Contracted to the medical heir

ICU

Iris’ POV:

“Scalpel, for the love of God.”

I muttered a quick apology and clumsily handed him the scalpel. He didn't have to yell to make me disoriented, his tone was more than enough.

As if that wasn't enough, he muttered something about incompetence under his breath as he cut into the little girl's skin.

The resident beside him kept glancing at me, and my embarrassment only worsened.

I hated it whenever the department needed me to stand in for someone else, especially when Dr. Alaric was involved.

Yes, I was in the same operating room with my husband, but he hadn't even noticed.

When I first came in, I had held my breath, waiting for him to find out, but it seemed like I had expected too much from the nonchalant man.

It's been a week since we got married and everything has been uneventful apart from his family's drama.

A new one was coming soon… I could feel it from that invite that his mother had sent yesterday.

“We're spending the weekend at my parent's house,” he had told me last night, not bothering to open the door.

It felt as if he was trying his best to stay away from me and that made me wonder why exactly he had married me.

Was he gay?

Because that was the only explanation my brain could come up with.

“Do I have to keep stretching my hand?” His question snapped me back to the present.

He had his hand stretched out with the bloody scalpel. I silently collected it, hoping this surgery and humiliation was going to be over soon.

After what seemed like an eternity, but in reality, just seven hours, we were finally done with the surgery.

“Finish this up and inform her family,” he told the resident doctor, sparing me just a glance before he left the OR.

I have to say that he gave me more attention as a nurse than he ever did as his wife.

“Needle,” the resident doctor instructed, and we got back to work, rounding up the successful surgery.

“The torture you always go through in his hands,” Maria, the anesthesia doctor who seemed to make friends with everyone said the moment we stepped out.

She gave me a smile of pity, the mole right under her eye, making her seem more pretty.

I let out a tired sigh and shrugged. I couldn't say that I was used to it and maybe because I knew him on a different level now, the impact it had on me was worse.

“You’ll survive,” she added, then patted my back before she walked out.

I leaned against the wall, for a brief moment, rolling my shoulders before I disposed of the used gloves and gown.

I was exhausted and so hungry that I slumped down on a chair the moment I got to the nurse station.

Jenna was busy going through a patient's chart and didn't bother raising her head. We weren't close at all because something just seemed off about her energy.

My stomach growled as I remembered rejecting the food offered this morning just because I was late.

I couldn't wait to get home.

Home.

“Iris,” Jenna called me, her head still buried in the chart with a look of confusion.

I internally prayed that she would figure out whatever was wrong with the patient without getting me involved because I was too tired.

“Charlotte was looking for you earlier, and it seemed quite urgent.”

My stomach churned after hearing that. The only reason that could come to my head was Nora.

The tiredness I felt suddenly disappeared as I left the nurses’ station for the ICU. The feeling of dread in my chest had already become familiar at this point, but I still couldn't get used to it.

“s**t,” I muttered as I stepped into the elevator when I realised that I could have called first to get the details from her.

Things weren't supposed to get bad out of nowhere, not when I had paid for some of her urgent treatment.

“Please be fine,” I whispered to myself as I stepped out of the elevator.

I looked around the ICU and asked a few nurses for Charlotte's whereabouts when there was no sign of her.

My heart dropped further as different thoughts ran through my mind. Was there an emergency surgery? Was my baby doing okay?

I was almost in tears when I finally found her sitting at a corner with a doctor. Letting out a sigh of relief, I fastened my pace and only came to a stop when I saw the doctor she was with.

Alaric Vanderbilt.

I furrowed my eyes in confusion, trying to understand what was happening. They seemed pretty familiar with each other and it made absolutely no sense.

Charlotte has been my friend for about four years now, and she has never mentioned knowing Dr. Alaric. In fact, there have been times when she would insult him with me.

I still had my nose mask, but I didn't want to risk it. What if Charlotte decides to call my name, and he starts to have his suspicions about me?

Since Charlotte was here, there was a possibility that my daughter was still in the ICU, so I decided to go into the ICU to look for her.

Her bed was still the same, and she seemed to be asleep. I preferred it more like this because I didn't have to answer her heartbreaking questions.

The last one she had asked me still remained in my head.

Mummy, why don't I have a good heart?

I shook my head, trying to forget that question and focused on patting her brown hair as she slept peacefully.

I had been so carried away that I didn't see Charlotte coming until she drew my attention.

"My baby," she said with a bright smile, but my attention wasn't on her.

It was on Alaric who was standing beside her with a frown.

And just like that, I was caught