Doctor Love

Chapter 24

KATE’S POV

I couldn’t stop thinking about David’s face, and that damn look in his eyes when he said he loved me. And that kiss…

God, that kiss.

It wasn’t something a man gave to a woman he was trying to manipulate. No. It was slow. Tender. Like he was scared he wouldn’t get another chance. And when his lips brushed mine—it wasn’t just a kiss. It was a confession. Still, I didn’t believe it.

David Villa, the same man who made it his mission to belittle me in every room we shared, loved me?

Please.

I rolled over in bed, groaning at the sunlight bleeding through my curtains. For the first time since I started my rotation, I didn’t feel like going to work.

A knock came at my door. I didn’t need to guess who it was.

“Dad, I’m not going,” I said, pulling my covers up to my chin.

“Are you okay?” he asked from behind the door.

“I’m fine. Just… tired.”

He didn’t push. That was the problem with my father. He was gentle. Too gentle. Always letting me make my choices even when I was spiraling. He trusted me more than I trusted myself. But he had made that decision for me which I despised. He told them we will go but I wasn’t going anywhere.

He didn’t consult me. He just said yes like it was his life on the line.

My phone buzzed. I rolled my eyes and grabbed it.

David Villa calling…

I declined the call. He tried again. I hissed under my breath and switched off my phone entirely. I wasn’t in the mood to hear anything that sounded remotely like “Kate, please.”

There was another knock on the door. I groaned and got up, dragging myself to the door.

Dad stood there with a tray of breakfast—toast, eggs, and a mug of coffee.

“Thanks,” I muttered, taking it from him.

He didn’t smile. Instead, he tilted his head and said, “Someone’s here to see you.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Tell David to go home.”

“It’s not David.”

I paused. “Who then?”

“Dr. Bennet… and Richard Villa.”

I froze.

“What?” My voice barely escaped my lips.

He turned without answering.

Richard Villa? David’s father?

I placed the tray on the nearest table, tossed on a sweatshirt, and hurried out into the living room. My mind spun.

Why were they here?

Dr. Bennet and Richard Villa were seated on the sofa, looking like two seasoned board members ready to hold a press conference in my living room. Except I was the topic.

I swallowed hard and greeted them, trying to keep my tone polite despite the thousand questions in my head.

Dr. Bennet gestured to the armchair. “Kate, please. Sit.”

I obeyed.

Richard Villa turned toward me, and even though his expression was calm, I could feel the weight behind his words.

“I wanted to meet you,” he began. “I’m the one funding the experimental treatment.”

My jaw fell slightly.

“What?” I blinked. “You?”

“Yes,” he said with a nod. “It was David who asked me to. He said this trial was worth everything. I looked into it. The potential here… it’s incredible.”

He leaned forward.

“I’ve invested in medicine for over a decade. But this project? It’s unlike anything we’ve tried. The progress, the success rate—it gives me hope.”

I swallowed.

“They found a cure for HIV,” he added, “so I assure you, this—this is not out of reach. It’s not impossible.”

I wanted to believe him. I really did.

But all I could feel was the ice-cold grip of fear in my chest.

“What if I don’t come back?” I whispered.

He paused.

Dr. Bennet chimed in. “That’s always the risk. But if it succeeds, it could change the trajectory of this disease forever. You won’t just be saving yourself. You’ll be the face of a medical miracle.”

My father stood behind me, silently listening.

Richard continued, “David’s been a shadow of himself since he found out. I never thought I'd see my son cry over anything, but this… it hit him hard.”

I looked up sharply.

“What are you talking about?”

He offered a soft smile. “Who would’ve thought that a rivalry could turn into affection?”

I stiffened.

“You’re mistaken, sir. David and I aren’t… we’re not together. We’re not anything.”

He exchanged a glance with Dr. Bennet.

“But he told me he liked you,” Richard said gently. “I assumed you two were—”

I stood up. I didn’t mean to. It just happened.

“David doesn’t care about me,” I said flatly. “He just wants to get rid of me.”

Both men looked stunned.

“What?” they said in unison.

I folded my arms. “This is all about the assistant position. He thinks if I’m out of the way, the title is his. That’s all he’s ever cared about.”

Dr. Bennet frowned. “Kate, that’s not true.”

“You don’t know him like I do, Doctor.”

“You think two weeks of working with him gives you the full story?” Richard asked, his voice harder now. “He’s my son. I’ve known him for 24 years. I’ve watched him grow, fight, fall… and lately, I’ve seen him in pain.”

I hesitated.

“He left the hospital,” Dr. Bennet added. “He hasn’t been working for over a week.”

That made me falter.

“What?”

“You didn’t know?”

I shook my head slowly.

“He gave up the assistant position,” he said. “It’s yours now.”

My legs felt like jelly.

“He didn’t want us to tell you,” Bennet continued. “He thought if you knew, you’d think it was a tactic. He just wanted to help.”

My throat tightened. I stepped back, dizzy, as the room spun around me. I staggered back.

“Kate!” my father’s voice rang out. But it sounded far away, like he was underwater.

I felt the ground disappear beneath me, and I only saw my father’s mouth moving.

Then nothing.

Just David’s name echoing in my mind.