It was half past four in the afternoon when a firm knock on the door broke the quiet concentration in the room. Barry poked his head in and informed, “Ms. Shahi, there’s a Detective Kavanagh who says she’s here on official police business.”
Lara peeked sidelong at Sana, who replied, “Yes, let her in.”
Barry opened the door wider, allowing Katherine to step inside. The latter gave him a polite nod before striding toward Sana’s bed.
“Ms. Shahi, you’re looking much better today,” Katherine said as she reached into her backpack, pulling out two files. “I’ve prepared the official statements for you and Seven to sign.”
Sana beamed. “Thank you, Detective! Please, call me Sana.”
“Only if you call me Kate.”
Before Sana could respond, another knock sounded. Kasra entered, holding the door as Seven and two orderlies wheeled James in, skillfully transferring him to his bed while Seven adjusted the monitoring equipment.
“How did the surgery go?” Kasra asked.
“Better than expected,” Seven replied. “It’ll take about a week to harvest the stem cells. We’ll do the first injection before discharge and return here for follow-ups if needed. I’m about 80 percent confident he can regain mobility maybe within six months to a year, much sooner than I initially estimated.”
A rare smile softened Kasra’s face. “You’re a miracle worker, Seven. We’re beyond grateful.”
Seven shook his head, modest as ever. “I’m just doing what I can. It’s enough to make a difference in someone’s life. And Mr. Porter was critically injured protecting my... um… Sana.”
All eyes darted to Sana at Seven’s slip. She blinked, her cheeks burning. “Why’re y’all staring at me like that?”
Recalling his sister’s crush on Seven, Kasra teased, “Princess, seems you’ve recruited a new family member, huh?”
Lara gave Sana an elvish wink, and Katherine let out a soft giggle. The tips of Seven’s ears reddened, his composure faltering for a moment.
Catching sight of his sister, he swiftly deflected. “K, you’re here.”
Being called, Katherine snapped back to business. “Right! The statements,” she said, handing them out to Seven and Sana. “Have a read-through and let me know if anything needs to be changed before you sign.”
After signing his statement, Seven noticed Sana writing with her left hand. “Sana, you’re ambidextrous?”
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Sana nodded. “I’m naturally right-handed, so I grabbed your phone with it yesterday. But I trained my left hand for competitive gaming and coding.”
“Gaming and coding?” Seven’s voice rose. “Didn’t peg you for a geek.”
Sana’s smile turned playful. “Mmhmm. I went to MIT and even got my master’s in computer engineering.”
Seven’s brows lifted, surprised by the coincidence. “That makes us alumni.”
Confusion flashed across Sana’s face. “Wait, aren’t you a doctor? Shouldn’t you have gone to med school?”
“I did,” Seven said casually. “But before that, I earned my PhD in Computer Engineering at MIT, then went to Harvard Medical.”
Sana’s jaw dropped. “Then… how old are you?”
A low chuckle rumbled from his throat. “I'm 27. Started MIT at 12, graduated before turning 16. Med school after. I joined the Special Forces at 21.”
Sana blinked again. “No way! I thought you were 25 tops. And you went to college at 12?” She exhaled, incredulous. “I started at 15, way later than you. Your IQ must be insane!”
Then another thought hit her. “Wait, that means we’re also Harvard alumni! I did my MBA there.”
For a moment, he was transported back to their first encounter, and his expression softened. “How old were you when… when I found you?” he asked quietly.
Sana hesitated, her voice dropping. “I was 17, I think.”
Seven tilted his head slightly, mentally calculating. No wonder she’s so cute—she’s even younger than K.
Katherine’s gaze flicked between them. “Bruh, you knew each other before?”
“Yes, in a way,” Seven admitted, forcing himself to look away from Sana. “I rescued her during a mission five years ago. Sent her to a NATO base for treatment, but she was gone when I got back from my next op. We crossed paths by coincidence again this time.”
Katherine’s lips parted in wonder. “Then isn’t it fate that you’ve met again?”
Sana stared, transfixed, at Seven’s ocean-blue irises, which shimmered like sunlight on waves.
“Maybe,” he murmured, “maybe it is.”
Sana's heart fluttered at his words, stirring emotions she hadn’t expected.
For a moment, neither spoke—drawn into each other’s gaze, as if an invisible thread were pulling them closer.
Seven’s pulse quickened as his eyes traced the contours of her features, lingering on the softness of her mouth before he reluctantly looked away. That’s when he noticed something off: the cannula on her left hand was gone, its spot now covered by a small band-aid. Concern quickly replaced the heat of the moment.
“Wait a second,” he huffed, stepping closer and gently taking her hand, fingers brushing the patch. “What happened to the cannula?”
Sana glanced down, then tugged her sleeve that slightly revealed the new cannula in her forearm. “I accidentally jerked my hand too hard while brushing my teeth,” she admitted sheepishly.
Seven’s expression darkened, and he turned sharply to Lara. “Lara, I told you to be careful with this.”
“I–It’s not her fault, I insisted on brushing myself,” Sana said quickly, guilt edging her words. “But it’s fine now; the nurse moved it here,” she added, showing the forearm.
Seven exhaled slowly, shaking his head. “Sana, you need to follow my instructions. Even small mistakes can lead to complications if you’re not careful.”
Sana nodded, cheeks tinged crimson. “I will,” she murmured, meek as a child being scolded.
Kasra stepped in, his tone respectful. “Seven, I apologize on my sister’s behalf. She clearly doesn’t realize how fortunate she is to have your care.”
Then, pinning Sana with a glare, he admonished, “Sana, for heaven’s sake, you’re not a kid anymore. Let this be the first and last time you disobey Seven’s instructions. Understood?”
“G–Got it,” she stammered, fingers twitching slightly.
Damn! Why is Kas so fierce?!
