Chapter 2


    VERNERO POV


    I woke from a slicing splitting headache. Although my body was still sore, the pain was lulled by the


    drugs and whatever little fe injected me with. I groaned softly as I tried to get up only to find that I


    was dressed in nothing but bandages, and my boxers. The soft snores caught my attention and I


    nced to my left to find that she had dozed off while watching over me. But what had my eyes


    widening with shock was the little scar on the left eyebrow of the little stranger. The nose, the way she


    sucked on her bottom lip while she slept… it could not be! It could not fuckin be!


    I got up to my sitting position and actually assessed and studied my savior. With every passing second


    of me staring at her, my breathingbored. It couldn’t be her. I have searched the entire world for her


    and I hadn’t found her. For years, I made sure that I left every stone unturned in search of her, but it


    was if all her entire existence has been a sweet daydream; like she never existed. So this had to be a


    very big lie. Or a prank. This was definitely not my Leigh in front of me.


    I carefully pulled my feet underneath her weight and groaned as pain pierced through my skull. But that


    was the least of my worries now. I had to see something, anything to confirm that thedy who I was


    with was indeed Leigh-Ari Montreal. My butterfly.


    With that, I got up and decided to take a tour around her apartment in search of anything that can tell


    me that I was not dreaming, or that I was not being pranked cruelly. The universe wouldn’t just yank me


    off her and then throw me right back onto herp after years of yearning for her presence.


    I walked into the small kitchen and silently opened and closed the shelves, then moved to the small


    office where there was nothing except work crap and all the shit you can think of that doctors write.


    Wait, my girl was a doctor? A surgeon? I nced back to where she was soundly sleeping and smiled.


    Fuck me if I wasn’t proud! But one thing I was actually not well with was that she fell asleep with a


    complete stranger inside her house. But then a memory crossed my mind, this was Leigh-Ari we were


    talking about. That girl couldugh and p death in the face or jump off the cliff with a smile on her


    face. She was reckless, fearless, and fuck! I missed her so much. And she was here, right in front of


    me.


    I closed her small office and walked towards the bedroom, then searched. I knew I was being a prick


    for invading her privacy, but I needed to confirm if it was really her. The bedroom was rather huge for a


    single person. But I made sure to explore every single corner and by the time I was finished, I had


    found all I needed to know.


    My butterfly, she had saved me. Not only that, but the universe has reunited us yet again. I tugged a


    small stand of hair behind her ear and leaned down to kiss her cheek. But one thing that pained me,


    she didn’t seem to know me, at all. Although pain had clouded my senses while she was tending to my


    woundsst night, I heard her loud and clear. She would ask me a few questions and curse here and


    there. But one thing I realized was that she had no idea who I was. She didn’t know me. My butterfly


    didn’t recognize me.


    I got up and nced at a clock mounted to the wall, it signaled that it was a little after 2am. I spotted


    her cellphone on the small ss coffee table that was pushed to the side to create room on the rug.


    With my hacking skills, I was able to unlock it and dialed Ciello- my butler who answered on the third


    ring. As soon as his panicked voice poured out of the speaker, I instructed him to bring me clean fresh


    clothes and gave her the location of where I was.


    While I waited for Ciello, I made sure to explore every inch of Leigh’s house. It was just surreal, the fact


    that she was right here in front of me felt like a dream itself. I couldn’t believe that I had just found her,


    just like that. I mean it felt like a fuckin tale that I met the love of when she was out to dump trash after


    a decade of searching for her. ssic right?


    My thoughts were disturbed by two soft thuds that sounded on the door. That was a signal of Ciello’s


    arrival. I took hushed steps towards the door and stealthily let him in. I chuckled when I found a dozen


    of my men heavily armed, ready to butcher someone right on the corridor andmanded to keep it


    down, that I was okay and I was actually in the house of my savior. I instructed Ciello and all of them to


    wait outside while I changed quickly; they bowed and left. For the second time, I entered her bedroom


    and pulled on a neat suit. I was thankful that I had met a doctor who treated my wounds and bandaged


    me nice and well!


    Once I was settled, I walked into her office and took a small notepad and a pen, then scrabbled a small


    message for her and ced it on the coffee table, then ced a soft kiss on her forehead. She


    mumbled something and licked her bottom lip before turning to the side. I sighed happily and exited her


    room.


    I found Ciello outside the apartment building with my guys. He handed me a new cell phone with which


    I sent a quick message:


    I found her!


    ~~~


    LEIGH-ARI


    The sudden sound of soft music had me jumping from the couch I was cradled on and nted myself


    face first on the rug. That was followed by a loud groan and a series of curses as I crawled to where


    the sound came from and absent-mindedly picked up my phone and epted the call which happened


    to be from the hospital.


    “Dr. Montreal, we have been trying to reach you. We have a patient who needs surgery and Dr. Nickel


    stood in for you. Your presence is required ASAP.”


    “Shit! I’ll be there.” After cutting the call, I hurriedly washed my face and freshened up and was soon in


    my car driving towards the hospital. The morning traffic was the pain in the ass and I cursed myself for


    not being ready for work, but then, I was attending to the patient who…


    Speaking of a patient, where the hell did that guy go? I had left my house in haste and didn’t even


    check if he was still in my house or not. He might have passed out in the bathroom or died in there for


    all I knew. I sighed as I mmed my foot on the brake and actually stopped the car. I was going to be


    late for the operation and it wasn’t good at all.


    I gave another exasperated sigh and decided to leave the car on the road. Life came first before


    everything. When the convoy moved a bit, I pulled up to the shoulder and stepped out of the car with all


    my paraphernalia in hand.


    I spotted a cab overtaking the traffic and thanked my lucky stars after hailing it.


    “St. Andrews Hospital.” I barked the location as I settled into the seat.


    “On it Doc.” The driver replied teasingly and maneuvered his way through the heavy traffic. Within short


    time, he pulled up right outside the hospital; I paid him and dashed into the building.


    As soon as I entered, a group of nurses rushed my way and began filling me with details of the patient I


    needed to attend to. I paid attention and realized it was the Lumbar Spinal Fusion surgery that was


    going to take more than six hours, considering the fact that the patient had other healthplications.


    ssic! And all that was going to be dealt with on an empty stomach since I didn’t even have a chance


    to grab a bite when I left my ce.


    We rushed to the ss 3 OR where I took a huge swig of protein shake and then was dressed up with


    the hospital gowns and scrubs, then got to work. I was thankful that Dr. Nickel was already there doing


    the most, so I just joined and helped. He was a very cool guy who was in histe 50s, and he was very


    good to get along with; unlike these age-mates who were alwayspeting for credits. Asswipes.


    It took full 7 hours and 45 minutes to actuallyplete mending the sorry guy’s back with screws and


    bones. What made the surgery longer was that we had to dpress the spinal nerves; that and other


    things that just made me want to curl up into a ball and die. By the time I left the OR, I felt like a true


    walking zombie and I was famished.


    I was thankful when Laura-my best friend and the hospital gynecologist burst into my office holding a


    bag of food. Sheughed when I attacked the food without paying her any attention.


    “You really are a life savior!’ I said through a mouthful as I chowed down a donut and took a whole swig


    of juice.


    “Yah. I saw you when you arrived here. And I was actually worried becausest night you went AWOL


    and didn’t even reply my texts.” She replied taking a small bite on her donut.


    “You won’t believe what happened. I had a patient in my house.” With that, I got into full details of how


    a sinfully hot man manhandled me while I was dumping trash. I made sure to put an emphasis that he


    was being chased by a group of armed men and that he had his whole body covered in tattoos. She


    listened carefully andughed here and there.


    By the time I finishedying the whole story to her, she hadughed so much that her eyes were filled


    with tears,


    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    “But you should have been careful babe. And you don’t know where he is. Who knows, he mighte


    back to you or just… at least report it to the police so that they know you had such a man in your house


    and you are very suspicious of him.” she said throwing a chip on me.


    “Whoever he was, when hees back, I will be sure to castrate him!”