Chapter 2

The man's strong arms wrapped around Nanette as he pulled her into the house, pressing her firmly against the door.

Before Nanette could react, his lips crashed onto hers, and he relentlessly ravaged her lips. His fiery kisses greedily trailed down to her neck, as if he aimed to unleash all the pent-up anger within him.

His warm hands tore at her collar, and he gazed at her collarbone for a few seconds before his lips descended again. He gave her no chance to breathe.

He was so fast and fierce that Nanette found herself completely defenseless against him.

Sterling kissed her with urgency. The smell of smoke and alcohol on him overwhelmed her, leaving her no escape. Before she could process what was happening, she became lost in the chaos of desire. The air was thick with the smell of liquor.

Gradually, she softened, abandoning the resistance she had felt moments earlier.

The sudden pain jolted Nanette back to reality, and she gasped out the words, "Sterling, you're hurting me."

His passionate kisses faltered for a moment as he paused. His head was still buried in her neck as he breathed heavily.

After a long silence, his hoarse voice broke through. "We didn’t do it for months, yet you still remember my scent. Should I thank you for that?"

The chilling tone in his voice made Nanette tremble involuntarily.

Sterling lifted his head. He cradled Nanette's face as his nose brushed lightly against hers.

Noticing her shiver, he wore a cold smirk. "Are you afraid of me? Nanette, do you even know what fear is?"

In the darkness, his cold face held a trace of anger as he stared at her. His gaze resembled that of a beast locking onto its prey, full of a predatory hunger.

"Why are you—" But before Nanette could finish her question, Sterling scooped her up, giving her no chance to resist.

Once in the bedroom, he tossed her onto the bed and pinned her down, kissing her fiercely. There was no time for her to adjust. He simply overwhelmed her with his madness.

Sterling started hating her two years ago. This hatred seemed to grow deeper with time, going deep into his bones.

Nanette once felt genuinely cherished by him. She was often cradled in his hands, leading her to believe that he deeply loved her.

The sweetness of their past felt like a cup of poison, tormenting her night after night.

For two years, she struggled to understand why the man who once burned with passion for her suddenly loathed her so deeply. Moreover, in these two years, Sterling never touched her when he was sober. He only became this wild after drinking.

Two hours later, Sterling was finally satisfied. He gazed at Nanette's beautiful face, his fingertips repeatedly grazing her chin.

His deep, dark eyes sparkled with fury and distress in the night. Sterling said, "You belong to me, Nanette. Anything that belongs to me, even if unwanted, won't be given to anyone else."

At that moment, Nanette lacked the strength to contemplate the meaning behind his words.

Her beautiful eyes were half-closed as she gazed at the man beside the bed who was getting dressed. He seemed to have calmed down a bit, but his words still cut deep. It felt as though someone was viciously clawing at her heart, and each breath tugged at her painfully.

When Sterling left, he glanced at her for a moment. The dim light made it impossible for Nanette to discern his emotions.

The sound of the door slamming shut echoed decisively, devoid of any lingering warmth. It resonated in the room, seemingly filled with boundless anger.

Nanette sensed an unusual heaviness in her body and lay still, hoping to alleviate it. However, the warmth spreading through her made her momentarily disoriented.

She struggled to sit up and quickly got dressed to call Harley Ziegler.

She was hunched over as she dragged her heavy steps to the hospital. Harley had just gotten out of her car when she saw Nanette.

"Where's that bastard? He just left you like this?"

Nanette's face was pale, and she could barely straighten her back. She had no strength left to speak.

Harley took the initiative to examine Nanette on the hospital bed. Upon seeing the bruises scattered across her body, she inhaled sharply.

"Sterling's such an asshole! Who treats a woman like this…"

Nanette lay on the bed. As she was feeling a bit dizzy, she did not want to talk. She merely stared vacantly at the ceiling. As a gynecologist herself, this situation was not uncommon. The reason for the bruises was all too clear!

...

The next morning, Nanette awoke to find the ward completely empty.

She turned her face toward the window. The sky appeared dull and gray as the withered trees swayed in the wind, stubborn and helpless—much like her current self.

Sterling made it clear that he intended to torment her. No matter how much she tried to escape, she could not hide from him. She understood that his outburst last night was not without reason.

Days without mutual torment would soon come to an end. Sterling's return at this time obviously indicated that his family was urging him as well.

While she was lost in thought, a nurse rushed through the door.

"Dr. Wood, Dr. Ziegler got into a conflict with a patient in the clinic."

Nanette frowned in confusion. "What happened? Isn't she off today?"

"The patient booked an appointment under your name, claiming to be an acquaintance. They refused to cancel no matter what, so Dr. Ziegler took over your case, and somehow, a conflict arose. The patient's family has cornered Dr. Lando in the consultation room, demanding to file a complaint against you and Dr. Ziegler."

Upon hearing this, Nanette endured the discomfort in her abdomen as she stood up. She put on her coat before heading to the outpatient building.

Harley had stayed with her all night, and Nanette felt guilty about potentially dragging her down because of her patient.

As the nurse helped her to the outpatient building, Nanette took several deep breaths. There was even a thin layer of sweat on her forehead.

Although it was a minimally invasive surgery, only a few hours had passed since then. Every step tugged at her wounds.

As her hair was loosely tied into a ponytail, strands began falling against her forehead. Her small face appeared frighteningly pale, and it exuded a fragile vulnerability that stirred sympathy.

When the consultation room door swung open, Harley was startled to see her. "You're supposed to be resting. How can you move around like this?"

Nanette remained silent, her heart sinking as she noticed the people in the room.

A man sitting nearby had his legs crossed in a relaxed pose, but it could not hide the air of nobility about him. His indifferent gaze casually swept over her, offering a disdainful glance.

After a moment of surprise, Sterling smiled faintly. "What's this? Didn't you say she couldn't get out of bed? Were you lying to me, Dr. Ziegler?"

His cold voice made Harley feel even more indignant on Nanette's behalf, prompting her to shout, "Sterling Hanson, are you even human? Can't you see that she looks unwell?"

"Harley, what's going on here?" Nanette interrupted her, unwilling to let her continue discussing what happened last night, especially not in front of Isla.