The Hybrid's Healer

~Ciara Pov~

“For the love of God, Ciara, stop smiling like that before I start crying,” Amelia groaned dramatically, clutching her champagne glass.

I laughed, nearly spilling my drink. “You cried when we got our anatomy results back.”

“Because we almost failed!”

“We did fail,” Noah corrected from beside her. “Twice.”

“Oh my God,” Amelia gasped, smacking his arm. “Not tonight. Tonight we celebrate Dr. Ciara Monroe.”

The group erupted into cheers again, warmth spread through my chest as I looked around the crowded ballroom of the Monroe Estate. Doctors, professors, family friends, investors—half the city seemed to be here tonight. My grandfather had gone completely overboard with the celebration, but honestly?

I love him for it, golden lights reflected against the marble floors while waiters moved through the crowd carrying trays of champagne and expensive appetizers. Somewhere near the stage, a jazz band played upbeat music while people danced and laughed.

For the first time in years, I felt light, no exams, no sleepless nights, no pressure, just happiness, my grandfather appeared beside me with a proud smile on his face. “There’s my favorite doctor.”

I grinned immediately. “Favorite? Dangerous thing to say in public.”

Evander Monroe kissed my forehead anyway. “Let them hear me.”

Grandpa smiled brightly. “Your mother said the hospital board was impressed with your residency applications.”

I shrugged casually even though excitement buzzed inside me. “A few offers came in.”

“A few?” Noah snorted. “She got offers from three elite pediatric hospitals.”

Grandpa’s eyes softened with pride. “Your grandmother would’ve been so proud of you, Ciara.”

The mention of her made my chest ache a little.

“I hope so.”

“She would,” he said firmly.

Before I could respond, familiar arms wrapped around my waist from behind.

“There’s my girl.”

A smile instantly spread across my face as I turned toward Damian. Tall, handsome, perfectly dressed in a black suit that probably cost more than my car, he looked every bit like the successful future lawyer everyone adored and for three years, we have being together.

“You disappeared,” I complained lightly.

He kissed my cheek. “Your fans keep stealing you away.”

Amelia gagged loudly behind me.

I rolled my eyes. “Ignore them.”

Damian’s hand slid comfortably around my waist while his gaze softened. “You look beautiful tonight.”

Heat rushed to my cheeks despite everything.

“You clean up nicely too.”

“Just nicely?”

I laughed, God, I loved this man, three years together, three years of late-night studying, takeout dinners, sleepy phone calls, and promises about the future.

“You nervous about your speech?” he asked quietly.

I groaned. “Please don’t remind me.”

“You’ll do great.”

“You legally have to say that as my boyfriend.”

“Future husband, hopefully.”

My heart stumbled, Amelia screamed somewhere behind us.

“Oh my God, he’s proposing soon. I KNEW IT.”

“Amelia!” I hissed while everyone laughed.

Damian only smirked, before I could recover from the embarrassment, my twin sister appeared beside us.

Vivian.

Beautiful as always, perfect makeup, perfect smile, perfect ability to make every room revolve around her.

“There you are,” she said, hugging me quickly. “Mom’s looking for you.”

“She can survive five minutes without me.”

Vivian laughed softly, though something about it felt strained tonight, her eyes flickered briefly toward Damian, I didn’t miss it, neither did he, but before I could think too deeply about it, someone called my name near the stage, apparently it was speech time.

“Save me,” I muttered to Damian.

He squeezed my hand. “Go make them love you, Doctor Monroe.”

I walked toward the stage as applause erupted around the ballroom, my stomach twisted nervously while I took the microphone from the event host, faces blurred together beneath the bright lights, friends, professors, family, people who watched me work for this moment.

I smiled shakily. “Hi… wow, this is terrifying.”

Laughter broke through the room immediately, okay, good start.

“I honestly didn’t think I’d survive med school long enough to stand here tonight—”

The crowd laughed again, I relaxed slightly, as I spoke, my gaze drifted across the ballroom until it landed on Grandpa standing proudly near the front, then my mother beside him, then my dad and my twin Vivian, my smile faltered slightly, Damian wasn’t beside them anymore, something feel strange, but I continued talking anyway, thanking my professors and friends while unease slowly curled in my stomach.

Maybe he went to take a call, still something felt off, by the time the speech ended, applause thundered through the ballroom, I stepped off the stage smiling politely, but my eyes immediately searched the crowd again. No Damian, no Vivian either, a strange heaviness settled in my chest.

Amelia walked toward me carrying champagne. “You did amazing.”

“Have you seen Damian?”

She frowned. “No… thought he was standing with your family.”

I forced a smile. “Probably outside.”

But my instincts screamed otherwise, excusing myself quietly, I moved through the ballroom, past laughing guests and glittering lights that suddenly felt suffocating, the mansion hallway upstairs was quieter. My heels clicked softly against marble floors as I checked room after room, they were all empty, then I heard a muffled laugh, my steps slowed near one of the guest bedrooms.

My stomach dropped instantly, no. No no no, the door wasn’t fully closed and through the small opening I saw them.

Vivian tangled in white sheets beneath Damian while his mouth crashed against hers, my world stopped, the air vanished from my lungs, for a second, I genuinely couldn’t breathe.

Vivian’s head snapped up, her hair wild, lipstick smeared, eyes wide with shock that quickly melted into something crueler. Damian froze mid-thrust, still buried between her legs, the white sheets tangled around their half-dressed bodies, for one agonizing second, none of us moved, then Vivian smiled, a slow, venomous smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

“Ciara,” she said sweetly, not even bothering to push Damian off. “Took you long enough.”

Damian scrambled back, yanking up his pants, muttering curses. “Baby, it’s not—”

“Save it,” I whispered, my voice cracking. The champagne glass slipped from my fingers and shattered on the marble floor.

The noise drew footsteps, my mother appeared first, followed by my father, both of them still holding their drinks like this was just another minor inconvenience at the party.

“What on earth is—” Mom stopped short, taking in the scene. Her eyes flicked from Damian’s open shirt to Vivian’s flushed face to me standing there like a ghost.

Then Vivian dropped the bomb, she sat up slowly, pulling the sheet around herself with theatrical grace. “I’m pregnant.”

The hallway went deathly silent, Mom’s hand flew to her mouth. Dad’s face shifted from confusion to joy?

“Pregnant?” Mom repeated, rushing forward to sit on the edge of the bed, touching Vivian’s arm like she was made of glass. “Oh, honey. With Damian?”

Vivian nodded, shooting me a look dripping with fake sympathy. “We didn’t plan it. It just… happened. But we’re keeping it. This is your first grandchild.”

Dad stepped into the room, his chest puffing out with pride despite the circumstances. He clapped Damian on the shoulder, actually clapped him, like the man hadn’t just been caught balls-deep in his other daughter.

“Well,” Dad said, clearing his throat. “This is unexpected. But family is family. We’ll make it work.”

I laughed but it sounded broken. “Make it work? He was inside her in our house, on my night.”

Mom turned to me, her expression hardening. “Ciara, not everything is about you. Your sister has been struggling for years. You know that. While you were off becoming Dr. Perfect, Vivian was lost. This baby could be the thing that saves her.”

“Struggling?” I echoed, voice rising. “She’s been sleeping with my boyfriend!”

Vivian’s eyes glistened with crocodile tears. “I’m sorry, Ciara. I really am. But you’ve always had everything. The brains, the grades, Grandpa’s favoritism, the fancy residency offers. I’ve had nothing. Can’t you just be happy for me? For once?”

Dad sighed, looking at me like I was the problem. “You’re being selfish, sweetheart. This is your sister. Your twin and that child is our blood. Our first grandchild. We’re not going to turn our backs on that.”

The words hit like physical blows. Selfish, I was the selfish one, my vision blurred, the hallway spun. I wanted to scream, to throw something, to demand they see what was right in front of them, but the looks on their faces said it all, they have chosen again, I backed out of the room, chest heaving.

Grandpa found me ten minutes later in the library, curled on the floor behind one of the leather couches, sobbing so hard I couldn’t breathe, he didn’t say anything at first. Just sat down beside me and pulled me into his arms like I was still a little girl.

“I saw them,” I choked out. “And Mom and Dad… they defended her. They called me selfish.”

“I know, darling,” he murmured, stroking my hair. “I heard enough. Your parents have always babied Vivian. That doesn’t make it right. It never has.”

Amelia, Noah, and a few others slipped in quietly after him. Amelia dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around both of us.

“We’ve got you,” she whispered fiercely. “Fuck them. Fuck Damian. Fuck all of it. You just became a doctor, Ciara. You built this with your own hands. Don’t let them take tonight from you.”

Noah nodded, jaw tight. “We’re your family now. The real one.”

I cried harder into Grandpa’s shoulder, the celebration still pulsing faintly through the walls below us, laughter and music that now felt like it belonged to someone else’s life.

The intelligent one, the successful one, the one who was supposed to be strong enough to swallow this too, but for the first time, I didn’t want to be strong, I just wanted to be loved without conditions.