Chapter 69

Rowena

A few days had passed since the unsettling incident in my office with Eric, and I found myself actively avoiding him whenever possible. Just being in his presence made my skin prickle with a confusing swirl of emotions I didn’t even want to begin to acknowledge—shame, longing, disgust, and so much more.

“It was a prank,” he had said, that telltale smirk of his ghosting the corners of his lips. “Nothing more.”

I couldn’t decide what hurt more: the fact that my own brother would pull yet another disgusting prank on me, or… the fact that part of me, even the tiniest part, wished it had been real.

No. This wasn’t right. And I refused to let myself think that it was.

That week, I tried to push the whole night out of my mind, throwing myself into my work instead. But seeing the influx of new patients come to my clinic certainly helped get my mind off of things.

One afternoon, I found myself passing by the bulletin board in the main hall. I stopped to take a peek at the ballots, although I knew I would just hurt my own feelings.

After all, Heather’s victory at the cheerleading competition had increased her approval ratings. Even though I had been tied with her for a while a few weeks back, I was now stuck behind her once again.

Or at least, that was what I thought when I walked up to the bulletin board.

But when I saw that my name was there, neck-and-neck with Heather’s in a dead tie for first place, I felt my chest crack open as though it had burst.

I couldn’t help myself; a delighted grin split my face as I drank in the sight. All my hard work and long hours were finally paying off. I was actually in the running once again to beat her and take my rightful place in the championship.

With a contented huff, I spun on my heel and made my way back towards my little storage room office, already mentally reviewing the supply checklist I would need to replenish. After all, I needed more votes, and the best way to achieve that was to get more clients. I began to think that it might benefit me to make some more flyers, maybe even create a promotional event to garner more attention.

However, the smile swiftly slid from my face when I rounded the corner and spotted a piece of paper affixed to the door of my office.

Frowning, I snatched it from its place, my eyes rapidly scanning the text.

“Notice of Closure,” it read in bold, uncompromising lettering. “This office is to be shuttered immediately pending further review.”

The notice was signed with an elegant flourish—the head combat manager’s signature.

I felt my stomach drop. What the hell was the meaning of this?

Crumpling the paper in my fist, I stormed back down the hall without so much as a moment’s hesitation, the shocked whispers of passing students and instructors alike fading into a dull roar in my ears. I didn’t stop until I was slamming the crumpled flyer down on the head manager’s desk with a resounding thwap.

“What is the meaning of this?” I demanded, barely waiting for the older man to lift his head before pressing on. “You can’t just shut down my office without any explanation!”

The head manager regarded me over the rims of his wire-rimmed glasses, utterly unperturbed by my outburst.

He leaned back in his chair. “There have been... allegations made, Miss Griffith,” he said at length, folding his hands on top of his desk. “Accusations of improper conduct taking place within your office quarters.”

He let his words momentarily hang in the air for a beat before continuing. “Until this matter can be properly investigated and resolved, I’m afraid I have no choice but to temporarily reassign you to the main infirmary to ensure a sterile, controlled environment for all patients.”

Allegations? Of improper—

My face flushed hot as the memory of Eric’s body pinning me against the exam table, his calloused hands roaming my body as he devoured my lips in a searing kiss, flashed through my mind. Surely someone couldn’t have seen… the door was closed.

Could they?

Swallowing hard, I struggled to maintain my composure under the weight of the head manager’s impassive stare. “I… see,” I managed in a strained tone, unable to confirm nor deny what had actually happened. “Well… I guess I have no choice but to comply, don’t I?”

“I’m afraid not.” With a curt nod, he waved a hand in clear dismissal. “Due to your high performance, I won’t revoke your internship yet. However, you’ll be returning to work here, in the main ward. Under Dr. Reynolds’ strict supervision.”

I felt my stomach drop once again. Dr. Reynolds, that… creep.

But what choice did I have? I needed this internship.

With my teeth gritted, I gave a terse nod of my own and pivoted on my heel, storming out of the room with my head held high despite the crimson I knew was staining my cheeks.

I kept my gaze stubbornly averted as I made my way down the hall, refusing to meet the sidelong looks of my classmates. That was, until a familiar blonde head of hair stepped into my vision, blocking me from getting past.

“Well, well,” Heather all but purred. “Oh, how the mighty have fallen.”

Baring my teeth in a false grin, I jutted my chin out defiantly. “What do you want, Heather?”

She shrugged and folded her arms across her chest, turning to let me pass. “Oh, nothing. I just wanted to see the look on your face, that’s all.”

I felt my nostrils flare with outrage, but I brushed past her before I could say or do something that I knew I would regret. This was just a minor setback, I told myself with grim determination.

Just a setback.

…

I spent the remainder of the day moving my things out of my utility closet office, attending classes, and… avoiding Eric. The usual, I supposed. I passed him a few times in the halls between classes, but ignored his presence, finding myself unable to even meet his gaze—especially not after his little ‘prank’ that had landed me in this situation to begin with.

Now, it was long after classes had let out for the day. I had just come from studying in the library, coffee in hand, and now it was time for work.

With a deep breath to steel myself, I pulled open the glass door to the infirmary and stepped inside. The scent of antiseptic and sterile fabric filled my nostrils, a scent that normally would have calmed me in an odd sort of way—but not tonight.

No. Tonight, I would be spending my first shift with Dr. Reynolds; the man who had touched my thigh and given me that creepy stare.

As I pulled aside the white curtain separating the staff area from the recovery ward, I felt my stomach flip just upon seeing him standing there.

He turned and leveled me with that strange, piercing gaze that made me feel like raw meat in the lion’s cage.

“Ah, Rowena. It’s so good to see you.”