Lauren''s POV


    In the hospital.


    With only two days left before Victor''s surgery, I went back to the hospital early for preparations and to reconfirm the details with M. Now that I had be Victor''s doctor that was in charge of his checkup and caretaking, I had to make sure this operation would be a sess no matter what it took.


    When I took the files on my desk and started going through them, M giggled, "Why are you so nervous as if it was your first operation? Rx, honey."


    I turned the files around to show her.


    "What? They''re other patients'' medical records?"


    "I transferred them to other doctors and now I''m checking out how they''re recovering," I reminded her, "Dean Mi, you''re the one who arranged this, right?"


    "I''ll give you a bonus right away," M immediately said but then she realized something, "wait a minute, your alpha has also invested in this hospital, which makes you an investor of this ce!"


    "What''s your point?" I raised my eyebrows and asked.


    M pped her hands, "So you can give yourself a bonus!"


    I couldn''t helpughing, "Then I''ll take your bonus instead."


    "No way," M instantly turned me down.


    As we were talking, the nurse knocked on the door and walked in with a bouquet of red roses, smiling as she put it on my desk, "Dr. Lauren, someone sent this to you."


    Patients sent flowers to their doctors as thank-you gifts all the time but these red roses didn''t look like one. It was more like showing affection. M waited for the nurse to leave and asked me quietly, "Is it alpha Victor? Though it''s kind of old-fashioned, red roses never go out of style."


    I shook my head, "He wouldn''t do this kind of boring thing."


    "Not necessary. Remember, he''s in love. I''ve never thought alpha Victor woulde to ask me what you would like. After all, I always thought he was a cold and stubborn alpha. Who knows he would be so romantic and evene to me for advice when he''s in a rtionship?" she was referring to that doll Tommy and then her eyes glistened as she winked at me, "look, there''s a card in this. See if there''s a love poem or something."


    "I don''t think it''s Victor," I took the card and smelled a familiar scent that made me frown. I had just smelled that scent not long ago and I had a feeling who sent this to me. And when I opened the card, I knew I was right.


    "Beautiful roses for a beautiful woman, Jason Andrews."


    I knew it was him but I had no idea how he found out who I was and managed to send this to me. I could even imagine the lewd look on Jason''s face when I saw this card.


    M could see something was wrong from the expression on my face and took a look at the card, "Jason Andrews... How can it be him? Crap, I take everything I just said back. These roses are tacky and corny."


    "You know him?" I frowned and put that card back into the bouquet of roses. I wanted to give this to the nurse and asked her to send this back to Jason.


    "Not really. I just heard of him," M said, "you were always working so you don''t know many things outside the tribe. This Jason is an infamous yboy and he''s been with...no, slept with a lot of women. Anyway, Jason is a piece of crap. He''s done a bunch of bad things and can always get away with them just because of his status. How did you guys know each other?"


    "It''s just an ident," I told M what happened that morning and asked the nurse toe back and took out the roses. Then I opened the windows to get some fresh air and get rid of the heavy floral scent.


    "E..." M went all riled up, "you should''ve punched him in the face! Never mind, you''d better stay away from him. Does Victor know about this?"


    "What do you think he''ll do when he figures this out?" I shrugged and dropped the question.


    "He''s gonna beat the crap out of Jason," M said with confidence, "well, that Jason''s not gonna be able to harass you anyway."


    "But Victor''s getting ready for the surgery and I don''t want this to disrupt him," I said.


    "I know," M stopped joking, "I''ll tell the nurse to keep an eye on it and send back everything Jason brings you."


    "Thanks," I leaned on the window and said.


    "No problem. You two are the investors now so you''re my boss," M tried to ease up the tension as I was just disgusted by Jason. It wasn''t worth it to get upset over him.


    "Then go back to work," I yed along.


    "Okay, okay. Turn a cold shoulder right after you used me. You''re even more heartless than some men," M chuckled and got up to open the door. But the next second, she wanted to m the door right away. She rolled her eyes, "Maybe I opened the wrong door..." "And maybe it''s meant to be this way," Jason was standing outside the door with that big bouquet of roses in his hand and said delightedly. He didn''t look awkward at all and greeted us like a gentleman, "Nice meeting you again, Miss nco."


    M turned to me and gave me a look. As her best friend, I knew what she meant. She was asking me if I needed her to use some special potions to get rid of him.


    I looked back at her and implied that I could handle this.


    Seeing that, M stopped pushing the door handle against Jason but she still leaned on the door and didn''t walk away. There were a lot of girls outside that looked pretty envious. M looked around and silently warned them to keep working. Then she shut the door angrily.


    "This is an apology gift," Jason handed me the roses again with a big smile on his face. He still looked the same even though M had just roasted him.


    "No need for that," I said coldly, "and I don''t think this is meant to be, mister."


    "It''s Jason."


    I frowned again.


    "You can just call me Jason," Jason repeated.


    "No. I don''t call people by their first names if we''re not that close," I replied, "and I''ve turned you down before, mister, and this kind of gesture is only gonna make me ufortable. A gentleman should know how to take no as an answer."


    Hearing that, Jasonughed as his eyes shimmered with excitement, "You''re interesting, Lauren. You''re right. But I can''t be a gentleman anymore when I''m talking to the woman of my dreams. I think I should follow my heart and court the woman that I adore." His words made me sick and I asked, "A woman you''ve only met once?"


    "It''s love at first sight," Jason smiled, "and we''ve met before."


    Something crossed my mind when I saw the way he stared at me. Was he...


    "We''ve met before at the Moondance Ball," Jason said fondly, "I really like the way you fought your half-sister back. You were brave and breathtaking. I was quite impressed by you at that time. But I never expected that we would meet again. I think this is all the Moon Goddess'' n."


    He was that man!


    The man who gave me that disgusting stare like a serpent at the ball.


    I instantly turned him down, "You''re not my mate."


    "But I can''t stop thinking about you," Jason insisted, "and I can give you shelter once you be my girlfriend. I''m way better than that brat from the Lunarko Tribe. The best revenge is to marry a man who''s better than your half-sister''s husband, isn''t it?" Give me shelter?


    Seeing how cocky he was, I was so mad that I startedughing, "Mister, maybe you think you''re like a knight in shining armor right now but to me, your pretentiousness is making me sick. Let me get this clear, I don''t like you and I will never be with you. Please leave and don''t disrupt me while I''m working."


    M opened the door at the right time, "Please."


    My blunt rejection finally irritated him and he said, "Lauren, do you know what you''re saying? No woman would turn me down like this."


    "But I would," I said indifferently, "do you need me to make this even clearer?"


    Jason froze and then sneered. He seemed to think of something and asked with a strange look on his face, "Is it because you''ve already had a partner?"