She instantly froze, too scared to move or speak.

Only after taming this little wild rabbit did Victor carry her back to the elevator.

Most of the people at the scene had already left, leaving only Felix to handle the aftermath.

When Felix saw Victor carrying Evelyn over, his brow twitched violently.

This scene was too surreal—completely out of sync with the Victor he knew.

Suddenly, he recalled Victor's unexpected appearance in the administration department that night, as well as the way he had defended that girl in the interrogation room.

And just like that, things started to make sense.

Victor ignored Felix's scrutinizing gaze and took Evelyn into the elevator.

Outside the office, people were coming and going, with nurses occasionally sneaking glances inside.

Evelyn sat stiffly in the chair as Victor crouched before her, tending to the wound on her knee.

The injury was actually quite small—so small that she would normally ignore it.

Victor wore a mask, carefully disinfecting the wound with a focused expression.

It was rare for Evelyn to see Victor from this angle.

They were very close. Beneath his long lashes, his dark eyes were as deep and cold as the night sky.

The only time those eyes ever held another emotion was when they were in bed together.

Then there were his hands—so beautiful they could drive someone to sin.

His fingers were long, his skin fair, and the veins on the back of his hands exuded raw masculinity.

She vividly remembered how those hands had pressed against the mirror with such force that even his knuckles had arched.

After treating the wound, Victor noticed a bruise a bit further up her leg. He reached out to roll up her pant leg.

Evelyn instinctively pressed his hand down. "It's fine up there!"

"I can see the bruise," Victor said, worried that she had just injured herself and wanting to check.

Evelyn's cheeks flushed bright red. "No—it's not from today."

It was from that night.

He had been too rough, leaving her bruised all over.

Victor seemed to understand. His cool gaze swept over her flushed face.

She really blushed easily.

At first, he had thought it was just some clever makeup trick. But after seeing it happen repeatedly, he realized—she was just shy.

Whenever she got embarrassed, she turned red.

Her skin was that thin?

Then where had she found the courage to send him that kind of message?

"Thank you. I'm fine now," Evelyn said awkwardly, lowering her pant leg and eager to escape.

This man was too dangerous—she couldn't handle him.

She wanted to stay as far away as possible. Preferably, they would never have anything to do with each other again.

"Do you always use people and then pretend not to know them?" Victor asked casually as he tossed his gloves and mask into the trash.

Evelyn froze for a moment, not understanding what he meant.

"The second time," Victor stated bluntly, his deep voice lowering even further. "The strawberries."

He had given her three days, thinking she would come to him.

And yet?

She had run far away.

The way she avoided him—as if he were some terrifying beast, desperate to vanish on the spot—was almost laughable.

If this was her way of playing hard to get, then he had to admit—she was succeeding.

Hearing him mention strawberries, Evelyn's face burned, and she stammered, "Y-You knew?"

He had expected her to deny it, but she gave herself away so easily.

She was like a blank sheet of paper.

It reminded him of the wild elk he had encountered while working as a doctor in remote areas.

Naïve, easy to deceive—so they were often slaughtered by hunters.

Whenever the medical team wanted to feed the elk, Victor would always be the odd one out, driving the animals away.

Better to make them fear humans than trust them, only to be hunted down.

"I'm sorry," Evelyn blurted, guilty and flustered.

Victor chuckled lightly, washed his hands, and unhurriedly closed the office door.

Evelyn instantly became alert.

Victor leaned against the desk, his voice low and dangerous. "I'm not a good person. A simple ‘sorry’ won't work on me—why not offer something more tangible?"

Before Evelyn could process his words, he suddenly lowered his head and kissed her.

Her mind went blank.

At first, he had only meant to punish her.

But the moment he tasted her soft lips, he couldn't stop.

Behind his glasses, his dark eyes surged with an unspoken storm.

A cold, slender hand covered her eyes.

She felt a sharp pain on her lips and instinctively struggled.

But the difference in strength between them was too great.

The more she resisted, the more forcefully he pressed down.

Victor’s palm gripped her shoulder, kneading it with noticeable force.

Something about that triggered her, and in desperation, she bit down hard on his lip.

Victor hissed in pain and finally let her go.

His gaze turned cold again as he stared down at her.

Evelyn’s eyes shimmered with moisture, her nose slightly red, and her lashes trembled.

"Are you scared now?" he asked.

"If you are, then don't go around teasing men," Victor said flatly before pushing her away.

Evelyn collapsed back into the chair, her face as pale as a sheet.

"Get out," Victor said, his eyes filled with ice.

Bennett had come to the hospital for a routine check-up. Sensing Victor’s foul mood, he couldn’t help but ask, "You're in a bad mood?"

Victor: "No."

"Yeah, right. It’s written all over your face. You're not usually someone who can't hide their emotions, so what’s got you so pissed off?" Bennett was dying of curiosity.

The Victor he knew never showed his emotions—unless something major happened.

But the Kingsley family had been peaceful lately, and there was no way Victor would run into trouble at work.

What could possibly make him so upset?

A woman?

"I got it," Bennett suddenly smirked. "You're not in a bad mood—you're just sexually frustrated."

Victor: "Get lost."

Evelyn went to see Emma, who had calmed down. Seeing Evelyn, she even mustered a small smile. "Eve, thank you."

Emma’s husband kept thanking her as well.

Evelyn felt a bit embarrassed. "I'm a doctor—saving people is my duty. You don’t have to thank me specially."

"Eve, you're a good person. When my wife was in labor and the blood bank ran dry, she almost didn’t make it. If it weren’t for you donating blood, she wouldn’t have made it out of the delivery room," Emma’s husband said sincerely.

Evelyn smiled softly. "I’m just glad she’s okay."

Emma still held onto the baby’s clothes tightly, refusing to let go.

Evelyn offered a few words of comfort. Before leaving, she went to find Emma’s doctor.

"Dr. Sullivan, I remember Emma’s baby was born healthy. How did it suddenly… not make it?" She voiced her doubts.