5

They drove through the city in silence, the streets lit by the dim glow of streetlights and the occasional flash of neon signs. Adriana sat in the backseat of the sleek, black car, her hands folded tightly in her lap. Her heart raced, but her mind was clear. She had made her choice, even though she knew the consequences would haunt her.

They arrived at a secluded warehouse on the outskirts of the city—typical. Lucas would never risk staying anywhere obvious, especially now. The man parked the car, and Adriana followed him inside.

The warehouse was dimly lit, filled with the scent of oil and dust. Adriana’s footsteps echoed as they walked through the narrow hallways, past crates and abandoned machinery. Finally, they reached a heavy steel door, guarded by two men with guns strapped to their sides. One of them nodded to the man escorting her, and the door creaked open.

Lucas lay on a makeshift cot in the center of the room, pale and sweating. His shirt was torn, revealing a blood-soaked bandage around his abdomen—another stab wound, this one even worse than before.

His eyes flickered open as they entered, and despite the obvious pain he was in, still his lips curled into a faint smile. “You really can’t stay away, can you, Doc?”

Adriana stood frozen for a moment, her eyes locked on him. He looked worse than she had expected, and the sight of him like this stirred something deep inside her—something which was same everytime she's with him, something she wasn’t ready to admit.

“You’re an idiot,” she said, her voice shaking slightly as she knelt beside him, peeling back the blood-soaked bandage. “I told you not to come back.”

Lucas chuckled weakly. “Couldn’t help myself.”

Adriana didn’t respond. Her hands moved quickly, assessing the damage. He needed surgery—again. But this time, there was no hospital, no sterile environment, no team of nurses to back her up.

It was just her, and Lucas.

“Can you fix him?” Lucas' man asked from behind her, his voice low, urgent.

Adriana swallowed hard, focusing on Lucas injury. “I don’t know,” she said honestly. “But I’ll try.”

---

Hours passed in a haze of blood and makeshift medical tools. Adriana worked tirelessly, her hands steady even as her mind raced with the gravity of what she was doing. Lucas life was in her hands—again.

But this time, it felt different. This time, it wasn’t just about saving a patient. It was about saving him.

When the procedure was over, Adriana sat back on her heels, her chest heaving with exhaustion. Lucas was stable, but barely. His breathing was shallow, his body weak, but he was alive.

She had done it—again.

But as she sat there, staring down at him, she realized that the line between them was now completely gone. Whatever boundaries had existed before had crumbled, and there was no going back. From him, from the reality she is facing right now.

Lucas Romano was like a part of her world now. And no matter how much she tried to deny it, part of her didn’t want him to leave.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***