Chapter 8

That scar was all too familiar to Julian.

How many nights, wrapped in loving intimacy, had he traced it, kissed it?

"Audrey, this is your scar, but it's my lifelong mark."

Because it was a mark from when I shielded him from a knife.

When he was doing his residency, I brought him food.

A patient, crazed after a failed surgery, was wildly brandishing a knife.

He was just a fresh-faced young doctor then, and it had nothing to do with him.

But as he was helping another fallen, innocent patient,

The knife swung towards his abdomen.

"Watch out!" I pushed him away, and in the chaos, the knife plunged into my lower abdomen.

Julian immediately covered my wound.

Blood seeped between his fingers, covering his hands.

His face was ashen as he scooped me up and stumbled towards the emergency room.

It wasn't until my wound was treated that the hollow look in his eyes began to clear.

He looked at me with red-rimmed eyes, burying his head in my neck.

"Audrey, seeing you bleed... I hurt so much, I'd rather die myself."

I smiled and patted him, "Then will you promise to be good to me from now on?"

He kissed my earlobe.

"I'd give my life for you."

That day, he held me, carefully avoiding my wound.

And said, with utmost seriousness, "Audrey, you're too kind."

"Please, from now on, think more about yourself, okay?"

He was the one who once told me to think more about myself.

Now, he was the one calling Scarlett "innocent" and telling me to be "more understanding."

The assistant quietly prompted, "Dr. Hayes, is something wrong?"

Julian paid no attention, quickly taking two steps.

Suddenly, he pulled back the surgical drape covering my face.

His pupils instantly constricted.

His face contorted with horror and despair, "How can it be you?"

At that moment, I couldn't respond.

I was under anesthesia, my eyes closed in a heavy haze.

My face was pale, cold sweat beading on my forehead.

It was the final stage of the departure process.

It truly hurt. But it would be over soon.

Julian's throat bobbed several times, his voice trembling uncontrollably.

"Audrey, you can't be hurt. I won't let anything happen to you."

He wanted to touch me, but couldn't, fearing bacterial infection.

The assistants were somewhat surprised.

Didn't Dr. Hayes know that the person under his scalpel was his own wife?

But their professional training quickly brought them back to normal.

They refocused on the operating table.

The System said coolly in my mind, "This is probably Julian Hayes's most agonizing surgery."

After all, this surgery had only a 5% success rate.

Anyone would be nervous, right?

He picked up the scalpel again, his fingers trembling slightly.

But quickly, he controlled the tremor with astonishing willpower.

Years of professional training took over.

The surgery continued systematically.

"More anesthetic."

"The tumor has spread, partly free-floating. There's significant bleeding."

"Use embolization to block the blood vessels."

"Continue adhesion dissection, remove the diseased tissue."

Julian Hayes was indeed the hospital's most renowned, youngest "magic hands."

Everything was as he said; he could control it.

The assistant's voice came through, slightly excited, "Success!"

They were quietly cheering.

But I wasn't surprised at all.

The surgery was temporarily successful, of course.

Because my departure deadline hadn't arrived yet.

Only two hours left.