Chapter 1

• Serena Woods had never expected to meet the man who shattered her heart—let alone in her capacity as an attending physician.
• The patient list had been routine until his name jumped out at her.
• For a split second, she tried to convince herself it was just a coincidence. But as she stepped closer to the hospital room, the voices from within halted her completely.
• "Look, Vanessa, our family photo looks so nice. I want to hang it up at home."
• Vanessa Reid's voice was weak but gentle. "Good boy, that's really sweet of you."
• Zane Carter’s deep voice followed, "Caleb, don't disturb Vanessa. She needs rest."
• Serena lowered her eyes. The patient file showed that Zane and the boy had only suffered minor injuries, while Vanessa had a fractured wrist and required hospitalization.
• The intern had even commented, "Mr. Carter and Mr. Caleb didn't need to stay, but because Ms. Reid needed to be admitted, he had two extra beds added to her private suite so he could stay with her."
• Then, with a sigh, the intern added, "Mr. Carter is so devoted. According to the gossip, Ms. Reid is his first love, and the child is hers. Mr. Carter waited for six years for his first love to come back. How touching!"
• At that moment, Serena could only force a bitter smile. She had patched up Zane countless times—stitched his wounds, reset broken bones, cleaned up the messes of his bloody life. She had begged him to leave the streets, to stop running drugs for the cartel, to choose something better for himself. But in the end, he had chosen to leave her instead.
• Six years ago, she thought she could save him. Instead, she had been the fool who believed love was enough.
• Leaning against the wall, she could still hear the voices coming from inside the room.
• "Vanessa, you're the best. Mom only ever forces me to study. You're the only one who takes me to eat something delicious. I wish you were my mom."
• Vanessa chuckled softly. "Nonsense. Zane, say something."
• Zane’s voice was calm, giving nothing away. "He's just a kid. I can control his mouth, not his heart."
• That double-edged remark finally triggered something inside Serena.
• She took a few deep breaths. By the time she pushed open the door, she had already accepted the cruel reality of losing the man she had once risked everything for.
• As the door opened, she saw Caleb standing by the bedside, clutching a family photo. Vanessa stood beside Zane, holding the boy in her arms.
• They looked just like a picture-perfect family of three.
• "Serena."
• Zane’s sharp eyes darkened immediately. "What are you doing here?"
• Caleb quickly stepped forward, using his small body to shield the woman on the bed. "Mom, what do you want?"
• Both of them stood guard, their postures tense as if she were some menacing intruder in their paradise.
• Her heart bled, and every breath tasted of iron.
• So this is what it felt like to sever the love and ties of so many years—it hurt like hell.
• "I'm your attending doctor."
• She suppressed every emotion, clinging to reason with all her might.
• Zane didn’t relax, his voice cold and unyielding. "I'll request another doctor."
• Perhaps realizing how harsh that sounded, he frowned slightly and added, "Don't make a fuss. I’m just worried you're too busy and won't have time to come home and cook for Caleb."
• Since becoming an attending doctor, surgeries and overtime had become her norm. Sometimes, when she returned home from work, Vanessa had already brought food over—heavy, greasy takeout.
• But Zane and Caleb enjoyed it.
• Caleb even once said, "Mom, your cooking tastes worse than dog food."
• That time, she had just finished a grueling ten-hour surgery, and despite all her efforts, the patient didn’t make it. Her nerves were already frayed. Seeing the scene before her, she lost it and caused a huge commotion.
• Vanessa cried pitifully, her tears streaming like a broken string of pearls. "It's all my fault. I just thought Serena was busy and wanted to help by bringing food. I didn’t mean to cause any misunderstanding. I'm sorry."
• The result? Zane and Caleb berated her and took Vanessa out to comfort her.
• Now, standing here, facing the ghosts of her past, Serena realized she had made the worst mistake of all—believing Zane Carter had ever been capable of change.
• This was the last time she would shed a tear for him.
• The next time they met, she wouldn’t be his doctor. She would be his worst nightmare.
• Since that day, her heart had slowly frozen over. Now, she merely responded in a flat tone, "Fine. Make the request soon, or I must issue medical orders."
• Her composure made Zane pause, a flicker of surprise and even unease flashing across his face.
• In contrast, Caleb, still too young to sense the undercurrents, clung tightly to the family photo in his arms.
• "Mom, you're not allowed to touch my picture. I'm going to hang it up at home!"
• Vanessa quickly tried to smooth things over. "Serena, don't get the wrong idea. It's just a random photo taken by staff at the amusement park."
• Hearing this, Caleb hugged the photo even tighter as if afraid it would be taken away.
• Serena remained pale but composed. "Alright."
• "If you don't let me hang it, I'll ... "
• Before Caleb could finish, he froze, startled by her unexpected response. His little face looked confused but soon lit up with joy. "You can't take it back!"
• She nodded. "Don't worry, I won't."
• Zane's expression shifted slightly as if he had realized something. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, she raised her hand to glance at her watch. "I'm off duty. Please submit your request for a doctor change as soon as possible."
• Pausing, she looked directly at him. "Are you coming home tonight? I have something to discuss."
• Initially, he hesitated to say yes, but her calm demeanor made him wary of some hidden agenda. "We'll see."
• Serena didn't seem upset. She merely gave a faint nod. "I'll wait until ten."
• With that, she turned and left.
• Behind her, Zane said in a condescending tone, "The driver's in the parking lot. He can take you home."
• "No need. I've got my scooter."
• She could still hear Vanessa's voice, utterly lacking in remorse, as she closed the door.
• "It's all my fault. Serena must have misunderstood. Zane, you should go comfort her."
• "Leave her. She'll be fine by tomorrow."
• Serena gave a bitter smile. Yes, her anger had never lasted more than three hours for all these years.
• But this time, she wasn't merely angry—she had made her decision.
• Back home, she packed her belongings. She had only married Zane to ward off bad rumors about him. On the day he recovered, she had already prepared herself to leave.
• Had it not been for the incident at the old mansion that evening, Caleb would not have existed.
• After she got pregnant, Zane seemed to accept her. For a brief period, they shared affection, leading her to believe she had truly won his heart.
• But now, as the dream shattered, all that remained was humiliation.
• She placed the divorce papers on the dining table. By ten that night, she pulled her suitcase and walked out the door.
• When Zane and Caleb returned home at 1 a.m., they seemed tired and went straight to bed.
• Zane didn't even notice someone missing from the bed in the darkness.
• The next morning, he rubbed his temples and went downstairs, hearing the cooking sound from the kitchen. His lips curved slightly.
• As expected, Serena always calmed herself down and even prepared meals for him.
• After washing up, he glanced at the food on the table, then casually said toward the kitchen, "Make an extra portion. I'll bring some for Vanessa."
• "What? Why didn't you inform me earlier, Mr. Carter? I've already washed the dishes," the housekeeper, Martha, replied, peeking out from the kitchen.