And there she was.
Her breath caught in her throat.
Standing by the window, backlit by the morning sun, washer—R, the woman from the hotel bar.
Rebecca Lang.
Lillian froze, the world seeming to narrow down to that one impossible moment. For a heartbeat, she didn’t move, didn’t even breathe. Her mind spun, trying to reconcile the two images: Dr. Lang, the legendary cardiothoracic surgeon, and R, the confident, seductive woman she had spent the night with in a hotel room just days before.
Rebecca turned slowly, her face unreadable, though there was a brief flicker of recognition in those beautiful dark brown eyes. The same eyes Lillian had stared into all night. Her expression remained neutral, professional—impossibly composed, as if the weight of what had happened between them had evaporated.
“Miss Harrington,” Rebecca said, her voice steady, giving no indication of their previous encounter. “Take a seat.”
Lillian blinked, her pulse hammering in her ears. She hesitated for a moment, her brain trying to catch up with the reality of what was happening. She had prepared for this meeting for days, but she hadn’t prepared for this. How could she have?
Silently, she walked forward, her legs feeling shaky beneath her, and took the seat across from Rebecca’s desk. Her throat was dry, her palms slick with sweat. The tension between them was thick, but Rebecca—R—was acting as if nothing had happened. It was surreal.
“I’ll be overseeing your cardiothoracic rotation this year,” Rebecca continued, her voice as cold and authoritative as her reputation suggested. “You’ll be expected to meet high standards—mine—and I won’t tolerate anything less than excellence.”
Lillian could barely register the words. She nodded mechanically, her heart still pounding, her mind swirling with the memory of Rebecca’s lips on hers, the heat of their bodies pressed together, Rebecca’s elegant fingers deep inside of her. And now, here they were, mentor and mentee, facing each other as if that night had never existed.
Rebecca’s eyes flicked briefly over Lillian, but her expression remained controlled, professional. “I don’t give special treatment,” she said coolly, her gaze sharp. “Not even to a Harrington. You’ll have to prove yourself here.”
Lillian swallowed, finding her voice at last. “Understood,” she managed, though her voice felt distant, disconnected from the chaos inside her head.
There was a beat of silence, the air between them heavy with the unsaid. Lillian wondered if Rebecca would acknowledge it, if she would say something—anything—that hinted at the truth beneath the surface. But Rebecca remained impassive, her demeanor as icy as ever.
“You’ll receive the schedule for your rotation this afternoon,” Rebecca continued, leaning back slightly in her chair. “Be punctual. Be prepared. And don’t expect leniency.”
Lillian nodded again, her heart still thudding painfully in her chest. It was clear that Rebecca intended to keep things strictly professional, as if their encounter was buried deep, never to be mentioned again. And maybe that was for the best. After all, what choice did Lillian have? This was her career, her future. There was no room for mistakes, no room for personal entanglements.
But as Rebecca stood, signaling the end of their meeting, Lillian couldn’t help but feel the weight of the secret between them. It was as if something fragile had cracked open, and despite Rebecca’s cold front, Lillian knew there was more beneath the surface—more that couldn’t simply be ignored.
“Good luck, Miss Harrington,” Rebecca said, her voice smooth and measured. “I expect you to live up to your name.”
Lillian stood, her legs still shaky, and gave a curt nod. “Thank you, Dr. Lang.”
She turned to leave, her heart still pounding in her ears, but as she reached the door, she couldn’t resist one last glance over her shoulder.
Rebecca was already back at her desk, her eyes on her computer, her expression as unreadable as ever.
Lillian stepped out of the office, the door closing softly behind her, and let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.
4
REBECCA
Rebecca sat at her desk, the early morning light streaming through the large windows behind her. The hospital was just waking up, the quiet hum of activity outside her office growing steadily louder as the day began. She flipped through the files on her desk with the same precision she applied to surgery, her mind already preparing for the week's lineup of cases, procedures, and administrative meetings. Everything was under control, just the way she liked it.
And then the knock came.
“Come in,” Rebecca called, her voice clipped but calm, barely looking up from the documents in front of her.
The door opened, and from her peripheral vision, Rebecca saw a young woman enter.
Her heart stopped.
The world around her slowed down for a fraction of a second as she lifted her gaze, catching sight of Lillian’s familiar face and beautiful green eyes. Recognition hit her like a lightning bolt. The hotel. The night they spent together. All of it flashed back to her in an instant.
