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After her boyfriend of seven years abandoned her, Nicole pursued his fiancée’s powerful uncle.
“Marry me, doctor. You can examine me whenever you want,” she teased.
He rejected her without hesitation, and every attempt to seduce him earned a cold refusal. Eventually, she gave up and agreed to marry someone else.
But on her wedding day, the aloof doctor stormed into her dressing room, furious that she’d chosen another man.
“You rejected me first. Am I not allowed to marry someone else?”
The man’s eyes blazed with fury. “Fine. You want me to examine you? Let’s do it right now.”
Everyone claimed Nicole’d married beyond her reach, but only he knew how much pride he’d sacrificed to win her love.
That night, his hands found her waist and held on tight, his lips finding hers over and over, as if he was trying to memorize the feel of her.
Dr. Heartbreaker, You Rejected Me First Chapter 1 Remembering Things Doesn’t Seem To Be Your Strength
“You’re really letting Nicole design your fiancee’s wedding dress, Brenton? What happens if she figures it out?” a man teased inside the private room.
Nicole Dawson stopped outside the door and forgot how to breathe.
Two weeks ago, her boyfriend, Brenton Blake, had commissioned a custom wedding gown from her. According to him, his friend Gillian Carter needed it for her wedding.
For ten nights in a row, Nicole had stayed awake and put everything she had into the hand-stitched lace and flower embroidery.
It turned out his so-called friend was actually the woman he planned to marry.
Nicole had spent six years with Brenton, from the age of nineteen to twenty-four. She’d risked everything on their relationship.
Their families were worlds apart, and it had always been clear to her. That was why she’d never brought up marriage and had chosen to wait.
Her dream was to make something of her couture studio. Then perhaps she could stand beside him without feeling beneath him.
But now, she realized Brenton wasn’t against marriage after all. He simply had no intention of marrying her.
Nicole’s lips curved into a bitter smile at her own expense.
Once love ended, there was nothing left to save. She had gambled everything and lost.
She was about to leave when Brenton spoke.
“She has no idea. Even if she found out, what could she do? That little studio of hers would have shut down without Blake Group’s support. As for her mother, two compatible kidney donors have already come up, but I stopped both operations. No surgeon in Cresville would dare operate on her without my approval.”
Cruel laughter burst from the room.
“You’ve got your little songbird locked up tight in that golden cage. Nicely done!” someone teased.
“That’s seriously twisted, and she still thinks you’re helping her,” another man chimed in.
Nicole stood rooted to the spot, frozen.
Her mother had been diagnosed with kidney failure a year earlier. She had volunteered to give her mother a kidney, but the tests showed they weren’t compatible.
She had broken down outside the hospital room, and Brenton had held her while trying to calm her. “Don’t worry, Nicole. We can afford the treatment. I’ll find someone who’s a match, and your mother will be okay.”
For an entire painful year, she’d believed he was actually helping them. Now she knew he had been holding back her mother’s operation.
He was using her mother’s life to keep her under his control. Fury tore through her at the thought.
She had wasted six years being a fool.
Her phone suddenly rang and cut through the silence.
“I’m calling from Cresville General Hospital,” the urgent voice on the line said. “Your mother, Maggie Dawson, developed a blood clot during dialysis. Her condition is critical.”
Every thought vanished from Nicole’s mind. Confronting Brenton would have to wait. She turned and ran for the elevator.
By the time she reached the hospital, the staff were rushing her mother into the interventional suite. A nurse approached with a form. “You need to sign the consent paperwork. Every senior attending is already in surgery, so no one is free to take her case.”
“How can no one be available?” Nicole asked, her voice trembling.
“Her kidney failure is severe, which makes the procedure extremely difficult. None of the junior doctors can manage a case like this…”
The nurse hadn’t finished when the elevator doors opened and a tall man walked out.
He removed his leather gloves as he approached, revealing his long fingers.
Several doctors in lab coats followed him and quickly explained the situation.
“Dr. Carter?” Surprise crossed the nurse’s face. “Didn’t your international flight just land? Dr. Jones said you needed to get some rest.”
He wasted no time. “Show me the scans.”
A resident immediately passed them to him.
Still dazed, Nicole raised her head and met his deep, piercing gaze.
She knew that face.
His name was Ethan Carter. He was the heir to the Carter family and Gillian’s uncle.
Something pulled tight in Nicole’s chest when their eyes met. An odd sense of familiarity came over her, though she couldn’t explain it.
Ethan studied her face for several seconds. His stare was keen and measured, but something she couldn’t read briefly appeared in his eyes. A moment later, he lowered his gaze to the scans again.
It took him only seconds to examine the images. He pointed to a section of the film. “Call anesthesiology. We’ll perform an interventional thrombectomy. Have the operating room prepared within five minutes.”
The nurse paused. “But she hasn’t paid the surgery deposit…”
“Forget the usual process. I’ll take personal responsibility for the bill,” Ethan said, cutting her off.
Nicole couldn’t express how grateful she was. All she said was a simple, “Thank you.”
Antiseptic hung thick in the hospital corridor.
Nicole’s thoughts raced as she tried to work out when the remaining payments from her studio orders would arrive. She needed to get two hundred thousand dollars as soon as possible and repay Ethan.
Clenching her teeth, she called Brenton. The phone rang for a long while before he finally picked up. But the voice that came through was Gillian’s.
“Brenton, someone’s calling from an unsaved number.”
“Don’t answer it,” Brenton replied coldly.
Whatever hope Nicole had left disappeared. She ended the call.
After closing her eyes and drawing a deep breath, she called her father, Aaron Dawson.
“Mom needs an urgent operation, and it costs two hundred thousand. Can you give me the money now? I’ll repay you on Monday.”
“Two hundred thousand?” Aaron let out an impatient scoff. “You’ve spent years with Brenton, but you can’t get that much money from him? I asked you to put in a good word for me so my company could work with Blake Group, and you refused because you wanted to act so righteous. Now you’re out of money, and suddenly I’m your father again? Well, you’re too late!”
He hung up with a hard click.
A dull pain spread behind Nicole’s eyes as she rubbed her temples.
Two hours passed before the surgery ended.
Ethan came out of the operating room and removed his surgical cap. “We cleared the clot, and she’s no longer in immediate danger. However, she needs a matching kidney donor as soon as possible. Stop by my office later so we can register her and complete the forms.”
“I will. Thank you, Dr. Carter.”
…
Nicole stood outside the ICU and watched her mother through the glass while Brenton’s words repeated in her head.
Escaping Brenton and saving her mother would take someone with even more power.
Ethan was the future head of the Carter family, and he was also the doctor treating her mother.
His support could save her mother. It would also force Brenton to think twice before taking any actions against her for the sake of his engagement.
Using a man who had just helped her would be shameless, reckless, and dangerous. Still, the idea took hold and wouldn’t release her.
She needed something strong enough to pull her from this mess. If she was lucky, it might also help her bring down the Blake family.
Nicole went into the restroom and faced the mirror. After wiping away the marks left by her tears, she touched up her makeup and headed for Ethan’s office.
He was seated behind his desk, reading through a medical chart.
“Sorry to disturb you, Dr. Carter. I need your help registering my mother for a kidney donor,” Nicole muttered, making her voice deliberately gentle.
Ethan looked up, his gaze landing on the lingering redness at the corners of her eyes. A brief silence passed before he responded, “Okay.”
“There’s also the cost of the operation. Could you give me your contact details? I’ll send the money the moment I have it.”
“That won’t be necessary.” Ethan opened a drawer, removed a bank card, and pushed it toward her. “Put the money into this account. My birthday is the PIN.”
A flicker of disappointment passed through Nicole. Her attempt to get his contact information without raising suspicion had failed.
She took the card and spoke quietly. “In that case… when’s your birthday?”
Ethan stared at her as his expression gradually hardened. He gave the date slowly and clearly. “July 28th, 1999. And the PIN is 990728.”
“I won’t forget it, Dr. Carter.”
“You won’t?” Ethan’s voice chilled. “I’m not convinced, Ms. Dawson. Remembering things doesn’t seem to be your strength.”
Bitterness edged his words, along with something that almost sounded like pain.
Nicole couldn’t make sense of it, but she didn’t have the nerve to question him. She pulled off a sticky note and wrote down her number before placing it in his hand. Her fingertips brushed ever so lightly against his palm.
His fingers closed without thought.
“This is my number, Dr. Carter. Call me whenever you need to.”
Once the door shut behind her, Ethan lifted the note.
He had memorized those digits long ago.
His gaze grew colder. Then he opened his hand and let the small note fall into the trash.
Dr. Heartbreaker, You Rejected Me First Chapter 2 A Waist To Die For
Late that night, Nicole returned to Southgate Apartments.
A pair of leather shoes rested beside the front door. Brenton had come home.
The living room reeked of whiskey. Brenton lay stretched out across the couch, his tie undone, and the low light highlighted the sharp lines of his collarbones.
As Nicole stepped inside, he gave her a lazy, wolfish grin. “Today’s my birthday. Where the hell were you?”
He grabbed her wrist and dragged her onto his lap, then crushed his whiskey-soaked lips against hers.
The sight of his face made Nicole sick. She recoiled, but he gripped her chin and forced her face back toward his.
“You ungrateful little thing,” he murmured. “You can’t even wish me a happy birthday?”
His hand settled on her bare thigh and slowly moved higher. “Maybe I should be the one giving you a present for my birthday.”
Nicole’s pretty face had always attracted Brenton. It was the only reason he’d stayed with her for six years.
Her captivating eyes were what drew him in most. There was truly something special about them.
Her sweet, yielding nature also satisfied a hunger in him that nothing else could.
Nicole’s thoughts went to her mother and Gillian. The touch of his hands on her skin made her feel like throwing up. “Brenton, let me go. You’re hurting me.”
Brenton pinned her down and softened his voice into a low, coaxing purr. “What’s the matter, babe? Why do you look so unhappy?”
Nicole asked hoarsely, “When will you find a kidney donor for my mother?”
“I’m trying everything I can. Your mother’s condition is complicated. You already know that.”
He whispered the hollow reassurance against her neck. His lips stayed pressed to her skin as he spoke. “I’ll get a team of specialists to examine her tomorrow.”
Nicole closed her eyes and held back the bitter laugh that rose in her chest.
She moved on to her second question. “So when exactly do you plan to marry me?”
Brenton’s hands went still.
“Why are you asking me that out of nowhere?” He slowly ran his thumb along her lower lip. The gesture was deliberate, as if he were handling a pet. “I’ll give you anything you want. But marrying me isn’t an option.”
Sharp cheekbones, fine features, and bedroom eyes made Brenton a handsome man. Even a stranger could feel like the center of his universe when he looked at them. But everything that came out of his mouth was cold as ice.
“If marrying me isn’t possible, then we’re done. Aurora Studio will also end its partnership with Blake Group,” she declared.
The room fell silent.
Brenton’s amused look vanished. Something much more dangerous took its place.
“Marriage is nothing but a formality. Does it really matter that much to you? I love you. You’re all I’ve got. Why isn’t that enough?”
That was supposed to be love?
His version of love was lying to her about a kidney donor. It was letting her mother die. It was making plans to marry someone else while she slept beside him.
The irony made Nicole want to laugh. The man in front of her now seemed like a stranger, and the sight of him disgusted her.
“If marriage is off the table, then the least we can do is end this properly,” she said.
Brenton seized her shoulders and forced her down against the couch cushions.
“End this properly?” he snarled. “Have you even thought about what that would mean for your mother? Or that precious little studio of yours?”
He gave her cheek a light pat. It didn’t hurt, but the gesture was unmistakably condescending.
“I know you want to marry me, but don’t fool yourself into thinking you can threaten me by ending things,” he added.
Then, his phone vibrated, Gillian calling.
At that, he let Nicole go. His voice shifted to a warm and sweet tone the second he answered. “Yes, Gillian. I’m on my way.”
When he reached the door, he threw one last cold remark over his shoulder. “Go treat yourself to something nice if you’re upset. I don’t have the patience to coax you.”
The door slammed behind him with a deafening bang.
For a long time, Nicole remained on the couch. She didn’t move until the ache in her back had faded into a faint throb.
She pushed herself up and smoothed the torn hem of her dress. Then she walked into the bathroom with a completely blank expression.
Freezing water poured over her body. Her face looked deathly pale in the mirror, but her eyes were bright and piercing.
Once she was dry, she stepped into the walk-in closet.
Luxury goods packed the entire space. Brenton had given them to her whenever he was in one of his better moods. She’d never had the heart to use any of them before. Now she finally had a purpose for them.
She photographed the items and sent the pictures to a luxury reseller.
She typed, “All of it. Tell me how much you’ll pay.”
That same night, Nicole cleared every trace of herself out of the apartment. She pushed the keys under the management office door, then showed up on her best friend Amy Davis’ doorstep with a suitcase.
“You’re absolutely sure this is what you want?” Amy asked. She was still trying to process the shock. Everyone knew Nicole had been madly in love with Brenton for six solid years.
Nicole gave her a small, firm nod.
“Then pull your studio out from under Blake Group too,” Amy pressed. “If you’re cutting him off, cut every last tie. You took True Glamour to Vasiria Fashion Week while you were still in college. Why are you still letting Brenton have any claim over you?”
“Ending Aurora Studio’s partnership will cost five million dollars,” Nicole explained.
Amy went quiet.
No one knew Brenton better than Nicole did. He’d never let her go that easily.
As Ethan came to mind, she murmured, “Soon, that won’t be a problem anymore.”
The luxury goods were sold without a problem.
Two days later, Nicole received a sizable deposit in her bank account.
Out of the two hundred thousand dollars she owed Ethan, she transferred only half of it to his account. As for the rest, she’d used it as an excuse to get close to him.
Nicole woke up early the following morning. She covered the dark circles under her eyes with foundation and swept a little blush over her cheeks for a natural-looking glow.
She settled on a beige knit dress that was tailored to her figure without being tight. The neckline revealed just enough of her delicate collarbones.
She carried a thermos of broth she’d spent two hours simmering.
When she reached the hospital, Nicole found the office door cracked open and quietly pushed it wider.
The man stood with his back to her as he took off his jacket.
His broad shoulders and lean muscles made his back look like a solid wall. Morning sunlight shone through his white shirt and revealed the faint outline of his taut, powerful waist.
Her heart skipped a beat. One ridiculous phrase popped into her head—a waist to die for.
Ethan turned to face her. His fingers stopped halfway through buttoning his lab coat.
“Dr. Carter, I stopped by to thank you. My mom’s been doing so much better. I made some broth for you.” She set down the thermos and rubbed her bandaged fingers self-consciously. Her voice was cautious and apologetic. “I’m honestly not very good in the kitchen, and I’m kind of clumsy. I hope that’s okay.”
Ethan looked at the thermos before he slowly raised his eyes to her face. She looked exhausted, but she was still striking.
Something flickered in those dark, unreadable eyes. He knew she was putting on an act, but he let it pass.
“I’m a doctor. Saving people is what I do. You don’t need to thank me.” He sounded neither warm nor cold, just careful and distant.
Nicole didn’t let her smile slip. “It’s only a small thank-you. It doesn’t compare to everything you’ve done.”
She bit her lip. “And about my mother’s treatment fee… I was only able to put together one hundred thousand for now.”
She carefully fluttered her lashes to make herself look vulnerable. “Could I pay you the rest… a little later?”
Ethan responded with a brief, indifferent nod.
Nicole took advantage of the opening. “My mother will still need follow-up care, so could I get your number? I feel bad about bothering the front desk all the time.”
For a moment, he didn’t reply.
Nicole was already preparing herself for his refusal when he picked up his phone and gave her his number.
His fingers were long and elegant. His nails were neatly trimmed, and his knuckles were well-defined. He had a surgeon’s hands, and they were more mesmerizing than those of any hand model she’d ever seen.
Nicole stared at his hands in a daze. When he lightly shook his phone, she came back to her senses and quickly saved his number.
“I’ll come back for the thermos another time.”
She left the thermos behind so that she could see him again.
The door closed with a soft click.
Ethan studied the new contact on his screen.
For her profile picture, she’d used a selfie taken in front of Cresville University’s gates.
His thumb moved over the delete button and stayed there for a long moment.
In the end, he simply let the screen turn off.
As soon as Nicole left the office, every trace of softness and vulnerability disappeared from her face. She headed for the exit. When she passed the nurses’ station, she caught pieces of a whispered conversation.
She stopped when she reached the corner.
“Do you know what made Dr. Carter suddenly help that girl?”
“He paid for her mother’s two-hundred-thousand-dollar bill just like that.”
“But why would he do that? What’s the story there?”
Dr. Heartbreaker, You Rejected Me First Chapter 3 A Substitute For His Lost Love
One of the nurses spoke in an excited whisper. “That girl looks just like Dr. Carter’s first love.”
“You’re kidding, right?” another nurse asked as she moved closer. “Someone as cold as Dr. Carter had a first love?”
“I’m not making it up. Dr. Jones told me himself. He and Dr. Carter were classmates in college.”
Nicole blinked. That explained Ethan’s strange behavior in his office the other day.
Her fingers rose to brush her cheek. Apparently, she resembled the woman he first fell in love with.
Did that make her a substitute for his lost love? Perhaps… she could use that.
Once she left the hospital, Nicole headed to Blake Tower. Aurora Studio, her couture business, belonged to Blake Group.
She asked her assistant, Delilah White, to retrieve every order they had received during the past year.
Nicole read through the crowded figures from beginning to end. Each new line made her heart sink further.
Seventy percent of their business came from clients with ties to Brenton.
For years, she had lived in his world, and Aurora Studio had always received plenty of orders.
His influence had supported the studio for so long that she’d stopped noticing it.
The numbers now made the truth impossible to ignore. Brenton was the only reason her business had prospered.
All this time, she’d merely been fluttering around inside the golden cage he’d made for her.
Drawing a deep breath, Nicole said, “Delilah, I want you to manage these clients from now on. Don’t offer them any new collections, and don’t make any special effort to keep working with them.”
Surprise crossed Delilah’s face. “But most of our income comes from these clients.”
“That doesn’t matter. I’ll bring in new business.”
Nicole rose with a stack of fresh sketches and headed out to print them.
Everyone in the design department had gathered around Gillian. Brenton remained next to her, and they looked comfortable together.
A slight smile crossed Brenton’s face. “Today is Gillian’s first official day with Blake Group’s design department. We’re going out as a team to celebrate, and I’m paying.”
Cheers filled the office.
Nicole showed no reaction and turned toward her studio. Before she could leave, Clare Moore grabbed her arm. “Where are you going, Nicole? You’re coming with us!”
Nicole looked aside. “I’ll pass. I already have plans.”
Clare led the design team, and she’d always held a grudge against Nicole. In her mind, Nicole had no right to operate her own brand within the group.
A sneer crossed her face. “You’re the only one refusing to come. People might think we’re excluding you. Aurora Studio may operate independently, but the design department still oversees it. Gillian is our director now. The least you can do is show her some respect.”
“That’s enough, Clare.” Gillian walked over and spoke in a gentle voice. “Don’t mind her, Nicole. And come with us. I’ve been hoping to discuss motif design with you. It’s a specialized field, so who better to ask than an expert?”
Those few words backed Nicole into a corner. Everyone was watching her, which made refusing impossible.
The gathering took place in a VIP booth at Mirage Lounge.
Gillian and Brenton occupied the middle of the long couch and naturally drew everyone’s attention.
Sitting by herself in a corner, Nicole ran a finger along the edge of her soda water. The loud celebration around her only made her seem more alone.
Several bottles of liquor later, the group became noisy and proposed a game.
“How about an easy one?” Gillian suggested. “We each draw a card, and whoever gets the lowest one has to take a penalty. What do you think?”
“Yes! Let’s do it,” Clare exclaimed at once.
Everyone else agreed without hesitation.
“Don’t be too hard on us, Gillian!” someone shouted.
They began playing. During the next few rounds, someone had to drink three shots, while another was challenged to ask someone in the neighboring booth for their number. Laughter and noise filled the booth.
Luck stayed on Gillian’s side. She drew a safe card every time and never had to take a penalty.
Brenton didn’t participate. Instead, he observed the game with his usual calm distance.
Whenever Gillian looked over at him, he answered with a small, affectionate smile.
The deck reached Nicole during the next round.
“Your turn, Nicole,” Gillian said softly. “Relax. It’s only a game.”
Nicole extended her hand toward the card.
At that moment, Clare, who was sitting beside her, knocked over a glass as if by accident. Half the drink spilled across Nicole.
“Oh my God! I’m so sorry. It was an accident.” Clare snatched up some napkins and rushed closer, using her body to hide Nicole from everyone else. Her position also concealed the face-down card on the table.
Once the others looked away, Clare quickly replaced Nicole’s card with the one hidden between her fingers.
“I’m all right.” Nicole took a tissue and blotted the wet mark on her dress. The switch hadn’t escaped her notice.
“We’ve already gone through a bunch of rounds,” Clare said eagerly. “Why don’t we make this one a little more exciting?”
Curiosity spread through the group. “What do you have in mind?”
Clare glanced around before casting Nicole a spiteful look. Then she turned her attention to Gillian.
After receiving a subtle nod of approval, Clare raised her voice and said, “The person with the lowest card has to strip for us. Sounds fun, right?”
Cheers and whistles erupted around the booth.
Nicole had expected someone to try something. She’d hidden the highest card, the King of Spades.
Keeping her expression calm, she prepared to exchange the cards.
Then something in the darkened hallway beyond the group caught her attention.
A server was guiding someone she recognized into the next booth.
He wore a plain white shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Light briefly crossed his face as he walked past.
The man was Ethan.
Nicole wondered what had brought him here. Then a daring plan came to her.
Her cool gaze passed over the waiting faces. After the slightest pause, she turned over the card Clare had placed in front of her.
The Ace of Hearts stared back at her.
“She got the Ace of Hearts! That’s the lowest one!”
“Nicole lost?”
“I knew it! The pretty girl always ends up with the best penalty!”
The men in the group watched Nicole with obvious and unwelcome excitement.
A faint frown appeared on Brenton’s face, though he remained silent.
He expected Nicole to put aside her pride and ask him to save her.
One word from him would end the game.
Gillian’s mouth curved into a cold smile, and victory briefly showed in her eyes.
She knew about Nicole’s relationship with Brenton, but she pretended otherwise.
As far as she was concerned, Nicole was nothing more than Brenton’s hidden convenience. He had never planned to treat her with real respect.
Exposing the relationship would only make her seem petty.
In her eyes, Nicole should have understood her position and disappeared without a fight. Now, she decided to teach Nicole a lesson.
Still holding the Ace of Hearts, Nicole rose with a pale face.
Clare gave her a mocking look. “You picked the card yourself, Nicole. What’s the matter? You’re not backing out, are you?”
Nicole placed the card on the table and slowly reached for the buttons at the top of her fitted silk dress.
The first button came undone, followed by the second.
Anticipation spread through the booth.
Nicole checked Ethan’s position from the corner of her eye and made sure he had a clear view of her.
Her hand continued down the row of buttons.
The opening revealed a glimpse of skin above her collarbone.
Brenton’s expression darkened as irritation surged through him.
What the hell was she thinking? She was really going to do it.
He started to rise and stop her when a crisp, jarring sound rang out from the neighboring booth.
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