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."

Hours later, in a ward, April blinked awake.

"You are awake," Jorge said happily, his hands hovering near her in cautious support. She squinted against the bright lights. "Where are we, Jorge?" Her voice was weak, hoarse.

"Jupiter. We were chased off Earth," he replied dryly.

"What happened to me?" She pressed her fingers to her throbbing head.

"You died after Lana pushed you. Could have hit your head on the sand bucket and had a brain hemorrhage if he hadn't caught you," Jorge explained.

"He? Who?"

Jorge's grin widened. "Can't you guess?"

"Lu?" she asked tentatively.

He shook his head. "No. Your psycho."

April's eyes widened. "What? Was he there?"

"They would have shot Lana if they had guns," Jorge added, miming a small dramatic reenactment.

"They? Who?" April asked again.

"Your psycho and Lu. They went... no, Adrian went... what the hell, Lana? Do you want to rot in jail? Are you trying to kill her? And Lu went, 'I think you need to undergo surgery for a brain implant?'" he laughed.

But April didn't find it funny. If Lu was the cleaner's son, then why was he so interested in her welfare?

"And guess who carried you in here?" Jorge continued, leaning in with a teasing smirk.

"My dad?" April guessed hesitantly.

"No. Your psycho," Jorge said firmly.

"Oh my God! Stop kidding, Jorge!" She pushed herself upright, finally taking a deep breath.

Jorge leaned back, crossing his arms. "Right now, you are the most popular staff in the hospital, and it's only your first day.

"Really?" April's disbelief made her laugh nervously.

"Everyone has you on their lips, including the group chats. You are a total celebrity," Jorge said, fanning himself with a mock-dramatic flourish.

"Seriously?" April shook her head, trying to process it all.

"And the guy has been restless ever since. He has asked Lu to check on you a thousand times. I think he... likes you," Jorge said with a sly grin.

The mention of Lu now suddenly made her stomach dip. Who the hell was he and what was he up to?

"Stop dreaming," April waved Jorge off, though worry weighed heavily on her mind. "And my dad? What about him?"

"Don't worry, your dad doesn't have any idea about this. I told him you needed to clear your mind a bit, and would be on duty till evening," Jorge explained patiently.

"Okay... so where is he now? And Maya?" April asked, rubbing her temples gently, trying to keep her headache at bay.

Jorge leaned closer, lowering his voice slightly. "I think he is with Dr. Patrick... or maybe went to the pharmacy to grab some meds... or hustling for more cash... you know how your dad is."

April groaned, swiping a hand over her face. "Alright, I get it. Just... shut up." Her voice held more frustration.

Jorge sighed, his shoulders stiffening as he spoke. "I'm sorry about the house."

April arched an eyebrow. "You know about it?"

He nodded, shrugging slightly. "Your dad told me. Said you were pretty mad at him."

"Good thing he knows I am," April blurted quietly, her gaze drifting to space.

"But it's gonna be cool, April. He is buying a rooftop apartment. A developer wants your house," Jorge continued, his voice bubbling with excitement.

"Rooftop? He said that?" Her ears heated as if she could feel them burning.

"Yeah. Sounds cool, right?" Jorge grinned.

"Cool? What's cool about a dumb, two bedroom apartment from a six bedroom duplex? What developer? He said Frank was buying!" April snapped, deeper frustration lacing her words.

Jorge scratched his head, pretending to think deeply. "Ned told me. Frank is sly, you see. He is gonna buy it from your dad at a lower rate, then sell it to the developer at his desired price."

Ned was their close pal.

April's stare sharpened, incredulous. "Are you sure, Jorge? Why would he want to do that to us? Why not just lend us the money?"

"Because he is broke too. He is getting the cash to buy it from a loan, then after selling to the developer, he will get his profit and return the loan. You don't wanna know how much the profit will be," Jorge explained, leaning back in his chair.

"And how did Ned find out?" April pressed further, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Ned's got big ears. Frank talks too much. Plus, he is a regular at the Rollers Café, so Ned overheard," Jorge said, pulling his chair closer to her bed. "If I were you, I would focus on the upside, your own personal space on a whole roof. Have you thought about the view? The space? Have you imagined it?" His mischievous smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

April rolled her eyes and punched the bed lightly, shaking her head. "Why is everyone so crazy today, saying the stupidest things to me? Why do you think I passed out, Jorge?"

Jorge shook his head stiffly, like a robot trying to maintain composure. "I don't know," he admitted, but there was a faint smirk on his face. "Listen... another plus for the house is this: when you guys share a room, you get to be with your sisters all the time. You get closer..."

April's voice shot out before he could finish. "Just shut it, Jorge!!" Her hands flew to her head, rubbing furiously. Her frustration bubbled over.

Jorge chuckled at her reaction, shaking his head. April grabbed a pillow and threw it at him, her eyes wide with mock fury. He dodged with ease, and the pillow sailed past him... hitting Adrian squarely on the head. Adrian, who had just entered without knocking, spun around, red faced and glaring.

"Who did that?" His voice boomed through the room.

"Me?" April pointed to her chest, then at Jorge. "It was meant for him!"

Adrian's eyes roamed over her, assessing her ruffled hair and flushed cheeks. His gaze was piercing, like he was reading her thoughts.

"Do you need a brain check?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.

April froze for a moment, her senses tingling.

"What? Just because I threw an ordinary pillow?" she said, incredulous.

Adrian took a deep breath, hands in his pockets, and let his gaze linger on her. "..And you don't see the need to apologize?" he added, his voice even but heavy with unspoken tension.

"I owe you an explanation, sir, which you've received," April replied stiffly.

"That it was meant for Jorge, and I took the blow?" he demanded, eyebrow raised.

"What else do you want to hear?" April's defiance was unwavering.

Jorge spoke up quickly. "We are sorry about that, sir," he said politely.

Adrian nodded, turning his piercing gaze back to April. She met his stare head-on, feeling the thrill of the silent challenge. A small smile tugged at her lips. "Uhm... I think I'm gonna need that brain check," she decided.

"Obviously," he replied, not breaking eye contact.

"What?" she asked, noticing a flicker of something unreadable in his expression.

"I'm still waiting for the apology," Adrian said finally.