Chapter 4
Three days later. Draven showed up right on times
Maria wasn’t with him.
Maybe she’d finally learned not to push me too far.
He drove me straight to Aurelia Aesthetic Institute.
“Liora, trust me, I’ll restore your face,” he said. “We’ll go back to how things were,”
No, we wouldn’t
But I didn’t refuse.
I couldn’t face Ell… not with the face of the woman who killed him,
He would be afraid.
I lay down on that operating table again.
The cold seeped into my bones.
Memories crashed over me like a wave.
My body spasmed.
Draven moved closer, voice soft. “Llora, it’s okay. It’s all over now,”
I handed him the flash drive.
“Draven, listen to it.”
He nodded. “I will.”
Then he told the nurses to secure my arms and legs.
They prepped the anesthesia. The disinfectant stung the air.
The doors burst open.
Maris walked in like she owned the place, slipping her hand into Draven’s arm.
‘Draven… can I do Liora’s surgery?”
He frowned. “What?”
She pouted. “I’m technically the vice director here, but I’ve never even done a real procedure. People don’t respect me.”
This is perfect. Liora’s family. Even if I mess up, it’s fine. And you’ll be watching anyway, right?”
Chapter 4
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I started struggling violently.
“Draven, you can’t let her do this. She doesn’t know what she’s doing. You promised you’d handle it yourself.”
“You don’t get to lie to me again!”
He hesitated.
Just for a second.
Maris’s eyes filled with tears again.
She pulled her hand away.
“I knew it. I’ll never matter more than her.”
“If that’s how it is, I’ll just let everyone talk. I don’t need this baby either.”
Draven panicked.
“Maris, stop. Fine… fine, you win.”
“But I’ll be right here watching.”
She lit up instantly.
Thank you, Draven.”
I stared at him, eyes burning red.
The straps held me down. The nurses pressed harder.
“Draven Kessler… you’re not human.”
He touched my hair, guilt written all over his face.
“She may not have experience, but I’ll be here. Nothing will happen.”
Right then, a nurse rushed in.
“Dr. Kessler, there’s a patient dispute outside. She’s causing a scene and demanding to see you. She says she’ll call the
police if you don’t come.”
Draven hesitated, looked at me for a second, then turned away.
“Liora, this place is everything we built. You wouldn’t let it fall apart.”
“I’ll be right back.”
At the door, he told Maris, “Wait for me before you start.”
Then he left.
Chapter 4
44.44%
The second he was gone, Maris smiled.
Cold. Twisted.
She picked up the scalpel and hovered it over my face.
One of the nurses hesitated. “Ms. Hale… maybe we should wait-
Maris shot her a look.
“Draven will clean up whatever happens. I’ll cut however I want.”
“If you have a problem, get out.”
She leaned closer. “And don’t give her anesthesia.”
My blood ran cold.
“I want her awake for this.”
This is what happens when you try to take what’s mine.”
The room fell silent.
No one dared to move.
Then the screaming started.
Draven finished handling the dispute and rushed back, a strange sense of dread creeping in, though he couldn’t explain
why.
As he passed a group of nurses, they whispered.
“Did you hear? In the VIP OR, the vice director started cutting without anesthesia. The patient was screaming.”
“I know. It was supposed to be Draven’s case, but he got pulled away.”
“She didn’t even follow the surgical plan. Just did whatever she wanted. Didn’t treat her like a person at all.”
Draven’s face went white.
He broke into a run.
He reached the operating room and slammed his hand against the scanner.
