Chapter 4

"He is a well-known oncologist in the world, has been staying abroad for so long. Finally, he is back." "His family is filthy rich and powerful as well. But he chose to be a doctor to serve the people." The murmurs continued. Everyone looked excited to see him, in contrast to the storm brewing inside me. I fidgeted with my fingers, hoping he wouldn't recognize me. But he walked straight toward me. "Why did you leave without saying goodbye?" he asked, his eyes locking with mine. I panicked. 'He recognized me!' my mind screamed. I swallowed as I noticed everyone looking at me. Murmurs filled the air, their curious gazes locked onto me. I just wanted to vanish into thin air. It was so embarrassing. "You know each other!" Declan's voice pierced the tension. Lucian smirked, still eyeing me. I swallowed hard. Just as I was struggling with what excuse to come up with, Lucian spoke first. "We happened to meet during an accident rescue," he said, looking at Declan. I breathed a small sigh of relief. But he seemed determined to give me a panic attack. "We worked together," he continued, "and it was amazing." He smirked at me meaningfully. My face paled. 'What is he doing?' I grew nervous. Why couldn't he forget it already? It was just a one-night stand after all. "I wanted to thank her, but she left without saying a word," he added, as if accusing me. Suddenly, the air was tense again and I could feel countless eyes stabbing at me fiercely. Long before this legendary Dr. Grey arrived, most of the female staff had been drooling over him. "Oh, Dr. Grey, Anna is a 'star' in our hospital," my colleague Catherine jumped in, the acrimony clear in her tone. "Many VIP clients have named her to be their 'exclusive escort'. I bet she was definitely in a hurry to get to her next 'appointment'." I clenched my hands. Any fool could hear what she was implying. Catherine wanted to smear me as a shameless slut who improperly got her place. I knew she had always seen me as a thorn in her side. After all, I was the most likely candidate to take the position of head nurse in the next evaluation. She had been talking behind my back, attempting to push me to quit. But I wouldn't let her win. I didn't get to this point by luck, nor by flattering others, but by real effort and persistence. Those countless all-night shifts, those early mornings when I stayed up until dawn to write my thesis, and those boring hours when I practiced over and over again to improve my skills—all those were the real reasons I earned recognition. Why should I give up what would rightfully be mine for her ridiculous vanity? But it was not the time to argue with her. More urgently, I needed to leave the eye of this storm now. "Dr. Grey, you are here." It was the director of the hospital, Dr. Harley—he was Declan's father. I lowered my head, not wanting to draw his attention and stepped back. They shook hands. "Lucian Grey, the well-known doctor of the world, is finally back to the country," Dr. Harley said with a proud smile. "And you accepted my proposal to work at this hospital. It's an honor to have you here." "I wanted to come back and serve the people of my country," Lucian said. "You gave me the opportunity. Thank you." Dr. Harley laughed contentedly. "Let me introduce you to the team." He tapped Declan's shoulder. "This is Dr. Declan Shaw, the deputy director of the hospital, also my son. He is talented, with promising potential. In the future, he will replace me." Lucian's eyes sparkled with an uncanny light as he turned to Declan. "Nice to meet you, Dr. Declan." He stretched out his hand, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips. I had no idea why I felt this sense of gloom. Declan shook hands with him. "It's a pleasure working with you, Dr. Grey." Lucian chuckled, "Of course." "Alright, now that everyone has been introduced, let's get to work," Dr. Harley finally concluded. I breathed a sigh of relief that no one had noticed my unusual behavior. Just as I was about to leave, Lucian suddenly called me over. "Anna!" I felt as if my heart almost exploded. I had to turn around, give him a stiff nod, and smile. "Dr. Grey, is there anything else you need?" Lucian winked at me and then laughed, "You're the only friend I know in the hospital. Would you mind showing me around?" "You know Anna!" Dr. Harley exclaimed, seemingly surprised. Then a smile surfaced on his face. "That's great. She is one of the talented nurses we have. Since you know each other already, why don't you show him around, Anna?" Declan reached out to hold my hand to stop me. I dodged and stepped forward. Pulling a smile, I agreed readily. "Sure, Dr. Harley. It's my pleasure." I turned to Lucian and gestured to him. "Dr. Grey, please, this way." "After you." I walked away stiffly, my features hardening. I needed to find a secluded place to talk to him. He couldn't continue like this. He couldn't let anyone know about last night. After showing him around, we arrived at his office. "This is your office." I opened the door and gestured for him to enter. He walked in, and I followed, closing the door behind us. I exhaled. Finally, I found the moment I had been waiting for. There was no one around. "Thank you, Anna," he smirked, turning to me. "You are as amazing as last night." He took a step closer. My heart leaped to my throat, my legs shuffling back unwittingly. "Dr. Grey, could you please keep it a secret?" I managed. "What are you talking about?" he asked innocently, as if he didn't know what I meant. As he stepped closer to me, I retreated further. "Last night—it was an accident," I stuttered. "We both were drunk." "Well, I wasn't drunk," he murmured huskily, his gaze dropping to my mouth. "I remember every moment vividly." "Please, don't tell anyone about it," I pleaded. "Keep it between us." My back hit the wall, and I sucked in a cold breath. He moved in closer, resting his hand against the wall. "Why?" he asked, leaning in. His hot breath fanned my face, a few scenes from last night resurfacing in my mind. "Last night was amazing," he whispered, his lips brushing my ear. I shuddered, clutching the skirt at my sides. "I enjoyed it," he added, "and so did you." "Dr. Grey..." He pressed his finger against my lips. "Call me Lucian." I looked into his eyes and forgot to breathe. 'Why is my heart racing so fast? Why can't I control myself when he is around?' I hated the power he held over me after just meeting once. Before I could say anything, someone knocked on the door. I pushed him away and adjusted my skirt. "I'll leave first." I turned and pulled the door open, only to meet Declan's sharp gaze. I wanted to get away from him, but Declan quickly grabbed me and pulled me into an empty ward, where he immediately kissed me. "Get off!" I snapped, raising my hand and fiercely slapping his face. "If you dare to do that again, I will definitely report you for sexual harassment." I turned and rushed for the door, my fingers trembling as I gripped the handle, only to hear Declan's cold voice from behind me. "Anna, you think you can get rid of me like that?" His tone was strangely unsettling. "Don't forget my place here. If you continue to disobey me, I can't guarantee you'll keep your job here. I remember your mother's medical bills are no small amount, aren't they?"