Chapter 18
Natalie replied casually, “If that’s what you want to talk about, there’s really no point. Now that I’m divorced, I’m not back” going
Elle squeezed her phone tight. “What if you do?”
care
“Ha, what does that have to do with you?” With that, Natalie hung up, too tired to keep arguing with her. She didn’t about Tobias anymore; she just didn’t want to bow to Elle’s demands. She had no right to tell her what to do. Meanwhile, Elle was fuming on the other end when she suddenly noticed the man behind her and jumped in surprise. “Tobias, you’re here! Why didn’t you say anything!
Tobias’s gaze was sharp. “Did you call her?” He had seen the name on her phone and heard everything.
Elle panicked and rushed to explain. “I was just worried about you. That’s why I called her.”
Tobias shot her a cold look. “You need to take care of yourself. Don’t get involved in things that aren’t your business.”
Elle’s eyes went wide with shock as she desperately reached for his hand. “But you promised you’d take care of me for life!” Tobias pulled his hand away. “I did promise, but I can’t control what you do.”
Elle forced a smile, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I gave birth to Ryan, Tobias. I really love you. Please don’t hold it against me, okay?”
“Stay out of Natalie’s business.”
Elle knew she had touched a nerve and quickly nodded, trying to act innocent.
Tobias felt no sympathy; he just looked at her tears. Instead, his mind drifted back to the sweet, gentle woman he once Inew. He thought, ‘D**n it, why am I thinking about her again? Does she still have feelings for me?
If Natalie were there, she would probably roll her eyes and act like she didn’t care,
Meanwhile, at the hospital, the lights in the emergency room dimmed. Natalie had just wrapped up one surgery when she got notice for another. “Dr. Liam, I’m sorry, but this patient’s condition is critical. We need to start the surgery right away. Can you come in tomorrow morning?”
The other doctors and nurses exchanged worried glances. “Maybe we should get someone else to handle it. Dr. Liam hasn’t had a break in days, and the workload is too heavy.”
“Bring me the patient’s medical record,” Natalie said hrmly. She was always focused on patient care; if she could save a life, she’d do her best. Just as she was about to open the file, doubt hit her.
The name on the chart made her heart race: “Howard Reese.” Memories rushed back. Only a few people knew about her past with Tobias, and Howard was one of them. He had always looked down on her and made her life miserable when she joined the Kerse family. She skimmed the medical notes and quickly saw that he needed cardiovascular surgery; his heart was in bad shape
Dr. Laam, you’re the best at heart surgery. The patient’s situation is critical. If you perform the surgery, the chances of aucorts will definitely go up one of the other doctors urged.
Natalie closed the file with determination. “If the patient agrees, ll do it” She was curious to see if proud Howard would accept her help.
The nearby nurses admired her. “Wow, Dr. Liam is incrediblet She agreed right away!”
“Any surgery Dr. Liam takes on will succeed. I’ve never seen her fail, another nurse added.
Used to the praise, Natalie brushed it off and headed to the lounge to rest and check her phone. Most messages were from Yara and Maddie, both reminding her to take care of herself. After a long, tiring day, their concern was comforting. A small smile appeared on her face until she reached the end of the messages where Maddie mentioned Tobias.
Maddie: [Big news! Tobias took Elle to a charity auction and bought her a diamond necklace worth 400 million dollars! Can you believe it? 400 million dollars!Text © by N0ve/lDrama.Org.
Natalie paused before replying: [That is really something.]
Maddie: [Is that what you took from this?! The real point is how good Tobias is to Elle. Even if he hasn’t married her, he treats her like a princess!]
Natalie felt a dull ache; this wasn’t news to her. She already knew
Maddie: [Word is. Tobias is all about Elle now, completely ignoring his ex-wife. Ugh, that wornan knew when to leave; otherwise, she’d just be treated like an outsider.]
Natalie stared at her phone and sighed, “It is kind of true, but that’s not why I left. It had been forever since she last saw Tobias. They hadn’t talked at all, and honestly, that was for the best. No chance for awkward moments or emotional mess.
Just then, the screen lit up with an unknown number. She squinted, her heart racing. It was Tobias’s number. Without thinking, she hung up.
A few moments later, her phone buzzed again. He was calling again. Quick as a flash, she turned her phone off and closed eyes, hoping to get some rest. She wasn’t in the mood for his nonsense,
her
After a long, exhausting day, Natalie finally drifted off to sleep. When she woke up the next morning, she was surprised to find out that the doctor she had been waiting for said the patient had agreed to let her perform the surgery.
The surgery was set for early morning. Natalie hurried through her routine and headed straight to the operating room. Howard, the patient, was in his fifties. He looked like a serious businessman, but Natalie knew better. He had been a pain for Tobias for years, always trying to mess with him. But when he realized how powerful Tobias was, he changed tactics and tried to take advantage of him. Typical People always stick to the strong, and she understood that. But using her to get at Tobias crossed the line.
Still, she knew how to handle someone like Howard. She wouldn’t let his attitude ruin her passion for surgery. If he was scared of dying and needed her help, she would take her job seriously. The surgery went smoothly, just as she expected.
Wiping sweat from her brow, Natalie glanced at the clock-it was already afternoon. After grabbing a quick bite to eat, she picked up Howard’s medical file, planning to check on his status As she reached the door, she hesitated.
Inside, she could hear Howard’s weak but obnoxious voice. “Can’t even peel an apple! Are you sent by Natalie to humiliate me?”
The nurse, sounding stressed, replied, “I swear, Mr. Reese! I’m just from the hospital, trying my best!”
“Ugh, stop pretending! Howard shouted, his voice full of anger. Natalie heard something heavy crash to the floor. “Get Natalie in here! I want to know why she thinks she can treat me like this! What kind of trash did she send to take care of me?”