On the elevator ride down, April felt her cheeks burn. Her mind reeled, momentarily forgetting the humiliating fact that he had seen her pants down. She covered her face for a second, mortified beyond words.

He's got to be kidding.

There was no way he remembered a thing. She had to make sure he stayed confused, had to make him believe he was mistaken.

As soon as she stepped outside the hospital premises to get some air, someone nudged her, and she nearly jerked out of her skin.

"April!"

"Jorge!" She fell straight into his arms. Her only safe space. Her tall, lanky childhood best friend with impossible blue eyes.

"Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost," Jorge said, examining her closely.

"Where have you been?!" She pulled back with furrowed brows, deliberately switching the attention away from herself. "If we had come together like we planned, that idiot wouldn't have bullied me in the elevator."

Jorge let out a humorless laugh. "What idiot? Who?"

"I don't know. Some psycho who carries himself like his dad owns the entire place."

Jorge burst into laughter. "Maybe you've already caught his attention. He probably has a crush on you."

"Crush my foot."

"So where exactly are we heading?" he asked, watching her exhale like she had just run a marathon.

"Here."

"Here where?" He glanced around, confused.

"Just... here," she sighed. "I need real air, Jorge. You won't believe this. He barged into me in the bathroom and called me a maniac."

"No way!"

"Believe me! He walked in like he owned the place. The worst part?" She winced. "My pants were down when he came in."

Jorge gasped, slapping a hand over his mouth.

"Tell me you're kidding, April. What the hell was he doing in the ladies' bathroom?"

"Uhm..." April cringed. "It was actually the gents."

Jorge threw his head back, laughing even harder.

"Jorge, it's not funny!"

"Says who?" He wheezed dramatically. "Oh, and that reminds me. Let me tell you something else that isn't funny. We went to see our professor for the first day briefing... but since you weren't there, he was furious."

April slapped both hands over her mouth. "Oh my God. Really? What did he say?"

"He was pissed that we weren't complete, so there was no briefing. I heard he doesn't tolerate nonsense, and could even fire you on your first day if he thinks you're dumb. I hope he doesn't think you are."

"But he hasn't even met me yet!"

"Listen, April." Jorge lowered his voice. "We need to be careful. Our professor actually owns this hospital. Nobody messes with him."

April flipped her hair back with a scoff. "Fine. Let's go before we ruin our futures."

They turned around, only to nearly collide with a group of paramedics rushing critically injured patients inside on oxygen, each strapped to fast-moving gurneys. Alarms blared in sharp, frantic bursts.

Jorge, who had been slightly ahead, stopped abruptly. He grabbed April's wrist with sudden urgency.

"Wait. Look at that hand."

April followed his gaze, her heart instantly slamming against her ribs. The hand dangling weakly off the gurney wore a familiar bangle, one she had seen almost every day of her childhood.

Her lungs tightened.

"That's... Maya's bracelet," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Jorge... that's Maya's. That's definitely hers."

Maya was April's younger sister.

But deep down, April knew that the bracelet on Maya's hand was that same bracelet Adrian has given her twelve years back. For some dumb reasons, she had held tightly to it and now it was going to be her doom.

For a fleeting moment, they stood frozen. Then their voices broke out together.

"It's Maya!"

They bolted after the gurney as the paramedics rushed toward the emergency room.

"Please wait!" April cried, her breath hitching painfully. "That's my sister! Please, please, stop!"

She tried to reach for Maya, her fingers shaking, torn between taking the bracelet off her hand and worried about her severe condition, but a paramedic gently yet firmly blocked her.

April's voice cracked. "What happened? What, what happened to her?"

"There was an accident," the paramedic said quickly as they wheeled the gurney inside. "But she will be fine, ma'am. Please step back."

April and Jorge went in after them, refusing to lose sight of her. Machines beeped rapidly as doctors swarmed around Maya.

A nurse stepped forward, her expression tight with practiced urgency. "You both need to stand back. If she is your sister, call your parents immediately. She will need emergency surgery."

"S-surgery?" April's voice splintered as her stomach dropped. Her vision blurred. Money. Bills. Debt. "Is she going to be alright? Please, just tell me she will be okay."

"Yes," the nurse replied briskly, attempting reassurance. "But it's serious. There was a car accident. Her ribs broke and punctured her lungs. We will have to remove part of her lung and repair the ribs before they cause further damage."

April swallowed hard, forcing her voice steady. "Please. Let me in first. As you can see, I'm a staff member here and..."

"Are you sure?" a deep voice cut through the chaos.

April stiffened and turned sharply.

It was Adrian, already in scrubs, gloves halfway on, clearly preparing for surgery. Her gaze dropped to the name badge pinned to his uniform, and realization struck hard.

So he was the one in charge.

She cursed herself for not connecting the name sooner. Adrian Smith.

His expression was unreadable, but his eyes locked onto hers like he had been waiting for this moment.

"What?" she snapped, unrepentant, determined to keep him believing he had mistaken her for someone else. "Are you planning to fire me right now?"

"Are you really asking?" He arched an eyebrow, stepping closer. "Oh. So now you know me?"

"Listen," she said sharply, "that's my sister over there, and I don't have time for your..."

"She will be fine," he cut in coldly. "Why didn't you report with your colleagues when you were summoned?"

April rolled her eyes hard. "Look here, psycho. My sister's life is on the line, and you are blabbing about this?"

A low ripple of gasps and murmurs spread across the room.

Adrian's eyes widened slowly.

"Psycho?" He stared at her in disbelief. "Did you just call me that?"

"You are a doctor, for goodness' sake!" April flailed her hands in the air. "Why would you revere a meaningless summons over someone's life? How does that even make sense?" she flared.

"Are you nuts? Or is this your idea of blackmail?" Adrian snapped, then gestured sharply behind her. "Her treatment has already commenced while you're standing here yelling. You know you're in the wrong and are only trying to use her as a façade. Isn't that it?"

"Really?!" April shot back heatedly. "My sister is fighting for her life, and here you are whining about why I didn't show up?"

He pointed a finger at her. "I don't want to hear that line again if you don't want to lose your job."

"I bet you would be a real psycho if you fired me over personal issues that have nothing to do with work."

"Real what? Real psycho?" He scoffed, leaning forward slightly. "Did you say personal issues? Like not reporting when you're summoned? Or like right now, when I called for a meeting and you're here arguing your ass off?"

"Hey!" April raised a hand between them. "Don't use derogatory terms on me, bro. And you know exactly why I'm here. Or is my sister's life..."

"Bro?" Adrian snorted loudly, glancing around the room. "Who is your freaking bro, maniac?"

That was when April realized the entire ER had gone dead silent. Only the soft beeping of monitors filled the space. Every eye was on them, wide, stunned, whispering.

Her chest burned from the inside out, and her vision blurred. She spun around quickly before the tears could spill, stalking out of the ER with shaking hands. Jorge called after her and hurried behind.

"Hey!" Adrian barked at him. "Are you her bodyguard or something?"

Jorge paused, breathing hard. "No, uhm... I'm her twinie."

"What?" Adrian frowned. "You're twins?"

"Not literally."

Adrian's frown deepened. "What do you mean, not literally? Are you her brother or not?"

Jorge felt his pulse spike. He dragged in a breath. "She is my sister."

"What's your last name?"

"Schneider."

"And hers?"

"Scott."

"And you're siblings?"

"That's why I said not literally. We're just childhood friends."

Adrian rolled his eyes in irritation. "Are you sure you're okay? You don't need a checkup?" He scoffed. "Listen, man, if you two think you can waltz around here and ignore my orders, I will show you who's boss. Get back. I called for a meeting."

He tugged off his gloves aggressively and stormed out, clearly intent on tracking down April to unload even more fury.

But he barely stepped into the hallway before colliding with Lana Hayes, his girlfriend.

Her eyes flashed with accusation. "You care to tell me what the hell is going on, Adrian? What am I hearing? Who is your secret girlfriend?"

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Back off, Lana."

"I should back off?" she shrilled. "You won't talk to me? You won't explain anything?"

"We both know what our relationship is like." His tone dipped into mild annoyance. "And I don't understand why you love building skyscrapers over trivial issues."

"This is not trivial, Adrian. I'm talking about us!"

"Are you not on duty?" he asked flatly.

"I am," she snapped. "You are my duty. And I won't sit back and watch some slut do as she pleases around you."

He froze. "Slut? Who is the slut?"

"What? You want to defend her now?"

"Who or what do you think she is to me?"

"Exactly what I'm trying to find out!"

"Good," he said calmly. "Then try harder." He tapped her shoulder and walked away without looking back.

April couldn't stop crying. She wandered down the corridor aimlessly, vision blurred, breathing uneven. Her shoulders trembled as she tried and failed to wipe away her tears.

Lu, another doctor and Adrian's best friend, darted out from the next ER after her. He had kept his eyes on her ever since she stepped in.

"April! April, wait, are you okay?" He pulled her gently toward him, examining her face. "Come on. Come with me."

And not far behind them, Adrian's footsteps echoed down the hallway. He followed too.

"Let me take you to my office," Lu said softly, guiding April inside. She almost asked how he knew her name, but decided to brush it aside for later.

He was a cardiac surgeon, and the walls reflected it, charts of human hearts taped everywhere, diagrams layered over one another, and a life-sized anatomical heart model standing like a silent guard in the corner.

She followed him in and practically collapsed onto the sofa. The tears slipped out again, and she broke down completely.

Lu's face softened. If he hadn't witnessed the argument himself, he would have sworn Adrian had slapped her. He grabbed a box of tissues and handed it to her.

April snatched a few and wiped her face with trembling hands. When her sniffles eased just a little, he leaned forward.

"Why are you crying?"

"I dunno..." she sniffed, her voice small.

"Did he just break up with you?"

Her head snapped up. The glare she shot him could have bored holes into his skull.

After a moment, she hesitated and sighed.

"Yeah," she muttered flatly.

Lu blinked. "Wow. How long have you guys been together?"

April wiped her nose loudly. "You believe me? I'm kidding, okay? Would I be so nuts to cry over a dumb breakup when I don't even know if my sister will live or die?"

Lu's expression shifted instantly. "Oh... I'm really sorry about that." He paused, unsure what to say. "But you really know who he is, don't you?"

"Not at first. But now I do, and honestly, I don't think I want to care. He is not my God, or my parachute, or my life jacket or anything," she blurted.

Lu chuckled under his breath.

April sniffed. "If he kicks me out of here, there are a million and one other hospitals waiting for me, you know..."

"Mmh... you are right," Lu nodded, amused.

"And I wouldn't even mind telling him that to his face if he ever threatens to fire me," she added.

Lu raised an eyebrow. "You do realize you will need a recommendation. Something nice from your previous workplace."

April's face lit up with sarcastic excitement. "You are right. And imagine the new hospital finding out I was fired because he acts like a wild bear."

Lu laughed once. "Though the funny irony here is... everyone thinks you two are dating."

April jerked her head up. "That's the impression? This is actually my first day here. And I just met that psycho in the elevator this morning."

"Psycho?"

"Yep. Psycho. He glared at me and asked if I was stepping in or not. I almost rolled my eyes out of my head. Then he started calling me names, and when I asked if he was a doctor or not, he went, 'What do I look like?' and I said, 'Psycho!'"

Lu's mouth dropped open. "You actually said that to him?"

"Yep. And he accidentally met me at the gents, my bad, and called me a maniac. He was even going to harass me, but I shushed him," April said proudly.

"Wait, what? You did what?" Lu sounded both horrified and intrigued.

"I shut him up," she repeated. "He left like a wounded lion."

Lu burst into full laughter.

A voice sliced through the room.

"What's so funny?"

They both turned instinctively.

Adrian stood at the door, watching them. He stepped in and shut it behind him, his expression unreadable.

"You are an interesting being, aren't you?" Adrian said, pointing at April. "A maniac. A liar. A crybaby..." He let out a low chuckle.

"Come on, cool it, man," Lu said.

Adrian rounded on him. "What's wrong with you? Were you infected? Do you actually believe her nonsense and laugh at me?"

Lu lifted his hands. "Take a deep breath, dude. I'm just catching the fun of it."

"Fun of what? This dummy talking crap about me?" Adrian's voice sharpened.

Lu's smile faded. He stood. "Hey. Stop it. The only dummy in this hospital is Lana Hayes, and we both know it."

"Yeah, and she's just been added to the list," Adrian shot back, pointing at April.

"Her sister is in critical condition," Lu said sharply. "You don't have to be so hard on her. At least not right now."

Adrian's eyes widened a fraction. "Wait, are you defending her? This maniac from nowhere? Over your best friend?" He jabbed a finger toward April.

"She is not a maniac. And you deserved whatever she gave you if you were calling her names and treating her like an outcast."

Adrian scoffed. "Are you painting me black now? Have you heard my side of the story? Or is she your girlfriend? Did you two already make out? How does she taste?"

Lu's entire face changed.

"Shut the hell up, Adrian! And stop spitting trash!"

Adrian scoffed again. "Are you yelling at me now? Over this dumb issue?"

"Exactly," Lu snapped. "It's dumb. Too dumb for you to be standing here labeling her with mean names while her sister is over there fighting for her life."

Adrian stepped closer, his voice low. "There is something you're not saying, Lucas." He leaned in. "Do you like her?"

Lu stiffened. "Do you care? I'm just glad you hate her guts."

"Who said I do?" Adrian whispered.

Lu froze.

"What? You can't like her. You've never liked any nurse here, no matter how gorgeous they are, and she's just one of them."

Adrian smirked. "Who said she is?"

Lu stared at him. "Wait... what? You like her?"

"Shut up," Adrian snapped, stealing a glance at April.

Meanwhile, April sat quietly, wondering why they had suddenly shifted from yelling at each other to whispering. Whatever it was, her mind was far from their argument. She hadn't phoned her dad yet. And her phone, Jorge had it.

Her thoughts crashed into memories of Maya. What if she died like their mum? Their mother had battled cancer for over a year before finally giving up.

Tears returned.

Her mind drifted back to Adrian's accusation. He had been so certain of what he was saying. Who could the woman's son be? Should she ask him? No. He would be too smug and sure of himself, proud of his stupid conclusions.

She tried to shake the thought from her head as she stood abruptly. The guys stopped whispering and turned to look at her,both of them suddenly silent.

She quickly wiped her eyes.

"Where are you going?" Lu asked gently.

"I need to call my dad," she murmured.

Lu walked over, handed her more tissues, and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder as he led her out.

"Stop crying. I can assure you she'll be fine. We have good hands here, okay?"

April nodded, glancing once at Adrian as they left. Their eyes met for a fleeting moment. She couldn't read his expression. Anger? Guilt? Ego? Or something else?

She didn't know. Nonetheless, as Lu took her hand, she sighted something sticking out of his breast pocket.

Maya's bracelet.

Her heart pounded instantly as fear clouded her features, but she didn't show it. Was Lu the cleaner's son? Well, she couldn't tell as he flashed her an alluring smile, leading her on.

"How did you know my name, by the way?" She managed to ask.

Unfortunately he had no chance to reply as they walked into her dad, and a nurse passing by, called for Lu. He flashed April a wink and a quick goodbye with the sweetest smile.

"See you later, okay?"

She forced back a smile and a wave before following her dad to the ICU where Maya was.

This was really creepy. Now, should she ask Adrian about Lu? She wondered. No way. She would rather find out things herself than make him think less of her, she decided. Her train of thoughts was paused when she saw the condition of her sister as they stepped into the ICU.

The doctor in charge of her case explained that Maya would need major surgery due to a crack near the base of her skull.

April's stomach churned. Surgery meant money.

Money they didn't have.

Her dad ran a hair salon and took odd jobs just to keep their home standing. And they were still struggling to clear the debts from their mother's illness.

He looked worn out.

"Hey, sweetie." He pulled her into a tight hug as she stood by her sister's bedside. She swallowed the urge to cry.

"She's gonna be alright, okay?"

"Yeah, I know," April said bitterly. "I've heard that line a million times."

"And you'll keep hearing it because it's true."

April folded her arms anxiously. "Dad... what about the bills? Where are we supposed to get all that money from?"

"Don't worry. I have the money."

April stared at him blankly. "You have what? Dad, don't tell me you sold the house."

He looked away.

"You tell me what I should have done when the bank has been breathing down our necks."

April's voice rose. "But you were supposed to hang in there until I got something, anything. How much do you think I will be paid here? Peanuts?"

He sighed heavily. "April... it's not just the house. We are in deep debt. I borrowed for your exams, Maya's school, your mum's hospital bills..."

She exploded. "I was a scholarship student! You only paid my exam fee. And why bring Mum up now? Didn't Uncle Hammer take care of everything?"

His voice softened, but there was finality in it.

"Our house is being sold. That's the only way to pay our debts and Maya's bills."

April shook her head. "No. That was Mum's life savings too. And you just woke up one day and sold it?"

"You think I wanted this?" he fired back, his pulse rising. "Frank is buying it. And maybe, if things change, we can buy it back later."

April stared at him. "Dad, what is this? Old Testament thinking? And if Frank is really your friend, why can't he lend you the money instead?"

"It's not that simple."

"Because it doesn't make sense!"

He rubbed his face. "You won't understand."

"And I don't need to," April snapped. "Just don't sell it. For Mum's sake. For ours. I will figure something out."

"Figure out what? Do you know how much this costs? Should we end up on the streets before you understand?"

"I will take care of Maya's bills! Dad, trust me..."

"Stop being stubborn, April. We are moving in two weeks. I've found an apartment."

Her heart cracked. "Really? You already concluded everything... without telling me?"

"April, listen..."

She didn't wait to hear the rest. She walked out before he could finish.

She moved blindly down the corridor, eyes wet again, and almost collided with someone.

"Wow, wow, wow... look who we've got here."

Lana Hayes blocked her path, folding her arms beneath her chest as if she had been waiting for this moment.

April's voice was tired. "Excuse me, Lana. I'm not in the mood."

Lana smirked. "I beg your pardon? Don't tell me you were dumped."

April clenched her jaw. "Lana, my sister is in the ICU and..."

"And I'm going to strangle you if you don't tell me the truth," Lana said lightly, lifting her chin, deadly playful.

April blinked. "What stupid truth?"

"How long have you and Adrian been dating?" Lana demanded.

April sighed deeply, slumping slightly as if the weight of the world rested on her shoulders.

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" she said quietly.

"So it is true, huh?" Lana pressed, stepping closer, eyes narrowing as if she could burn through April with a glare.

"No, it's not. I barely know him," April replied, shaking her head tiredly.

"You're a liar! I was at the ER door, I saw everything. No minion ever stands up to him like that without losing her job," Lana snapped, leaning forward.

April rubbed her temples, exhausted. "I'm on the verge of finding out if I even still have my job, ma'am. And stop calling me a minion."

"Shut the hell up!" Lana yelled. "That's exactly what you are! And guess what, you're not just a minion, but a liar, a flirt, and a slut. You made out with him in the elevator and the toilet, didn't you?"

April held her throbbing head. "Lana, I really can't do this right now. Check the footage if you doubt me," she pleaded weakly.

Lana scoffed. "Footage in the elevator and toilet? Are you dumb or just pretending to be smart?"

Naomi appeared then, walking with two first-year nurses. Her brow furrowed.

"What's going on, Lana?"

"She's Adrian's secret girlfriend," Lana announced triumphantly.

Naomi froze. "What? April?"

"It's not true," April said faintly, dizziness creeping in.

The slap came out of nowhere, hot, sharp, brutal.

"April!" Naomi screamed, rushing forward.

The world tilted. Darkness crowded her vision before everything went black.

Adrian arrived just in time, catching April as she fell.

Naomi and the other nurses scrambled to stabilize her. Adrian's voice thundered over the chaos.

"What the hell, Lana?! Do you want to rot in jail? Are you trying to kill her?" He shoved Lana away.

"Oh, are you here to defend your baby?" Lana sneered, arms crossed.

"What baby?" Adrian snapped. "What are you? A nurse or a murderer? Is this what you learned in medical school?"

Lana's nostrils flared. "Adrian, do you hear yourself? You know who you are talking to, right?"

"Yeah," he shot back. "So what?"

Lu emerged from a nearby ward, having heard the commotion. He took everything in at a glance, anger blazing as he turned to Lana.

"I really think you need surgery for a brain implant," he said coldly. "Your behavior is highly abnormal."