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Nothing. Just a long engaged tone.

He called again. And again. Same result.

His jaw clenched, eyes narrowing.

"Where the hell is this woman?" he barked. "Did she throw her phone into the goddamn ocean?"

He glanced at Xander. "Why isn’t she answering? What’s going on?"

A second later, Lorenzo cursed under his breath. “Screw this.” He stalked toward the hospital entrance.

He started striding toward the hospital entrance.

Xander caught up quickly, grabbing his arm to stop him.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Lorenzo growled, yanking his arm free.

“Mr. Moretti, now’s not the time to jump in,” Xander said calmly, his tone smooth with just a hint of smugness. “Let thesituation build. The pressure’s rising. Wait a little longer… then step in and ‘save’ her. The timing will work in your favor.”

Lorenzo narrowed his eyes at Xander, weighing his words. Then, after a beat, a small smirk touched his lips.

He nodded slowly, leaning against the car, though impatience radiated off him.

"She’s just an employee here," he muttered under his breath. "Let’s see how long that damn boyfriend of hers can protect her."

Then more to himself: "Before I walk in and take her back."

***

"These people online are vicious," Kara snapped, pacing the living room. Her fists were clenched at her sides. “They’re acting like she’s the devil herself.”

“You haven’t even seen the memes yet,” Darren added with a grimace. “It’s bad. Like, really bad.”

“There’s so much hate,” Kara muttered. “How can people say such horrible things when they don’t even know the full story?”

Darren let out a dry laugh. “Imagine what they’ll say when they find out she’s not just some rich housewife—but someone who’s got more medical knowledge than any other doctor in this entire country."

Krystal sat on the couch, looking sullen. As she listened, her expression grew even more frustrated.

Standing abruptly, she muttered to Darren, “Please stop talking about it. I’ll just wait for it all to be over.”

Without another word, she turned and went inside the bedroom. The door clicked shut behind her. She crawled under the bedsheet, curling into herself, eyes shut tight.

Kara and Darren exchanged a worried glance.

Kara’s lips curled in distaste as she snapped, “Are you just gonna sit there and watch?”

Darren shrugged, muttering under his breath, “What else can I do?”

“Anything! Fight back for her. They need to be stopped,” Kara barked.

Darren sat still for a second, jaw clenched. Then his expression hardened. He gave a sharp nod.

***

Lorenzo paced in front of Bristen Hospital, jaw tight, tension etched into his features.

It had been almost an hour since he arrived, and still no sign of her. No calls. No messages. Nothing.