Chapter 69: Let Me Taste Your Grand D

Aiden shoved open the hospital doors, the sterile scent of disinfectant hitting him immediately. His eyes scanned the brightly lit room, looking for any trace of Maia. The usual late-night hum of the hospital buzzed around him—nurses moving briskly, monitors beeping softly—but Maia was nowhere to be seen. Instead, two senior doctors sat at a corner desk, flipping through patient charts on their tablets. The clicking sound of fingers on glass screens filled the otherwise quiet space.

Michelle, one of the more dependable attending nurses, trudged by, her eyes half-lidded with exhaustion. "I'm so over this shift," she mumbled to no one in particular, dragging herself to the coffee machine like it was her last lifeline.

Aiden felt his stomach knot. "Where's Maia—I mean, Dr. Lim?" he asked, his voice louder than intended as he looked around. He was clearly hoping for an answer, though he directed the question at everyone in the room.