His Pretend Wife, His Forbidden Desire

Chapter Six

Jason exhaled slowly, his thumb hovering over the phone screen.

The email was sent. No taking it back now.

He ran a hand down his face, leaning back into his office chair. What the hell was he doing?

He should have just told Diane no again. But the way her big brown eyes had pleaded with him, the way her lower lip had jutted out in that tiny pout… he sighed.

The girl knew how to get her way.

Just as he turned off his desk lamp, a soft knock sounded at his door.

"Daddy?"

Jason frowned, immediately alert. "Come in, peanut."

Diane padded into the room, clutching her stuffed bunny to her chest. Her hair was messy, her eyes sleepy but troubled.

"What’s wrong?" Jason asked, already reaching for her.

She sniffled as she climbed onto his lap. "I had a bad dream."

Jason pressed a kiss to her forehead, rubbing slow circles on her back. "It’s okay. I’m right here."

Diane sighed against his chest, curling into him like she used to when she was smaller. "It was scary."

"Tell me about it."

She hesitated, then whispered, "I was all alone. You weren’t there. No one was. I kept calling, but nobody came."

Jason’s jaw tightened. "That’s never going to happen, baby girl. I’m always here."

Diane nodded against his shirt, her tiny fingers playing with the collar. Then, in a quiet voice, she mumbled, "I miss Miss Winter."

Jason stilled for half a second.

She yawned. "I liked when she was here."

Jason cleared his throat. "You like a lot of people, peanut."

"Mhm." She nodded sleepily. "But I really like her. She smells nice."

Jason huffed a quiet laugh. "Go back to sleep, Diane."

Instead of moving, she curled deeper into his chest.

"Here?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Jason hesitated for a moment before shifting her slightly, adjusting the blanket over them.

"Yeah, peanut. Here."

Diane let out a content sigh, her small hand resting over his heart. Within minutes, her breathing evened out.

Jason lay still, staring at the ceiling.

Why did it feel like Diane wasn’t the only one eager to see Isabella again?

---

Morning at the Hospital

Isabella adjusted her stethoscope and glanced at Jane, who was grinning like a cat who’d caught a canary.

"Okay, spill," Isabella said as they walked down the hallway. "You’ve been grinning like that for the past five minutes."

Jane let out a dreamy sigh. "Guess who texted me last night?"

Isabella smirked. "Let me guess… Dr. Williams?"

Jane gasped dramatically. "How did you know?"

"Because you haven’t shut up about him for weeks," Isabella teased, laughing when Jane nudged her.

"Well, I think he likes me," Jane continued. "He asked if I had plans this weekend."

"And?" Isabella raised an eyebrow.

Jane groaned. "And I totally panicked and said, ‘Yeah, I’ll be at home… watching my dog.’"

Isabella blinked. "You don’t have a dog."

Jane facepalmed. "Exactly! I don’t know why I said that! He just smiled and said, ‘That’s cute.’"

Isabella burst into laughter. "Jane, you’re a mess."

A chuckle came from the bed beside them. Mr. Rodriguez, one of their regular patients, was shaking his head. "Young love, huh?"

Jane pouted. "I wouldn’t call it love, Mr. Rodriguez. More like a tragic comedy."

The old man laughed, then pointed at Isabella. "What about you, Miss Winter? Any secret romances we should know about?"

Isabella nearly dropped her clipboard. "What? No! Absolutely not."

Jane folded her arms. "Hmm. I don’t believe you."

"There’s nothing to believe," Isabella said quickly, avoiding Jane’s knowing look.

"So if a certain broody billionaire doctor were to—"

"Nope!" Isabella cut her off, turning to check the IV line. "Not happening."

Mr. Rodriguez chuckled. "You sure? You got that guilty look, querida."

Isabella groaned. "Can we focus on something else? Like, I don’t know… saving lives?"

Jane smirked. "Fine, fine. But this conversation isn’t over."

As they stepped out of the patient’s room, Isabella shook her head, but she couldn’t stop the tiny smile that formed on her lips.

—

As Isabella sat on the hospital bench, scrolling through her phone, a familiar black car suddenly pulled over in front of her. The passenger door swung open before the vehicle even came to a full stop, and a high-pitched squeal filled the air.

"Miss Winter!"

Diane shot out of the car like a tiny rocket, her yellow top fluttering as she ran toward Isabella, pink shorts bouncing with every hurried step. Her white sneakers barely touched the ground before she launched herself into Isabella’s arms.

Laughing, Isabella caught her, lifting her effortlessly. "Whoa there, sunshine! Someone’s excited."

Diane nodded eagerly, wrapping her small arms around Isabella’s neck. "I missed you!"

A loud honk interrupted their moment. Isabella looked up to see Jason in the driver’s seat, expression unreadable as he tapped his fingers against the wheel. He honked again.

Diane giggled and leaned closer to Isabella’s ear. "Daddy’s too bossy."

Isabella snorted before quickly covering her mouth. "I heard that," Jason’s deep voice came from the car.

Diane gasped theatrically. "Oh no! I think my whisper was too loud!"

They both burst into giggles before Isabella carried her to the car, placing her gently in the back seat. She climbed in beside her and shut the door.

"Good evening, Mr. Parker," she greeted formally.

Jason gave a slight nod, eyes on the road. "Evening, Miss Winter."

The car pulled away smoothly, leaving the hospital behind as they headed toward the park.

—

The moment Jason parked the car, Diane unbuckled her seatbelt and flung the door open before he could even turn off the engine.

"The swings!" she squealed, hopping out onto the pavement.

Isabella barely had time to react before Diane grabbed her hand and started tugging her along, her tiny feet bouncing with excitement.

Jason exhaled as he stepped out of the car, locking it with a beep. "Diane," he called in a warning tone.

She turned around, pouting. "But, Daddy, we’re already here!"

Isabella chuckled and smoothed down Diane's clothes. "At least let your dad set the rules first, darling."

Jason gave Isabella a brief glance before shifting his attention back to Diane. "Stay where I can see you. No running off."

Diane rolled her eyes but nodded quickly before pulling Isabella toward the playground. "Come on, Miss Winter!"

Isabella let herself be led, grinning as Diane practically skipped beside her. Jason followed a few steps behind, hands in his pockets, his eyes scanning the surroundings as though he was assessing security threats rather than enjoying a Saturday at the park.

The place was lively—children laughing as they ran through the grass, couples strolling hand in hand, and families gathered around picnic tables. The fresh scent of popcorn and cotton candy filled the air.

"Push me, Miss Winter!" Diane ran to the swings and climbed onto one, kicking her legs impatiently.

Isabella laughed, stepping behind her. "Alright, hold on tight."

She pushed Diane gently, sending her swinging back and forth, her laughter echoing through the air.

Jason watched silently from a distance, arms crossed, eyes fixed on them. There was something oddly captivating about the way Isabella interacted with Diane. She wasn’t just tolerating her—she was fully engaged, laughing with her, indulging her whims like she had all the time in the world.

"You're not pushing high enough!" Diane called over her shoulder.

"Oh, I see. You want to fly?" Isabella teased, giving her a stronger push.

Diane squealed in delight, swinging higher.

Jason sighed and ran a hand over his face. "Not too high," he muttered under his breath.

Isabella smirked. "Relax, Mr. Parker. I won’t let her fly off."

Jason didn’t look convinced.

After a few more swings, Diane jumped off, landing with a bounce. "That was fun! Now let’s go get ice cream!"

Isabella raised a brow. "That’s why you were in a hurry, huh?"

Diane giggled, holding her hand again.

They made their way toward a nearby ice cream stand, Jason following behind at a measured pace.

"What flavor do you want, sweetheart?" Isabella asked.

Diane tapped her chin dramatically. "Hmm… strawberry. No, chocolate. No! Both!"

Isabella laughed. "Alright, both it is."

She turned to Jason, expecting him to order something, but he simply gestured for her to go ahead. "I’m fine."

Diane pouted. "Daddy, you never get ice cream."

Jason smirked. "Because ice cream is for kids."

Isabella snorted. "I know plenty of adults who’d disagree."

He arched a brow. "Are you one of them?"

She lifted her cup of ice cream and took a deliberate bite. "Absolutely."

Diane giggled, taking Isabella’s hand again as they walked toward an empty bench. Jason sat beside them, his gaze flickering between Diane happily eating her ice cream and Isabella, who seemed completely at ease in the moment.

After a while, Diane suddenly turned to Jason. "Daddy, let’s take a picture!"

Jason blinked. "A picture?"

"Yes! With Miss Winter!"

Isabella nearly choked on her ice cream. "Oh, I—"

Diane was already pulling out Jason’s phone from his pocket with her small hands.

"Diane," Jason warned.

But Diane ignored him, climbing onto his lap and holding up the phone. "Smile, Daddy!"

Jason gave Isabella a flat look before exhaling in surrender.

Diane leaned close to Isabella, grinning. Isabella hesitated, then smiled slightly as Diane snapped the picture.

"There! Now you have a memory!" Diane declared proudly, handing Jason back his phone.

Jason stared at the photo for a second, something unreadable flickering in his gaze before he pocketed the device. "Happy now?"

Diane beamed. "Yes!”

As they sat enjoying the peaceful afternoon, Diane happily swung her legs, licking her ice cream while Isabella watched the children playing nearby. Jason, though silent, seemed more relaxed than usual—until a deep voice cut through the air.

"Well, well. Look who we have here."