Chapter 3

Gwen’s POV.

  

  For a full week, I managed to avoid Dr. Alex.

  

  It was difficult given how we were now working on a charity project together but it was all I could do to avoid having to apologize for calling him a pervert in the elevator.

  

  Everyone loved him in the hospital, patients always wanted him to attend to them and it was weird to see the son of such a wealthy man be so down to earth around regular people.

  

  “His family owns majority of the top hospitals in the world. He has won countless awards in this field and to top it all up, he is so good looking.” One of the nurses swooned as we made our way to the cafeteria.

  

  “You’re so lucky Gwen, I would give anything to be the one working with him on a project.” Another cried out, grabbing onto my arm playfully.

  

  I rolled my eyes because that was what everyone seemed to be talking about these days, him. The annoying doctor whose eyes seemed to be following me around.

  

  Every meeting we had for the project, I tried my best to keep my distance and he was very professional too but I couldn’t help but feel like he enjoyed how uncomfortable I was around him. Like he knew the elevator incident was still weighing me down and even though he never spoke to me about it, I just knew he was still holding a grudge about it.

  

  The nurses and I parted ways and I took a seat in the hospital’s cafeteria, stirring my coffee like it had personally offended me.

  

  Something about him just seemed to get under my skin and I had no idea why!

  

  “Is there a reason you’re hiding from me, Eve?” A familiar voice came from behind me, cutting through my thoughts with a silky smooth ease that startled me.

  

  I jumped, sloshing coffee onto the table. I didn’t have to turn around to know who it was because I already did.

  

  I turned slowly and there he was, leaning against the counter, looking unfairly handsome in his simple scrubs. A smirk twisted the side of his lips as he watched me with an amused twinkle in his eyes.

  

  “I’m on my break,” I snapped, my voice a little too sharp, “I am not hiding, it is called… caffeinating. And it’s Gwen.”

  

  “Right.” He pushed off the counter and walked over to me, his eyes holding mine with each step and with such intensity that made my cheeks burn but I refused to look away.

  

  No man was going to have any effect on me again, not after Raymond. I was done with men.

  

  “Listen, I am sure you’ve heard about the gala for the project, it’s a huge step for our fundraising efforts, it’s tonight and you’re coming with me as my date.”

  

  My coffee got caught in my throat and I coughed loudly, before I looked up sharply at him,

  

  “I’m sorry, what?” I blinked.

  

  “We’re doing this together so we have to show up together if we want people to actually take this project seriously enough to put their money in it. That’s why it’s called teamwork. I’ll pick you up by seven.”

  

  My mouth opened, ready to outrightly reject whatever he had just said but the words didn’t come out, not when I knew he was right.

  

  This project was my idea and I was grateful the hospital’s management had been kind enough to consider it so this wasn’t about me, this was for the children the money generated from the event would help pay for their surgery.

  

  This wasn’t the time to be selfish.

  

  “I can meet you there.” I said through my teeth, my face heating up but I refused to look him in the eyes. Instead, I focused all my attention on wiping the coffee off the table like it was the most serious task in the entire world.

  

  “Nope. Bad optics,” he responded curtly, digging his hands into his pockets, “we need to look like we can stand to be in the same space without accusing each other of… what was it again? Oh, right, perversion.”

  

  There it was. I knew he was going to bring it up!

  

  I groaned inwardly, “are you ever going to let that go?”

  

  “Not a chance,” he grinned, leaning closer to me, “it’s the best welcome I’ve ever gotten in this hospital. So seven o’clock. What’s your address?”

  

  I folded my arms and shot him a glare, “what if I say no?”

  

  His voice dropped to a whisper, “Then I’ll have to tell the board that my new partner is uncooperative and you know that ends, besides, last I checked, you begged to be a part of this.”

  

  “And then, all those stuffed toys you brought would be disappointed to not end up with those adorable children.” He added as he gestured around the cafeteria

  

  I fought the urge to smile at his childish expression,

  

  “Fine. But you’re not picking me up. I’ll meet you out front at seven-fifteen.”

  

  He shook his head, “Seven. And I’m picking you up. I’m a gentleman, remember?” He winked and turned to walk away, calling over his shoulder, “Don’t worry, I promise to keep my hands to myself this time, even if you’re falling off a bridge.”

  

  I threw a sugar packet at his retreating back. It fluttered pathetically to the floor. He just laughed without turning around as he walked out.

  

  That night, I slipped on the silver dress I had picked out of my store for the occasion. It clung to my body perfectly and complimented my skin in ways I didn’t even know was possible. My hair was cascading down my shoulder in waves and I had on the perfect heels to match.

  

  As soon as he stepped out of his car, his eyes landed on me and he raised a brow, looking me over like he was talking in every single detail.

  

  My breath caught in my throat and I hated myself for that. Why was I bothered about his reaction or what he would think? This was just for the project.

  

  “You look amazing.” He smiled at me as he pulled open the passenger door.

  

  I ignored him and slipped inside, ignoring how good he looked in his custom made suit and how beautifully his eyes popped out with his hair combed back.

  

  I sat as close to the door as possible, his scent wrapping around me warmly in a way that made me nervous so I held on tightly to my clutch purse that was on my lap.

  

  “You know,” he suddenly spoke up, breaking the awkward silence as he pulled away from my house, “you can relax. The seats are pervert-free, I made sure of it.”

  

  I glared at him, “you really won’t let this go, will you?”

  

  He laughed, a genuine, warm sound that filled the car,

  

  “Not in a million years. Your face was priceless when the nurse told you who I am.”

  

  “I’m glad my humiliation is so entertaining for you,” I grumbled as I turned towards the window to hide the fact that the corners of my lips were twitching into a smile.

  

  It was hard to stay fully mad at him when he was like this.

  

  We soon pulled up in front of the glittering hotel the gala was scheduled to take place in. Brightly lit decorations were all over the place and all sorts of expensive cars were pulling up all around us.

  

  He came around and opened my door, offering his hand but I ignored it and got out myself.

  

  “Still feisty,” he said mockingly as he placed his hand on my back to guide me inside.

  

  I hated how familiar that felt. Raymond and I used to..

  

  I shook my head sharply. That was all in the past. Tonight wasn’t the time to think about it.

  

  He led me inside and we greeted a few guests, smiled and shook some hands before he led me towards a group of men in expensive looking suits just like him.

  

  One of them must have noticed us because he whispered something to the others and they all turned around to face us.

  

  My heart dropped to my stomach and my eyes widened in shock when my eyes rested on him.

  

  Standing in front of me, a glass of champagne in his hand, was Raymond.

  

  My ex-husband.

  

  He looked the same— perfectly styled hair, a confident smile that never quite reached his eyes. The air vanished from my lungs and the air in the room suddenly became too thick to pass through my lungs properly.

  

  I stopped walking immediately, my feet glued to the spot.

  

  Alex felt me freeze and he glanced at me, urging me to move forward with his hand on my back. When he realized I wasn’t moving, he opened his mouth to say something but was cut off,

  

  “Alex!” Raymond called out, his voice exactly as I remembered it, he clapped a hand on Alex’s shoulder playfully, “I was wondering when you’d show up.”

  

  Then his gaze slid to me.

  

  The change was instant. His smile melted away. His eyes first squinted at me like he wasn’t sure who he was seeing before they suddenly widened in shock and disbelief.

  

  He glanced back at Alex, then at me before his eyes dropped down to Alex’s hand which was still placed gingerly on my lower back and his expression twisted into something else.

  

  “Raymond, I am so glad you guys could make it.” Alex said, oblivious of what was happening, “this is Gwen, my partner for this project. Eve, this is an old friend of mine, Raymond.”

  

  His words hung in the air and no one said a word to acknowledge it. Raymond was still staring at me, his mouth slightly open and his brows furrowed in both confusion and surprise.

  

  My heart was pounding so hard that it made me feel lightheaded. Like I was going to be sick.

  

  Alex, noticing the weird silence and the way Raymond was staring at me, raised an eyebrow,

  

  “Do you two… know each other?” He asked.

  

  Raymond was the first to snap out of it and speak. He didn’t take his eyes off me for even a second as he spoke,

  

  “Know her?” He said, almost to himself. Then, a short, disbelieving and awkward laughter rumbled out of him, “Alex, that’s… that’s my wife.”

  

  His words were bold and loud enough for everyone around us to hear but it landed like a slap for me. My grip on my purse tightened and my brows knotted together into a frown.

  

  I didn’t think, my lips simply parted and my voice cut through the air, clearer and sharper,

  

  “You mean, Ex-wife.”