When Soren woke up the next afternoon, his friends and Winry were already gathered around his hospital bed. They were teasing him relentlessly.

"Soren, you've outdone yourself as the hero saving the damsel in distress this time."

"Winry is very touched. Surely she'll repay you with her heart. I guess this calls for a celebration when you get better."

"Soren, it looks like you've finally gotten what you've always wanted. We'll need to throw a proper party for you soon!"

Winry blushed deeply at their teasing. She looked at Soren shyly and spoke in a soft and sweet voice. "Soren, I didn't think you'd go to such lengths for me. Once you've recovered, we'll start a relationship, okay?"

Her words drew even louder cheers from the group, with everyone chanting for them to get together.

Strangely, Soren remained silent despite being the center of attention. His gaze swept over each person i

Soren ignored their shocked exclamations. It was as though he hadn't heard them. He attempted to get off the bed on his bare feet, but the injuries from the car accident made standing unbearable. 

Pain radiated from his right leg and ribs, forcing him to collapse back onto the bed.

His eyes remained bloodshot. He struggled to rise again, only to be firmly pushed back down by the doctor who had just entered to do his rounds. After examining him and having the nurse reconnect his IV, the doctor scolded him harshly.

"You were in a car accident and nearly lost your life. How can you move around so recklessly as soon as you wake up? You even pulled out your IV! Do you have a death wish? Don't you know it takes 100 days for bones to heal? 

"All of you here—why would you stress him out when you know he has a heart condition?"

The doctor continued to lecture everyone present. Then, he liste

Zara didn't take Winry's message to heart. After all, she had already planned to leave after that day. Just as she turned off her phone and looked up, she saw Winry walking toward them.

"Soren!" she called out.

Surprised filled Soren's eyes as he responded, "What are you doing here?"

Winry smiled and shot him an affectionate gaze blatantly. "I came specifically for you, Soren. I have something very important to tell you. I want to talk to you alone."

She thought her victory was assured. But to her astonishment, Soren hesitated as her words fell.

He glanced at Zara, who was standing behind him, and said reluctantly, "Now is not a good time, Winry. Let's talk another time."

The moment he finished speaking, Winry's eyes widened in disbelief. She hadn't expected him to refuse her. Hurt and frustration welled up in her eyes. Soon, her eyes reddened as tears began to fall.

"Fine. If you won't come with me, then we're done!" she yelled.

She wiped her tears and turned to run. Within seconds, she had reached the middle of the street.

Soren's heart sank. He was about to call out to her when he noticed a car careening out of control. It was heading straight for Winry. His pupils contracted sharply. Without a second thought, he bolted forward and shoved Winry out of the car's path.

A deafening crash followed.

"Soren!"

Zara watched as blood sprayed across the street. On the other side, Winry stood frozen in shock, unable to do anything but cry and scream.

It was Zara who called for an ambulance and had Soren rushed to the hospital.

His friends arrived shortly after and scanned the room. They quickly noticed Zara. Her hands were covered in blood, and she was waiting outside the operating room.

"How is he? And where's Winry?"

"He's still in surgery. Winry was crying so much that the doctors kicked her out for being too disruptive." Zara's tone was steady as she answered each question patiently.

Finally, the operating room sign dimmed, and the door swung open. 

The doctor stepped out, removing his mask and declaring, "The surgery was a success. He'll regain consciousness tomorrow."

Relief washed over the group. They began discussing the reason behind Soren's current condition freely while ignoring Zara's presence.

"Soren risked his life for Winry even though he just had heart surgery recently. He's crazy!"

"Yeah. He'd once fought another guy in school because of her. Now, he almost died for her! After this, Winry would have to say yes to him, right? At least this mess brought them closer together."

Zara listened to their conversation quietly. Just as she turned to leave, an impatient voice sounded behind her.

"Where are you going, Simp? Soren's about to get transferred to a general ward. Aren't you going to take care of him?"

She looked back to find them all staring at her with varying degrees of displeasure.

With a shrug, she replied nonchalantly, "We're divorced. Why would I take care of him?"

"What?"

The room fell silent, and everyone exchanged shocked glances.

Ignoring the stares directed at her, Zara pulled out her divorce certificate from her bag and handed it to the nearest person.

"I was planning to give this to him today, but I didn't get the chance to do so. I won't wait until tomorrow. You can give it to him instead."

Before anyone could respond, she turned and walked away.

As her retreating figure disappeared, someone called after her. "Zara, where are you going?"

She chuckled and didn't bother to turn around as she said her parting words. "As you can see, I'm making room for Winry. Tell them I wish them well. I won't be attending the wedding."

After leaving the hospital, Zara returned to the villa. The thought of meeting the true recipient of Andy's heart—of hearing his heartbeat again—brought a faint smile to her lips. She felt a growing sense of excitement and impatience.

She'd already packed everything. With her suitcase in hand, she left the villa, hailed a cab, and headed to the airport without looking back.

When Soren woke up the next afternoon, his friends and Winry were already gathered around his hospital bed. They were teasing him relentlessly.

"Soren, you've outdone yourself as the hero saving the damsel in distress this time."

"Winry is very touched. Surely she'll repay you with her heart. I guess this calls for a celebration when you get better."

"Soren, it looks like you've finally gotten what you've always wanted. We'll need to throw a proper party for you soon!"

Winry blushed deeply at their teasing. She looked at Soren shyly and spoke in a soft and sweet voice. "Soren, I didn't think you'd go to such lengths for me. Once you've recovered, we'll start a relationship, okay?"

Her words drew even louder cheers from the group, with everyone chanting for them to get together.

Strangely, Soren remained silent despite being the center of attention. His gaze swept over each person in the room repeatedly. To his disappointment, he didn't see the person whom he expected would be the

Chapter 10