?

  The afternoon had been warm, the picnic filled with laughter and teasing, but now, everything had shifted.

  Luca had been joking just moments ago. Now, he was doubled over, his face pale, his breathing uneven.

  “Luca?” Camille’s voice was sharp with concern as she crouched beside him. “What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t know,” he gritted out. His hand clutched his lower right abdomen, his fingers digging into the fabric of his shirt.

  Elara looked around in panic. “Did he eat something bad?”

  Mira narrowed her eyes. No. This isn’t food poisoning.

  Something about this was too sudden.

  And then, a car appeared in the distance.

  Mira’s breath hitched. She didn’t think, she ran.

  She waved her arms frantically, stepping onto the road as the car approached. “HEY! STOP!”

  The car slowed. Then stopped.

  The window rolled down.

  And Mira paused.

  Because the driver was Adrian.

  For a second, neither of them spoke.

  Adrian’s sharp amber eyes assessed her immediately, her breathless panic, the way she had just thrown herself onto the road. His gaze flickered past her, to Luca, curled in pain, and the others kneeling beside him.

  Adrian exhaled through his nose. Then, calmly:

  “What happened?”

  Mira grabbed the car door, pulling it open. “Luca, something’s wrong with him. He, ”

  She didn’t even need to finish.

  Adrian was already moving.

  He stepped out of the car, his long coat shifting slightly as he crouched beside Luca, completely unfazed by the scene of confusion.

  Camille’s eyes widened. “Adrian?”

  Adrian didn’t acknowledge her. His focus was already on Luca.

  “Where does it hurt?” His voice was calm, precise.

  Luca, barely managing to speak, gestured weakly to his right abdomen.

  Adrian’s expression didn’t change. His hand pressed down.

  The moment his fingers met the area,

  Luca jerked violently. “SH*T, !”

  Adrian ignored the reaction. He pressed again, then suddenly released.

  Luca inhaled sharply, his body tensing in agony.

  “Acute appendicitis.”

  Adrian’s words dropped like a stone.

  Mira’s chest tightened. So it really was that.

  Camille’s mouth opened, but no words came out.

  Elara’s face drained of color. “Appendicitis? But, but then he, ”

  Adrian’s sharp gaze flickered to her. “He needs a hospital. Now.”

  Mira clenched her jaw. “I figured, but we’re too far, and an ambulance will take too long.”

  Adrian exhaled. Then he turned, stepping toward his car.

  “Get him in.”

  Mira blinked. “What?”

  Adrian opened the back door. “I’ll drive.”

  No hesitation. No second-guessing. Just pure certainty.

  Mira didn’t waste time questioning. Between her and Elias, they helped Luca up, guiding him toward the car.

  “Wait,” Camille blurted. “Shouldn’t we, ”

  Adrian cut her off. “Follow behind. We’ll meet at the hospital.”

  He didn’t wait for a response before sliding into the driver’s seat.

  Mira climbed in beside Luca, steadying him as he groaned.

  As soon as the door shut,

  The car peeled off.

  ?

  The car skidded to a sharp stop in front of the emergency entrance. Before the engine had fully settled, Mira was already pushing the door open.

  Adrian stepped out calmly, as if he hadn’t just driven like a man who understood every second counted.

  But he did.

  Luca groaned, his face damp with sweat. Elias immediately moved to his side, looping an arm around his waist.

  "Got you, man," Elias muttered, steadying him.

  A nurse rushed forward, spotting Luca’s state. “What happened?”

  Adrian’s voice was clipped, efficient. "Suspected acute appendicitis. Onset of sharp localized pain in the lower right abdomen, rebound tenderness, nausea, needs immediate evaluation for emergency surgery."

  The nurse’s eyebrows shot up, not just at the diagnosis but at the precise way Adrian delivered it.

  She nodded swiftly, motioning to the on-call staff. “We’re taking him in. Family member?”

  Elias didn’t hesitate. “I’m his emergency contact.”

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  The medical staff took over, easing Luca onto a stretcher. He let out a strained groan but didn’t resist. He was too far gone to argue.

  As the doors swung open, Elias jogged alongside him. "I'll go with him!"

  Mira and Adrian stayed behind.

  A brief silence settled between them as they watched Elias disappear into the brightly lit corridor.

  Then Mira straightened, pushing her hair back. Paperwork.

  She turned on her heel toward the reception desk, Adrian matching her pace.

  The front desk receptionist barely glanced up as they approached. She was mid-sip of her coffee, flipping through files.

  Mira tapped the counter. “Luca Moretti. Emergency admission.”

  The receptionist blinked, then sighed, reaching for a form. "Relation to the patient?"

  Elias was already inside, which meant…

  Mira and Adrian glanced at each other.

  Adrian, ever the pragmatist, spoke first. “Close friends.”

  Mira nodded. "Practically family."

  The receptionist hummed and slid the paperwork across the counter. “Fill these out. We need medical history, allergies, insurance details, ”

  "Insurance card should be with him," Mira cut in, grabbing a pen.

  Adrian pulled his phone out, already looking up emergency procedures.

  Mira scanned the form, her mind racing through what she knew about Luca. No allergies. No major medical conditions. No prior surgeries.

  She scribbled answers, flipping to the next page.

  Adrian, meanwhile, leaned over slightly, eyes sharp. "Make sure they assign him to a senior surgeon."

  Mira glanced at him. "They will, right?"

  Adrian’s gaze didn’t waver. "Not unless we push for it."

  Mira pursed her lips. Right.

  She turned back to the receptionist. “We want the best available surgeon. This is a critical case.”

  The receptionist arched a brow but didn’t argue, typing into the system. “Dr. Laurent is on shift, he specializes in gastrointestinal surgery.”

  Adrian nodded slightly. “He’s good. Take it.”

  Mira signed the final page, sliding the form back across the counter.

  The receptionist barely looked up. “You’ll be notified once he’s prepped for surgery. Have a seat.”

  Mira exhaled, stepping away from the desk.

  She spotted the rows of chairs along the waiting area, uncomfortable, stiff-looking, the kind that made time feel slower.

  Instead of sitting, she crossed her arms and paced.

  Adrian, on the other hand, simply leaned against the wall, watching her.

  A few beats of silence passed.

  Then,

  "You’re overthinking," he noted, voice even.

  Mira shot him a look. “And you’re too calm.”

  “Because panicking doesn’t help.”

  Mira let out a breath, rubbing her arms. "Yeah, well… it's Luca."

  "He'll be fine."

  Mira stilled at the way how he said it.

  There was no empty reassurance. No forced optimism. Just the certainty of someone who never wasted words.

  And somehow, that made her feel a little better.

  ?

  The waiting room was save for the occasional announcement over the hospital intercom. Mira sat stiffly, arms crossed, her eyes darting to the clock every few minutes. Elias sat beside her, his law textbook open on his lap, though he hadn’t flipped a page in a while.

  Across from them, Adrian Vale remained composed, shoulders relaxed, hands loosely folded, gaze steady but distant. He hadn’t checked his phone, hadn’t sighed in impatience. He was simply there, waiting.

  And that, more than anything, unsettled Mira.

  Footsteps echoed down the hallway. Elara, Camille, Naomi, and Valeria arrived, carrying a small duffle bag, Luca’s belongings, and a bag of snacks.

  “We brought Luca’s stuff,” Elara said, catching her breath. “And some snacks, figured he’d be starving when he wakes up.”

  Adrian, without missing a beat, said, “Hospital food would be better.”

  The group turned to him, confused.

  “He just had surgery,” Adrian continued, his tone calm. “He won’t be able to eat normal food right away.”

  A brief silence.

  Elias, always composed, closed his book and looked at Adrian. “Thank you.” His voice was steady, sincere but without unnecessary sentiment. Then, shifting focus, he asked, “How long do you think he’ll need to stay?”

  Adrian’s gaze remained steady. “Appendicitis surgery is routine. Unless there were complications, he shouldn’t be here for more than three days.”

  That made sense. But the fact that Adrian knew that, said it so naturally, still caught them off guard.

  Before anyone could respond further, the door to Luca’s room opened, and a doctor stepped out.

  The group immediately stood.

  “How is he?” Mira asked.

  The doctor gave them a reassuring nod. “The surgery went well. He’ll be hospitalized for about three days, and he cannot eat normal food right away.”

  Silence.

  Everyone turned to Adrian.

  Who had just said exactly that.

  Elara blinked. Naomi and Valeria exchanged glances. Camille pressed her lips together, visibly holding back a comment.

  Mira, meanwhile, stared at Adrian, gears turning in her mind.

  Then, almost too formally, they all turned back to him and, in perfect politeness, said:

  “Thank you.”

  Adrian merely nodded.

  But the group, as they stood in that hospital hallway, couldn’t shake one persistent thought.

  He didn’t just help. He didn’t just drive Luca to the hospital.

  He was still here.

  Waiting.

  And, slowly, their gazes drifted from Adrian,

  To Mira.

  Then back to Adrian.

  But this time, no one said a word.

  As soon as the doctor left, the group rushed into Luca’s hospital room, their energy filling the space.

  Luca, lying in bed with a slightly drowsy expression, blinked at the sudden influx of visitors. Then, as expected, his signature smirk appeared.

  “Well, well,” he drawled, “I survive a life-threatening ordeal, and suddenly, I’m the most popular guy in the room.”

  Elara rolled her eyes, placing his bag on the chair beside him. “It was appendicitis, not a dramatic near-death experience.”

  Naomi grinned. “But go on, bask in the attention while you can.”

  Valeria leaned closer. “We even brought snacks.” She waved the bag playfully. “But apparently, someone thinks hospital food is better.”

  At that, everyone subtly glanced at Adrian, who stood near the door, still composed, still distant.

  Luca landed his eyes on Adrian. “Didn’t take you for the kind of guy to wait around for people, Adrian.”

  Adrian unfazed. “I don’t.”

  A pause. Then, to everyone’s mild surprise, Luca’s smirk softened just a little. “Still. Thanks.”

  It was short, simple, but genuine.

  Adrian gave a slight nod in response, acknowledgment, nothing more.

  But, of course, the teasing wasn’t over.

  “Man, you should’ve seen Mira,” Camille said, a mischievous glint in her eye. “She was so worried.”

  “Shut up,” Mira muttered, already sensing where this was going.

  “She kept looking at the clock like she was counting down to disaster,” Valeria added, grinning.

  “Practically pacing,” Naomi chimed in.

  “And don’t forget how she kept, ”

  “Enough!” Mira cut in, cheeks warming.

  Luca chuckled, about to say something when,

  A sharp exhale. His smirk twitched. His body instinctively moved as if to laugh, but he immediately winced, his hand flying to his stomach.

  The group stilled.

  And then,

  “You’ll feel fine soon,” Adrian said, voice calm but firm. “But don’t move too much. Internal stitches can reopen if you’re careless.”

  Luca blinked, caught slightly off guard by the warning.

  “If you start bleeding internally, you won’t feel it right away,” Adrian continued, his tone clinical. “But you will end up back in surgery.”

  The room fell into silence.

  Luca, usually the one making the jokes, suddenly found himself on the receiving end of something entirely different.

  “Fine…,” he said after a beat, adjusting his position more carefully.

  Adrian glanced at him once more, as if assessing whether the warning had been properly absorbed. Then, seemingly satisfied, he turned toward the door.

  “Try not to be reckless.”

  And with that, he walked out.

  The door clicked shut behind him, leaving the group frozen for a moment. Then,

  They all turned to Mira.

  “What?” she said, defensive before they even spoke.

  Elara crossed her arms, smirking. “Mira, dear, would you care to explain why Adrian Vale, the person who doesn’t waste time on anyone, waited here for hours?”

  Camille grinned. “Not just waited. Stayed. Gave medical advice. Almost sounded concerned.”

  The teasing only got worse from there.

  Luca, still grinning despite his stitches, leaned back against the pillow. “Well, well, looks like I’m not the most interesting patient here after all.”

  ?