You Had Me, You Lost Me, You'll Never Find Me novel Chapter 22

"Let go!"

Sylvia finally hit her breaking point. She violently wrenched her arm away, feeling as though Ashton's grip was about to snap her wrist in half. The pain was excruciating.

Seeing her wince in agony, Ashton reflexively loosened his hold, allowing her to break free.

Sylvia stepped into the office and slammed the door shut, not sparing him a single glance.

On the phone, Reina heard the commotion and asked worriedly, "Was that Sylvia? Is she okay? Please don't fight because of me. It's my fault for calling at a bad time..."

Staring at the closed door, Ashton masked the dark storm brewing in his eyes. "It has nothing to do with you. I'm hanging up now."

"Wait!" Reina cried out. "I think I just remembered where my sister's necklace is. Can you come help me look for it?"

Ashton paused for a second. "I'm on my way to pick you up."

He ended the call.

He twisted the doorknob and knocked a few times, but no one answered.

Keeping his voice perfectly flat, Ashton raised his volume enough to be heard through the door. "Sylv, something came up. I might not be able to pick you up later. Get your wound checked, and I'll have Finley come over. You can take his car home, alright?"

There was still no response from inside.

Ashton didn't linger. He had more pressing matters to attend to.

Passing the nurse's station, he paused, tapped the counter, and casually instructed an idle nurse, "Dr. Sterling needs an extra set of hands in his office. Go help him."

The young nurse had been scrolling through her phone. She looked up and found herself face-to-face with an incredibly handsome man radiating cold, arrogant authority.

He wore dark trousers and a black tailored T-shirt that clung perfectly to his frame. The fabric caught the light with a subtle sheen, clearly bespoke and not something picked off a department store rack.

Some people oozed wealth and status, no matter how understated their attire.

Intimidated by the commanding presence of a man clearly used to giving orders, the young nurse assumed he was a high-ranking hospital executive and scurried over without daring to ask questions.

-

Inside the office, Sylvia heard Ashton leave. Her eyes burned, and she lowered her gaze to hide the emotion.

The cut on her leg was somewhat deep. As Julian changed the dressing, he brushed against the tender skin and immediately asked, "Does it hurt?"

"It's fine."

Perhaps because she had been hit so often as a child, her pain tolerance was exceptionally high.

"Doesn't it hurt being abandoned?"

Not regret over failing to win an equal measure of Ashton's love, but regret that she might never be able to love anyone with that kind of all-consuming intensity ever again.

"This is the second time I've seen you cry over him," Julian remarked quietly, handing her a tissue. "Don't waste your tears on someone who isn't worth it."

Sylvia reached for the tissue, but Julian didn't let go. Instead, he gently wiped the tear from the corner of her eye himself.

She felt a flash of embarrassment, but his expression remained entirely earnest.

Unable to stop herself, Sylvia asked, "Dr. Sterling, are you this nice to all your patients?"

Julian glanced at her, an unreadable emotion swimming in his eyes. "No."

The sunlight caught the edge of his gold-rimmed glasses. He pushed them up the bridge of his nose and spoke in a slow, deliberate tone.

"I might have forgotten to mention this earlier, but I'm a fan of yours."

Sylvia's breath hitched, her pupils dilating slightly.

Julian looked at her with profound sincerity. "I've watched every single show you've been in."

"I've seen it. Your acting improves with every role. Every time I watch your new projects, I'm pleasantly surprised."

"I truly believe that sooner or later, you're going to be discovered by a much wider audience."