“Mom, Dad,” he began, “I’d like you to meet Kate, the lead detective on Sana’s case.”
Ami approached Katherine with curiosity, her smile reaching the corners of her mouth. “Hello, Detective! I’m Ami.”
Katherine offered a polite greeting. “Hello, Mrs. Shahi. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Ami waved a hand, dismissing the formality. “Call me Aunt Ami.”
“Alright, Aunt Ami. Please call me Kate,” Katherine said, disarmed by her friendliness.
Ami continued to gush, her tone playful yet genuine. “You’re truly impressive, Little Kate! You look like a college student, yet you’ve already made detective.”
A blush crept up Katherine’s cheeks, unaccustomed to such flattery. “I joined FCPD right out of high school.”
Ami tilted her head, her inexplicable fondness for Katherine growing by the minute. “And how long have you been with the police force?”
“About six years.”
“So, you’re 24 this year?” she pressed, becoming a tad nosier.
“Almost.”
Ami’s eyes gleamed mischievously as she leaned in a little closer, almost whispering, “Are you single?”
“Yes.”
Ami’s lips curved wider, as if she’d just uncovered a delightful secret. “Mm… it must be that you’ve been too busy focusing on your career, am I right? Sana and her brothers are the same—single and busy with their careers. Since you’re investigating the case, I hope you’ll come and hang out with us when you can spare the time.”
“I’d love that, Aunt Ami. Thank you for the warm invitation,” Katherine replied, her gaze reflecting a longing for a mother’s affection, a stark contrast to the professional composure she often upheld.
Before the light-hearted moment could linger, Kasra stepped in, his tone all business. “Kate, I’d like you to meet Kimi, whom I’ve told you I wanted to loop in for the case.”
Katherine glanced at Kimi, who was sizing her up with keen interest. Taking the initiative, he extended his hand, his grip firm. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Kate. Anything you need, I’m at your disposal.”
The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
“Thank you, Kimi,” Katherine murmured, her mind already snapping into work mode. “I’ve just started a group chat and added Kasra, Sana, Lara, and Sev. I’m not sure if Kasra has added you yet.”
“Who’s Sev?” Kimi’s brows furrowed, his confusion apparent.
At the question, Kasra clarified, “Sev is Seven. Kate is his little sister.”
The revelation that Katherine was Seven’s sister surprised the Shahis. But before anyone could react, Fletcher, one of the bodyguards, popped his head in.
“Colonel, Dr. Gill would like to see you.”
“Let him in.”
Fletcher opened the door wider, ushering Nathan and another doctor in. Meeting Nathan’s gaze, a small smile played on Seven’s lips.
“You’re still here? You didn’t need to check in on the patient; I’ve got it covered.”
A chuckle rumbled from Nathan. “I would’ve been home long ago if it weren’t for someone who insisted I bring her here!”
As he stepped aside, a woman behind him came into view. Seven’s features froze, his usually calm expression giving way to a flicker of surprise.
The woman stood tall in her white coat, her chestnut hair neatly pulled back into a ponytail. There was a certain elegance to her, refined yet softened by the years that had passed. Her dark brown eyes carried the same youthful glint he remembered all those years ago. He hadn’t seen her since he graduated from medical school, but her face brought back a flood of memories.
For a brief moment, the woman hesitated, her nerves betraying her. She had always known they’d meet again—somewhere, someday—but standing here, in front of him after so many years, she suddenly felt butterflies fluttering in the pit of her stomach.
Seven studied her with quiet intensity, his mind rifling through countless evenings at her family’s home, where her father would wax lyrical about the complexities of medicine and the possibilities of cutting-edge medical technology. And there she had been, always hovering at the edge of the conversations, always lingering in the background, watching.
Nathan, observing the unspoken tension from his cousin, continued with a devilish grin, “I had no choice, you see. Someone’s been pestering me all day to visit the colonel,” he said, throwing an exaggerated wink at her.
Put on the spot, the flush-faced woman glared at Nathan. “No, I didn’t! I only asked you to bring me here after my shift!”
Seven chuckled softly. “Natasha, you’re done with med school?”
Seven’s magnetic voice brought her focus back to him. Nervous, she blabbered about whatever came to her mind. “Yes, I graduated recently. I applied for residency at Walter Reed, but there weren’t any vacancies.”
Seven raised an eyebrow. “Are you interested in serving in the military?”
“Nate said you were affiliated with Walter Reed, so I—” she stopped herself, suddenly realizing she shouldn’t have said all that.
Oh no! Girl, what are you sayin’?!
“So you what?” he asked with a teasing edge.
“I wanted to work with you; I want to learn from the best,” she backtracked, scrambling for a reasonable answer.
Seven let out another chuckle. “Come on now, I’m not the best; you should stick around with your dad,” he humbly mused. Then he asked, “Speaking of, how are your parents?”
Her heart skipped a beat. “They’re good. But Dad especially misses his most prized student.”
Seven nodded in acknowledgment. “Thanks for the reminder. I’ll give Professor Gill a call soon.”
The atmosphere shifted. Sana’s heart hammered against her ribs as she fixed her gaze on Seven and Natasha, standing side by side, their chemistry palpable, even if unintentional. She felt a pang of something unfamiliar rising in her chest.
Kasra and Lara, the two people Sana confided in about Seven, subconsciously looked at her and couldn’t help but think to themselves: Looks like Sana’s got a love rival.
Author’s Note:
Well, well… it looks like someone mysterious has just stepped onto the stage — the Rival in White has finally arrived! ?? Who is she? What is she planning? Only time (and future chapters) will tell.
Friday at 5?PM SGT:
-
SGT: 5?PM
-
UTC: 9?AM
-
EST: 4?AM
-
PST: 1?AM