Chapter 2

I rushed to the ICU. An orderly was feeding my dad oatmeal.

When he saw my red eyes, he smiled and raised his IV-bruised hand to comfort me.

"What are you crying for? Your old man is fine. Don't you trust your husband's skills?"

Fresh tears pricked my eyes.

I opened my mouth, wanting to tell him that Vincent was a cheating bastard and that I was pulling him as the lead surgeon.

But I was terrified the shock would send his blood pressure skyrocketing.

Vincent was the top cardiac surgeon in the hospital. Finding someone better on such short notice was nearly impossible.

All I could do was pray that Alan could clear his schedule.

That night, I scoured the internet, reading the profiles of every cardiac surgeon I could find.

Page after page, it was nothing but exclusive interviews with Vincent Hale.

The youngest cardiac surgery genius in America.

Every single word felt like a slap in the face.

I was an OB/GYN. The next day, it was my shift in the clinic.

When I clicked the button to call my next patient, I froze, staring at the screen.

Mia Bennett.

In my past life, the morning after Vincent asked for a divorce, I stormed into his department and slapped her in front of everyone. She was fired that same day.

The next time I heard her name, she had slit her wrists and been rushed to the ER.

This time, I hadn't gone anywhere near her. So she came to me.

I pressed the intercom button.

The door opened. Mia walked in wearing a soft pink dress, looking the picture of shy innocence.

Vincent was right behind her.

"Ellie," she smiled, her voice dripping with weaponized sweetness. "Vincent insisted I come to you. He said you're the absolute best OB/GYN here. I just know my baby is in good hands with your skills."

I almost laughed.

Everyone in the OB/GYN department knew Vincent Hale was my husband.

If he paraded another woman in here for a prenatal checkup, the rumors of his affair would spread through the entire hospital in under an hour.

But bringing her directly to me? That was a different game entirely.

The spin would be that he was just a benevolent boss, pulling strings to get his subordinate the best medical care.

I pulled out a blank prenatal chart and started the standard intake.

"Last menstrual period?"

"March 12th."

"Any medical history?"

"None."

"Partner's name?"

Mia shot a sickeningly sweet glance at Vincent.

"Vincent Hale."

I wrote it down, my face a mask of stone.

"Any family history of genetic diseases?"

"None in mine," Mia tilted her head, feigning innocence. "And none in Vincent's, but you'd know that better than me, Ellie."

I didn't even look up as I checked the No box.

I was just about to order her ultrasound when my phone rang. It was the ICU nurse.

"Dr. Quinn! Your father is coding! We're moving him to the resuscitation room!"

I shot out of my chair. At the exact same second, Vincent's pager went off.

CT Surgery. They needed him for the code.

I texted the attending on call to cover my patients and sprinted for the door.

Behind me, Mia let out a delicate, pained whimper.

"Vincent... my stomach... it hurts so bad..."

I stopped in my tracks and looked back.

Vincent had stopped, too. He reached out to support Mia, frowning at me.

"Have Warren handle the code. I need to get Mia checked out first."

Two choices.

He chose Mia both times.

It didn't matter how much my father had done for him. It didn't matter that my father was fighting for his life in a resuscitation room.

I swallowed my rage and sprinted toward the ER.

Thank God they caught it in time.

Half an hour later, my dad was wheeled out, stabilized.

I followed him back to the ICU, sat by his bed, and gripped his hand.

He woke up. His lips moved weakly beneath the oxygen mask.

I leaned in close and heard him whisper, "Get Vincent out of here."

My head snapped up, my eyes burning.

He used to call Vincent "my boy." He treated him like his own flesh and blood.