Chapter 358

Before lan could reply, a video call came through on Rowan's phone. He answered it with a lazy air. "It's the middle of the day. What's up?"

Rex Wilkinson, having just left the inpatient wing, had one hand in the pocket of his white coat. "I heard you got hurt. Just calling to check in."

Rowan's tone was icy. "Are you checking in, or are you here for the show?"

"...Ahem." Why was he always so direct? Rex cleared his throat, his eyes on the bruise. "Elissa must be worried sick, huh?"

It was like they were all determined to poke his sore spots. Last night, Elissa knew he and Frank had fought, but she hadn't sent a single text. This morning, he had tried to run into her at the elevators, only for Tanya Foster to inform him that Elissa had left for the clinic at dawn. So dedicated.

Annoyed, Rowan's voice was sharp. "Anything else? If not, I'm hanging up."

Rex wasn't about to miss a chance to twist the knife. "Still giving you the cold shoulder?"

"She's so focused on getting back with her ex, why would she talk to me?" Rowan sneered.

Rex burst out laughing. "...Getting back with him? No way. Didn't they just get divorced? Was she that dissatisfied with you that she realized Frank was better after all?"

Just as Rowan was about to retort, Rex's eyes widened at something off-screen, and he abruptly ended the call. Three seconds later, a voice message came through.

[I just spotted Elissa's best friend. Hold on, I'm about to sacrifice my good looks for you and get the inside scoop.]

Rowan almost laughed. He wondered who Rex was really making the sacrifice for, and if the girl in question even cared about his "good looks." He was acting like a martyr.

Tanya Foster seemed to be in a hurry. She strode into the inpatient wing, her heels clicking on the polished floor as she headed straight for the elevators, her skirt swirling around her legs.

Rex tried to catch up, but he just missed her elevator. Fortunately, it was a private hospital, so it wasn't as crowded as a public one, especially at this time of day. He checked the floor number where the elevator stopped and headed up.

The nurse at the reception desk greeted him warmly. "Dr. Wilkinson, aren't you heading back to the clinic? Did you leave something here?"

"No," Rex said, leaning an arm on the counter and glancing down the hall. "Did a woman in a red dress just come by to visit someone?"

"She did. She's here to see one of your patients." The nurse checked the registry and pointed. "Here, Marcella in room 19."

The patient had come in through the ER early that morning, and Rex had

operated on her before she was moved to the inpatient wing.

Rex nodded his thanks and walked toward the room, a frown on his face. It was a private room, and the door and window were open for ventilation. As he approached, he saw the woman who always gave him the cold shoulder, now smiling brightly as she peeled an apple. "Don't you worry, ma'am," she was saying. "I came as soon as I got Asher's call. He's already at the airport on his way back."

*Asher.*

Hearing that name come from her lips felt like a punch to the gut. Rex retreated to the smoking area at the end of the hall and chain-smoked two cigarettes before he calmed down. Just as he stubbed out the second one, the woman in red emerged from the room.

Tanya closed the door and turned around, coming face-to-face with the grim-faced doctor. She had seen his name on Marcella's chart; he was her attending physician.

Unfazed, she met his gaze, her voice light. "Dr. Wilkinson, I was hoping to ask about Marcella's condition. How long do you think she'll be in the hospital?"

"In what capacity are you asking?" Rex's voice was a low, biting sneer. "As my ex- girlfriend, or as the patient's prospective daughter-in-law?"

***