The Forbidden Throb (Emma and Daniel) novel Chapter 188

Chapter 188

Emma’s POV:

The overhead lights dimmed further as Daniel’s presentation moved into its final segment.

On stage, he shifted seamlessly from discussing post-operative monitoring protocols to addressing the psychological impact on patients families. His voice remained steady, professional, yet I caught the subtle softening when he mentioned “the human element of cardiac care.”

He’s thinking about Mia’s father, I realized, remembering Quinn’s story about the coffee incident. Even now.

“And that,” Daniel concluded, his eyes sweeping across the packed auditorium, “is why we must never forget that behind every procedure, every

statistic, there’s a life-and people who love that life.”

The applause that erupted was thunderous. I found myself clapping too, my hands stinging slightly from the force, pride swelling in my chest

until it almost hurt.

Beside me, Olivia let out a low whistle. “Okay, I take back every joke I made about doctors having god complexes.”

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling too widely.

The Dean returned to the podium, his expression one of barely concealed admiration. “Dr. Prescott, that was absolutely extraordinary. I believe

any- we have time for questions from the audience. Please, if you have

Hands shot up before he could finish. The Dean chuckled, scanning the crowd. “Let’s start with… yes, the young man in the third row.”

A nervous-looking undergraduate stood, clutching his phone like a lifeline.

“Dr. Prescott, I’m a pre-med sophomore, and I’m already feeling overwhelmed by the workload. How did you manage to excel academically while also developing the practical skills needed for surgery?”

Daniel’s expression gentled slightly. “Excellent question. The truth is, there’s no shortcut. You need to master the foundational knowledge first -truly master it-because only then will you find yourself moving fluidly when you’re actually in the OR.”

He paused, his tone becoming more direct. “My advice? Focus on doing what’s required at your current stage exceptionally well. Don’t rush ahead. The practical skills will come, but they mean nothing without the theoretical framework to support them.”

More hands shot up. The Dean scanned the crowd and pointed to a young man in the middle section.

My stomach dropped when I recognized him.

Blake.

He stood, microphone in hand, his posture confident and open. When he spoke, his voice carried clearly across the auditorium.

“Dr. Prescott, did you date anyone during your undergraduate years?”

A ripple of surprised laughter ran through the crowd. Blake pressed on, seemingly unfazed.

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“I ask because-well, I have someone I’ve been interested in for a while now.” His tone was earnest, almost confessional. “But as everyone

knows, medical students aren’t exactly… popular dating prospects. We’re always busy, always stressed, always choosing the library over social

events.”

More laughter, this time sympathetic. Several students nodded in agreement.

Blake’s confidence wavered slightly as people turned to look at him, some grinning, others nudging their neighbors. A flush crept up his neck,

and his words came slower, more hesitant.

“I guess what I’m asking is… how do you handle that kind of psychological imbalance? When you know you’re not the easy choice, not the fun choice, but you still want to… to try?”

The auditorium erupted. Laughter and excited chatter rolled through the rows like a wave. Students whistled and clapped, clearly appreciating

his boldness.

Several male voices called out encouragement-“Go for it, man!” “Shoot your shot!”

Beside me, Olivia’s eyes widened. “Wait, is that Blake?” She turned to me with sudden realization. “Oh my God, Emma-I bet he’s talking about you. He’s literally asking your husband for dating advice about you. This is-

She pressed her hand over her mouth, shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter. “He is really brave.”

Comments

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MermicornQueen

Tbh Emma hasn’t been fair to Blake, she should have simply told him she’s married weeks ago when he first started showing interest

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9:07 am p p pp.

The Forbidden Throb

Chapter 189