SOPHIA’S POV
I stared at the lecture invitation on my phone. I had opened it so many tis I already knew every detail by heart. The date. The ti. The location.
I’d been debating all week whether to go. Part of wanted to pretend the invitation didn’t exist. Another part of ached to be in that room, to hear Professor Rio speak in person.
Ashley was with Tiffany for the weekend. That knowledge made feel guilty. I hated that I felt
relieved. I told myself it was just because I finally had ti to breathe, but deep down, I knew it
was more than that.
I felt empty without my daughter, but I also felt lighter knowing there would be no fights for two days.
I typed a ssage to Lance. “I’ll attend the lecture.”
His reply ca almost instantly. “I’m really glad. I’ll pick you up Saturday morning if that’s
okay.”
I stared at the screen for a second, then typed back, “That’s fine. Thank you.”
Saturday ca. I chose my outfit carefully. I didn’t want to look flashy but confident so I dressed like that.
Settling on a nice blue blouse and corporate pants with matching blue heels, I straightened my
hair neatly and then looked at myself in the mirror.
I smiled.
I looked good.
Stunning even.
Lance arrived right on ti. As soon as I got in his car, he smiled at .
“Ready?” He asked and swallowed a nervous smile. “I don’t know. I guess I’m just nervous.”
“That’s a good sign,” he replied. “It ans you care about this and you don’t want to fuck it up.”
As we drove through the city toward the dical university, Lance talked excitedly about
Professor Rio.
He told how Rio pioneered three different heart surgery techniques, how his work changed transplant survival rates worldwide.
“He doesn’t do lectures like this anymore,” Lance said. “That’s why this is such a big deal.”
“I still can’t believe I get to hear him speak,” I said excitedly.
Lance glanced at and smiled. “I’m glad you ca.”
Lance was so easy to talk to. It surprised most tis There was no pressure. We were just
two doctors talking about dicine.
When we arrived at the campus, my breath caught.
The dical university looked amazing. The
place was huge. The place had marble columns rising high against the sky.
Doctors and dical professionals crowded the entrance. They were all dressed professionally.
They had leather notebooks in hand. I suddenly felt very small.
Lance placed a gentle hand on my back.
“You’re okay,” he said softly as if reading my thoughts.
Security checked our invitations and handed us na badges and program booklets.
Inside, the
lecture hall was massive, with tiered seating and chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. At least
two hundred people filled the room.
I recognized faces I had only ever seen in journals and conferences.
We took seats in the fourth row and I arranged my notebook and pen carefully. I was reviewing the
program when I heard a voice that made my entire body go rigid.
Damien.
I looked up.
He was walking through the doors.
He wore a dark, expensive suit. His posture was confident and commanding.
Tiffany was beside him, her arm linked through his. She looked elegant in a designer dress. My heart began to pound painfully in my chest.
What were they doing here?
I lowered my head quickly, hiding behind my program booklet, hoping they wouldn’t notice .
From behind the paper, I watched as Damien scanned the room. His presence was heavy with his
Alpha aura.
Even humans felt it, though they wouldn’t know why. Tiffany smiled brightly, greeting people like she belonged there.
They took seats in the VIP section at the front.
That’s when I heard a whisper behind . “Is that Damien Stone? The Alpha?”
“Yes,” soone replied. “I heard he sponsored several attendees this year.”
I clenched my jaw. So that’s why he’s here.”
Just then Tiffany turned in her seat and her eyes scanned the room. When she spotted , her expression shifted from shock to an evil smile. She leaned in and whispered sothing to Damien.
Slowly he turned and our eyes t across the lecture hall.
For a mont, the world seed to narrow to just us. I saw surprise in his eyes, then sothing I
couldn’t read.
My chest tightened and I looked away first.
Damien’s eyes shifted to Lance beside . I didn’t need to look too much to know he was jealous. I felt it in the sudden pull in my chest.
Lance whispered, “Do you want to leave?”
“No,” I said firmly. “I’m staying.”
The lights dimd, and Professor Rio stepped onto the stage. He adjusted the microphone and looked around the lecture hall.
“Good afternoon,” he greeted. “I won’t waste ti on introductions. Most of you already know my work.”
Everyone laughed.
Behind him a slide appeared. It showed the detailed image of a human heart. Then he began speaking.
He spoke about groundbreaking transplant techniques. I took notes.
My confidence grew with each slide. When he asked questions, I answered them silently in my head.
“Cardiac transplantation has evolved,” he continued. “But the problem has never been the surgery itself. The problem is timing, decision-making, knowing when to act and when to wait.”
He looked up from the screen.
“Tell ,” he said, “what is the biggest mistake young surgeons make when dealing with end-
stage heart failure?”
A few people shifted in their seats. One man raised his hand.
“They wait too long,” the man said.
Rio nodded slightly. “Correct. But why?”
The man hesitated. “Fear of complications.”
“Wrong,” Rio said calmly. “They wait too long because they hope dicine will fix what only
surgery can.”
Another slide appeared, showing a flow chart of organ failure progression.
“Hope is not a strategy,” he said. “Data is.”
He paced slowly across the stage.
“When the heart fails, the kidneys follow. When the kidneys fail, the liver follows. Once you see
rising creatinine and liver enzys together, you are already late.”
I wrote his words down quickly.
Rio continued, “Now let’s talk about transplant eligibility. Who here believes age alone disqualifies a patient?”
A woman raised her hand. “Patients over sixty have poorer outcos.”
“What are your primary concerns,” he asked, “and how do you prioritize intervention?”
Just a few hands shot up around the room. It was a question that everyone was confused about.
He scanned the audience. Then his finger pointed directly at .
“You,” he said. “Blue blouse. Fourth row.”
I stilled.
The spotlight fell on .
“The rising kidney and liver values suggest multi-organ dysfunction,” I cleared my throat and answered. “This indicates progression to stage D heart failure.”
Rio nodded o. “Go on.”
“The body’s compensatory chanisms are failing,” I continued. “dical managent alone is
no longer sufficient.”
“What is your first priority?” Rio asked.
“Stabilizing organ function,” I said. “Specifically renal perfusion and hepatic congestion.”
“How?” he pressed.
“Careful adjustnt of inotropes to improve cardiac output,” I replied. “Avoiding nephrotoxic drugs. Close monitoring of fluid balance.”
“And transplant status?”
“The patient’s priority should be reassessed imdiately,” I said. “They may qualify for urgent
listing.”
Rio nodded again. “And if no donor becos available?”
I didn’t hesitate. “Bridge-to-transplant therapy.”
Rio folded his arms. “Risks?”
“Infection,” I said. “Bleeding. Thromboembolism. But the risk is justified given the rapid
deterioration.”
Rio stared at for a long mont then he smiled.
“That,” he said into the microphone, “is the correct answer”
The room erupted in applause.
I sat down quickly. Lance squeezed my hand, smiling at .
I glanced toward the front row. Damien had turned fully around.
He stared at like he had never seen before.
He looked shocked. Then his face closed off and he turned back around.
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