Chapter 34 A Gradual Step

• Ava had always found solace in the quiet hours after a long day at the hospital. The rhythmic beeping of machines, the hushed voices of her colleagues, and the sterile scent of the surgical ward were familiar, almost comforting. Since leaving Alexander, she had poured herself into her work, earning a reputation as one of the most skilled and empathetic doctors in the city.
• She had become a fixture at St. Michael's Hospital, her expertise and compassion lauded by her colleagues and patients alike. But the accolades, the praise, none of it filled the hollow space inside her that had once been occupied by the love she’d thought was real.
• Despite her success, Ava couldn’t entirely escape the shadows of her past. The memories of Alexander—their life together, the pain of betrayal, and the loss of their child—haunted her in quiet moments. But she had learned to push them aside. The past was behind her. She wasn’t the same woman she had been four years ago.