Chapter 1

Dr. Alex Reed turned, his face flushed a deep crimson, and he looked at me, a soft plea in his eyes:

“I'm not… quite sure how to use this… Is this right? Could you… could you help me with it?”

A smirk played on my lips, my eyes darkening. My voice came out a low rasp,

“Didn't realize you were so… *adventurous*, Dr. Reed.”

I was inspecting my bar as usual when I spotted a man at the counter, completely wasted. I sighed. I walked up to him, grabbing his collar, feeling a surge of irritation.

“Why are *you* always here, getting hammered?”

But then I actually looked at him, and my grip loosened. I swallowed, feeling a pang of apology. “My bad. I totally mistook you for someone else. Hi, I’m Noah Hayes, the owner of this bar.”

The man squinted at me, his voice soft and slurred. “Hi. I’m Alex Reed.”

*Ding-dong.* Alex’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He answered it, swaying precariously, then stumbled out. I picked up the business card he’d dropped on the floor.

The bartender came out from the back, looking a little troubled when he saw me. “Mr. Hayes, that customer… he didn't pay his tab.”

I just brushed a speck of dust from the card, a strange glint in my eyes. “Put Dr. Reed’s tab on my account.”

I got a call and rushed to the hospital. My heart sank when I saw my father lying in the hospital bed.

I stayed there all night. In the morning, the doctor who came to check on my father arrived. I stood up, and my gaze shot up, landing on a familiar face. I was surprised, but also a little pleased. It was the man I'd met last night.

Dr. Reed looked at me, explaining the situation. “Dr. Miller, your father’s attending physician, has been transferred. I’m Dr. Reed, and I’ll be taking over his care now.”

I looked at the man before me, now dressed in a crisp white coat, which gave him a cool, detached aura. I nodded to Dr. Reed.

“Then I’ll be relying on you, Dr. Reed. But you look a little familiar. I think I saw you at a bar last night. Were you there, Dr. Reed?”