chapter 8 : Wilson’s Curiosity Gets the Best of Her 

Wilson Trying to Avoid Stella—but Failing 

For the next 6 days, Wilson did everything possible to avoid Stella.

She took on extra surgeries. She buried herself in paperwork. She even let another doctor take over Stella's case. It was ridiculous, really—but she needed space.

Space to figure out why seeing "Damien Bea" on Stella's phone made her chest feel tight.

Space to understand why Stella faking an emergency just to see her made her feel something she wasn't ready to name.

But avoiding Stella was easier said than done.

She had just finished checking on a post-op patient when a nurse ran up to her, hesitating.

"Dr. Wilson, um… Miss Edwards is asking for you again."

Wilson exhaled sharply. Of course she was.

"She's fine, right?" Wilson asked, keeping her voice neutral.

The nurse nodded quickly. "Yes! She's perfectly fine. Just… requesting you specifically."

Wilson ground her teeth together. She should ignore it. She should let someone else handle it.

But she didn't.

Wilson Overhears the Nurses Gossiping 

Wilson was on her way to Stella's room when she slowed down near the nurses' station, her name catching her attention.

"She's totally into Dr. Wilson," one nurse whispered.

"Stella Edwards? The actress?" another replied. "Are you serious?"

Wilson's brows furrowed.

"Come on, you've seen the way she acts when Dr. Wilson is around," the first nurse said. "And Dr. Wilson… I mean, she tries to be all composed, but you can feel the tension. She literally a total different person around the actress." 

"What if Dr Wilson isn't gay"

"Girllll do you need to be told she is? I love her style OMG. I just want her to myself. I wish she will notice me, I swear I will turn gay for her" They all laughed. 

A third nurse giggled. "It's kind of exciting! Imagine—our serious, no-nonsense Dr. Wilson and a celebrity? That would be something. I can't wait to see what all that tension between them is about."

Wilson's heart thudded in her chest.

She was about to step forward—to put an end to the ridiculous gossip—when one of the nurses turned her head and locked eyes with her.

Her face drained of color.

"Shit," she whispered, nudging the others.

The nurses froze when they realized Wilson was standing right there.

Complete silence.

Wilson simply sighed.

She didn't scold them. Didn't say a word.

She just turned and walked away.

The moment she was out of earshot, the nurses burst into whispers again.

"Did she hear everything?"

"Do you think she saw our faces?"

"Oh God, we are so dead."

But Wilson wasn't thinking about them anymore.

She was thinking about Stella.

A famous actress? She hadn't known.

And the way the nurses talked about Stella liking her?

Wilson shook her head. She was letting this nonsense get to her.

With a sharp inhale, she squared her shoulders, determined to focus.

She had a job to do.

Even if her emotions were starting to make it very, very difficult.

She paused at the door, took a deep breath, and walked in.

She froze.

There, sitting beside Stella's bed, was a man.

A ridiculously good-looking man. Tall, well-dressed, and smiling at Stella like she was the only person in the world.

Wilson's stomach snarled —hard.

Stella glanced up, and for the first time in days, her smirk was nowhere to be found. Her expression was unreadable.

The man turned, giving Wilson an easy smile. "You must be Dr. Wilson."

Wilson forced herself to nod. Professional. Stay professional.

"Yes. And you are?"

Before the man could answer, Stella spoke first.

"Why are you here, Ellah?"

Wilson's brows furrowed. "You called for me."

A pause. Then, Stella's lips pressed together, as if she regretted it.

Wilson didn't like that.

The man glanced between them, something amused flickering in his eyes. Then, he stood, extending a hand.

"I'm Damien." He gave a charming grin. "A close friend of Stella's."

"Just a friend?" Wilson thought almost aloud. 

She shook his hand quickly, forcing a polite smile. "Nice to meet you."

Then, she turned to Stella, keeping her face blank. "You needed something?"

Stella hesitated, then shook her head. "No. It's nothing."

Wilson clenched her jaw. So now she didn't need her?

She gave a stiff nod. "Alright then."

She turned to leave, but before she could step out, Damien spoke.

"So… Ellah, huh?"

Wilson stiffened.

Stella glared at Damien. A full-on glare.

Wilson's heart skipped a beat.

What the hell was going on?

She didn't stay to find out.

Instead, she walked out, pretending like the scene she just witnessed hadn't completely ruined her mood

Wilson's Curiosity Gets the Best of Her 

Back in her office, Wilson sat at her desk, fingers drumming against the polished surface.

The nurses' conversation wouldn't leave her mind.

Stella Edwards. A famous actress.

Wilson sighed and leaned back in her chair.

She never paid much attention to the entertainment industry. Medicine had consumed her entire world.

But now… she needed to know.

She opened her laptop.

Her fingers hesitated over the keyboard before she finally typed:

"Stella Edwards Actress."

Within seconds, the screen flooded with results.

Images. Movie posters. Red carpet appearances. Interview clips.

And there she was—Stella.

Dressed in elegant gowns, flashing dazzling smiles at the camera, surrounded by other celebrities.

Wilson clicked on an article.

"Stella Edwards: From Child Star to Hollywood's Sweetheart."

She skimmed through it. Born to a Black mother and a White father. Raised partly in Ghana. Moved to the U.S. for her acting career.

Wilson swallowed.

This was a world completely different from hers.

She clicked on a video.

Stella, mid-interview, laughing. Her voice smooth, her charm effortless. The host asked about her personal life, and Stella gave a teasing smirk.

"Let's just say, I keep my love life very private."

Wilson quickly closed the laptop.

Her pulse was faster than she wanted to admit.

Why did it matter?

She exhaled sharply and grabbed her phone, needing a distraction.

She opened her security app.

A live feed of her son's room appeared on the screen, camera fixed in his room with no ones knowledge. The nanny was gently rocking him in his crib.

Wilson's chest tightened.

She had a son now. A whole human being who depended on her she still finds it hard to believe.

She locked her phone, stood up, and grabbed her coat.

Time to focus again.

Even if a certain Stella Edwards was making that impossible