o

abbit-round and chubby, pale pink, with long floppy ears. I

toy for Emma b

trated at a claw machine. I stopped and watched her for a while, saw how hard she

my mouth as I walked o

me help?

d, eyes widening

d. "I'm just

onvinced. "All right. Mind if I

Then she stepped a

on the plush toy she'd bee

she exc

ed it to her. "It's ugly. I don't like i

cute," she said, stroking the toy

it me," I replied, t

hen I'll keep

far between. She refused everything I tried to give her, but

y, which was why I was genuinely

iming couldn't have been worse. My father and I had been in the middle of a heated argument. I'd come hom

hened my resolve

stated that he wanted the CEO position. I didn't want to compete with him. W

a little girl suddenly ran out in fro

er to her. She looked up at me in terr

d asked gently,

juries. She seemed fine-just a few scrapes an

y. "I'm fine, Dr. Morgan. But could you please check if

row

oked f

I murmured

before, though our schedules rarely aligned-I often

lding her. "Do you realize how dangerous that was? If I

was with and why her guardian wou

out to speak, when a w

nna

wrapped Hannah tightly in her arms, clearly rel

ppy is fine too," Hannah

Hannah's palms. As she hugged her

en. I understood her reaction-any parent would be terr

thing, but hesitated. Maybe sh

's no need to be nervous. I don't mean any harm. If I rea

lip but di

ering my voice. "Ms. Evans. ha

"We've only met at the hos

n I saw no hesitation in her express

e you and your daughter to

t want to trouble you. I can take

Normally, parents in situations like this would insist

s look fine on the surface, but have dangerous internal

my patien

e. She got into the car with Hannah a

ther of a six-year-old. Her skin was very fair, even more so in the blue dress she was wearing. The

al, I asked a nurse to assist

cans. Since she was under my care,

ter looks exactly like

ed in shock. "She'

look like father and daughte

"You're mistaken. Hannah's fat

ed a

e. Just moments ago, a part of me had hoped Hannah might be my

r, I hadn't slep

o Ms. Evans. Sh

id gently. "You can wait outside.

d and ste

the scans, whisper

ttle girl wit

s girlfrie

Dr. Morga

e rejected Ava that he liked women with

now Dr. Morgan had

to work in the same department as him-and how

lative. The girl looks about five or six, and Dr. Mor

ing examined, I could only shake my head

mal-only bruises on her palms and knees bore witness to the acciden

r help, Dr. Morgan

This is my card. If Hannah need

d, "Hannah's condition means eme

gan," she said at l

a moment, her silhouette over

really n

to fin

lliam to help me hire