Sylvester stood rigid in the hospital room. His jaw locked tightly as the relief-filled voices of Anabel’s family and others surrounded him. No one saw that coming. It just happened when all hope had gone.
Lady Orton was crying with joy, Jethro was exhaling deep breaths of relief, and Anabel... She was just standing there, frozen in shock, looking at the man who had just saved her father’s life.
That man was Desmond, his latest rival. Sylvester’s fingers curled into fists at his sides. He wasn’t happy. He couldn’t be. Not because Sir Orton had recovered. No, that wasn’t the problem at all. The problem was who was responsible for it. Desmond. The man who had been completely erased from Anabel’s life. The man she had walked away from. The man she was supposed to never consider again.
Yet now, here he was. A hero. The person who had just pulled her father from the brink of death. Sylvester felt something deep and ugly twist in his chest. He was close. So close to sealing his grip on Anabel, to convincing her that he was the only man she could rely on.
He had carefully orchestrated everything—the emotional manipulation, the trust-building. All of it was designed to ensure she would only look to him. But now…... Desmond had done something he never could.
He knew what this meant. Desmond was about to rewrite everything. He was about to erase the past with this action.
Whatever resentment Anabel had buried, whatever anger she had held on to. This act alone would be enough to shake her emotions. To make her rethink about Desmond. Saving her father wasn’t just a heroic act. Rather, it was the act that could make her reconsider everything she had sworn off.
Sylvester vowed not to let that happen. His eyes flickered to Anabel again. She was still processing it all. He could see the battle happening inside her. Gratitude struggling against bitterness.
She had said she didn’t want anything to do with Desmond, but what he had just done was nearly impossible to ignore.
It was enough. Enough to ruin everything Sylvester had planned. He felt his heartbeat pick up as his mind raced. He needed to do something. And he needed to do it fast.
He had to put doubt in Anabel’s mind. Had to tear apart whatever fragile piece of consideration she might start to feel for Desmond.
Anabel was emotional. So was Jethro, Lady Orton. The whole family was vulnerable right now. Which meant they can accept Desmond back easily.
Sylvester straightened slightly, adjusting his stance. He had an idea. And he was going to make sure that Desmond’s victory was short-lived.
For the doctor, he was standing motionless. His expression was stiff with the reality he could no longer deny. He had been wrong. Not just wrong, but utterly mistaken in his judgment.
Desmond had done what he had insisted was impossible for an unlicensed man. He had done what the specialist had failed to do. He had saved Sir Orton’s life when everyone else had given up.
Now he knew he needed to swallow his pride and apologize to Desmond. He took a deep breath and turned toward Desmond. The tension in his posture eased slightly, and his pride bent under the weight of his mistake as he spoke up. “I was wrong. I'm sorry I misjudged you, Desmond.”
He apologized, but Desmond remained silent, watching him without hostility. He shook his head slightly and continued. “I shouldn’t have talked down to you. I should have listened. I should have considered every possibility, but I let my own assumptions blind me.” Desmond nodded slightly in response, but he did not say anything.
He sighed, pushing past the embarrassment twisting in his chest. “I apologize. Not just for doubting your ability, but for refusing to even give you a chance. I would have been the cause of Sir Orton's death.”
"It's okay." Desmond finally responded. "It's not your fault. You are scared because I'm not a doctor. You are protecting him from harm. It shows that you care about him. It's okay that you don't trust me because I don't have a license. You were doing the best you can to save his life."