The Alpha King's Contracted Luna by Nelson Claudia

Chapter 164

Chapter 164

-Ava’s POV-

| couldn’t stop smiling. It was as if my face had been permanently frozen in the ssmile I'd woken up with

two days ago, after Grayson and | had nearly burned the kitchen down. The charred remains of our attempted

breakfast had been forgotten, though, because I'd heard the words-those words.

“I love you.”

| didn’t care if he'd said it in the heat of the moment. | didn’t care if he hadn't repeated it since. Grayson

Blackwood had said he loved me, and | had heard it. That was all that mattered.

The memory alone made my heart flutter.

“Ava?”

| blinked, snapping out of my thoughts, and looked up to find Dr. Griffin staring atwith a deep frown. His

serious expression instantly wiped the smile off my face, and | cleared my throat, sitting up straighter in my

chair.

“Sorry, Dr. Griffin. | zoned out,” | said quickly, hoping to regain ssemblance of professionalism.

His frown deepened, his sharp eyes scanning my face. “So, you really expectto believe the reason you

disappeared without a single word is because you were kidnapped by men who held you for ransom? And not for

money, but for other personal reasons relating to your billionaire husband that you cannot disclose?”

The way he said it-his tone so dry and incredulous-made it sound even more absurd than it already was. |

winced internally, When he put it like that, it did sound like an elaborate lie.

“Well,” | began, my voice faltering as | tried to find the right words. “I mean, it wasn’t something | could control. |

“You left without any explanation, Ava,” Dr. Griffin interrupted, his voice firm. “You left your patients, your

colleagues, and your responsibilities. And now you're askingto believe this story

| swallowed hard, shifting uncomfortably in my seat. “You know how seriously | take this job. | wouldn't have left

if it wasn’t unavoidable. Circumstances were beyond my control”

He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest as he studied me. “And was Grayson Blackwood

kidnapped as well?”

“No, he wasn’t,” | admitted reluctantly. “But | can’t say what happened to him. It's...”

“Personal reasons that you cannot disclose,” he finished for me, his tone still dripping with skepticism.

| sat up straighter, meeting his gaze with as much sincerity as | could muster. “Dr. Griffin, | know how this

sounds. But please believewhen | say that | would never have left if | had any other choice. This job means

so much to me. Medicine means so much to me.”

He sighed heavily, rubbing a hand over his face. “Av, | beca doctor because saving lives is what | care

about. It’s what I've dedicated my life to. | expect the slevel of commitment from the doctors | work with. |

can’t have one of my team members disappearing without a word and then showing up weeks later with a story

like this.”

“l understand.” | said quickly, my voice almost pleading. “I made a mistake, but it won't happen again. Please,

just givea chance to prove myself. You know how much | love working here. | love the patients, the work, the

team-everything. My

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Chapter 164

parents may have pushedinto medicine, but somewhere along the way, it becmy passion. This hospital

has becmy second home,”

Dr. Grittin’s expression softened slightly, but he still looked wary “This isn’t just about you, Ava. Your patients

depend on you. Your colleagues depend on you. When you're gone, it creates chaos.”

“I know,” | said, my voice trembling slightly. “And I'm sorry. I'm truly sorry. Please letmake it right. I'll do

whatever it takes to regain your trust.”

There was a long pause as he stared at me, his lips pressed into a thin line. Finally, he let out a deep sigh,

leaning forward to rest his elbows on the desk.

“This is your last chance,” he said firmly. “I'm only giving it to you because you're a damn good doctor, and it

would be a waste to let that talent go. But no more , Ava. No more unexplained absences. Do you

understand me?”

Relief flooded through me, and | nodded quickly. “I understand. Thank you, Dr. Griffin. | promise you won't regret

this.” He sighed again, his shoulders relaxing slightly as he leaned back in his chair. “You'll start on Monday. But

there's one thing you should know-Crystal stopped coming in for her appointments while you were gone.”

| frowned, my stomach twisting with guilt. | knew she had chere and asked forjust to be spiteful and

what happened was an accident so | shouldn't feel guilty but | did. But | also felt relieved that at least | won't be

seeing her again. Dr. Griffin continued, “But I'm assigning you a new patient to make up for the tyou've been

away.”

Inodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. “I understand. Thank you, Dr. Griffin.”

He eyedfor a moment longer, as if trying to gauge my sincerity, and then waved a hand dismissively. “Go

on. I'll see you Monday.”

| stood up quickly, grabbing my bag and slinging it over my shoulder. “Thank you again,” | said, my voice quiet

but earnest.

Dr. Griffin didn’t respond, but the slight nod he gavewas enough.

As | stepped out of his office, the weight of the conversation began to lift, replaced by a sense of determination. |

would prove to him that | was serious about this job. No more .

But my thoughts were interrupted as | stepped into the parking lot and spotted a familiar figure standing across

the way.

Grayson.

Even from a distance, he took my breath away. It didn’t matter how many times | saw him-he always managed

to leavefeeling lightheaded and slightly off-balance.

He was leaning casually against his sleek black car, his hands in his pockets, but his presence was anything but

casual. His broad shoulders, sharp jawline, and piercing gray eyes drew attention wherever he went. | noticed a

couple of women walking past him, their heads turning to steal a glance, and | had to fight the sudden, irrational

urge to march over and tell them to stop staring at my man.

My man.

Grayson’s eyes met mine, and the moment he smiled, my heart skipped a beat. He pushed off the car and began

walking toward me, his confident stride making my knees weak.

By the the reached me, | was out of breath-not from walking, but from the sheer intensity of his presence.

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Chapter 164

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“What are you doing here?” | asked, my voice slightly breathlesss | tilted my head up to look at him.

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He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he reached out and pullede toward him, his hands settling on my waist as

he leaned down to kisslightly.

“I'm here to take you to lunch,” he said, his lips brushing against mine as he spoke.

I couldn’t help but smile, my earlier conversation with Dr. Grilli fading into the background. “Lunch? Don’t you

have a lot of work to catch up with?”

A small smile touched his lips as he gently tuggedalong, repeating his words, “I'm taking you to lunch.”

With an easy grace, he opened the car door for me. I slid in, my curiosity piqued by the air of mystery he

seemed to be enjoying. He closed the door, walked around, and slid into the driver's seat beside me.

| tilted my head toward him, my brows lifting in amusement. “Lhope you're not planning to taketo another

country or something,” | said with a teasing lilt. “Because | just told Dr. Griffin that I'm all in from now on. | can’t

risk disappearing again and have him think I'm running off to ssecret destination. Especially not with my

track record.”

Grayson chuckled softly but cutoff before | could continue, his voice low and reassuring. “Ava, I'm not taking

you to another country... at least not today

His pause and the subtle flush creeping up his neck caught my attention. Was he nervous? Grayson Blackwood,

the ever- confident and composed man, was suddenly shifting in his seat like a schoolboy. My heart gave a flutter

at the sight.

He cleared his throat and glanced atbriefly. “I just thought... well, | was going to grab something for lunch,

and | figured...”

The way his voice trailed off, paired with the faint redness on his neck, madesmile. He was flustered.

Grayson Blackwood was flustered. | decided to throw him a lifeline.

“I'm starving,” | said, cutting in softly. “Thank you for coming to get me, but where exactly are we going?”

The corner of his mouth lifted into a sly smile, one that sent my heart racing. “You'll see,” he replied cryptically,

his tone brimming with satisfaction.

He turned the key, and the engine hummed to life. | couldn’t help the grin that spread across my face. That

strange, warm happiness that had been lingering insidesince the morning only grew stronger.

| leaned back in my seat, watching him as he drove. The tension that had ruled my life lately since we came

back seemed to have vanished, leaving only this rare, serene moment where everything felt... right. No chaos,

no looming shadows of danger. Just the rhythmic hum of the car and Grayson beside me.

| didn’t even realize | had drifted off into my thoughts until the engine cut off and his voice broke the quiet.

“We're here.”

| blinked, shaking myself out of my reverie, and turned my head toward the window. The moment my eyes

landed on the place in front of us, | gasped.

“Grayson, you didn’t.”

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