Chapter Five
1041 Words
A gentle knock interrupted my thoughts.
Before I could answer, Ethan walked into the office carrying two paper bags. "I knew I'd find you buried in paperwork," he said with a grin.
"And I knew you'd come here to complain."
"I'm not complaining." He placed one of the bags on my desk. "I'm saving you from starving."
" I already had coffee."
He sighed dramatically. "Coffee is not a meal, Elly."
"It is on busy days."
"You've been saying that for three years."
I couldn't help smiling. He had stayed. When everyone else slowly drifted away after Ava's death, Ethan remained. He never asked me to move on or forget. He simply stayed beside me, quietly reminding me to eat, to rest, and to keep living.
He pushed one of the paper bags closer to me. "I brought your favourite."
"I still have reports to finish."
"They'll still be here after lunch."
I looked at the pile of files waiting on my desk before finally giving in. "Fine."
"I knew you'd come around."
Taking my coat, I followed him out of the office. As we walked through the hospital corridor toward the lobby, a woman's raised voice echoed through the building.
"I don't care how busy she is!" she shouted. "My son needs to see Dr. Elly today!"
The receptionist remained calm. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but Dr. Elly has finished seeing patients for today."
"My son has been sick for weeks! Every specialist we've visited has failed. We can't leave without seeing her."
Ethan glanced toward the reception desk before looking at me. "Sounds like someone's having a rough day."
Without thinking, I turned toward the commotion. The moment my eyes landed on the people standing at the reception desk... I stopped walking.
Standing at the reception desk were Sebastian and Chloe.
Three years had passed since I had last seen them, yet I recognized them instantly. Time had changed them in subtle ways. Sebastian looked more tired than I remembered, and there were faint lines around his eyes that hadn't been there before. Chloe stood beside him with one hand resting protectively on the shoulder of a little boy who looked no older than three. His complexion was pale, and although he stood quietly beside her, it was obvious he wasn't well.
Neither of them had noticed me. Chloe was still arguing with the receptionist while Sebastian remained unusually quiet, his attention fixed on the little boy.
"I'm sorry, ma'am," the receptionist said patiently. "Dr. Elly has finished seeing patients for today. You'll have to schedule another appointment."
"My son can't wait another appointment," Chloe replied, struggling to keep the frustration out of her voice. "We've been to hospitals all over the country, and every doctor keeps telling us the same thing. We were told Dr. Elly is the only one who might be able to help him."
The receptionist gave her an apologetic smile. "I understand, but there's nothing I can do."
Beside me, Ethan let out a quiet sigh. "I almost feel sorry for her," he murmured. "She's doing her job, but that woman looks ready to tear the reception apart."
I looked away. "Let's go."
I had no desire to revisit a life I had left behind three years ago.
Just as I turned to leave, Ethan called after me. "Elly."
The nickname echoed softly through the lobby. Sebastian's head lifted almost immediately. His eyes searched the hallway until they found me.
For a long moment, he simply stared. The disbelief on his face was unmistakable, as though he couldn't decide whether he was looking at a stranger or a ghost.
"...Elena?"
The sound of my name made Chloe turn around. The moment her eyes landed on me, her expression changed completely. The confidence she'd carried only seconds ago disappeared, replaced by pure surprise.
Neither of us spoke at first.
It was Sebastian who finally broke the silence. He walked toward me slowly, stopping only when he was a few steps away. "I've been looking for you."
His voice was quieter than I remembered. "For three years."
I looked at him calmly. "I know."
He searched my face, almost as if he expected to find the woman I used to be. "Where did you go?" he asked. "Do you have any idea how many people I hired to find you? You left without saying a word. You took the research and disappeared."
"I didn't disappear," I replied evenly. "I left."
His brows drew together. "You call that leaving? You vanished."
"There was nothing left for me to stay for."
The words were simple, but they carried more truth than he would ever understand.
Before Sebastian could respond, Chloe slowly walked over, the little boy still holding onto her hand. Her eyes shifted from me to Ethan, who had remained quietly beside me the entire time.
A faint smile crossed her lips. "So that's where you've been all this time."
She folded her arms across her chest. "I should have guessed. You left because of another man."
Ethan frowned immediately. "I think you've got the wrong—"
I gently touched his arm, stopping him before he could finish. "It's alright."
He looked at me for a brief moment before nodding and stepping back. Then I looked at Sebastian again and said "we're already divorced."
Sebastian laughed loudly. "Divorced?" " I didn't sign any divorce papers."
I looked at the child holding Chloe's hands, studied him for a moment and looked back to Sebastian. "I just need to know one thing," I asked quietly.
"Do you even remember that you once had a daughter?"
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