Meanwhile, on the fifth floor of the hospital, Taya was wearing her long lab coat over her white sheath dress and was stretching her hands languidly as she came out of her office.
Her nordic white hair was tied into a ponytail, and even if she was in her lab coat, it couldn't hide her innate elegance and gracefulness.
But she was greeted by five familiar faces, two men and three pretty women, just as she came out.
These five were wearing lab coats as well, and the man who was leading this group was tall, handsome with a suave look.
He had a photogenic face with silky black hair, gentle eyes, broad shoulders, and a well-defined jawline.
Overall, despite being 42 years old, he was considered the most handsome man in the hospital, and there was no end to women admirers, even the ones in their twenties who were ready to do anything to get into his good books.
By hearing the name Denys Mai, people not only remember him for his excellent talent and skills but also how charming and gentlemanly he was.
No matter who, he would always treat them with kindness and patience, especially to his patients.
And this was why men and women held great respect and admiration for him since it was rare to see someone with a powerful background and in an influential position to be so humble and down to earth.
However, his woman admirers held no hope since they knew that this man had eyes for only one woman in the entire hospital...a woman they couldn't hope to match ever—Taya Snow.
But no one talked about this before Taya, and nor did Denys ever acknowledge it and always avoided talking about such topics with a smile.
Still, everyone had a silent understanding that Denys was interested in Taya for a serious relationship, and they wholeheartedly supported him, hoping that the two would become a couple soon since they both seemed so perfect together.
They were both divorced and were single parents. So, they seemed like a perfect match for each other.
Behind Denys were three women, Jessie, Mary, and Sarah, who were all in their thirties, but Sarah was prettier and younger than the other two women, and she was a single woman who was also a hidden admirer of Denys.
The other two women were married and good friends of Taya and also hoped that they could foster the relationship between Taya and Denys.
The other man was named Sean, who was a slightly plump man with glasses but was known to be Denys' best friend and colleague. These five were the colleagues Taya was most familiar with in the hospital since she frequently interacted with them than the others.
These five were also quite talented and skilled for their age, because of which Taya appreciated their talents very well.
However, most of all except Sarah, Taya knew the others for more than ten years and had built quite a friendly relationship with each other.
Denys said with a bright smile, "Taya, you really did a fantastic job with Mr.Fernandez's surgery. If it weren't for you, things could have been a lot worse, especially causing a potential Haematoma."
Taya smiled and casually said, "Oh, not at all. I am sure you guys would have found a solution anyway."
"Come on, Taya. No need to be shy about it. We know how much of a savior you were," Jessie chuckled as she hugged Taya's arm.
"So, don't you guys think a celebration is in order?" Maya asked while exchanging subtle glances with Jessie while Sarah's brows creased a bit, hearing her words.
Taya's expression became confused as she asked, "Celebration? For what?"
Sean heartily laughed as he stepped in and said as he glanced at Denys, "Did you really forget what today is?"
"Sean and you guys, please don't. It's fine. I don't really care about such things, especially because of how busy our lives are," Denys said with a slight laugh.
Taya tilted her head as she still did not understand what was going on but then remembering what today's date was, her brows raised as she asked, "Denys, it's your birthday today?"
Denys' expression became pleased for a moment but then chuckled, "Yes. But no need to make such a big deal out of it, haha."
Taya sighed, "I am sorry, I forgot to bring a gift for you. It's just that there have been too many things going on in my mind recently."
Taya felt bad that she forgot to gift him something since she usually gifts something for her friend's birthday, including the other three, especially since she had been friends with them for over ten years.
However, just like she said, her mind was too busy with other matters, including Viktor, who had recently begun to stir up quite some complicated emotions in her though she had been doing her best to not let it show outside.
Denys waved his hand with a gentle smile, "Oh, please don't be. Just you knowing is more than enough."
"Oh, Denys. Look at you. You are so humble and nice. But still, I have a special gift for you. I actually bought it for you last week," Sarah said with a beaming smile. However, in truth, she had bought that gift for him a few months ago but didn't tell him just in case others thought of it as weird, including Denys.
Denys said in a light voice as he smiled, "Thank you, Sarah. I won't tell you that you didn't have to since you already went through the trouble of buying something for me. It's very sweet, and I can't wait to know what it is."
Sarah's cheeks blushed, hearing his words, and subtly looked at Taya to see her expression but was disappointed to see that her expression didn't change an ounce.
"Do you want to see my gift?" Sarah asked with a tinge of nervousness and continued, "If you—"
"Sure! In fact, we all have bought gifts too which we should exchange over a couple of drinks and tasty food. What do you guys say?" Jessie asked excitedly.
Taya didn't expect them to discuss having a treat at this time of the night and said, "But I don't have a gift with me, and where do you guys plan to celebrate?"
Mary waved her hand, "Oh, don't worry about it. You are exempted since Denys said he doesn't mind. Just celebrate with us, and that would be more than enough. Right, Denys?"
Denys awkwardly smiled as he said, "Yeah, right. Taya, if you join, that would really mean a lot. Not only to me but also to us since we rarely get time to enjoy ourselves, right? At least through my birthday, I hope to make you all relaxed and happy, free from all the work stress and whatnot."
Taya had a hesitant expression since she wanted to go back home and check on Viktor to see what he was up to and how he fitted in. Ever since he came back, she was always feeling fidgety.
But at the same time seeing everyone's expectant expressions and the excitement in their eyes, she felt that she shouldn't let down their spirits since she also found Denys words to be true as her work life was quite stressful because of having to manage a lot of things.
So she sighed and said with a smile, "Okay...but where are we going?"
Sean's eyes flashed as he said with a laugh, "Oh, don't worry about it. We got it all sorted out. Sorry, Denys. We three had to sneak into your retreat villa in the woods to prepare the drinks and stuff for today's celebration. It's only a few miles away from here, and it's located near a beautiful river as well. So how about we celebrate while enjoying mother nature and the river?"
