Lucien's POV
She said no.
Twice.
I stood in the shadows across the street from her apartment building, watching the lights flick on in the second-floor window. She moved behind the curtains pacing.
Agitated.
Good.
Most people in Stonehaven trembled when they heard my name. They adjusted their tone. Their posture. Their loyalty.
But Doctor Victoria?
She looked me in the eye.
And refused.
I slid into the backseat of the sedan.
I watched her window a moment longer before the car pulled away.
"She's different," the assistant said carefully.
"She's reckless," I corrected.
But that wasn't true.
She wasn't reckless.
She was controlled. Deliberate. Defiant.
When she stood in that hospital suite, chin lifted, eyes steady… she didn't see a man to fear.
She saw a man to challenge.
And no one challenges me.
I leaned back, adjusting my cufflinks.
"Find out everything about her."
A pause.
"Everything, sir?"
"Where she lives.
Who she speaks to.
What time she leaves.
What she eats for breakfast."
My voice remained calm. Almost bored.
But inside?
I was wide awake.
That grocery store.
The way her pulse jumped when I stepped behind her.
The way she refused to step back.
The way she said:
I don't belong to anyone.
The words replayed in my mind like a slow burn.
Belong.
Ownership wasn't about chains.
It was about inevitability.
And she had just made herself inevitable.
"Should we increase security around her?" my assistant asked cautiously.
I considered it.
Stonehaven was not kind to those connected to me.
"No," I said after a moment.
"Why not, sir?"
Because fear would make her run.
And I don't want her running.
I wanted her choosing.
Even if she didn't realize she was choosing me.
"Let the town remain quiet," I said softly. "For now."
Back at the estate, I walked into my study. The lights were low. The air thick with cigar smoke.
On my desk sat the file Harem had given me.
Doctor Victoria Hale.
Transferred from the city.
Top of her class.
Clean record.
No scandals.
No attachments.
Interesting.
I flipped through the pages slowly.
No one stays untouched for long in my world.
She wanted distance.
I would give her proximity.
I moved to the window overlooking Stonehaven.
She thinks I'm just a man.
She thinks I can be ignored.
A slow smile curved on his lips.
Let her think that.
For now.
Because the moment she realizes what she's stepped into…
It will already be too late.
And when she finally looks at me not with defiance…
But with understanding
She won't be saying no.
She'll be asking.
The Next Morning
I walked into Loretta's Private Hospital with my head held high, determined to make today about medicine and nothing else. But as soon as I reached the nurses' station, I saw a massive arrangement of blood-red roses sitting right where I usually put my charts.
There was a small, cream-colored card tucked into the center.
My heart hammered against my ribs as I opened it. There were only four words written in elegant, sharp handwriting:
"I admire your spirit."
There was no signature. There didn't need to be.
I stared at the roses, their deep red petals looking like drops of blood against the sterile white of the nurses' station. The air around them smelled heavily of expensive perfume and power. Every nurse in the hallway was stealing glances, their whispers trailing off as I reached for the card.
"I admire your spirit."
A cold shiver ran down my spine, but I refused to let it show. I wasn't flattered; I was annoyed. This wasn't a romantic gesture it was a marking of territory.
"Doctor Victoria?" a young nurse, Sarah, whispered, her eyes wide with envy. "Are those from... him? Nobody gets flowers from Lucien Moretti. You must be so lucky."
"Lucky?" I repeated, my voice flat. I picked up the heavy crystal vase. "I'm a doctor, Sarah. I don't have room for 'spirit' or distractions in my workspace. These are a trip hazard."
And how did you know these are from Mr Moretti, she didn't say anything just walked away.
Another nurse looked at me and said, just be careful there are many women who wants Mr Moretti attention. they will be watching your every move and they know you've caught Mr Moretti's eye,just be careful "she murmured.
Before I could even say what was on my mind she left, well that was weird I said to myself.
I walked down the hall to Room 214, where Mrs. Gable, a sweet elderly woman recovering from hip surgery, was sitting by her window.
She didn't have much family and her room always looked a bit bleak.
"Good morning, Mrs. Gable," I said with a genuine smile, the first one I'd felt all morning. "I thought these might brighten up your room. They're far too bright for the nurses' station."
The old woman's face lit up. "Oh, Doctor! They're magnificent! Who would send such a thing to a cranky old lady?"
"Consider them a gift from the town," I said, placing them on her bedside table. "They belong somewhere they'll actually be appreciated."
As I walked out of the room, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. I had stripped the gesture of its power. If Lucien wanted to play games, he'd have to learn that I wasn't playing by his rules.
However, as I turned the corner to head back to the clinic, I saw Doctor Harem standing there, looking paler than usual. He looked at the empty spot where the flowers had been, then back at me.
"You gave them away," he breathed, sounding almost terrified.
"It's not about policy, Victoria," Harem whispered, glancing around to make sure we weren't overheard.
"He's going to find out. He has eyes everywhere in this building. To Lucien, giving away his gift is a direct insult. You aren't just ignoring him anymore you're challenging him."
I couldn't help but notice a man in a dark suit standing by the elevators, speaking into a lapel microphone while looking directly at me.
"I did. Why? Is there a hospital policy against donating flowers to patients?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
I tightened my grip on my clipboard. "Then let him be challenged. I have a surgery to prep for."