Color drained from her face, and Melinda stood there as though time had suddenly stopped.

A brief shadow of hurt passed through her eyes, and Kevan noticed it clearly.

Despite that silent plea, his tone remained distant. "I have explained this to you repeatedly. My fear of germs is not something I can simply ignore."

Desperation edged into her voice as Melinda tried again. "But, baby, I..."

The diagnosis echoed in her mind, and the restless ache within her body reminded her that she needed relief more than ever.

Patience had long since worn thin, and she felt as though she were standing at the brink of collapse.

"Please. I truly do not feel well. I need you." Her lower lip quivered between her teeth, and her eyes shimmered with unshed tears.

Air slipped in and out of her lungs in uneven breaths.

An intense craving stirred within her, and it refused to quiet down.

Thoughts of intimacy circled through her mind.

Every attempt to suppress those urges only made them return with greater force.

A crease formed between his brows as Kevan studied her expression.

Irritation flickered in his eyes because he had always disliked the way she appeared so openly desperate in front of him.

A chill entered his voice as he rebuked her. "If you are that desperate, then handle it on your own."

The contempt in his tone struck her like a slap, landing precisely where she was most vulnerable.

Without sparing her a hint of sympathy, he dismissed the pain in her expression and continued in the same detached manner, "And I do not want to see you dressed like that in front of me again."

Light faded from Melinda's tearful eyes almost instantly.

An ache, sharp and bitter, unfurled across her chest.

The reality that Kevan still refused even the smallest touch cut deeper than she had expected.

"I understand." Barely lifting her gaze, she forced the words out in a faint whisper.

"From now on, you will not be sleeping in my room." Cold finality laced his next statement as Kevan looked at her with open distaste.

Shock flashed across her face as Melinda met his eyes. "What do you mean?"

A frigid warning slipped from Kevan's lips. "I will be staying in the next room from now on. Do not step into my space without my consent."

Without sparing her another glance, he rose and walked out.

Left alone, Melinda stood motionless.

Moisture gathered along her lashes before she could hold it back.

More than a year had passed since their wedding, yet the absence of intimacy and his constant detachment had slowly driven her into a fragile emotional state.

Instead of offering support as a husband should, he chose this moment to distance himself even further by separating their bedrooms.

To Melinda, that decision felt like a fresh wound layered over an old one.

The warmth that had briefly filled the room vanished as soon as he stepped out, and a hollow chill settled in its place.

Inside her, however, the restless yearning refused to quiet down and seemed to burn with renewed intensity.

Kevan's rejection cut deeply, and the emotional strain began to spiral once more.

Discomfort spread through Melinda's entire body, leaving her feeling tense, unsettled, and painfully alone.

An intense wave of unmet desire swept over her and left her trembling.

A strained whisper escaped her lips. "This feels unbearable. I want it so badly."

Heat flooded her cheeks as her thoughts betrayed her, and the memory of the doctor standing over her during the examination surfaced without warning.

Alarmed by the direction of her mind, Melinda shook her head as if that alone could scatter the image.

Confusion tightened around her heart because she could not understand why his face would appear at such a moment.

She was a married woman, yet her imagination had wandered somewhere it should not.

Guilt pricked at her conscience, and she questioned how she had allowed herself to become so reckless in thought.

Still, the truth remained that Kevan continued to keep his distance and refused even the smallest gesture of closeness.

Despite the title of wife, she often felt as though she lived alone.

Once more, the doctor's image crept back into her mind, especially the way he had looked at her outside the hospital when he told her to get into his car.

He possessed a striking charm that rivaled, and even surpassed Kevan's.

For a fleeting and dangerous second, a forbidden impulse stirred within her.

Startled by herself, Melinda pressed her lips together and forced that unethical desire back into the shadows.

Even though Kevan had never once laid a hand on her, the thought of entertaining another man still felt like a betrayal in its own quiet way. To her, even a wandering mind counted as a form of unfaithfulness.

However, discipline slipped through her fingers tonight, and she no longer had the strength to restrain herself.

A nervous tremor ran through her fingers as she reached for the drawer beside the bed and slowly pulled it open. From its shadowed interior, she retrieved the item she had hidden there.

Throughout their marriage, each time Kevan turned her away, and her emotions spiraled out of control, she had soothed herself by imagining that it was him. That had always been her way of calming the storm inside her chest.

However, this evening carried a strange shift she could not ignore.

Instead of picturing her distant husband, her thoughts drifted elsewhere. The face that surfaced in her mind belonged to the doctor.

...

Time dragged on before relief finally washed over Melinda's weary body.

A thin sheen of moisture clung faintly to the corner of her lips.

Exhaustion pressed down on her limbs until she felt hollowed out from within.

As she struggled to steady her breathing, a sobering realization settled over her that she could not continue living like this.

Without wasting another second, she forced herself out of bed, seized her handbag, and searched for the medication the hospital had prescribed earlier that day.

Not a single drop of water remained in her bedroom.

In response, she hastily slipped into a loose garment and made her way downstairs, intending to fetch a glass of water from the kitchen so she could swallow her medication.

While moving past Kevan's room, an unusual and restrained groan drifted through the door, stopping her in her tracks.

As a mature woman, Melinda did not need anyone to explain what that kind of sound suggested.

Compelled by unease, she edged closer and glanced through the narrow gap of the half-open door.

Under the faint glow of the bedside lamp, Kevan came into view as he sat at the edge of his mattress, touching himself while fixated on a photograph in his hand.

A strained sound caught in his throat as his Adam's apple moved, and in a hoarse whisper, he said, "Sloane, you are the only one I desire. You are the only woman I love."

Shock rooted Melinda to the floor. For a fleeting moment, her thoughts deserted her completely.

Disbelief flooded her expression as her eyes grew wide.

Sloane Douglas was none other than the daughter of her father's lawful wife.

Simon Douglas lived a double life, dividing his loyalties between a lawful marriage and a long-standing affair.

By his side stood Belen Douglas as his legal wife, and together they had a daughter named Sloane.

Beyond that marriage, he kept Kathryn Phillips as his lover, and she bore him two children, a son and a daughter, the latter being Melinda herself. Because of his wealth and influence, he did not bother to hide Kathryn, and he installed her openly in his residence.

At the moment Alec Douglas was born, Simon ensured that Belen would raise this "precious" male offspring as if he were her own child.

Unlike her brother, Melinda remained with Kathryn throughout her childhood.

Even so, warmth and tenderness were things she rarely received from Kathryn.

In truth, Kathryn's affection leaned heavily toward Alec, and she even treated Sloane with more care than she ever showed Melinda.

When it came to Melinda's future, Kathryn showed no real concern and allowed Alec and Belen to make decisions about her marriage.

Before accepting Kevan as her husband, Melinda had discreetly gathered information and discovered that he was seeking a bride from the Douglas family, and that knowledge ultimately persuaded her to go through with the wedding.

Back then, she had firmly believed that she was the woman who held his heart.

Only now did the truth begin to surface, and it became painfully clear that she had misread everything.

In reality, the person Kevan cherished had always been Sloane.

Because his status as an illegitimate son placed him beneath Sloane's standing, he chose Melinda as a substitute instead.

After the wedding, however, he consistently avoided sleeping with her and claimed that his extreme aversion to physical contact was due to a fear of germs.

And Melinda had accepted that explanation without question.

She finally saw how foolish she had been.

Rather than reach for his own wife, Kevan chose to satisfy himself in solitude.

He was saving every part of himself for Sloane.

From the time they were children, the entire Douglas family had revolved around Sloane.

In Simon's eyes, Sloane had always been the one who could do no wrong.

Affection from both Belen and Kathryn had always centered on Sloane, and they treated her as someone precious beyond measure.

By contrast, Melinda had long understood that she stood at the very bottom of the Douglas family hierarchy.

Neither Simon nor Belen, nor even Kathryn, who had given birth to her, ever showed genuine fondness toward her.

Marriage once appeared to her as a doorway to a different future, one where she might finally belong somewhere.

Instead of finding comfort, she discovered that even Kevan's devotion had never been hers to claim.

A sharp sense of irony settled in Melinda's chest, and it left a bitter taste she could not ignore.

Each time Kevan whispered Sloane's name with longing, the sound cut into her like a blade.

Through the haze clouding her thoughts, memories surfaced of Kevan visiting her family before their wedding.

During those visits, he had carried himself with calm restraint and unfailing patience, and he had looked every bit the considerate gentleman.

Whenever he arrived, he made sure to place a carefully chosen gift in her hands.

Because of those gestures, she had gradually formed a deep impression of him.

Only now did the truth reveal itself with cruel clarity, and she realized that those visits had never been meant for her.

From the very beginning, his footsteps had always led him there for Sloane.

Sleep had completely abandoned Melinda that night.

Between the hollow ache in her body and the sting of what she had witnessed, rest never came to her.

Morning arrived nonetheless, and she managed to reach the office without being late.

The moment she stepped inside while stifling a yawn, an unusual tension seemed to ripple through the workspace.

"We have a new CEO starting today," Rosanna Baxter, her closest confidante at work, said as she leaned closer with excitement to share the latest gossip.

Only then did Melinda understand why every woman in the department had been fussing over compact mirrors and lipstick when she walked in.

Grabbing her by the arm in disbelief, Rosanna pressed her into a chair. "Melinda, how can you stay so calm at a time like this? Your makeup is barely there. Sit still and let me help you look presentable."

Shooting to her feet immediately, Melinda responded with indifference, "Why should the arrival of a new CEO concern me? I already have more than enough on my plate."

Following her university graduation, Belen had arranged for her to join this company under the pretense of broadening her horizons.

Behind that polished excuse, however, lay the real motive, which was to ensure that she would never hold any meaningful authority within the Douglas Group.

From the very beginning, the future of the Douglas Group had already been reserved for Alec and Sloane.

Given that she was born to Simon's mistress, no amount of academic excellence or tireless effort could ever earn Melinda a place within the family corporation, even if she surpassed both Alec and Sloane.

Unlike Alec, who carried the Douglas name as its rightful male successor, she brought no pride to the lineage, and unlike Sloane, she did not possess the effortless charm that won everyone's affection.

As a result, the moment she received her diploma, Belen ensured that the doors of the Douglas Group were firmly closed to her.

Adding to that silence, Kathryn never once stepped forward to argue on her daughter's behalf.

Years of such disregard had shaped Melinda's outlook, and over time, she had learned to endure it without protest.

Awareness of Belen's distaste for her potential and certainty of Kathryn's indifference had kept her cautious.

For that reason, she spent the last two years maintaining a low profile in this unremarkable company while steering clear of any overlap with Alec or Sloane.

Ambition no longer tempted her, and financial reward did not motivate her either. Therefore, the arrival of a new CEO truly bore no significance in her world.

Irritation flashing across her face, Rosanna forced Melinda back into the chair. "A brand new CEO is arriving, and you are acting as if nothing has changed. What's wrong with you? The whole company is polishing its image so it might impress him at first glance. You were born with a beautiful face, so why are you refusing to make the most of it? Word is that he is young and good-looking, and I doubt we would regret putting in a little effort."

With a dismissive flick of her gaze, Melinda replied, "If that excites you, then go and shine as much as you like. I truly have no interest in this. There is already too much on my desk waiting for me."

Determination tightening her grip, Rosanna kept her seated. "Even if I do not catch his attention, you might. I have come to understand something important. In this office, ability and diligence will only take you so far. What truly protects you is influence. Once the new CEO favors one of us, no one here will dare cause trouble again."

By the time the clock struck ten, the ground-floor lobby of the office building had filled.

Anticipation rippled through the crowd as everyone faced the entrance with a rigid posture, waiting for the moment he would appear.

Seizing her chance, Rosanna tugged Melinda along and maneuvered through the mass of employees until they secured a place in the very front row.

Unease crept into her voice as Melinda whispered, "We are standing far too close."

Then she attempted to retreat at the exact moment the new CEO made his appearance.

Without warning, a fleet of more than a dozen security vehicles rolled in ahead of a gleaming Rolls-Royce, which glided to a flawless stop before the entrance.

Through the open door emerged a tall figure clad in a tailored suit, dark sunglasses concealing his eyes.

Authority radiated from him so intensely that he resembled a sovereign stepping into territory that already belonged to him.

Encircled by a formation of bodyguards, he advanced toward the building with steady and commanding strides.

Grandeur and dominance defined the spectacle, and the atmosphere carried a weight that left the crowd breathless.

Not a single person dared to move, and many simply stared with parted lips as his presence overwhelmed them.

Compelled by curiosity, Melinda lifted her gaze toward him and found herself rooted in place.

Recognition struck her without mercy, and disbelief widened her eyes.

Standing before them was not a stranger in power, but the very doctor who had conducted her examination yesterday.

Astonishment clouded her thoughts.

For several heartbeats, she questioned her own senses and wondered if her mind had begun to deceive her.

In disbelief, she squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head as if that could erase the sight before her.

Upon opening them again, she discovered that the man had already halted directly in front of her.

A sharp intake of breath escaped Melinda's lips.

With deliberate calm, the man angled his face in her direction.

Given the narrow space between them, there was absolutely no chance of confusing him with anyone else.

Standing only steps away was the doctor from yesterday, his sculpted features unmistakable, and he was the very man who had occupied her thoughts last night.

Shock gripped Melinda so completely that she could barely remain upright.

Thought itself abandoned her, leaving nothing but hollow silence inside her mind.

For no more than a fleeting moment, his eyes rested on her before sliding away with cold detachment, as though she were a stranger he had never encountered.

Once he passed, the crowd seemed to awaken all at once and called out in unison, "Good morning, Mr. Harvey!"

As she watched him step into the private elevator designated for the CEO, a heavy weight dragged her heart downward.

To reassure herself that this was real, she dug her fingers sharply into her own arm.

Pain shot through her arm, and that sting confirmed she was not trapped in a dream.

Despite that, she refused to abandon the last explanation available to her, which was that the newly appointed CEO merely resembled the doctor.

Desperation pushed Melinda to hold tightly to that fragile possibility.

With a mixture of shock and curiosity, Rosanna gripped her sleeve. "Melinda, do you actually know him?"

Startled by the question, Melinda blinked and replied, "What are you talking about?"

Excitement flickered in Rosanna's eyes as she leaned closer. "I clearly saw him stop for a couple of seconds when he reached you. Do you think you might catch his eye?"

A weary breath slipped from Melinda before she answered, "That is impossible. You must have misunderstood what you saw."

Without offering another word, she spun around and rushed toward the restroom, where she bent over the sink and let cold water splash against her face in an effort to steady herself.

Left behind in the bustling lobby, Rosanna remained motionless, confusion written all over her face.

...

Upon stepping back into the office, Melinda was met with a wave of excited chatter revolving entirely around the new CEO.

"Have you heard? Mr. Harvey's mother serves as the director of Ocean Medical Center, and his father is the senior official who frequently appears on the evening news. He studied overseas, where he completed two master's degrees in medicine and finance. Everyone assumed he would return to manage his mother's hospital, but instead, he suddenly took charge of our company."

Each word she overheard tightened the knot forming in Melinda's stomach.

The name Ocean Medical Center struck her sharply, because that was the very hospital she had visited for her recent examination.

Connections began to line up one after another, and the fact that the CEO's mother managed that institution while he himself had a medical background made her pulse race.

Dread crept in as the evidence seemed to confirm what she had been trying to deny, which was that the CEO was indeed the same doctor who had examined her.

At the precise moment she wished the possibility away, reality appeared to solidify before her.

Since that appointment, the only thing Melinda had desired was distance from him.

Fate had placed him not only inside her workplace, but at the very top of it as the new CEO.

Oddly enough, a small measure of comfort came from the distance between their positions, because he commanded the entire company while she remained an unnoticed employee at the bottom rung.

On that basis, she convinced herself that their worlds were too far apart to collide again.

Before she could cling to that reassurance, Danny Foster, their manager, approached with a stern expression and said, "Melinda, Mr. Harvey has personally requested that you report to his office immediately."

At those words, Melinda's heartbeat faltered.

All around her, colleagues lifted their heads in unison and stared as though they had just witnessed something unbelievable.

Instead of responding with composure, Melinda inhaled sharply.

A crushing weight settled deep in her chest.

Fear tightened its grip as she realized that escaping his presence might not be possible after all.

Suspicion hardened Danny's expression as he asked, "What exactly did you mess up this time?"

Because Lorenzo had unexpectedly requested Melinda's presence, shock rippled through the entire office, and even Danny, her immediate supervisor, looked unsettled.

With wide eyes, Melinda answered, "I truly do not know what you are talking about."

Cold moisture gathered in her palms until her fingers felt clammy.

Anxiety pressed against her chest and refused to loosen.

No matter how carefully she tried to stay out of trouble, misfortune seemed determined to chase her down.

Pointing a warning look in her direction, Danny said, "Whatever you have done is your responsibility. Do not involve me in it. Do you understand?"

Loyalty to Belen had always guided his actions.

During the two years Melinda worked under Danny, he consistently created obstacles for her because Belen had instructed him to do so.

On the very first day of his leadership, however, Lorenzo had bypassed everyone and called for her specifically.

In Danny's mind, the only reasonable explanation was that Melinda must have somehow offended Lorenzo.

Should she end up facing punishment, the outcome would only benefit him, because Belen would surely praise him for handling her harshly.

From the beginning, Belen had assigned him one clear mission, which was to look for opportunities to make Melinda stumble.

The difficulty lay in the fact that Melinda had conducted herself with remarkable caution over the past two years and had not committed a single error.

Day after day, he searched for a way to catch her slipping, yet she had remained faultless, and now she had somehow drawn Lorenzo's attention on her own.

Secret satisfaction stirred within him, since the greater the trouble surrounding Melinda, the more pleased Belen would likely become.

Even so, his priority was to protect himself, so he had to ensure that any fallout would not involve him.

"I understand," Melinda replied in a subdued voice while keeping her gaze lowered.

As she pivoted to walk away, Danny seized her arm before leaning close to deliver a warning. "Listen carefully. If you say even a single unnecessary word to Mr. Harvey, you will regret it later."

Rather than show fear, Melinda shot him a faintly mocking look.

In reality, kindness had never been part of his treatment of her during the time she worked under him.

Under Belen's instructions, Danny had made her days at work miserable through endless criticism and subtle harassment.

At this moment, however, unease flickered across his face because he clearly feared that she might report his behavior to Lorenzo, which explained why he had issued that warning before sending her upstairs.

Despite his anxiety, his concern was unnecessary.

What truly occupied her mind today was the need to clarify certain matters with Lorenzo, and she had no intention of wasting time discussing someone as trivial as Danny.

Suppressing a scoff, Melinda pulled her arm out of his grasp and headed directly for the elevator.

Without hesitation, she pressed the button that would take her to the highest level, which belonged solely to the CEO.

Throughout the two years Melinda had worked here, she had never gone beyond the twelfth floor, and the executive floor had always felt like a forbidden territory.

Upon arrival, a poised secretary escorted her to the entrance of the CEO's office and tapped gently on the door.

"Come in!" a low and composed male voice called out from behind the closed door.

Steadying herself, Melinda released a quiet breath, and the faint puff of air stirred the wisps of hair resting on her forehead before they settled gently back into place.

Gathering her courage, she adjusted her posture and walked into the room.

Inside, the CEO's office displayed a strict black and white design, and the clean, rigid lines seemed to mirror the aloof temperament of its owner.

Behind the expansive desk sat a tall figure. With his gaze lowered, he appeared absorbed in the document spread before him.

Although his features remained partially obscured from her angle, the commanding presence surrounding him stirred a sense of recognition within her.

Despite her entrance, he offered no acknowledgment, as he neither lifted his eyes nor paused his reading.

For reasons Melinda could not control, her thoughts drifted back to the previous day in the consultation room when he had stood over her during the examination.

Embarrassment jolted her back to the present, and she felt unsettled that her mind had wandered there at all.

In the next instant, a piercing sensation made her aware that someone was watching her closely.

Lifting her head in surprise, she discovered that Lorenzo had already set his papers aside and was observing her from across the office, his unreadable eyes fixed on her for longer than she realized.

The moment their gazes locked, the air between them seemed to tighten.

All at once, the force of his presence pressed down on her, leaving her almost breathless.

Without warning, her pulse began to pound against her ribs.

A subtle curve touched Lorenzo's lips as he asked, "You did not expect to see me here, did you?"

Although a hint of amusement appeared, his eyes remained cold and unreadable.

Tension flickered at her temple as a faint vein pulsed beneath her skin.

Struggling to steady herself, she replied, "Forgive me, Mr. Harvey. Your presence caught me off guard, and that is why I stared."

With one brow lifted, he regarded her intently and said, "Is that your way of admitting that you are drawn to me?"

"That would be impossible. I am only an ordinary employee, and I would never presume to harbor inappropriate thoughts about you. I was merely impressed, nothing more," Melinda answered quickly, flustered by the implication.

Authority radiated from Lorenzo in a way that felt almost tangible.

Under the weight of his unwavering gaze, she had the uneasy sensation of being examined, as though he were measuring her silently.

After allowing the silence to stretch, he finally asked in a low voice, "Have you recovered?"

Once again, shock washed over Melinda.

The instant her gaze collided with his penetrating eyes, her pulse faltered.

By raising that question, he had quietly confirmed that he was indeed the doctor who had examined her before.

"I believe I have," she answered gently after a brief hesitation as warmth rushed to her cheeks.

Embarrassment forced her to lower her eyes, and she avoided meeting his gaze again.

In a calm yet pointed tone, Lorenzo added, "Your symptoms will not disappear so easily. If you require assistance, you may come to me at any time."

A chill traveled down her spine as Melinda struggled to interpret the meaning behind his words.

A fleeting and reckless thought crossed her mind that he might be suggesting something far more intimate, as though he would not refuse her if she reached for him.

Considering how strongly she had reacted to him from the very first glance, it was hardly shocking that her imagination would wander in that direction.

Given the way her body had reacted the moment she first saw Lorenzo, such an assumption did not feel entirely unfounded.

Now that they stood alone within the enclosed office, the tension she felt toward him intensified.

To her dismay, she sensed the familiar wave of desire rising within her once more.

"I appreciate your concern, Mr. Harvey. I should return to my duties now," she responded in a rush while discreetly pressing her thighs together to steady herself.

The last thing she wanted was to lose control in front of him.

At that moment, all she could think about was escaping to the restroom to compose herself in private.

Without pausing for his response, she turned and made for the door.

Before she could take another step, Lorenzo's low and authoritative voice stopped her. "Did I give you permission to leave?"

Frozen mid-stride, Melinda slowly pivoted back toward him and asked nervously, "Is there something else you require, Mr. Harvey?"

Throughout the exchange, Lorenzo's penetrating gaze never wavered.

Then, without warning, he pushed back his chair and approached her at an unhurried pace.

Towering and broad-shouldered, he moved with quiet confidence, and the tailored black suit emphasized the clean lines of his long legs.

Against her better judgment, she could not deny that he was strikingly attractive.

For a brief and reckless instant, her thoughts drifted toward an intimate fantasy of what it might be like to share a bed with him.

Without warning, her throat tightened and turned painfully dry.

As her thoughts spiraled further, the heat pooling inside her only grew stronger.

An ache she could not deny surged through her, and she found herself craving him with alarming intensity.

Lorenzo leaned closer, his low voice brushing against her ear as he asked, "What exactly is running through your mind?"

"I want to do—" Melinda muttered, the confession almost slipping free before she stopped herself just in time.

Flustered, she hurried to correct her words. "I meant that I want to work alongside you. I truly hope to learn from you properly."

Raising her head, she realized with a jolt that he had already closed the distance between them.

Only a breath separated their bodies now.

The subtle yet distinctly masculine scent that surrounded him wrapped around her senses.

For a brief second, her thoughts blurred and drifted.

Drawing in that intoxicating fragrance only fanned the flames of her already restless desire.

Desire blurred her thoughts until everything inside her felt chaotic and unsteady.

A reckless admission nearly slipped past her lips before she managed to restrain herself.

From above, Lorenzo regarded her quietly, and the expression in his eyes revealed nothing.

With her gaze fixed on the floor, Melinda stood stiffly, discomfort tightening her chest.

Shame washed over her as she replayed the bold thoughts she had just entertained.

Certain that he must be angered by her behavior, she braced herself for the worst.

In fact, she even prepared for the possibility that he would dismiss her on the spot.

Contrary to her fears, he spoke in an even tone. "I am currently in need of an assistant. Beginning tomorrow, you will take on the role of my temporary assistant."