Chapter 15
Saturday morning in Michigan dawned gray and miserable. Before Bastien even hit the airport,snowflakes were already piling up.
All flights grounded indefinitely and a monster blizzard that would lock down the region for days.]
Bastien ditched his ticket and had his driver make a run for Phoenix to connection from there. But he was in an accident and missed the flight,stranding him there too.
He tried Ophelia again. Blocked.]
Changing a new number and dialed. After what felt like forever, someone picked up.[]
“Ophelia. listen–total whiteout here. Nothing’s flying. I’ll have to push back a few days.“]
Dead silence on the other end. After a weird pause, Bastien frowned.[]
“Ophelia? You there?“]
Grayson looked down at the phone, then at Ophelia sleeping in the hospital bed, her face still pale against the white sheets. His eyes went cold.
After a deliberately long pause, he finally spoke. “She’s asleep. I’ll pass along the message when she wakes up. Who’s calling?”
A male voice. Not Connor. Not her father. Some guy answering her personal phone at–he checked his watch–5:30 AM London time.]
Bastien felt his blood pressure spike.
“Who the fuck is this?” he demanded.]]
Grayson caught the barely controlled rage and smirked to himself. He let out a soft, mocking laugh.[]
Who do you think would be in her bedroom at this hour?”
He delivered the line with casual precision, letting the implication hang. In the silence, he could practically hear Bastien’s mind racing.
The divorce was supposed to be fake–that’s what Bastien had told himself. Yet here was another man, less than a week later.
I don’t know who you are, but stay the hell away from MY WIFE!“]]
Grayson’s mouth twisted into a cold smile as he ended the call without another word.]
Looking up, he found Ophelia awake, watching him with those clear eyes of hers.
Grayson had the decency to look embarrassed. He’d answered her phone without permission and deliberately baited her ex–husband. Total boundary violation.
Sorry about that,” he said, switching to his professional tone. “Shouldn’t have answered your phone.“]
Ophelia’s lips curved slightly. “Don’t apologize. I should be thanking you, Dr. Winters. You literally saved my life yesterday.“]
sixteen hours of the most terrifying procedure he’d ever performed–the woman is the girl he loved for many years.[]
If he’d lost her, he wasn’t sure he could have ever stepped into an OR again.]
That tumor was too risk. You should have had it removed the day it was discovered.“[]
Ophelia studied him thoughtfully. He wasn’t just her neurosurgeon, but her brother’s best friend since their first day at medical school. She’d always gotten along with Connor’s circle, but Grayson had been different–she’d always maintained a careful distance.
something in his gaze had always felt too intense, almost predatory. As a young woman, she’d found it unsettling without knowing exactly why.]
Now, with years of perspective, she recognized it for what it was: unconcealed love.[]
Her brother had often mentioned Grayson. A thought began taking shape.]
“Bastien and I are divorced,” she said simply.
Grayson held her gaze. What she didn’t know was that he’d been quietly caring about her life for years.[]
He’d known about the divorce before her parents did. Also, he’d known about the tumor.]]
That’s why he’d flown to her country, then carefully booked himself on her return flight. She’d been too distracted to notice him just three rows back.]
After she’d arrived at the Hartley estate, he’d been waiting for the inevitable call from her family, asking him to examine her. The call never came.[]
At the welcome party, he’d asked her to dance.[]
That’s when she’d collapsed against him, her body going limp in his arms.]
When he’d rushed her to the hospital, his training had been the only thing keeping him upright.[]
Ophelia noticed his lack of surprise at her divorce announcement and frowned slightly.[]
“You already knew, didn’t you?“]
Grayson’s mouth quirked as he casually withdrew a pen from his lab coat.]
“Your mother found the divorce papers when she was unpacking for you. The whole family knows.”
Ophelia was momentarily speechless.
“Well.”
Grayson noted her vitals on the chart. Hearing her tone, he glanced over.
“Something wrong?“1
Ophelia shook her head. “No. It’s fine.“]
An awkward silence filled the room until Grayson abruptly said, “You know, you could call me Grayson. ‘Dr. Winters‘ seems a bit formal for someone who’s known you since you were fifteen….“]]
Ophelia’s eyes flickered with something like interest.]
“Is that ok? Maybe I could call you brother, though.”
