Silent Obsession
E 1
Morning light spilled through the tall windows of the Sterling-Rossi house, soft and golden, settling over polished floors and framed memories that had long since stopped feeling like décor and started feeling like witnesses.
Darius moved slowly these days—not weak, never that—but unhurried.
Confident in the rhythm of a body that had lived hard and loved harder.
His hair was silver now, tied loosely at the nape of his neck, soft clothes draped over him like comfort instead of armor.
Victor stood at the counter, sleeves of his pressed shirt rolled up, glasses perched low on his nose as he read something on his tablet.
They weren’t talking much.
Rune, the golden retriever, lay near the table like a warm rug, tail thumping lazily whenever someone passed.
Kai, the cane corso, sat closer to Cassian’s usual chair—even though Cassian wasn’t there yet—massive head lifted, regal and watchful.
King of the house, undisputed.
Darius sipped his coffee, eyes fond as they followed Victor.
Victor Armand Sterling
(not looking up)
Victor Armand Sterling
You’re staring
Darius Vale Rossi
(replied without shame)
Darius Vale Rossi
Sixty-five years old and still beautiful
Victor Armand Sterling
(snorted)
Victor Armand Sterling
You’re impossible.
Darius Vale Rossi
And you married me anyway.
That earned him a quiet smile.
The TV murmured in the background—morning news, financial headlines—until the tone shifted.
“…another alleged sighting of Sterling’s CEO, Cassian Ace Rossi, leaving a private event late last night with—”
Victor Armand Sterling
(sighed before the anchor even finished)
Darius Vale Rossi
(Leaned back)
Darius Vale Rossi
Let me guess.
Darius Vale Rossi
Model? Politician?
Darius Vale Rossi
Married billionaire?
Victor Armand Sterling
Unknown gender this time
Victor Armand Sterling
At least they’re branching out.
Right on cue, footsteps thundered down the stairs.
Cassian appeared, hair slightly messy, dressed too well for someone allegedly out partying all night.
Kai immediately rose and pressed against his leg like a loyal shadow.
Cassian Ace Rossi
Good morning everyone!
Cassian Ace Rossi
(grabbing an apple from the counter)
Cassian Ace Rossi
Why do I feel judged?
Victor Armand Sterling
(gestured at the TV)
Victor Armand Sterling
Because you’re being discussed like an endangered species.
Cassian Ace Rossi
(glanced at the screen, unimpressed)
Cassian Ace Rossi
Ah. That one.
Cassian Ace Rossi
Wrong city, wrong person, wrong century.
Darius Vale Rossi
(arched a brow)
Darius Vale Rossi
You say that every time.
Cassian Ace Rossi
And every time, I’m right.
Another presence joined them—lighter footsteps, calmer energy.
Gabriel entered quietly, already dressed for work, coat over his arm, hair neatly combed back.
He looked softer than Cassian, always had—gentle eyes, composed posture—but there was something sharp and knowing in his gaze.
He took one look at the TV, then Cassian.
Dr. Gabriel Jude Sterling
Oh, You’re famous again.
Cassian Ace Rossi
(Groans)
Cassian Ace Rossi
You were born fifteen minutes before me and somehow use it like a weapon.
Dr. Gabriel Jude Sterling
(Smiled sweetly)
Dr. Gabriel Jude Sterling
Elder twin privilege.
Rune lifted his head as Gabriel bent to scratch behind his ears.
Dr. Gabriel Jude Sterling
I don’t have time for breakfast
Dr. Gabriel Jude Sterling
Emergency consult.
Dr. Gabriel Jude Sterling
Patient came in overnight.
Darius Vale Rossi
(Frowns)
Darius Vale Rossi
You’ll eat later.
Dr. Gabriel Jude Sterling
I will. Promise.
Cassian Ace Rossi
(tossed him a protein bar)
Cassian Ace Rossi
Take this, Saint Gabriel.
Dr. Gabriel Jude Sterling
(caught it easily)
Dr. Gabriel Jude Sterling
Try not to scandalize the stock market before lunch.
Cassian Ace Rossi
(Smirks)
Cassian Ace Rossi
No promises.
Dr. Gabriel Jude Sterling
(already halfway out the door)
Dr. Gabriel Jude Sterling
Oh—and Cassian?
Cassian Ace Rossi
(Groans)
Cassian Ace Rossi
Yes, Saint Gabriel?
Dr. Gabriel Jude Sterling
Your reputation is exhausting.
Cassian Ace Rossi
(Grinned)
Cassian Ace Rossi
That’s genetic.
The door closed behind Gabriel, leaving the house just a little quieter.
Darius reached for his hand.
Outside, Kai barked once, as if declaring the morning officially underway.
Another day in the Sterling-Rossi household—
loud, loving, chaotic, and very much alive.
Your Author
Let’s learn something new!
E 2
The hospital was already awake when Gabriel stepped inside.
Clean white walls, muted footsteps, the low hum of voices and machines—this place had a pulse of its own, one Gabriel had learned to breathe with years ago.
His ID badge swung gently against his chest as he walked, coat folded over one arm, phone pressed to his ear.
Dr. Gabriel Jude Sterling
Yes, I’m on my way
Dr. Gabriel Jude Sterling
No, don’t move him yet.
Dr. Gabriel Jude Sterling
I want to speak to him first.
He hung up before the elevator doors even opened.
People greeted him as he passed.
“Hey—can you look at something when you have time?”
Dr. Gabriel Jude Sterling
I’ll come by
He promised, again and again.
His office was small but warm—plants near the window, a soft couch instead of stiff chairs, shelves filled with books that had been read and reread.
Gabriel barely sat before the first knock came.
Dr. Gabriel Jude Sterling
Come in!
A young omega stepped inside, shoulders tense, eyes darting.
Dr. Gabriel Jude Sterling
(Smiled softly)
Dr. Gabriel Jude Sterling
You can sit wherever you’re comfortable.
Gabriel listened more than he spoke.
When he did speak, his voice was steady, grounding—like an anchor dropped gently instead of slammed into place.
He never rushed them, even when the clock on his wall quietly betrayed how little time he had.
By the time the patient left, breathing easier, Gabriel’s tea had gone cold.
The next hours blurred together.
—A trauma consult in the emergency wing.
—A long session with an omega who hadn’t slept in days.
—A quick stop at the pediatric ward because a nurse asked if he could “just talk to a kid for a minute.”
That minute turned into twenty.
Gabriel knelt in front of the small bed, smiling softly as the child explained their nightmares, his heart breaking in ways he never let show.
When he stood, his phone buzzed.
Cassian Ace Rossi
✉️ Did you eat?
Dr. Gabriel Jude Sterling
✉️ Later
Cassian Ace Rossi
✉️ That wasn’t a yes.
Gabriel smiled despite himself and slipped the phone away as another Doctor caught his attention.
Dr. Noah Kincaid
Gabriel—Heaven’s Angel meeting in ten.
Dr. Gabriel Jude Sterling
I’ll be there.
The meeting room was already full—social workers, volunteers, donors on video call.
The Heaven’s Angel Foundation logo glowed softly on the screen.
Gabriel took his seat without ceremony, immediately asking about housing placements, medical access, therapy schedules.
He took on extra cases without hesitation when someone mentioned they were understaffed.
Dr. Noah Kincaid
You’re already overloaded
Dr. Gabriel Jude Sterling
I can manage
By mid-afternoon, his stomach ached faintly.
He stepped outside onto the hospital terrace for a rare breath of fresh air, phone in hand.
He leaned against the railing, watching the city below—people rushing, lives colliding, breaking, healing.
But someone, somewhere, felt less alone today.
A nurse called his name again.
Gabriel straightened, smoothed his coat, and went back inside—
gentle, tireless, and utterly unaware that somewhere in the same building,
fate was already lining up the next chapter of his life.
E 3
The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime.
Gabriel Sterling stepped inside, shoulders finally relaxing a fraction now that he was momentarily off-duty—canteen run, five minutes to breathe, maybe even eat.
The doors hadn’t closed yet when another presence entered.
Dr. Gabriel Jude Sterling
(spine straightened instinctively)
Immaculate white coat, sleeves rolled just enough to show forearms corded with strength.
His posture was military-precise, expression unreadable, eyes sharp and assessing even when he wasn’t looking directly at anyone.
Gabriel didn’t look at him—but his senses were already bristling, omega instincts tightening beneath his calm exterior.
Dr. Gabriel Jude Sterling
* Of course it’s him.*
Brilliant hands. Cold detachment.
Patients were cases, bodies to be fixed and sent off.
No emotional entanglement.
Everything Gabriel wasn’t.
They’d crossed paths before—case conferences, emergency consults, brief disagreements masked by professional courtesy.
Gabriel had always walked away frustrated.
Dr. Gabriel Jude Sterling
* Selfish*
Dr. Gabriel Jude Sterling
* You can’t treat people like broken machines.*
The elevator descended slowly.
Unbeknownst to Gabriel, Alarik glanced sideways.
The way Gabriel stood—soft but unyielding, presence warm even in silence.
His hair slightly out of place, eyes tired but kind.
The faint omega scent that wasn’t inviting but… grounding.
Dr. Gabriel Jude Sterling
(stepped out immediately)
The canteen was busy, voices overlapping, trays clattering.
Gabriel headed toward the counter, already scanning the options with mild dismay.
Alarik followed more slowly, watching from a distance.
When Gabriel finally sat down—tray in hand, food still steaming—Alarik hesitated.
Dr. Alarik Veyren
*Now or never*
Dr. Alarik Veyren
(took a step toward Gabriel’s table)
Two nurses waved enthusiastically from another table.
Dr. Gabriel Jude Sterling
Of course.
He stood without hesitation, tray in hand, offering Alarik nothing more than a polite nod before moving away.
Dr. Alarik Veyren
(hand clenched)
He watched Gabriel sit, already being asked questions, already listening, already giving—before he’d even taken a single bite.
The fork reached Gabriel’s mouth.
Dr. Gabriel Jude Sterling
(Phone rang)
Dr. Gabriel Jude Sterling
(sighed softly)
Dr. Gabriel Jude Sterling
I’m sorry!
He stood again, food untouched, already answering the call as he walked away.
Dr. Gabriel Jude Sterling
Yes, I’m coming
Dr. Alarik Veyren
(exhaled slowly)
He stared at Gabriel’s abandoned seat for a long moment before shaking his head faintly, a ghost of a smile tugging at his mouth.
Dr. Alarik Veyren
(Murmuring)
Dr. Alarik Veyren
You’ll never change
Download NovelToon APP on App Store and Google Play
