nothing,” Logan said with a smile.

Though he was smiling, Faye could tell he was suppressing his difort.

“No, it's different. I'll leave this here, make sure you eat,” Faye said, putting down the item and leaving as quickly as she came,

without any intention of further conversation.

Logan slumped in his chair, thinking, great, my quest to bridge the gap has led us to be strangers!

He looked at the breakfast on his desk, lacking the courage to even touch it, feeling as if doing so would somehow make their

already strained relationship even worse.

As soon as Faye returned to her department, Dr. Pendleton eagerly approached, “How did it go? Did your gesture help smooth

things over?”

“Maybe?” Faye was uncertain.

Dr. Pendleton, sensing an opportunity, eagerly asked, “What did you say? | need stips!”

“| just said it was a thank you for helpingout last night, to keep the balance.”

Dr. Pendleton’s smile vanished in a second after hearing Faye’s response, “Wait, is this how you guys talk when you're dating?”

“What are you talking about, dating?” Even though she knew Dr. Pendleton was joking, Faye couldn't help but feel her heartbeat

quicken, “There's nothing like that going on. If you keep joking about it, he’s going to get upset.”

“Oh, my dear, he’s upset? Logan is probably holding back his happiness,” Dr. Pendleton said, patting Faye’s hand in a mix of

frustration and amusement.

Logan sat in his office, unable to articulate his feelings about the breakfast. He considered consulting Vivienne, but they were on

vacation, and it felt wrong to disturb them.

Overwhelmed by these thoughts, Logan soon fell asleep at his desk.

“Faye, there seems to be a problem with this surgery report. Could you check with Logan?” The department head handed her

several files, pointing out issues one by one.

“What's the problem?” Faye asked, setting aside what she was working on.

The department head showed her an indicator, “Look here, the quantity you've listed exceeds the standard. If we go ahead with

this, it could lead toplications. | don’t have tto discuss this in detail right now. Could you please check with Logan?”

Faye hesitated, wondering how to decline, but the department head effectively blocked her escape, “Aren’t you two old school

friends? This should be easy for you to resolve. | have to attend a lecture now, so I'm leaving this in your hands.”

With the department head rushing off, Faye was left with no choice but to tackle the task herself.

Upon reaching Logan's fifth-floor office, the quietness struck her. The door was ajar, allowing her to see inside.

Logan was slumped over his desk, the breakfast she had brought him untouched.

“So, he passed out from hunger?” she thought, pushing the door open.

Approaching Logan, she noticed his shallow breathing; he was just resting.

Sunlight spilled over him, softening his usually guarded demeanor.

As she reached out almost instinctively to brush his hair away from his face, her warm fingertips accidentally touched his skin,

causing Logan to abruptly open his eyes.

Faye was taken aback by the sudden eye contact and the emotions swirling within them.

Recognizing Faye, Logan's gaze softened, and he lifted his head, “What's up?”

Caught off guard by her own impulsive gesture, Faye’'s cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She was supposed to ask about the

surgery report, not get caught up in a moment of tenderness.

Just as she was about to explain herself, Logan noticed the document in her hand, “Is there an issue with this report?”

“Yes, the department head askedto consult with you on how to amend it,” Faye replied, trying to steer the conversation back

to professional matters and away from their awkward moment.

Logan gave her a meaningful look before inviting her to sit down and review the document together.

“Sure.”

Taking the report from Faye, Logan began to examine it closely. Meanwhile, Faye, left to her own devices, started to take in the

surroundings of Logan's office.

The decor was pretty standard, even mundane, with many items looking like they'd been there since the office was first set up.

Logan's desk, however, was even tidier than the norm, giving off the vibe that he wasn't the type to clutter his space with knick-

knacks.

When Faye spotted the photo tucked into the deskanizer, she couldn't help but pause. Was that a woman in the picture?

From her angle, all Faye could make out was the long hair and the beaming smile of the person next to Logan in the photo.

So, did this mean he had a girlfriend?

A wave of unanticipated disappointment washed over Faye. It seemed Logan had moved on, found his own happy ending in the

years they'd been apart. And why wouldn't he? He was no longer the green, naive kid he used to be; standing still was never an

option for someone like him.

Though logically Faye understood this, she couldn't stop the memories from flooding back. They'd taken a group photo on

graduation day, hadn't they?

But then, life happened, and they'd lost touch.