Chapter 10 The operating room light stubbornly lit the far end of the corridor. Alexander leaned his knuckles against the cold wall, listening to his own frantic heartbeat. He couldn't pinpoint the source of this restlessness, as if something vital was slipping through his fingers. His hand kept rubbing the cigarette case in his pocket until its metal surface crumpled. Only when the third cigarette tumbled out did he notice his trembling fingertips. The flame leaped up. He winced as nicotine's sting pierced his lungs. Suddenly, an image crashed into his mind-knuckled fingers holding a half-smoked cigarette, frozen under a girl's fu- rious gaze. She wore a white dress, cream clinging to her hair ends like she'd just left a bakery. "Alexander, you're smoking again!" The girl frowned, her voice laced with disapproval and worry. He looked up, meeting a blurred but familiar face. Her lips moved, still speaking words he couldn't hear. Only those piercingly bright eyes remained clear, seeming to see through all his darkness. In the memory, he stared at her mouth, his gaze unreadable, but ultimately silent and still. "No more smoking!" Though her face stayed blurred in recollection, he vividly recalled her slightly furrowed brow and that lilting upward inflection. She snatched the cigarette from his fingers, throwing it down and stomping furiously. "Did you hear me, Alexander?" It was strange. He never allowed women within three meters, let alone tolerated anyone taking his cigarettes. But in that memory, he simply watched her- letting her seize the stub from his hand, even freezing momentarily when his thumb brushed her palm's lines. A burning sensation on his fingertips jolted him back. Alexander stared blankly at the falling ash, an inexplicable irri- tation surging through him. It was strange. 0.0 % 10:53 Chapter 10 Olivia never policed his smoking, dared not, and certainly never called him "Alexander" in that tone. And Emily... she wouldn't either. Who was that girl? 288 (Vouchers The harder he thought, the more his head throbbed-as if something rammed against his skull, fighting to break free. He pressed his temples, knuckles whitening from the force. "Sir, no smoking here." A passing nurse frowned in reminder. Just as he opened his mouth, an engine's roar erupted outside. A silver airliner pierced the clouds, its tail fin carving a cold arc against the sunset. His chest suddenly wrenched with violent pain, like a chunk had been ripped out. His face was pale, and panic seized him. Instinctively, he fumbled for his phone, ready to order someone to track that flight- "Mr. Lee!" The operating room doors burst open. A doctor strode out, cutting off his movement. Alexander's fingers froze mid-air. After a pause, he slowly lowered the phone and turned to the doctor, voice low. "How is she?" "Miss Davis is out of danger but needs rest." The doctor wiped his brow. "Fortunately, the blood transfusion was administered in time, or the consequences would have been unthinkable." Alexander nodded. He should have gone straight to check on Emily, but his eyes involuntarily drifted toward the win- dow again. That airplane had long vanished from sight. But his heart felt as though something vital had been carried away by that plane-an aching void that remained un- filled, no matter how he tried. 55.0 % 10:53 Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!