Page 112 of Wrong Marriage. Right Groom

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In—

A knock sounded at the door.

I flinched so hard my shoulder hit the headboard.

“Is that the physician?” I called quickly, my voice weaker than I intended, threaded with pain and caution.

“Yes, ma’am,” came a male voice from the other side.

“Please come in,” I said carefully.

The door opened.

I heard the subtle click of polished shoes against the threshold, followed by softer, more hesitant steps.

The physician first.

Then—

That other presence.

I didn’t need sight to recognize him.

Rafael.

The physician paused.

I could hear it—the way his footsteps slowed, uncertainty creeping in.

“Did you come with someone else?” I asked the physician, even though I already knew the answer.

I turned my face slightly toward the direction of the sound, my gaze unfocused.

A beat of silence.

“Yes, ma’am,” the physician answered quickly “Mr. Rafael is with me.”

I exhaled through my nose and leaned back against the headboard, my shoulders loosening by a fraction.

It didn’t make sense.

Rafael had no reason to be here.

He didn’t care about injuries. He didn’t care about me.

At least, that was what everything between us had made clear.

Then I heard the physician step closer.

I heard the shift in his movement, the soft scrape of his medical bag.

Then—

“Don’t touch her.”

Rafael’s voice cut through the room like a blade.

I could hear the physician freeze instantly.

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