The Devil's Surgeon

Departure

Reign's POV

I woke up feeling unusually refreshed. For the first time in what felt like forever, I'd actually had enough sleep. Maybe it was the sea breeze. Or maybe Costa Paradiso really did have some magical way of making people relax.

After freshening up, I decided to have breakfast before checking on Mr. De Castello one last time. As usual, the aroma of Mrs. Holt's freshly baked bread filled the kitchen before I even stepped inside.

"Good morning."

Mrs. Holt looked up from the stove and smiled warmly. "Good morning, dear. Come, sit."

The dining table was already overflowing with food — French toast, pancakes drizzled with maple syrup, scrambled eggs, fresh fruit, orange juice. I blinked. "All this... for me?"

She laughed. "Of course. It's your last day. Now sit down and make sure you don't leave anything. Oh, and I'm making some porridge for you to take home."

My heart warmed. "Mrs. Holt..."

"Don't argue."

"I wasn't planning to."

Just then, another voice interrupted. "Now what do we have here?"

Raffaele strolled into the kitchen as though he owned the place. He greeted Mrs. Holt with a kiss on the cheek before turning to my plate. "Care to share?" Before I could answer, he'd already stolen one of my pancakes.

"Hey!"

He took a bite. "Mmm. Worth it."

"You're unbelievable."

"I've been called worse."

Mrs. Holt shook her head fondly. "You two behave."

Raffaele grinned without the slightest hint of guilt. Breakfast somehow got louder after that, and by the time we finished eating, I was almost reluctant to leave.

I headed upstairs for one final examination before my departure. Mr. De Castello's room stood quietly at the end of the hallway. I knocked. Nothing. I knocked again. Still no answer.

Maybe he was asleep. I slowly pushed the door open. "Mr. De Castello?"

No one. The room was empty. Just as I was about to turn around, the bathroom door opened, and my entire body froze.

Giovanni De Castello stepped out wearing nothing but a white towel wrapped low around his waist. Tiny droplets of water slid down his broad chest before disappearing beneath it. His muscles flexed as he rubbed another towel through his damp blond hair, a black tattoo curling over his forearm.

For a second, I forgot how to breathe. My eyes betrayed me — wandering lower, then lower.

"Are you done?" His deep voice snapped me back to reality.

I blinked. "What?"

His eyebrow lifted. "Are you done gawking at me?"

Heat rushed straight to my cheeks. "I—"

"If you're done," he said coolly, "I'd like to get dressed."

"Oh! Sorry!" Mortified, I hurried outside and shut the door behind me, then leaned against it. "Oh my gosh." I buried my burning face in my hands. *Get a grip, Reign. You're a doctor. You've seen countless shirtless men.* So why was this one different?

A few moments later, the door clicked open. Giovanni stepped out, now dressed in black tailored trousers and a crisp white shirt, as though the last two minutes had never happened. Professional. Cold. And annoyingly handsome.

I cleared my throat and opened his chart. "Any dizziness?"

"No."

"Chest pain?"

"Manageable."

"Nausea?"

"No."

I checked his blood pressure. Everything looked good. I scribbled the final notes onto his chart and closed it with a smile. "Well then — you're officially discharged."

He gave a small nod. "Nico has already arranged your transportation."

"Thank you, sir."

That was it. No dramatic goodbye. Somehow, I hadn't expected one anyway.

I returned to my room to collect my overnight bag. Thankfully, I ran into Nico halfway down the stairs — saved me from getting lost in this giant villa again.

"You ready, Doctor?"

I smiled. "Ready."

Before leaving, I made one last stop at the kitchen. Mrs. Holt wrapped me in a warm hug before handing me a neatly packed container. "The porridge I promised. Don't skip meals."

I smiled. "I'll miss you."

"And we'll miss you too."

Outside, the helicopter was already waiting, its blades spinning steadily above us. Raffaele stood beside it with both hands tucked into his pockets. "There you are." He pulled a business card from his wallet, scribbled something on the back, and handed it to me. "My personal number. Text me when you get home."

I accepted it with a smile. "I will."

"A car will be waiting once you land. Just tell the driver your address. Everything's been arranged."

I laughed. "You people really think of everything."

He winked. "We try. Thank you, Reign. See you soon."

Nico helped me into the helicopter before closing the door. As the chopper lifted into the sky, I looked down at Costa Paradiso one last time. The turquoise water sparkled beneath the morning sun. For four short days, it had almost felt like home.

Several hours later, the car stopped in front of my apartment building. The driver gave a polite nod before leaving. I had barely taken three steps when someone shouted my name.

"Reign!"

I turned. "Astrid?"

She marched straight toward me with her arms folded. "Girl, where the hell have you been? I called you. Texted you. You ignored everything."

I raised both hands in surrender. "I'm sorry. I got called away for an emergency. The place barely had any phone signal. Only the landline worked."

Astrid narrowed her eyes. Then her gaze drifted toward the sleek black car pulling away from the curb, and a mischievous grin spread across her face. "I see. You came home in a Maybach." She leaned closer. "Care to explain? Or should I ask—" her grin widened, "—does this have something to do with Dr. Ricci?"

I nearly choked. "Oh my goodness. No!"

She laughed. "I knew it. You've got a story."

I grabbed her wrist before she could say anything else. "Oh, I do. But not out here. Come on."

I dragged my laughing best friend toward the elevator. Something told me this conversation was going to take a lot longer than either of us expected.