Chapter 153

Chapter 153
Then she looked up again, suspicion flickering in her eyes. “But you said his mother is the former queen. How could he have been so poor?”

“It’s a long story. But to put it simply, he was the queen’s illegitimate son, hidden from the world.”

Dr. Wilson let out a quiet sigh, already reaching for his laptop as if to close the subject.

There were so many questions lingering on the tip of her tongue, but she held them back. Maybe when the opportunity arose, she would ask him again. But for now, there were more important matters to discuss.

“Shall we go over the case?” he asked instead.

Olivia let out a soft sigh, picked up the patient's file she had momentarily set aside, and nodded. “Sure, Doc. Let’s start.”

—

By the time Olivia stepped out of Dr. Wilson’s office, she had already lost track of how long she had been inside. She glanced down at her wristwatch. In thirty minutes, she would be back in the operating room for her final surgery. It wasn’t much time, but it was enough to gather her thoughts and condition herself.

“Dr. Hilton! It’s been a long while.”

Her eyes, previously lowered to the floor, lifted at the sound of her name.

A man stood a few feet away. Tall, neatly dressed, with broad shoulders. His beautiful blonde hair was slightly tousled as if he had been running his fingers through it absentmindedly. He was smiling warmly; seeing her genuinely made him happy.

Olivia just stared at him, unblinking, searching her memory for anything that would make his face familiar, but his features refused to settle into recognition.

The man’s gaze lingered on her face. When he realized she didn't remember, his ears turned faintly pink.

“I’m Mrs. Lennon's son,” he supplied the information. “You saved Mom's life,” he added, with an almost apologetic smile tugging at his mouth.

Of course, Olivia now remembered. It was hard to forget a patient who had clung to her hand, telling her, “Doc, tell me right away if you ever get divorced. I want my son to be first in line.”

“Hello, Ash,” the nickname slipped out naturally.

“Thank God you still remember me. I thought you forgot.”

“How could I?” Olivia asked with a soft laugh. “Your mother practically tried to bribe me into becoming her daughter-in-law.”

Ashton groaned and rubbed the back of his neck. “She still talks about that,” he admitted, sounding even more embarrassed than he had moments ago.

Olivia smiled at his reaction. “How is she doing? It’s been a month since I last saw her.”

“She’s doing great.” He gave her a sheepish grin. “Honestly, maybe a little too great. It's become a daily habit of hers to nag me, insisting I settle down at my age.”

Olivia let out a quiet chuckle, relief warming her chest. A month ago, his mother had nearly flatlined on her operating table after suffering a ruptured brain aneurysm during surgery. For a terrifying moment, she had thought they were going to lose her. Yet now, hearing that she had fully recovered and returned to bossing her son around like nothing had ever happened felt strangely rewarding.

“I’m really glad to hear she's doing great. That’s what I want to hear most,” she said sincerely.

“Mom still talks about you all the time,” he paused briefly before adding hesitantly, “Actually… Today's her birthday. I'm here to invite you out. She wanted you to have dinner with us tonight.”

Olivia considered the offer. She had thought she would be going home alone, accompanied only by the silence and loneliness that awaited her. Meanwhile, somewhere, her husband would probably be with another woman, giving her attention like she's the only girl in the world.

Maybe one dinner wouldn’t hurt.

“What time?” she asked.

Ashton’s eyes lit up. “Really? You’re coming?” He still couldn't believe she agreed.

“Of course! I would love to see your mother again. Well, I won’t be free until around 8:30.”

“That’s perfect,” Ashton exclaimed. “I can pick you up after your shift.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I want to.”

Olivia studied him. He looked oddly happy over something so small.

“Alright,” she relented. “I’ll be waiting.” She waved at him one last time and went on her way.

—

Olivia felt a bead of sweat slip down her brow, but she didn’t dare lift a hand to wipe it away. Her focus remained fixed on the patient as she secured the final knot with effortless ease. Only when she was certain everything was in place did she finally lift her head.

She looked around at the exhausted faces surrounding the operating table. Every pair of eyes was locked on her in tense silence, waiting for the words they had all been desperate to hear.

“That’s it. We’re done.”

The tension that had held everyone captive for the last five hours eased in an instant. A wave of muffled sighs rippled through the room.

Olivia felt the atmosphere brighten, like the first ray of sunlight piercing through heavy clouds after a long, relentless day of rain.

Once the post-operative checks were completed, she stepped back while the team cleaned the incision site.

At the scrub station, Olivia peeled off her gloves, dropping them into the disposal bin. Water rushed over her hands and forearms. The cold sensation felt oddly satisfying.

She finished scrubbing out and made her way down the hallway to meet the patient's family. It didn't take long to spot them. They sat shoulder to shoulder on a steel bench, their faces drawn tight with worry.

Before she could say a word, they noticed her approaching, and immediately rose from their seats. However, no one spoke. No one dared ask the question, afraid of what the answer might be.

Olivia spared them the suspense.

“The surgery was successful.”

Relief washed over their faces. A young woman burst into tears immediately, her knees nearly giving out beneath her. Another woman, only a few years older, caught her before she could fall.

An older woman in her late fifties stepped forward. Olivia knew right away that she was the patient's mother based on the way she carried herself. The older woman clasped Olivia's hand between both of hers.