Chapter 2 The Dark Side of the Idol

Eva’s world crumbled instantly. Her heart hammered wildly, yet her blood felt completely frozen.

"What do you mean?" She took a step back. "Don't joke around, Mr. Moore! You were the one who asked me to satisfy you tonight!"

Adam raised an eyebrow. He walked casually toward his chair with absolute composure, as if the climax he had just experienced had never even occurred.

"How could I object or explain when you immediately silenced my lips?" Adam countered with a smirk.

"As a normal man, when a beautiful woman attacks so aggressively, naturally my body responds, even if that wasn't what I asked for."

Eva’s face instantly flushed a burning crimson, right to the tips of her ears. She desperately wished the earth would split open right then and swallow her alive.

Her dignity was shattered into complete dust. ’So, all of this was just my own misunderstanding? My own desperate recklessness? Fool! How incredibly foolish of you, Eva!’ she cursed inwardly.

Witnessing the chaotic mix of emotions on Eva's face, torn between crying, rage, and mortification, Adam’s smirk gradually faded, replaced by an intense gaze. Behind his ice-cold mask, he was actually bewildered.

The tycoon stared down at his own palms. ’Why did my body accept her? For years, let alone letting a woman touch my most private areas, I've always felt a deep aversion to even shaking hands.

Yet tonight, Eva's touch ignited a passion I couldn't contain. This woman ... possesses something different,’ he thought.

"Sit down," Adam commanded, his tone returning to a flat, authoritative register. "Let us straighten out this humiliating misunderstanding."

Eva did not budge. She remained standing rigid, clenching both fists tightly to suppress her tears.

"What I meant was a presentation," Adam explained, tapping his fingers against the desk.

"You submitted an investment proposal of a substantial amount. Naturally, your performance in presenting the clinic's prospects had to satisfy me before I would sign a check. I did not expect your train of thought to leap quite that far."

Eva closed her eyes tightly. Adam’s words felt like a succession of harsh slaps. She felt like the cheapest woman in the world. "In that case ... let us act as though what just happened never occurred."

"What just happened already happened, Miss Harper. I am not a man who wastes time on regrets," Adam cut in coldly.

He retrieved a tablet from the desk, swiped the screen a few times, and turned it toward Eva. "Now, let us talk business. Since you have already 'paid a deposit,' I will offer you a special proposition."

Eva was forced to open her eyes and look at the tablet screen. Displayed there was a photograph of a man in his late twenties with dark blonde hair, a sharp jawline, and the athletic build typical of a professional athlete.

"Wayne Carter?" Eva furrowed her brow, her medical instincts suddenly piqued. "The hockey player? The captain of the Moore Wolves?"

"Correct," Adam answered. "He is the greatest asset of my company's hockey club. Currently, he is suffering from a severe injury, a torn right knee ligament accompanied by fatal damage to the supporting tissues.

He has changed doctors five times over the past two months. Not a single one has succeeded in getting him back onto the ice rink." Adam locked a sharp gaze onto Eva, as if piercing straight into her soul.

"If you succeed in rehabilitating him and getting him to play again before this season concludes, I will not only invest, but I will clear your clinic's entire debt and fully fund your mother's medical treatments until she makes a total recovery."

Eva gasped, her heart racing. Treating Wayne Carter, the megastar idol of millions? This was a golden opportunity, but an exceptionally massive gamble.

"I am an expert in this field. I can construct the absolute best rehabilitation program for him," Eva stated, beginning to reclaim her confidence as a physician.

"Don't get ahead of yourself," Adam interrupted, a cynical smile reappearing on his face.

"There is a catch. Currently, Wayne’s mental state is highly unstable due to frustration. If you fail to rehabilitate him within the stipulated timeframe, you must pay damages equivalent to twice the value of the investment you requested."

Eva’s eyes went wide. "Twice the value?! That's insane! The investment amount is already astronomical, where would I get that kind of money if I fail?" She felt this was a trap.

Adam saw the hesitation in Eva’s eyes. In truth, he wanted this woman to accept the assignment so he could keep her under his watchful eye. However, his ego forbade him from pleading or coaxing her gently.

Thus, he utilized the one method he knew would inevitably provoke her pride. "Oh, so the great Doctor Eva Harper turns out to be a coward?" Adam taunted, leaning back in his chair while crossing his arms. His gaze was entirely condescending.

"It turns out your capabilities are strictly limited to surrendering your body over an executive desk, rather than proving your competence as a doctor. If you lack the nerve, feel free to walk out.

Tomorrow morning, your clinic will be repossessed, and your mother will be discharged from the ICU."

Those words struck Eva's ego with a devastating blow. Anger completely incinerated her shame.

"Enough!" Her eyes flashed sharply as she glared at Adam.

"I accept your challenge, Mr. Moore. I will cure Wayne Carter, and you must honor every single word of your promise!"

Adam smirked with absolute satisfaction. "A deal is struck. Tomorrow morning, my assistant will pick you up."

The following day, she was brought to a magnificent penthouse standing isolated atop a hillside. The location served as a secret quarantine facility for Wayne Carter, safely out of reach from the media outlets relentlessly hunting for news regarding the hockey star's withdrawal.

A heavily built bodyguard opened the front door for her but refused to escort her any further. "Mr. Carter is in the master bedroom on the right. Exercise extreme caution, Doctor."

Eva furrowed her brow. ’Why does that bodyguard look absolutely terrified?’

She stepped forward slowly toward the quarters. The atmosphere inside the penthouse was completely silent, as if devoid of any signs of life.

Eva inhaled deeply, trying to steady her racing pulse. She was a professional. She had dealt with all sorts of egotistical patients before, Wayne Carter would be no different.

With a slightly trembling hand, she turned the knob of the master bedroom door. The door opened slowly, revealing a sprawling room cast in deep shadows because the drapes were tightly drawn.

However, before Eva could even take a single step across the threshold, a roar filled with sheer rage echoed from within the darkness. "GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE, YOU BASTARD!!!"

Whish!

A massive object came hurtling directly toward her. Startled, Eva reacted on pure reflex, throwing her body to the side and crashing onto the floor.

CRASH!!!