Chapter 490

When Scarlett pushed open the ICU door and stepped out of that silent, sterile white space, a week of tension and exhaustion finally came to an end. Her body felt drained, but her heart was full of accomplishment. Instinctively, she reached into the cabinet for her phone, only to find it had died long ago from days of nonstop work. She plugged it in to charge, too busy with the task to notice the quiet movement behind her. When she turned, she collided with a familiar chest, instantly enveloped in a clean, warm scent. "Xavier?" The name slipped out in surprise and joy. "Scarlet… You've worked so hard these past few days." His voice was low and warm, his arms wrapping around her, solid and unyielding. Scarlett looked up into those deep, steady eyes, then threw her arms around him, pressing and rubbing her cheek into his chest. "I missed you." They stood in the changing room, holding each other as though the rest of the world had fallen away. Xavier stroked her back gently. "I mis