Page 35 of The Surgeon's Secret

Josephine stepped closer, her eyes searching Lexi’s face as if trying to read the truth in her expression. “This wasn’t just some fling, Lexi. You can’t keep pretending that’s all it was. It is clear to me you are in love with her. You need to figure out whether you can keep working alongside her and pretending you don’t have feelings for her. Because I won’t stand by if this…if this ends up tearing everything apart.”

Lexi’s heart clenched, and she felt the walls inside her crack open. “I know,” she whispered, her throat thick with emotion. “I know.”

The words hung between them, unspoken but understood. Lexi had known, deep down, that things had already gone too far to go back. She couldn’t undo what had happened with Catherine—no matter how much she tried to pretend it was just a momentary lapse, a short-lived mistake. The connection between them was undeniable, even if it was doomed to never be anything more than a short affair.

For a long moment, the two of them stood there, silence filling the space between them. It wasn’t an awkward silence, but it wasn’t comfortable, either. It was the kind of silence that existed between two people who’d shared a moment of truth but still weren’t ready to face all the issues between them. Lexi had spent so much of her life hiding from her emotions, burying them beneath layers of professionalism and ambition. But now, with everything laid bare, she didn’t know how to move forward.

“I’ll talk to her when she wakes up,” Lexi said, finally breaking the silence. “I’ll make sure she’s okay.”

Josephine nodded, but there was still wariness in her eyes. “And then?”

Lexi took a deep breath, her hands gripping the edge of the sink. “I don’t know,” she admitted, her voice raw. “I have to figure that out, too.”

There was another long pause, and then Josephine exhaled, as if she’d made some internal decision. “I think she loves you too, Lexi,” she said, her voice softer now. “We’re family, Lexi. And no matter what happens with Catherine, you’re still my sister.”

Lexi looked at her, her eyes searching her half-sister’s face. For a moment, she saw the possibility of something different between them—something more than the strained relationship that had existed before. Maybe, just maybe, there was a chance for them to build some sort of family relationship.

“Thanks, Josephine,” Lexi murmured. She wasn’t sure what the future held, but for the first time in a long while, she felt like there might be a way forward. “I appreciate it.”

Josephine gave her a brief, reassuring smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes completely. “Just don’t screw this up.”

Lexi watched her half-sister leave, her footsteps fading down the hallway, and for the first time since this entire ordeal began, Lexi allowed herself to feel something other than fear or anxiety. Maybe things weren’t as broken as they seemed. Maybe they could find a way to make it work.

But as she turned back to the operating room and her gaze drifted back to Catherine’s unconscious body lying on the table, Lexi knew that whatever came next, it would require more than just saving her life. She’d have to face the future they all had to build together at Phoenix Ridge Hospital—whatever that might look like.

18

CATHERINE

Catherine’s eyelids fluttered open, and she found herself lying in a hospital bed. The sterile smell of the room and the soft beeping of machines all felt distant and unreal. The pain in her head pulsed, but there was something else—something she couldn’t put her finger on. Her eyes scanned the room until they landed on a familiar face.

There, sitting at her bedside, was Lexi. Beautiful Lexi. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun, and she looked tired, but her gaze softened when their eyes met.

“Lexi?” Catherine’s voice was rough. “What happened?”

Lexi’s expression faltered for a moment, as though she was holding herself together by a thread. “You had an accident,” she said gently. “You hit your head. You’re going to be okay. You’re alive, Catherine.”

Catherine’s thoughts scrambled to piece things together. “An accident?” she repeated, her mind still clouded from the effects of anesthesia. “How bad? How long…?”

“Take it easy,” Lexi urged as she brushed a stray lock of hair from Catherine’s forehead. “It’s okay. Just breathe.”

Catherine’s hand instinctively moved to her head, touching the bandages wrapped around it. The memories of the fight with James surged to the surface. The argument, the chaos—it all felt like a nightmare that couldn’t be real.

“James?” Catherine’s voice cracked, a sense of panic gripping her chest. “Where is he? Is he here?”

Lexi’s jaw tightened, and she swallowed hard before responding. “He’s not here. He…he left, said something about needing to catch a flight.” Her voice was tight, but her eyes stayed soft as she gazed down at Catherine. “You’re safe now.”

Catherine blinked as reality sank in. James had left, but the relief she felt was mixed with a strange sadness. Her focus shifted back to Lexi.

“Thank you,” Catherine whispered, her voice trembling slightly. “I don’t know what would have happened without you.”

Lexi gave a small nod and squeezed Catherine’s hand lightly. “You don’t need to thank me. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

As the afternoon sun cast golden rectangles across the hospital room floor, Catherine drifted in and out of sleep. Each time she opened her eyes, Lexi was still there—sometimes reading through patient files, sometimes just watching her with quiet concern. It was during one of these moments of wakefulness that Catherine tried to reach for the water glass on her bedside table, wincing as pain shot through her head with the movement.

"Here, let me," Lexi said, immediately at her side. She gently supported Catherine's head with one hand while holding the glass to her lips with the other. The simple act of care made Catherine's chest tighten with emotion.

"The nurses could help with this," Catherine murmured after taking a sip. "You don't have to stay."

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