Chapter 118



Belinda had kissed him. And not only had he failed to push her away immediately, but worse—he had let himself sink into the kiss, losing all composure. How could he have been so easily swayed by Belinda? The memory of her mocking eyes just moments before made his chest tighten with frustration.

Taking a steadying breath, Lucas left the room in long, purposeful strides, his mood stormy.

Inside the bathroom, Belinda leaned heavily against the sink, her face flushing crimson. She turned the faucet on and splashed cold water onto her face repeatedly, willing the heat to subside.

What was wrong with her? She had kissed Lucas. Boldly. Recklessly. And it had been her first kiss!

The realization sent another wave of embarrassment crashing over her, her cheeks burning even hotter. She gripped the edge of the sink and forced herself to calm down.

It had just been a moment of impulse, born out of sheer frustration with Lucas’ aloof demeanor and maddeningly casual tone. That was all.

She just wanted to see if he would crack—if the ice in his veins would melt, even just a little. Rationalizing it did little to soothe her racing heart. Her fingers brushed against her lips, still tingling with the warmth of Lucas’ kiss. Shaking her head, Belinda stripped off her clothes and stepped into the shower. The cold water cascaded over her, gradually cooling her flushed skin and calming the whirlwind of emotions inside her.

That night, Lucas didn’t return to the room, and Belinda, despite her exhaustion, found her thoughts too tangled to find peace in sleep. After what felt like an eternity, she finally drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, the shrill sound of her alarm jolted Belinda awake. She shot upright, fumbling to silence it, her face instantly heating up. She had dreamed about Lucas last night. And not just about him—but about them both, having sex. The vividness of the dream made her ears flush with pure embarrassment. Shoving the thought away, she scrambled out of bed, freshened up, and got dressed quickly. Skipping breakfast, she left the house and drove straight to the hospital.

Arriving early, she headed to the cafeteria to grab breakfast. As soon as she stepped inside, she noticed something strange. Conversations halted briefly when people saw her, and people’s gazes seemed to follow her as she walked to the counter. Belinda frowned slightly. She was puzzled by this. She quickly bought breakfast and found an empty table.

As she began to eat after sitting down, murmurs from nearby tables caught her attention.

“That’s her, right? The new doctor from the Cardiac Surgery Department—Belinda?”

“Yeah, that’s her.”

The one with connections to Mr. Rodgers.”

“She’s beautiful, no denying that. No wonder she’s getting special treatment.”

“It’s ridiculous. The rest of us have to pass the hospital’s permanent residency exam. But for her? A pretty face is all it takes to become a permanent staff member here.”

“My sister has tried three times to pass the exam! I thought this hospital was supposed to be all about fairness. Turns out, not so much.”

“Exactly. And I heard her grades in college were awful—barely passing. How good can her medical skills even be?”

“Keep your voice down! If she hears you and tells Mr. Rodgers about this, we’re done for.”

“Right, let’s just drop this topic.”

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