Page 98 of Accidental Doctor Daddy

A chill ran through me.Come on, Ella, open the door.I knocked harder, tried calling her phone—straight to voicemail. Blood pounding in my ears, I debated forcing the lock. That was when I noticed Mrs. Waverly hovering at the end of the hall, grocery bag in hand, concern etched on her features. Hoping for good news, I stepped away from Ella’s door.

“Mrs. Waverly,” I said, swallowing hard, “have you seen Ella? She hasn’t been answering me.”

The elderly neighbor offered a sympathetic frown. “I’m sorry, Dr. Mortoli. Ella moved out this morning.”

My mind blanked. “What?”

She nodded, eyes full of regret. “Said she was leaving the city altogether.”

My pulse thundered. “Did she say why?”

Mrs. Waverly shrugged, face somber. “Only that it was time to move on. Looked like she’d been crying half the night. Poor thing. I’ll miss her and the girls.”

I managed a stiff nod, mind swirling. “Thank you,” I murmured, stepping back.

My gaze flicked to Ella’s door one last time—locked tight, no sign of life.She left me without a word.My phone buzzed in my pocket, a text that made my heart seize with hope.Maybe she’s telling me to come find her.

Ella:I’m sorry, Dom. The girls and I have left NYC. This is what’s best for everyone. I’m changing numbers soon, so don’t bother texting this one. Please take care of yourself, your work, and your other kids.

Her final goodbye—no address, no chance to argue. Just a curt apology and a severance of ties.

Like I was nothing to her.

I typed a frantic reply anyway, only to receive a “Message not delivered” notice. She must’ve already shut off her phone. A hollow sensation spread through my chest, each breath a struggle.

She actually left.

Eventually, I trudged back down the stairs, out into the twilight city. The shock gave way to a swirl of anger at her for bailing, at myself for not seeing it coming, at Seth for piling on the pressure that drove her away, at the hospital for complicating things, at everyone and everything I could think of. By the time I got home, I was numb.

The next few days dragged by in a blur. I went through the motions at the hospital—performing surgeries on autopilot,giving curt nods to staff. Everyone noticed I was off my game, though my hands stayed steady. Years of training kept me from mistakes. When I was not in the OR, I obsessively checked my phone, hoping Ella would reach out again.

She didn’t.

The koi pond at the hospital had lost its shine. Everything had. So I took my meals in the breakroom, which left me open to Seth’s verbal sparring at random. As I stared at a stale sandwich I couldn’t bring myself to eat, he strolled in, smug and smiling.

“Dom,” he said, voice dripping with false concern, “I heard your girlfriend took off. Tough break.”

My jaw clenched. I forced myself to speak evenly. “This isn’t your concern.”

He raised his brows in mock innocence. “Just repeating what I heard. Something about her landing a job at a Michelin-starred place—must be quite the career move. Shame she didn’t see fit to include you in that plan, huh?”

Ambition? Was that what this was all about? But her text implied she was fleeing for my sake. Could both be true? Was I that naive?

I bit back a retort, shaking my head. “You don’t know a damn thing.”

Seth shrugged, sipping his coffee. “The admin role demands focus. Hard to keep that when your personal life is a train wreck.”

I spun on him, rage flaring. “Stay the hell away from me.”

He raised his cup in a mock toast, eyes gleaming with satisfaction.

I’m giving him exactly what he wants.That realization scorched me.I’m done.

Storming out, I made it to my office before my knees threatened to buckle. Was he right? Was this some kind of karma for what I’d done with Jodie? I lost one partner because Igave my all to my career, and now I was losing another because she gave her all to her career.

And for what?

Around midday, I just…gave up. After completing a consult, I strode to HR, ignoring the stares of staff who tried to stop me from barging in. Mrs. Fletcher, the HR manager, looked up in alarm as I approached.

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