Chapter 26 Chapter 0026
•CASSANDRA•
The operating theater lights felt familiar again, steady and bright as I stood over the patient.
Mrs. Ellis, the woman who was there when I went into sudden labour five years ago, had arrived in critical condition with a rare heart defect that had gone undiagnosed for years.
She was unconscious, so I couldn't speak with her. But I told myself I would do everything in my power to save her life.
The other doctors had struggled to pinpoint the exact cause of her arrhythmias, but I had seen the pattern before. With Lyra’s quiet guidance inside my mind, I knew exactly where to look and what to repair.
The surgery lasted six hours, and when I finally closed the final incision, the monitors showed a steady rhythm.
I stepped back and took off my gloves. The team around me exhaled in relief.
Mrs. Ellis would recover fully, and her family would get their mother back. I allowed myself a small smile beneath the mask.
The scrub nurse handed me a towel. “That was incredible, Dr. Frost. We all thought we might lose her.”
“Thank you,” I replied. “It took all of us.”
As we cleaned up, I noticed Amelia Hart standing near the door. She had observed the entire procedure from the viewing gallery.
When the team signed out, she entered the theater slowly.
Her applause was slow and barely audible, more of a polite gesture than genuine praise. She stopped clapping as soon as the last nurse left.
I removed my mask and turned to face her. The room was empty now except for the two of us.
“Impressive work,” she scoffed. “I suppose you feel like the hero again. One lucky save does not erase the mistake you made last time.”
I folded my arms. “The patient is alive and stable. That's what matters.”
She stepped closer. “It matters until the next time you get distracted. You are still on probation, Cassandra. One more slip, and even Dante won't save your position.”
I met her gaze. “I have earned my place here. So, I don't need Dante to fight my battles.”
Amelia laughed softly. “You really believe that? You have always needed someone to make things easier for you. Without connections, you would still be nobody.”
I took a slow breath. “You know what, Amelia? I am tired of your games. You spent years trying to tear me down because you can't stand that I'm good at what I do. But let us be honest. You wouldn't even have your degree if you had not slept with half your professors to get those high marks. So don't stand there and lecture me about who's worthy to be here.”
Her face froze. The color drained from her cheeks. For once, she had no quick comeback.
I turned and walked toward the door. “Have a good evening, Amelia.”
I didn’t wait for her response. The door swung shut behind me, and I kept walking down the corridor without looking back.
My heart pounded, but I felt lighter than I had in months. For the first time, I had spoken my mind without holding back.
I changed out of my scrubs and went to fetch Elena from kindergarten.
Dante planned a small celebratory dinner to mark my return to full duties, and Elena helped him set the table with her favorite plates and a vase of flowers she had picked from the neighbor’s garden.
When I walked into the kitchen, she ran to me with open arms.
“Mama! Uncle D said you saved a woman today!”
I lifted her up and hugged her tightly. “I did, sweetheart. And now we get to celebrate.”
Dante turned and looked at me, smiling. “She insisted on helping with the salad. I think half the lettuce ended up on the floor.”
"I knew she wasn't much help," I chuckled as I kissed her forehead and placed her down. "But she's good at creating a mess that you have to clean up."
"Mommy!" Elena pouted, folding her arms.
"Don't worry, my little dragon, your mother enjoys your company as much as I do," Dante said, cheering her on. "You and I did a great job today."
"Yeah, that's right," she replied in a sassy voice, which made me chuckle.
We sat down to eat dinner. Elena chattered about her new school and her new friends, and Dante poured wine for us and juice for her.
The food was simple but warm—roast chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans.
Halfway through the meal, my phone rang. The caller called again when I tried to ignore it, and I ended up picking up the call.
“Hello?”
A man’s voice came through, low and hesitant. “Dr. Frost?”
“Yes. Who is this?”
There was a pause. “My name is Darius Ironclaw from Detroit,” he answered, and my heart skipped a beat.
Elena looked up at me curiously, and Dante noticed my expression and set down his fork.
I stood up and went to the hallway. My heart was racing. The thought of Silvercrest creeping back into my life made my blood run cold.
I wondered how Darius had gotten my number. He was the Gamma of Silvercrest. He didn't want to tell me the real name of his location because he thought I was human.
Even if that was the case — that I probably wasn't in any danger, I feared there'd be signs of my identity being exposed.
“How can I help you?"
"My—" he paused. "My boss is dying and we need your help. You're the only one who can help him, please."
I was quiet for a moment, feeling my heart beating so fast that it made my throat and chest tighten painfully.
I wanted to hang up the call and thank the moon goddess for finally dealing with the man who had caused havoc in my life. I convinced myself at that moment that he deserved whatever was happening to him.
"I'm sorry, but I don't operate outside the clinic. Thank you for calling." I hung up the call and took a deep breath.
I somehow felt justified in wishing for Mason to die before he could meet Elana. Maybe then she'd finally belong to me alone, and not be corrupted by Mason's world.
When I walked back to the kitchen, Dante’s eyes burned in my eyes, and he tried to reach out through the mind link to ask what was going on, but Elena was already striding toward me.
“Look, Mama!" She smiled as she showed me the picture she drew. “It is you and me and Uncle D!”
I forced a smile. “It is beautiful, baby.”
'What is it?' Dante's voice was already in my head, and I smiled as I lifted my eyes and looked at him.
"It was nothing," I answered. "I took care of it anyway."