Adeline’s pen hovered over the next document, her mind slipping away from the mountain of work before her. She exhaled sharply, tapping the tip of the pen against the paper as a deep sense of unease settled in her chest.

  Had she really scared Tess off?

  Her grip tightened slightly. It wasn’t like her to doubt herself, but Tess was different. Tess wasn’t another politician, another calcuted move. She was real—genuine in a way she hadn’t encountered in a long time.

  She sighed, shaking her head as she forced herself to focus. “Maybe it was too much,” she admitted in a low voice, just for Martin to hear. “Too soon.”

  Martin pced another document in front of her, his smirk softening into something more knowing. “You’re not exactly subtle, Madam President,” he said. “And let’s be honest, you barely let her breathe before dragging her into your bed.”

  Adeline shot him a gre, but the weight of his words settled heavily on her shoulders. Did she rush things? Did she let her desires get ahead of what could’ve been something more?

  Dragging a hand through her hair, she forced herself to sign another document, but her mind kept repying that morning—Tess’s warmth, her ughter, the way she had looked at her like she was something more than just the president.

  But now, silence.

  She exhaled slowly, setting the pen down as she murmured, “I hate waiting.”

  Martin chuckled. “You could always text her first, you know. It’s the 21st century. Women can chase too.”

  Adeline rolled her eyes, leaning back in her chair. “And what if she regrets it? What if I made a mistake?”

  Martin tilted his head. “Then you find out and move forward. You’re the president, Adeline. Since when do you let anything, especially a woman, make you hesitate?”

  Adeline pressed her lips together, staring at her phone on the desk.

  Since Tess, apparently…

  Adeline stood by the window, gripping her phone tightly. She had just mustered the courage to call, only for it to go straight to voicemail. A sigh of relief slipped past her lips she wasn’t even sure what she would have said to Tess.

  But just as the tension in her shoulders eased, her phone buzzed in her hand. The caller ID fshed Tess Wells.

  Her heart skipped.

  She immediately answered. “Tess?”

  There was a brief silence before she heard Tess’s voice—soft, distant. “Adeline.”

  Then, the line cut.

  Adeline pulled the phone from her ear, staring at the screen, confusion swirling in her mind. She redialed instantly. The call connected after two rings.

  “Good afternoon,” Tess answered, her voice much calmer than before.

  “What was that just now?” she demanded, still gripping the phone as she turned from the window, pacing across her office.

  Tess sighed. “I had to disappear for a moment.”

  Adeline frowned, stopping in her tracks. “Disappear? What’s going on? How have you been?”

  There was a small pause before Tess answered, her voice edged with exhaustion. “Busy. Really busy. With you visiting the café, business has picked up a lot. That part’s good, but…” She exhaled slowly. “My father came to help and ended up falling and hurting his hip. He’s in the hospital now, and I’ve been juggling between helping him, my mom, and running the café.”

  Adeline shut her eyes for a moment, guilt washing over her. “Tess… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause all of this.”

  Tess let out a small ugh, though it cked amusement. “It’s not your fault, Adeline. Life happens. I just wasn’t expecting this much at once.”

  Adeline resumed pacing, one hand on her hip as she listened. There was a helplessness in Tess’s voice that she didn’t like. Tess, the woman who had smirked at her with such confidence, who had teased her in bed, who had looked at her as if she was ready for anything. Now, she sounded… drained.

  Adeline’s grip on the phone tightened. “Do you need help?”

  Tess hesitated. “No, I can handle it.”

  Adeline scoffed. “That wasn’t the question. Do YOU need help?”

  Silence.

  Adeline pressed. “Tess.”

  Tess exhaled again. “I… I don’t know. Maybe.”

  That was enough. Adeline wasn’t one to sit around when something or someone needed fixing.

  “Text me the hospital’s name,” she said firmly. “I’ll take care of the rest.”

  *

  Martin crossed his arms, his gre unwavering as he watched the president prepare to walk out on her responsibilities. “You absolutely cannot leave,” he repeated, his voice sharper this time. “Your country needs you, Madam President. Are you seriously going to neglect your duties right now?”

  She stood before the mirror, fastened her hair into a high ponytail with practiced ease. Dressed in a fitted bck tracksuit, she looked more like an athlete heading to a morning jog than the leader of a nation. Without looking at him, she responded, “Tess needs help, and I’m the one who caused this mess.”

  Martin let out a sharp breath. “Exactly how?” Adeline was being ridiculous.

  “If we never visited the café, her father wouldn’t have had to step in, and he wouldn’t be in the hospital right now,” she said matter-of-factly, as if that was the most logical conclusion, but as she said this the thought jumped at her, ‘I wouldn’t have met Tess.’

  Martin groaned, rubbing a hand over his face. “Just because you’re in love doesn’t mean you disregard your duties.”

  Adeline stilled.

  The weight of his words settled over her like a heavy cloak. She slowly turned, sitting down on the edge of the bed. A long silence passed between them before she finally sighed, her hands csped between her knees.

  “You’re right,” she admitted, voice quieter now. “I can’t just drop everything because of how I feel.”

  Martin softened slightly at her moment of reflection, but stayed firm. “So, what will you do?”

  She looked up at him, her expression thoughtful. “What if I send people to help her? Arrange for assistance at the café, get her father the best care?”

  Martin nodded approvingly. “That, Madam President, is how you handle things. You have the power to help without abandoning your post.”

  She exhaled slowly, a small smirk forming. “You just enjoy lecturing me, don’t you?”

  He smirked back. “Someone has to keep you in check.”

  She chuckled, standing up and reaching for her phone. “Fine. I’ll fix this my way.”

  Adeline wasted no time. She dialed a number, pacing the room as she waited for an answer. When a voice picked up, she didn’t bother with pleasantries.

  “I need a team sent to Wells Café. Staff to help manage the workload and make sure they’re competent. Also, contact the best doctors at St. Francis Hospital, an acquaintance of mine’s father is a patient there. I want his treatment prioritised. No expenses spared.”

  The voice on the other end acknowledged the order, and Adeline hung up, exhaling deeply. She turned to Martin, who watched her with a raised eyebrow.

  “Happy now?” she asked.

  He smirked. “Much better. This way, you’re helping without making rash decisions.”

  Adeline rolled her eyes, but couldn’t deny that he had a point. Still, something in her gnawed at the distance between her and Tess—this will it be a problem?

  “What if she refuses my help?” Adeline murmured, almost to herself.

  Martin scoffed. “She won’t. She’s overwhelmed, and you’re giving her relief. Just don’t expect her to throw herself at your feet in gratitude.”

  Adeline chuckled dryly. “That’s the st thing I want. I just—” She stopped herself, running a hand over her face.

  “You just want to be there,” he finished for her.

  Adeline nodded, sinking onto the couch. “I didn’t expect this to happen, Martin. I didn’t expect to meet someone who—”

  “—makes you act like an irrational fool?” he teased.

  Adeline shot him a gre, but a small smile tugged at her lips. “Someone who makes me want to put them first,” she admitted.

  Martin sat across from her, his usual sharp demeanour softening. “I get it. But you’re not just Adeline anymore. You’re the President. Your life is about bance, not impulse.”

  Adeline leaned back, staring at the ceiling. “Bance,” she repeated, as if testing the word.

  A beat of silence passed before Martin sighed, standing up. “Now that you’re done being a lovesick idiot, let’s get back to work, Madam President.”

  Adeline groaned but stood up, grabbing a folder from the desk. “You really know how to kill a moment, don’t you?”

  Martin grinned. “It’s my job.”

  Tess was flipping through the café’s ledger, trying to bance the numbers, when the bell above the door jingled. Without looking up, she greeted, “Welcome!”

  But when she finally raised her eyes, she was met with three professionally dressed women standing before her. They exuded efficiency, their poised stances and crisp attire making them look completely out of pce in her cozy café.

  She stood, eyeing them warily. “Uh… Can I help you?”

  One of the women, a blonde with sharp eyes, stepped forward. “We were sent by a hiring company to assist you. We’re here to work.”

  Tess blinked in confusion. “I… didn’t request any help.”

  The blonde woman remained unfazed. “These were the orders given to us, and you won’t be the one paying us.”

  Before Tess could even begin to process that, her phone buzzed. She gnced at the screen—her mother.

  The moment she answered, her mother’s stunned voice came through. “Tess, when did you contact the doctors?”

  Tess frowned. “What? What doctors?”

  “The specialist—Dr. Langford, the one from the hospital’s poster! He’s in your father’s room right now, doing a full examination. I don’t understand… How did you afford this?”

  Tess’s breath caught. A single face fshed in her mind.

  Adeline.

  Of course, it was her.

  For a moment, she was speechless. She closed her eyes, exhaling through her nose before finally saying, “Mom, don’t worry about it. Just focus on Dad. I’ll handle everything.”

  She ended the call and let out a deep breath, her grip tightening around her phone.

  She turned back to the three women, her mind still spinning, but her decision already made. “Alright then. You’re just in time for the lunch rush. Let’s get to work.”

  The women nodded in unison and got handed uniform to change in. As Tess watched them fall into pce, a mixture of gratitude and frustration swirled inside her.

  Adeline… What am I going to do with you?

  Tess sighed as she pulled her phone away from her ear, slipping it into her pocket. No answer.

  She figured Adeline must be buried under a mountain of work. After all, she was the president of an entire country. Still, after everything that had happened today—the hired café staff, the specialist she needed to hear from her.

  Pushing the thoughts aside, she focused on her current task. She stepped inside the hospital, the sterile scent of antiseptic filling her nose as she approached the reception desk.

  “I’m here to see Mr. Wells,” she said, offering a polite smile as she reached for the sign-in sheet.

  The nurse behind the desk, a middle-aged woman with sharp eyes, took the clipboard but hesitated when she read Tess’s name. A slight frown formed on her face, and she gnced up, scanning Tess from head to toe.

  Tess caught the look and raised a brow. “Something wrong?”

  The nurse quickly fixed her expression and shook her head. “No, not at all.” But as Tess walked away, the woman picked up the phone and dialed a number.

  A few rings ter, a deep, authoritative voice answered.

  “Dr. Langford speaking.”

  “Doctor,” the nurse said, lowering her voice. “Miss Wells just arrived.”

  There was a pause on the other end. Then, Dr. Langford exhaled. “Good. I was expecting her.”

  —

  Dr. Alexander Langford

  Dr. Langford was a world-renowned physician, known for his work in cardiology and internal medicine. He had trained in some of the best hospitals in the world and was highly sought after by the elite.

  But he wasn’t just a doctor for the wealthy—he was a man who had built his career on both skill and integrity. Though his patient list often included high-profile figures, he had also dedicated a significant portion of his career to medical outreach, providing care in under-funded hospitals and war-torn regions.

  He rarely took private cases anymore, let alone ones that required him to travel. But when he received a personal request from someone within the ‘presidential circle’, everything changed.

  The moment he saw the name attached to the case, Dr. Langford had booked the next flight out.

  He didn’t ask questions. He just did his job.

  And now, as he sat in Mr. Wells’s hospital room, reviewing his test test results, he knew that things had just gotten more interesting.

  Because the woman who pulled the strings to get him here wasn’t the patient’s daughter—it was the country’s president.

  Tess paused just outside her father’s hospital room, exhaling softly before reaching for the door handle. Before she could push it open, the door swung outward, and a tall, handsome man in a fitted suit with a doctor’s coat hanging from his shoulders stepped into the hallway.

  His hair was neatly styled, his features sharp and symmetrical, almost too perfect. His eyes, a piercing shade of blue, swept over her with an air of quiet calcution.

  When he smiled, it was warm, professional. Yet, there was something about it that made her skin prickle—as if he was measuring her, weighing her worth in his mind.

  “You must be Miss Wells,” he said smoothly, extending a hand. “I’m Dr. Alexander Langford.”

  Tess hesitated for only a second before shaking his hand. His grip was firm but brief, and she took the opportunity to study him as well.

  “You’re… younger than I expected,” she admitted.

  Dr. Langford chuckled, clearly used to the reaction. “I get that a lot.”

  She wanted to ask how he ended up here, but her focus was on her father. “How is he?”

  Dr. Langford’s expression softened slightly. “Fortunately, his hip isn’t broken. Just a severe strain. He’ll need rest and rehabilitation and no more heavy work, at least until he’s fully recovered.”

  She exhaled, relief washing over her. “That’s good news.”

  Dr. Langford studied her again, his gaze sharp despite his polite tone. “You’re lucky someone made sure he received the best possible care.”

  Tess didn’t miss the implication.

  She nodded slowly. “Yeah… lucky.”

  Dr. Langford gave her one st unreadable smile before stepping aside, allowing her to enter the room.

  As she walked in, she couldn’t shake the feeling that this wouldn’t be her st encounter with the doctor.