Hunter left the casino hotel in Greenbay Town, frustration weighing heavily on his shoulders. He had spent the entire day chasing dead ends, questioning staff, and even bribing a few sources, but there was no new lead on Angel. The last person he questioned had merely shrugged, offering nothing of value.
He walked through the dimly lit parking lot toward his car, his hands dipping into his face in exhaustion. His patience was wearing thin, and the helplessness clawed at him like an insatiable beast. His anger simmered just beneath the surface, restrained only by his sheer willpower.
As he reached his car, his phone rang. He sighed and glanced at the screen—Kian.
“I heard you’re in Greenbay now,” Kian’s voice came through the line.
Hunter straightened his posture and answered with forced calmness. “Yeah, I got here yesterday.”
Kian got straight to the point. “I need you to stay there for a couple of days and check on one of our beneficiary clinics in town.”
Hunter frowned. “Why?”
“There’s something odd happening. That small clinic we’ve been funding for years? It was suddenly declared a town hospital in just a few weeks.”
Hunter’s brows furrowed. “That’s fast.”
“Exactly. We’ve been sending funds for a long time, and it barely improved before. Now, out of nowhere, it’s expanding? I looked into the records and found that some of our previous funding was used for personal expenses. Not a lot, but still, it’s embezzlement. And yet, in the past few weeks, the clinic’s progress has skyrocketed.”
“You think someone new took over?”
“That’s what I want you to find out,” Kian said. “You’re already in town, so check it out for me.”
Hunter exhaled. “Fine. I’ll take a look.”
After ending the call, he searched for a nearby place to stay. The casino hotel was too far from the hospital. He scrolled through available rentals and found a house within walking distance of the hospital. Without hesitation, he booked it for a week and, once approved, drove straight there.
The next morning, Hunter made his way to the hospital, walking through its bustling halls. It had a clean, professional atmosphere, with modernized equipment and newly hired staff moving efficiently. It was nothing like the rundown clinic it had been before.
He approached the reception desk. “I’d like to speak with the hospital director.”
The receptionist smiled politely. “Dr. Angel Foster is currently in surgery. If you’d like, you can wait, or I can inform her once she’s done.”
Hunter’s entire body stiffened. His heart pounded in his chest. Angel Foster?
Before he could react, a commotion broke out in the hallway. A team of nurses hurried toward the emergency room, their voices urgent.
“We have a patient with severe internal bleeding! Dr. Foster is still in surgery—we need another surgeon!”
Hunter’s instincts kicked in. “I’m a doctor. Take me to the OR.”
The nurse hesitated but, seeing his confidence, led him to the emergency operating room. He quickly scrubbed in and entered.
The patient on the table was losing blood fast. Hunter assessed the situation swiftly and gave orders to the surgical team. His hands moved with precision, his mind solely focused on saving the life before him.
Minutes passed like hours, but finally, the bleeding was controlled, and the surgery was a success. As he stepped back, wiping sweat from his forehead, the attending nurse smiled. “That was impressive, doctor.”
He gave a curt nod and exited the OR. But before he could remove his surgical gown, he caught a glimpse of another operation room—and there she was.
Angel.
She was deep in surgery, her expression one of fierce concentration. Her hands moved skillfully, her presence commanding respect. The other doctors followed her lead without question.
For a moment, he could only watch, overwhelmed by emotions. She was alive. She was here. And she had no idea he was just a few steps away.
Hunter took a deep breath. He couldn’t just barge in. He needed answers first.
He walked back to the reception area and pulled out his phone. “Kian, I found her.”
There was a pause. Then Kian’s voice came through, sharper than before. “What? Where?”
“She’s the director of the hospital.”
Silence.
Then, “Are you sure?”
“I just saw her performing surgery.” Hunter ran a hand through his hair. “She looks… different. But it’s her.”
Kian let out a slow exhale. “Now we know how the hospital suddenly transformed. It was her.”
Hunter clenched his jaw. “Now I need to know why she disappeared in the first place.”
“Be careful,” Kian warned. “If she’s hiding from you, there’s a reason.”
Hunter ended the call, his mind racing. Angel had vanished without a word, leaving him broken. Now, after all this time, she was here, thriving, yet she never once reached out.
Why?
As he turned to leave, he knew one thing for sure—he wouldn’t walk away without answers.