The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

When Vivienne showed up at the crucial moment, it made Faye feel a lot better. After hanging up the phone, Faye didn’t look at

Mrs. Johnson's face anymore. Instead, she quietly sat on a bench in the corridor.

At first, Mrs. Johnson kept cursing, spitting out every imaginable insult. But Faye ignored her barrage of abuses, and gradually, Mrs.

Johnson quieted down.

Faye had been vigilant by the door, staying put even after her shift was over.

Finally, in the evening, Logan walked out of the operating room. The first thing he did wasn't to talk to Faye or anyone else but to

walk to the end of the corridor with his phone.

“Yeah, make it quick, and don’t leave them any advantage. Better get it done in the next few days.”

Faye followed and heard just that. She didn't know what Logan was planning; she just wanted to thank him in person.

Hearing footsteps behind him, Logan finished his call and turned to see Faye, visibly relaxing.

“Thanks for today. | don’t know what | would have done without you,” Faye said, still feeling a headacheing on when she

recalled the day's events.

“First tdealing with a hospital hassle?” Logan ventured.

Faye shook her head. “I've had sbefore, but none as serious as today.”

She always held herself to high standards, ensuring meticulous care on her watch, which is why such disruptions were rare.

Today's ordeal had left a shadow on Faye, Mrs. Johnson's force was formidable, almost devouring her with hatred.

“The surgery was successful, don’t worry. His son will wake up once the anesthesia wears off.” Logan then took off his mask. “Have

you eaten yet?”

Just as Faye was about to say she had, her stomach growled, sending an awkward blush across her face.

“How about we grab sfood? I'm hungry too,” Logan suggested, then remembered he was still in his scrubs. “Wait here for me,

will you? I'll just change.”

Faye watched Logan walk away, her thoughts interrupted by a sudden voice.

“Looks like you and Dr. Logan really do know each other, huh?”

Faye turned to see Dr. Abernathy smirking at her. “I didn’t believe it at first, but it turns out to be true.”

“What do you want?” Faye's expression immediately turned cold, her patience wearing thin.

Dr. Abernathy clicked his tongue in disapproval. “I just made a fewments, and you're already this upset? Are you treating Dr.

Logan differently because you feel something for him? Don’t et that Logan has someone he can’t et. You wouldn't want to

be just a stand-in, would you?”

“How do you know he has a girlfriend?!” Faye’s shock was evident.

Dr. Abernathy’s smirk deepened. “So, it's true. You really should stop dreaming about being anything more than a high school

acquaintance to him. | heard he chere specifically for his girlfriend. You're setting yourself up for disappointment.”

Dr. Abernathy’s words were baseless, his rumors nothing but fabrications.

Seeing Faye so taken aback gave him a perverse satisfaction. “Rejectingwhile you suffer here, what's the point? If you had

acceptedthat day, | would've made you my only one.”

Faye snapped, “Stop spouting nonsense! | would never be interested in you in a million years. Get lost! Don’t botheragain, or

I'll report you to the dean!”

Dr. Abernathy was momentarily stunned by her fierce reaction but quickly regained hisposure. “That's all you've got, which is

why he'll never like you. | was blind to have felt anything for you. You... Ah!”

Dr. Abernathy’s shriek echoed in the hallway as Logan appeared behind him. “It's me. Got a problem?”

Logan's grip on Abernathy tightened, eliciting pleas for mercy.

Without leniency, Logan tossed Abernathy at Faye’s feet.

Abernathy’s look of defeat was met with Faye’s icy gaze. “Need | remind you who you owe an apology to?”

Abernathy’s pride vanished, replaced by a groveling apology to Faye, his earlier bravado gone.

Logan signaled Faye they should leave, Abernathy’s pitiful state no longer their concern.

“Don’t be soft on people like him,” Logan said as they walked. “Handle it as it should be handled. Your parents wouldn't want to see

you bullied.”

Faye wanted to ask Logan about his feelings but hesitated, recalling Dr. Abernathy’s insinuations and the photo she couldn't et.

"Sure, | get it," Faye replied, her voice muffled, as she and Logan made their way to the cafeteria. Silence hung between them,

broken only by the sound of Logan's fingers tapping away on his phone. Faye couldn't help but wonder who was on the other end

of that conversation.

She couldn't shake off the feeling that it must be Logan's girlfriend, probably worried sick after not hearing from him for a while.

This thought dampened Faye's spirits, making everything in the cafeteria seem unappealing.

Logan, noticing Faye's mood, hastened to wrap up his discussion with the lawyer. His phone screen showed a conversation about

pressing charges against an elderly woman from earlier that day, including forwarding evidence to his attorney.

"Alright, Sean, I've got your points. We're drafting the lawsuit and will arrange everything as soon as possible," the lawyer's

message read.

Finally able to breathe a sigh of relief, Logan put away his phone. Out of the corner of her eye, Faye caught a glimpse of his chat

wallpaper—a photo of a woman, her face partially obscured by the chat window. It was just her, with no sign of Logan in the

picture.

Even from these small details, Faye could tell that Logan truly loved her. Everyone was right about that.