"Take off your top!" "Uh? Do I have to take off my clothes? I mean... do I have to take off all my clothes?" "Take off your top!" "Can... I not take it off?" "No!" "That doesn't seem right, after all... there are differences between men and women."
"Take off your top!"
"What? Do I really have to take off my clothes? All of them?"
"Just the top!"
"Can't I... keep it on?"
"No, you can't!"
"This feels a bit awkward, given the circumstances."
I bit my lip, whispering as I tried to negotiate with the handsome doctor in front of me, hoping to avoid undressing.
The young, attractive doctor sat upright in his chair, hands clasped on the desk, just like a prince, exuding an air of old-world charm and aloofness.
It was just the two of us in the room, and his expressionless gaze made me feel uneasy.
"Miss, this is the breast surgery department. I need to perform an ultrasound. I'm unable to identify the affected part of your body at a glance without an X-ray."
His voice was chillingly cold, freezing the room with his words.
Feeling wronged, I lowered my head. My eyes were slightly red as I grumbled internally about why such a gentleman had to speak so harshly.
Couldn't he be more considerate? It wasn't easy for anyone to undress in front of the opposite sex for the first time. Some mental preparation was necessary!
Besides, how often did you find a breast surgeon who was a man around my age? Even though doctors were supposed to be professional, it still felt awkward and embarrassing.
Seeing that I hadn't moved, the gentlemanly doctor turned to his computer and said. "You can come back tomorrow. A female doctor will be available to see you."
My internship company had recently taken on a big project, and as an intern, I was forced to work overtime every day. I hadn't had a good night's sleep in ages. And I didn't have the time to come to see the doctor one more time.
"I'm... really busy with work lately and don't have time to come again."
Nervously, I looked up, accidentally meeting the doctor's cold gaze, and quickly lowered my head like an ostrich.
When I registered earlier, I vaguely remembered his name was Ayden Clarke. A quick glance at his name badge confirmed it.
After a long internal struggle, I bit my lip and blushingly asked, "Dr. Clarke, should I undress here?"
Ayden nodded coolly.
"Could you please... turn around until I'm done?"
My voice trailed off to a whisper, barely audible even to myself.
Dr. Clarke glanced at me without much expression and turned away.
Even though I knew this icy doctor wasn't the type to peek, I couldn't help but repeatedly check to ensure he wouldn't suddenly turn around.
The room was so quiet that the only sound was the rustling of my clothes. As I pulled off my sweater, the sudden chill made me shiver, and goosebumps quickly formed on my skin.
When my hands reached the clasp of my bra, they were trembling so much that I couldn't undo it for a while, breaking out in a cold sweat from the anxiety.
My mind was racing. Oh, this was so embarrassing! Jenna, if you couldn't undo your bra and had to ask Ayden for help, how would you ever leave this hospital with your dignity intact?
Perhaps my humble prayers were heard, as the clasp finally came undone with a click.
I wiped my sweaty palms on my pants, glancing at Ayden's turned back. Despite him facing away, the difference in our physiques still made me feel pressured.
Hugging my chest in embarrassment, I slowly lay down on the examination bed, resignedly closing my eyes and shakily saying, "I'm... ready!"
While Sienna reached the pinnacle of her success, Julian remained the forgotten son of his family, the one who had secretly stolen her first kiss in the shadows of the night. As Sienna hit her darkest moment, Julian returned home, leaving his life behind, only to witness her tears glistening in the moonlight as she reluctantly accepted another man's proposal. When Sienna needed Julian more than ever, he had risen to a position of power and had become her most steadfast pillar of support. "Please marry me." There was no one else in the world who could love Sienna as deeply as Julian did.
To the public, she was the CEO's executive secretary. Behind closed doors, she was the wife he never officially acknowledged. Jenessa was elated when she learned that she was pregnant. But that joy was replaced with dread as her husband, Ryan, showered his affections on his first love. With a heavy heart, she chose to set him free and leave. When they met again, Ryan's attention was caught by Jenessa's protruding belly. "Whose child are you carrying?!" he demanded. But she only scoffed. "It's none of your business, my dear ex-husband!"
Joelle thought she could change Adrian's heart after three years of marriage, but she realized too late that it already belonged to another woman. "Give me a baby, and I'll set you free." The day Joelle went into labor, Adrian was traveling with his mistress on his private jet. "I don't care whom you love. My debt is paid. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other." Not long after Joelle left, Adrian found himself begging on his knees. "Please come back to me."
Janice, the long-forgotten legitimate heiress, made her way back to her family, pouring her heart into winning their hearts. Yet, she had to relinquish her very identity, her academic credentials, and her creative works to her foster sister. In return for her sacrifices, she found no warmth, only deeper neglect. Resolute, Janice vowed to cut off all emotional bonds. Transformed, she now stood as a master of martial arts, adept in eight languages, an esteemed medical expert, and a celebrated designer. With newfound resolve, she declared, "From this day forward, no one in this family shall cross me."
"You're mine, little puppy," Kylan growled against my neck. A soft gasp escaped my lips as his lips brushed my skin. My mind screamed at me to push him away-the Lycan Prince who had humiliated me again and again, but my body betrayed me, leaning into him before I could stop myself. He pressed his lips against mine, and his kiss grew more aggressive, more possessive as I felt my legs weaken. What was I doing? In a split-second, I pulled away and slapped him hard across the face. Kylan's eyes darkened, but the smirk on his lips exposed his amusement. "You and I both know we can't fight this, Violet," he said, gripping my wrist. "You're my mate." "And yet you don't want me," I replied. "You told me you were ashamed of me, that l'd never be your queen, that you'd never love me. So please, accept my rejection and let me go." "Never," he whispered, his grip tightening as he pulled me closer. "Soon enough, you'll be begging for me. and when you do-I'll use you as I see fit and then I'll reject you."
Betrayed by her mate and sister on the eve of her wedding, Makenna was handed to the ruthless Lycan Princes as a lover, her indifferent father ignoring her plight. Determined to escape and seek revenge, she captured the interest of the three Lycan princes, who desired her exclusively amid many admirers. This complicated her plans, trapping her and making her a rival to the future Lycan queen. Entwined in jealousy and vindictiveness, could Makenna achieve her vengeance in the intricate dance with the three princes?