Page 26 of The Mafia's Fake Wife

“That’s intense.”

“Tell me about it. There’s another guard named Fydor who drove me here this morning because I’m not allowed to take the subway anymore.”

“Not allowed?” Liv’s eyebrows shoot up. “Since when do you let anyone tell you what to do?”

“Since I married a man who has enemies who might want to hurt me to get to him.” I sigh, running a hand over my hair. “It’s part of the deal, I guess.”

Liv is quiet for a moment, then asks, “Are you safe, Elena? Really safe?”

The concern in her voice touches me. “Yes. Damir wouldn’t let anything happen to me. I’m his alibi, remember?”

“And his bedmate,” Liv adds pointedly.

Before I can respond, the door opens, and Dr. Patel sticks in her head. “Elena, rounds in five minutes. Mr. Kowalski’s labs came back, and we need to discuss his treatment plan.”

“Yes, Dr. Patel. I’ll be right there.”

She nods curtly and disappears. I drain my coffee cup and toss it in the trash.

“Duty calls,” I tell Liv. “We’ll talk more later.”

“You bet we will,” she says, following me out of the break room. “And be careful.”

I nod and hurry down the hallway to catch up with Dr. Patel. As I turn the corner, I spot Valeriya standing near a vending machine, pretending to browse the snack options. Our gazes meet briefly, and she gives me a subtle nod before returning her attention to the machine. At least she’s keeping her distance, as promised.

Dr. Patel is already surrounded by a group of medical students when I arrive. I slip into the circle, pulling out my tablet toreview Mr. Kowalski’s chart. The familiar routine of hospital work pulls me back to the life I know and away from the strange new world I’ve entered with Damir.

“His creatinine levels are elevated,” Dr. Patel is saying, “Which suggests kidney dysfunction. Dr. Clarke, what would you recommend?”

I look up from my tablet. “Given his history of diabetes, I’d suggest adjusting his medication dosage and increasing IV fluids to improve kidney function. We should also monitor his electrolytes closely.”

Dr. Patel nods approvingly. “Good. Let’s proceed with that plan.”

We continue rounds, moving from patient to patient. The work is demanding but familiar, and I lose myself in it, grateful for the distraction from thoughts of Damir and our complicated arrangement.

After finishing with Dr. Patel’s patients, we join Dr. Lewis and his students for joint rounds. My stomach tightens when I spot Justin among them. This is the first time I’ve worked alongside him again since the incident when Damir intervened. Justin’s face had been a mess of bruises the next day, though they’ve mostly faded now.

He deliberately avoids looking at me, turning his body away when I approach. Dr. Lewis and Dr. Patel discuss a complex case together while the students take notes. I stand on the opposite side of the group from Justin, focusing on the patient’s chart rather than the tension in the room. As we move to the next patient, I overhear Justin speaking to another student, his voice just loud enough for me to hear.

“I’ve arranged to work exclusively with Dr. Lewis from now on. His surgical approach is more aligned with my career goals. Dr. Patel is too conservative.”

The other student, a woman named Melissa, glances at me, then back at Justin. “I thought you were on Dr. Patel’s service for the rest of the semester?”

“I was, but I requested a change. Dr. Lewis’s methods are more cutting-edge, and I need to focus on what will advance my career.”

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. It’s obvious he’s trying to save face after what happened with Damir. Rather than admit he’s avoiding me because my husband threatened him, he’s pretending it’s a professional choice.

“Dr. Clarke,” calls Dr. Patel, drawing my attention, “What do you make of these test results?”

I move forward, grateful for the distraction from Justin’s posturing. “The patient’s white blood cell count is elevated, suggesting infection. Given the recent surgery, I’d recommend cultures and broad-spectrum antibiotics until we identify the specific pathogen.”

“Precisely. Let’s order those tests immediately.”

As we continue with rounds, I notice Valeriya has positioned herself near the nurses’ station, pretending to read a magazine. She’s good at blending in. If I didn’t know to look for her, I might not have noticed her at all. I assume Fydor is lurking somewhere or perhaps, he’s still with the SUV.

Justin continues to ignore me throughout the joint rounds, making a point of addressing his questions only to Dr. Lewis. Idon’t mind. If anything, I’m relieved he’s keeping his distance. The last thing I need is more drama with him, especially now that my life has become complicated enough.

When rounds finally end, Dr. Patel pulls me aside. “Elena, is everything all right? You seem distracted today.”

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