Chapter 57 Ex-Husband
Sloane's POV
I don't know how long I sat in that dusty room until the daylight outside was completely swallowed by darkness.
My body was stiff, my blood felt frozen, only my heart was beating wildly in my chest, each thump reminding me of that absurd and terrifying reality.
Grayson was still alive.
Like a ghost, he lurked in every corner of my life, watching and judging with cold eyes.
Was Keira's leg his doing?
That sentence in the diary tormented me like a demon's curse.
"Sloane?" Director Aria's voice came from the doorway, full of concern. "It's already dark, why haven't you come out? The food's getting cold."
She walked in carrying a tray and set the meal on the desk that held those terrible secrets.
I looked at her graying hair and worried eyes, my throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton, unable to say a word.
I picked up my chopsticks and mechanically put a few bites of rice in my mouth, but couldn't taste anything.
My mind was full of those cold, sharp handwritten words in that notebook.
Just then, my phone rang abruptly, cutting through the deathly silence. The caller ID showed it was Lila.
"Sloane! You need to get here now!" As soon as I answered, Lila's anxious voice came through. "We've got a patient in the ER with multiple compound injuries, it's really tricky, we're not sure what to do!"
"I'll be right there."
After hanging up, I immediately stood up.
Only in that world where skill mattered could I briefly forget all this and find a moment of peace.
I quickly said goodbye to Director Aria and drove back to the hospital.
The operating room lights stayed on for three hours.
When I took off my blood-stained gloves and surgical gown and walked out that door, my tense nerves finally relaxed.
The patient was saved. Enormous exhaustion and weakness washed over me. I leaned against the hallway wall, just wanting to close my eyes.
"Dr. Sloane, you worked so hard." A clear voice with a hint of shyness sounded beside me.
I opened my eyes to see a young woman, probably in her early twenties, holding a steaming cup of coffee, her eyes bright as she looked at me with undisguised admiration. "I... I'm Jessie. I just watched your surgery from the observation room. You were absolutely amazing!"
Just then, Lila also walked over, introducing her with a smile, "This is David's sister, Jessie. She just started her internship at our hospital this year."
"David's sister?" I was somewhat surprised.
Jessie nodded vigorously, her cheeks flushed with excitement. "I decided to intern here because my brother told me so much about you. Dr. Sloane, you're my idol!"
Her pure and passionate admiration was like a warm current, dispersing some of the darkness in my heart.
David soon arrived and looked at me with grateful blue eyes. "Sloane, thank you. I knew only you could handle it." He paused, pointing somewhat sheepishly at Jessie beside him. "This kid has really admired you ever since she learned about you. Could you... mentor her more in the future?"
"Of course." Looking at her hopeful eyes, I couldn't refuse.
After resting at the hospital for half a day, Jessie and David insisted on treating me to dinner to show their gratitude.
Jessie picked an upscale restaurant with a relaxed vibe. When David excused himself to the restroom, she peppered me with questions about surgery like an eager med student. I didn't mind—talking with her was effortless. She had this refreshing innocence, completely absorbed in her passion for medicine.
"Wow, Sloane, look!" In the middle of our conversation, Jessie suddenly lowered her voice, excitedly nudging my arm and gesturing behind me with her chin. "That man over there is so handsome! Like he just walked out of a magazine."
My heart sank, an ominous feeling rising within me.
I followed her gaze and stiffly turned my head.
In a booth not far away, a man was setting down his wine glass. That build, that profile—familiar to the point of suffocation.
It was Jared.
He seemed to sense my gaze and slowly looked up, his eyes meeting mine precisely in the air.
I quickly looked away, pretending I hadn't seen him.
"He's looking over here! He's looking over here!" Jessie was even more excited than me, eagerly fixing her hair. "Does he think I'm pretty? Is he going to come over and talk to me?"
My fingers tightened around my water glass, my temples throbbing.
The next second, Jessie's breathing stopped.
I didn't need to look to know that Jared was walking toward our table. His tall figure brought an oppressive shadow, his shoes hitting the floor with each step like they were stepping on my nerves.
Jessie nervously straightened her back, a shy blush spreading across her face as she whispered to me, "Should I play it cool, or just give him my contact info?"
Looking at her lovestruck expression, I didn't know what to say.
Jared finally stopped at our table. He didn't look at the expectant Jessie. Those unfathomable dark eyes were locked on me from start to finish.
"Having a good time?" he said, his voice emotionless but carrying a strange sourness.
The smile froze on Jessie's face. She looked at me, then at Jared, finally sensing something was off.
She carefully spoke up, asking tentatively, "Do you two... know each other?"
Before I could answer, Jessie seemed to suddenly figure it out. She looked at me with dawning realization, then her face showed shock and sympathy as she lowered her voice. "Oh my god, Sloane, he's not your... ex-husband, is he?"
That title struck Jared's nerve.
His expression instantly turned cold. His gaze moved from me to the innocent-looking Jessie. Then he pulled at the corner of his mouth and corrected her.
"Not ex-husband," he said slowly and deliberately, his voice not loud but clearly reaching our ears and the neighboring table, "We're not divorced yet."
The air completely froze in that moment.
Jessie's mouth formed an "O" shape, embarrassment and panic crawling across her young face.
I just wished I could find a hole to crawl into.
Just then, David returned. He took one look at Jared standing by our table and immediately picked up on the tension. His eyes darted between us before he spoke, polite but guarded.
Jared didn't even spare him a glance, just fixed his eyes back on me, his tone brooking no argument. "Come with me."