"Because I'm your husband?"
Knox said it like a question. Like he couldn't believe he had to explain this.
The floor disappeared beneath my feet.
Husband.
Knox was Elodie's husband?!
My Knox…
The man I'd promised to marry…
I looked again at Knox and saw how he moved around the room with ease, like it was just normal for him to be in the same room with Elodie wearing only a nightgown.
Like they were husbands and wives.
My chest hurts.
"Should I be concerned, Elodie?" he crossed his arms. "Do you need me to call your doctor again?"
'No. You were supposed to wait for me, Knox. Not like this… You stood at an altar and promised forever to another woman while I was out there saving lives? How dare you! How dare you love someone else!'
But I didn't voice it out loud.
The emotional whiplash made me dizzy. Love, rage, guilt, grief… All of it crashed over me until I couldn't breathe properly.
I forced myself to go cold. It was a skill I perfected during residency.
"Of course, I didn't forget," my voice was frosty.
Knox's eyes narrowed. "Good. Then get ready for the gala. Important guests are waiting for us. The CEOs from Helcure will be there. I need you to play your part."
Helcure?
The one I'd died trying to expose?
Is he connected with them? And Elodie?
My stomach turned.
"Sure," I said, the word clipped and sharp.
I moved past him toward what I assumed as the closet.
I heard him exhale behind me.
"Good to see you back to being that way. I thought…" Knox's voice went softer. "You were someone else."
Slowly, I turn to look at him.
His face was unreadable, but there was something in his eyes.
Then it was gone, hidden behind his mask again.
"See you in the car at six PM. Don't be late," he said briskly, already heading for the door.
"And Elodie?" he paused, not looking back. "Whatever game you're playing… stop. I don't have the patience for it today."
The door closed behind him with a soft, expensive click.
I stood alone in the massive bedroom. What have I gotten myself into?
I moved through the closet on autopilot, grabbing the first red dress my hand touched.
Floor-length, elegant, simple.
Just go with the flow, I told myself, unzipping the gown with trembling fingers. Figure it out as you go. That's what you did during residency. Crisis mode. One step at a time.
I slipped into the dress, the fabric settling into place with the kind of elegance I'd never possessed.
I didn't bother with elaborate makeup. Elodie's face was already perfect - dewy skin, naturally pink lips, those long lashes that I'd always wished I had.
The inequity of it hit me like a punch. Elodie had been born into this beauty, wealth and ease. While I'd scraped and fought for everything, working three jobs to get through medical school, sleeping four hours a night, living on instant noodles and black coffee.
And Knox had chosen her.
The jealousy flared again.
Get it together, Yuna. You have a mission. Children are dying. Your feelings for Knox don't matter right now.
The private elevator took me down to the parking garage. I still wasn't used to the way this body moved, the way men's eyes tracked me as I passed the building staff.
I spotted Knox immediately, leaning against a sleek black Mercedes, checking his phone.
He looked up as the elevator dinged, and his eyes widened.
Why? Was I early? Do I look different?
Knox straightened, pocketing his phone. His gaze traveled from my face down to my heels and back up again.
But he didn't say anything.
He opened the car door for me and I slid into the backseat. The ride began in crushing silence.
I kept my eyes forward, but every nerve in my body was aware of Knox beside me.
I expected him to reach for my hand. To put his arm around me like he used to and pull me against his chest where I can hear his heartbeat.
Even if it makes me jealous that he's doing it to another woman.
But he just stared out the window, his jaw tight and his shoulders rigid.
Is he and Elodie in a fight? Or is this just how their marriage always is?
Elodie's last words echoed in my memory.
"Tell Knox I forgive him."
Forgive him for what?
The car began to slow. We were pulling up to a red carpet, lined with velvet ropes and packed with photographers.
I'd never been to a gala in my life. The fanciest events I'd attended were hospital fundraisers where I'd stood awkwardly in the corner and avoided small talk so I could get back to work.
Knox stepped out first, buttoning his suit jacket with practiced ease. Then he turned and extended his hand to me.
How many times did he help Elodie out of cars while I'm on all fours, blood and sweat, reviving patients to life?
I took his hand anyway. I had no choice.
The moment my shoes hit the carpet, the flashes became blinding. The light of the camera was so intense that I stumbled, my ankle turning slightly in unfamiliar heels.
I was about to fall, right here, in front of hundreds of cameras, face-planting on the red carpet as a dramatic disaster, when Knox's arm snaked around my waist.
"Be careful," his voice was warm and concerned as he pulled me against his side.
I looked at him as I heard his voice.
It sounds just like my Knox.
The Knox that always protects me and wants me to be safe.
But then he added, "You know I wouldn't last a day without you." Then he flashed his sweetest smile.
The cameras went wild and the photographers ate it up.
So was all this for a show? For the public to see whatever game they're playing?
Knox murmured against my ear, his breath warm. "You're supposed to be madly in love with me, remember?"
'I am,' I declared in my thoughts. 'I always have been.'
But I forced my lips into a smile- the kind of smile I'd practiced in mirrors before patient consultations.
'Welcome to your new life, Yuna' I thought grimly as I leaned on Knox side.