Gillian's thoughts vanished in a rush of panic, but her body took over on its own.

She shot to her feet and strode over, lowering her voice as she cut off the nurse. "That's me. I'm patient number seven," she said.

Although the nurse looked at her with confusion, she kept quiet and waved for Gillian to come into the exam room.

With her head lowered, Gillian sneaked a glance toward Luke. Her fingers curled into her palms so tightly her nails left marks.

Thankfully, Luke simply threw her a glance before looking away. It seemed he hadn't recognized her.

Relief swept through her, and she let out a quiet breath.

Inside the room, the nurse handed her some paperwork. After Gillian filled it out, the nurse nodded toward the exam table behind the curtain and told her to lie down. Then the nurse stepped out to call for the doctor and begin preparations for the pre-surgery checkup.

Gillian lay back, nerves twisting inside her, and gripped the bedsheet so hard her knuckles turned white.

Minutes crawled by until finally, she heard footsteps approach.

A tall figure stepped in, dressed in a white coat with his face hidden behind a mask and glasses. He glanced at the chart and looked down at her. His voice was cold and flat. "Miss Gillian Brown? You're here for hymen restoration surgery, right?"

Gillian's anxiety grew sharper once she realized the doctor was a man.

"That's right, but is there a woman doctor available?" she asked, voice tight.

He let out a quiet laugh. "There aren't any female doctors on duty today. If you want to wait, you'll have to come back next week."

Gillian pressed her teeth into her lip until she tasted blood.

A week felt endless, and the thought of Luke saying something about what happened between them made her stomach twist.

Gillian forced herself to accept the situation, swallowing her nerves as she nodded. "Alright. Just get it over with."

He snapped the folder shut and answered with a brisk, "Go ahead and undress."

Even though her skin prickled under his stare, she turned away and slowly lifted her dress, slipping out of her black lace underwear with trembling hands.

The doctor kept his eyes fixed on her, his expression unreadable.

As soon as she settled back on the table, shaking all over, he pulled on gloves and reached out for her thigh.

Rubber fingertips, icy against her skin, sent a shiver down her spine. Instinct took over, and she pressed her knees together.

He let out a dry laugh. "I can't do much if you're locking your legs like that."

Something about his voice stirred a strange sense of familiarity, but she couldn't quite place where she'd heard it before.

Clenching her jaw, she forced herself to open her legs, even though every nerve screamed at her to stop.

His cold touch grazed a tender spot, and a mocking noise slipped out from behind his mask. "That's some swelling. Looks like you've had quite the night."

Frozen with embarrassment, Gillian's whole body tensed, pain mixing with a humiliating tingle right where he touched her.

It was obvious the swelling was from what happened with Luke the previous night. Was it really still this bad after so many hours? The jerk.

Annoyance bubbled up inside Gillian. She turned her face away, praying the exam would finish fast so they could get on with the surgery and put this ordeal behind her.

The doctor showed no signs of stopping, his finger moving with deliberate slowness. "So, have you been seeing a lot of action lately?" he asked.

A foreign kind of discomfort made her whole body tense, though, to her shame, her body still reacted under his touch.

Her breath came faster. Desperate to keep some dignity, she tried to squirm away from his hand. "That isn't any of your business, is it?"

The doctor pressed a palm to her abdomen, keeping his voice perfectly steady. "It actually is. Before surgery, I need to ask about your recent activity. If we skip these questions, any complications would be on your head, not mine."

Although Gillian was a doctor herself, she'd never rotated in gynecology and didn't know exactly what to expect.

Even so, she recognized that these questions were necessary before the procedure. Since he kept things strictly professional, she forced herself to bear the discomfort and answered, stiff as a board, "No, it's not a regular thing. Only happened once."

He raised his eyebrows, probing deeper. "How many partners have you ever had? And was it always safe?"

Gillian sucked in a breath, and then answered quietly, "Just one, and as far as I know, it wasn't violent."

A deep, quiet laugh rumbled from his chest. "Is that so? Funny, I figured someone like you had plenty of options. But it turns out I'm the only one. Planning to hurry through this surgery so you can chase after Ashton and land a wedding ring?"

Gillian's heart skipped a beat as he peeled off his mask and glasses, finally revealing his face.

"Luke!" she cried out, stunned.

Gillian's whole body tensed as she tried to squeeze her legs shut. "What are you even doing in here? This isn't your place. The real doctor is supposed to show up any minute. How dare you!"

"And why wouldn't I dare?" Luke smirked, easily catching her wrist and letting his touch linger in her private part, only making her more anxious.

It turned out, Gillian's attempt at privacy had backfired. She had no idea the hospital belonged to Luke.

The moment she booked her surgery, he got the news straight from his staff.

Leaning closer, Luke's eyes glinted with mischief. "So, Dr. Brown, are you satisfied with my examination? Should I keep going?"

A wave of dread washed over Gillian, making her skin crawl.

"Just let me go." She fought to keep her voice from cracking. "I don't want this. Not here. Don't lay a finger on me!"

"Oh, you want a change of scenery?" Luke only grinned wider, tightening his hold on her waist before leaning in, his breath hot against her ear. "Tell me where and I'll take you there myself."

Fear and embarrassment left her shaking as she struggled to pull free, but she didn't dare to make too much noise and attract attention.

Suddenly, her phone vibrated.

As Ashton's name flashed on the screen, Gillian froze. Before she could react, Luke grabbed the phone and answered the call.

Ashton's voice crackled through the phone, sounding confused. "What took you so long to pick up? You're supposed to be at the hospital, right? Why are you off the clock?"

Caught off guard, Gillian stared at Luke, who wore a smug look that made her nerves fray.

He kept his hand moving over her skin, each touch making it harder for her to breathe, her heart thumping wildly.

Leaning in, Luke let out a low, taunting whisper. "So, he's never touched you? Why don't we give him a reason to wonder what he's missing?"

Gillian's pulse hammered in her ears.

Just the thought of Ashton finding out about what happened yesterday made her panic. If things spiraled out of control, she knew she'd lose her engagement—and the only person who might help her with her family business.

Desperate to keep things together, she forced out a response, voice trembling. "I, uh, I've got some errands... That's all."

She tried to steady her breathing. "Why all the questions, Ashton?"

Ashton's confusion deepened. "My grandfather's getting checked up at your hospital today, so I thought I'd stop by to see you. Is something wrong? You sound different."

Blood rushed in her ears as Gillian searched for a believable excuse.

Without warning, Luke's fingers pressed harder, sending a jolt of sensation through her. She couldn't stop a strangled moan from slipping out.

The line went silent before Ashton's tone turned ice cold. "Gillian, who's with you right now?"

Gillian recoiled from Luke's smug grin, snatching her phone and shrinking into the farthest corner she could find.

"I tripped and dropped my phone, that's all. Earlier, I was just talking business with some of my dad's old friends," she blurted out, scrambling for any excuse.

Trying to change the subject before Ashton could pry further, she quickly switched to a softer tone. "No one was willing to invest, Ashton. I was hoping maybe you—"

Keeping one wary eye on Luke, she pressed her palm over the receiver, ready to stop him from causing any more trouble.

Ashton, still suspicious, felt something was amiss. But the moment Gillian mentioned investments, his patience wore thin.

"I've already told you, things like this take time. I don't want to talk about it right now," he said with a hint of annoyance. "If you're not actually working today, let's catch up another time. I need to stick with my grandfather for his check-up. I'll talk to you later."

The call ended abruptly. For a moment, Gillian just stood there, barely able to breathe as relief swept over her.

Luke didn't move, his smirk never fading. "All that panic—admit it, the danger is half the fun."

Gillian's grip on the phone tightened, knuckles white. "You're twisted, Luke! No one in their right mind would want their reputation ruined with such a reckless move!"

"I don't have much of a reputation left," said Luke, edging closer with laughter dancing in his eyes. "And I wouldn't mind dragging you down right along with me."

Gillian realized then that Luke was truly unhinged.

She tasted blood from biting her lip, backing away until the cold wall stopped her escape. Fear knotted in her stomach as Luke closed the distance.

His hand was inches from her chin when, out in the hallway, a nervous voice interrupted.

A timid voice called from outside the room, "Mr. Moore, your colleagues are getting ready to leave. Are you done talking with your friend?"

Luke hesitated, and then pulled off his gloves with an indifferent look. "Give me a second," he replied.

He tossed his lab coat onto the edge of the bed, turning to Gillian with a cold glint in his eyes. "If I ever find out you've let Ashton touch you, don't blame me for what comes next. It'd be smart for you to keep your distance and stay on my good side. Don't push me, Gillian."

With that, he strode out, and the oppressive tension in the air finally broke.

The moment he left, Gillian rushed to fix her clothes and slipped out of the exam room before anyone else could show up.

Once she got outside, she hurried to her car and drove straight back to work. No matter how hard she tried to relax, a strange ache in her legs made it impossible to focus. All afternoon, her mind spun with worry.

How much longer could she keep getting tangled up with Luke? Who knew what else he might try to pull?

Her thoughts were still a mess when a knock sounded at her door. A nurse peeked in to tell her that the hospital director wanted to see her.

After climbing the stairs to the director's office, Gillian learned that the hospital was about to host a joint seminar with a team in Khoyver, and she had been chosen to represent her department.

She agreed without hesitation.

The idea of putting some distance between herself and Luke sounded like the best news she had heard all day. She even wondered if she could have the procedure done in Khoyver, somewhere far from his reach.

Since the seminar was set for the next afternoon, Gillian wasted no time booking a flight and rushed home to pack her bags.

Halfway to the airport, her phone rang. It was her closest friend, Nina Foster.

Gillian answered with a puzzled frown, saying, "Nina? Is something wrong?"

"Gillian, where are you?" Nina's words tumbled out in a panic. "I just saw Ashton at a jewelry store with another woman! He spent over five million on a necklace for her, and they looked just like a couple!"

Shock drained all the color from Gillian's face. It was one thing for Ashton to lose interest in her, but stepping out with someone else before they had even called off the engagement? That was something she never expected.

"I'm... I'm at the airport. I'm about to board my flight," she said, her voice tight with nerves. "Maybe it's all a mix-up? I'll talk to him."

Once the call ended, she tried dialing Ashton, hoping for an explanation. He didn't answer.

Her chest tightened. He used to answer on the first ring, no matter how busy he was. What had changed so suddenly?

She stared at her phone, waiting, until his name finally flashed on the screen.

"Sorry, I ended the call by mistake earlier. What is it?" Ashton's voice was short, clipped, and carried an edge of annoyance. "I'm swamped with work right now. If this isn't important, I'll get back to you later."

The background was silent, nothing but his breath on the line. It seemed that he was really working. Maybe Nina had gotten the wrong idea, or seen someone who only looked like him.

Trying to sound steady, Gillian forced a little smile into her tone. "It's nothing. I just wanted you to know I'm flying out to Khoyver for a conference."

She added quietly, "You should focus on your work."

Gillian was about to end the call when a high, sweet voice floated through the phone. "Ashton, who's on the phone with you, baby?"

Before she could react, the call cut off. Gillian's hand went stiff around her phone.

That voice was unmistakable. It sounded just like Meagan Brown—her father's adopted daughter.

Meagan was supposed to be at school. Why was she with Ashton?

Gillian stared at her darkened phone, heart plummeting, unable to make sense of any of it.