"And if the other staff find out, especially Nancy—I’m dood." She dropped Nancy’s na again, on purpose.
"Fine!" John slamd his hand on the desk. She had completely ruined his mood.
He jabbed a button and summoned a staff mber.
The staff arrived and knock, confused because the door was locked. When it clicked open and he saw John with a woman inside. The air between them strangely awkward.
"Yes, sir?" he asked, pretending he didn’t notice a thing.
"This is Cala, the new staff. She’ll be under you," John said, then dismissed them both imdiately.
...
At the Mother and Child Clinic, the nurse from room one called out. "Baby Elly."
A mother carrying her two-day-old baby stepped inside for a jaundice check. The nurse held the door open until the mother walked in, then closed it behind her.
"Have a seat, ma’am" Lyra said gently, guiding her toward the chair.
"We’ll check mama first, okay?" Lyra added. The mother handed her baby to the nurse, and Lyra began examining her.
Lyra checked her postpartum wound. "You’ve done well. It’s healing beautifully, and there’s no infection."
Then she helped the mother sit down and went over to the baby. Lyra pressed gently on the baby’s skin. There was a slight sign of jaundice.
The nurse handed over the baby’s weight, head circumference, and blood test results.
Lyra advised the mother to avoid als that contained ginger and black pepper for now, as those could make the baby’s jaundice worsen.
Once they were done, she called in the next patient. When her break finally rolled around, Lyra headed to another building in the hospital.
She stopped at Alex’s office, knocked. "Can I co in?"
She waited longer than she expected before Alex finally responded, "Co back later, okay? I’m on a call." Most likely, he had an urgent call.
"Alright," she replied, forcing a faint smile.
She’d ant to ask Alex to join her for lunch outside the hospital, but the mont slipped away. It looked like she’d be eating alone today. Usually, Edris was the one who kept her company.
She made the walk to the street-side stall by herself.
Lyra ate quietly, surrounded by the familiar mix of honking, passing cars, and vendors shouting out orders. She actually liked the noise. It made the place feel alive.
But her ease faded when soone unexpected crossed the road and headed straight toward her. Lucas had been trailing her from the mont she walked out, waiting for the right mont to show himself.
He looked rough. His hair had grown out a bit, dark circles clung under his eyes from lack of sleep, and the uneven stubble on his jaw showed he hadn’t bothered shaving.
"Can I sit with you?" he asked, his voice polite but edged with sadness.
Lyra recognized that voice instantly. She shot to her feet, the chair scraping against the pavent.
"Wait—I an no harm, please," Lucas said quickly, raising both hands.
"There are plenty of people around. I really an it. No harm. I just want to talk."
Lyra hesitated. He was right—the place was crowded, too many eyes for anything to go wrong.
She finally lowered herself back into her seat and continued eating, but she still refusing to look at him or say a word.
Lucas understood her gesture, she was on guard. He dragged a chair and sat, and only ordered plain water.
Lucas smiled awkwardly and began, "Thank you for giving a chance to talk."
Lyra checked the ti and said, "I only have five minutes for you." She sounded aloof and cold.
She didn’t give Lucas any room to think she had forgiven him. And Lucas got the ssage.
He was a bit regretful about what he had done to her.
"Lyra... I know I hurt you. I know I broke your trust. And I’m not here expecting forgiveness. I only want to own what I did."
Lucas drew in a breath, as he added, "After my terrible mistake in Bellwyn, father gave a choice—either marry the woman he chose, or leave for the US and never co back."
He paused for a mont, the words catching in his throat.
His chest felt heavy as he continued, "Of course I chose the US... and I’m leaving tonight."
Lyra’s chewing slowed as the weight of his words sank in. So Lucas had co to say goodbye.
"...this is our last mont, Lyra," he continued softly. "I owe you the truth. Please... just listen until the end."
Her heart softened just a little at the sight of him like this. She dabbed her lips with a napkin, then took a slow sip of her juice.
"What truth?" she asked.
"This is about Owen. If you et him, please don’t ignore him," Lucas said.
Lyra lifted her brows. "And why should I do that?" she asked, genuinely curious.
Guilt flickered across Lucas’s face. He took a small sip of his water, as if the taste alone could give him the courage to go on.
"You always talked about that masquerade night, and every ti you did, I avoided answering... because I was hiding sothing."
Lyra nodded slowly. It was the night she first t Lucas.
The party had carried a strange, alluring mystery. Beneath its pretty surface, behind every mask, there was a dark edge that made her uneasy. She rembered how unsafe she’d felt, surrounded by strangers whose intentions were anything but decent.
Drunk guests kept stumbling toward her, and so hid hungry eyes behind their masks, trying to coax her into warming their beds.
But Lucas had stepped in. He ca to her side and, without hesitation, chased off anyone who tried to bother her. The situation escalated, and a fight broke out.
In the chaos, a drunk guest swung a shard of broken glass at him, leaving a deep cut along Lucas’s neck.
"You know I’m not the type who goes to parties like that," Lucas said quietly. "Owen was the only one who attended. The man you t that night... that wasn’t . It was Owen."
Lyra froze, staring at him in disbelief.
"I know it sounds ridiculous," he added quickly.
"But when he ca ho injured, our parents panicked. I knew exactly what happened because I was there when he explain everything to them."
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