“Not here,” he said quietly. The tone was pure warning: not in front of anyone else.
Nina arched a brow.
“Then maybe we can stop by a restaurant?” she suggested calmly.“To talk.”
He clearly hated that idea.
“I don’t have time. I’ve got an emergency surgery in an hour.I need to start prepping.”
He probably expected her to back off. To take the hint.
But not tonight.
Nina folded her arms, took a breath—then noticed her top button had come undone, exposing more of her neckline than she liked. She fumbled to button it, cheeks warming.
“No problem. I’ve got plenty of free time. I’ll wait,” she said, her voice uneven with nerves.
Jasper went still. Something flickered in his eyes—annoyance, frustration… or fear of the conversation itself?
Was he avoiding his past too? Afraid for the reputation of the country’s top cardiothoracic surgeon?What would people say if they learned the kinds of things he’d done?
“It’s going to take hours. Let’s pick another day.”
Why was he so desperate to get rid of her? Nina studied him, suspicion prickling. Was he afraid someone might see them together?
“I’ll wait,” she repeated, an odd mix of anger and stubbornness rising in her chest. Maybe she truly was losing her mind—but she wasn’t stopping now.
She followed Jasper Garth into the clinic. He walked ahead, greeting staff as he passed. Nina tried to match his pace, her heels tapping sharply against the freshly polished hospital floors.
He was tense. She noticed immediately. As if her being near him was the splinter under his skin.
Shouldn’tshe be the tense one? Shouldn’tshe be the one afraid? But it almost felt like he was.
She didn’t say anything—just followed him, feeling the weight of the stares on her back. Whether it was surprise or curiosity, she couldn’t tell.
He stopped in front of a door, opened it, and gestured for her to step inside.
“Wait here. If you want, you can lock it from the inside. If you get tired of waiting—just leave.”
Nina nodded. A tight, uneasy feeling twisted inside her, but she forced herself to walk in. The room was simple—standard furniture, nothing extra.
Jasper slipped off his suit jacket and hung it neatly over the back of a chair. Then he grabbed a white lab coat, pulled it on, and buttoned it up. He adjusted his badge, opened a small locker, and took out a pair of scrub shoes.
Nina noticed his gaze flick toward her—just for a moment.
Something passed in his expression… doubt?
Or caution?
He didn’t say anything. He just nodded and stepped out, closing the door behind him.
She was alone.
Silence settled over the room—thick, tense. Nina stood in the middle of his office, unsure where to put herself. The space felt too perfect, too sterile. Too foreign.
She slowly approached his desk, letting her fingertips glide across the smooth surface. Polished oak—cold, like Jasper himself. Everything was arranged with precision. Folders, neatly stacked papers, pens in a holder—every item exactly in its place.
Nina noticed the awards next. Several certificates hung on the wall, each framed in heavy wood. Cardiothoracic Surgery. Transplant Medicine. Physician of the Year. National Excellence Award. Everything was the best. Just like the man himself—at least at first glance.
