Chapter 10 I Have A Feeling You Don't

• The following day, as the evening sky darkened, Aileen overheard gossip in the elevator while going to get her dinner. It was about a cardiologist's car being smashed.
• The conversation was vague, coming from a nurse, and although Aileen listened attentively, she couldn't understand what was being said.
• The nurse deliberately avoided mentioning the doctor's name, making it even more challenging for Aileen.
• However, her mind couldn't help but wonder if Cole had any involvement in the incident.
• Driven by curiosity, she found an excuse to go downstairs after eight in the evening.
• There was a designated parking area for staff, and Aileen pretended to take a casual stroll while secretly conducting reconnaissance.
• She didn't see the Volkswagen Teramont she was looking for.
• Instead, her eyes landed on a modified supercar – sleek and intimidating in appearance.
• She took a second look when the car's headlights suddenly flashed on with a chirp, startling her.
• The light was blinding, and she squinted for a few seconds before realizing that she should walk away.
• Before she could take a step, a man's voice echoed from the darkness, "Looking for me?"
• The voice sounded eerily familiar.
• With the car lights off, Aileen could now see clearly that the person inside was Alvin.
• He lit a cigarette, resting his elbow on the window, his head tilted as he beckoned, "Get in, let's talk a bit."
• The dim light obscured his face, but his hoarse voice indicated that he had just woken up from a nap.
• Indeed, just an hour earlier, Alvin had completed a complex heart transplant operation. There had been a slight complication during the surgery, but fortunately, everything went smoothly. It was his first surgery of such difficulty, and with Professor Parker supervising every step and an audience of onlookers present throughout the procedure, the stakes were high.
• He was quite thrilled.
• To him, the more complex the surgery, the better.
• It only made him a better doctor.
• The operation had earned him a lot of praise today, yet Professor Parker still seemed somewhat dissatisfied.
• After the surgery, the professor granted him a vacation to relax and return to his normal life.
• This meant that he would miss the upcoming international seminar.
• Aileen had passed by the car earlier, catching Alvin's eye. She wore a modest skirt that reached just below her knees, accentuating her well-proportioned legs and particularly beautiful calves – the kind that lingered in a man's mind.
• When she passed by a second time, Alvin felt it would be a shame to let her go so easily.
• After a minute of contemplation, Aileen decided to get into the car to clear the air.
• As she settled into her seat, Alvin took leisurely drags of his cigarette, casually rolling down the window on her side of the car.
• With a seemingly unnecessary question, he asked, "You don't mind if I smoke, do you?"
• "I don't," she responded.
• Aileen decided to get straight to the point. "Today, I overheard a couple of nurses gossiping in the elevator about a doctor's car from your department being vandalized. It wasn't yours, was it?"
• He responded with a nonchalant grunt without even looking at her, instead staring off into the distance.
• Aileen persisted, "I'm not so childish as to seek revenge in that way. That day, I simply didn't want to be alone, and it just so happened that you were there. So, if it hadn't been you, it would have been someone else."
• Alvin raised an eyebrow, a flicker passing through his deep-set eyes as he gave her a sidelong glance.
• She recounted the events clearly, "The room card was accidentally lost. You drove me home to get my clothes that day, and then I encountered some trouble. By the time I got out, you had already left. I was supposed to go to a hotel, but you texted me saying you were busy. Do you remember that?"
• Her tone was calm as she narrated with precision.
• She paused, clearly waiting for a response. Alvin hummed in acknowledgment again.
• Aileen continued, "That day, in a moment of anger, I told Cole outright that I slept with someone close to him. When I heard about the car vandalism today, I instantly thought of that, so I thought he might have suspected it was you."
• Alvin finished his cigarette and extinguished it in the ashtray.
• Seeing his indifferent attitude, Aileen didn't want to intrude any further. "As for the room card, I'll find a way to retrieve it..."
• "What way?" He interrupted her before she could finish.
• He pressed a button, and the windows began to slowly close.
• Aileen sensed something different in his gaze and instinctively wanted to leave the car, but it was too late.
• "You haven't told me how you plan to retrieve it."
• Aileen's mind went blank for a moment, "Where there's a will, there's a way."
• Alvin chuckled at her response, "Been watching cartoons lately?"
• She had indeed been taking care of a child and had watched too many animated shows, "I'll figure it out. Now, unlock the door, I need to get out."
• To think she could simply leave after getting into the car seemed like a joke to him.
• Alvin felt that she was pretending. "Don't want it?"
• Aileen's attempt to say 'no' was interrupted as he pulled her towards him, locking an arm around her. "But I do want it."
• His lips descended – with a hint of tobacco flavor.
• Aileen tried to avoid him, but their noses lightly brushed, causing Alvin to pause and look down at her with an intense presence.
• They were silent, their breaths mingling.
• She felt the magnetic depth of his eyes.
• His lips, his prominent nose, all tantalizingly close.
• All of them tempted her.
• Only when she became still did his lips gently touch hers, and then he asked in a low voice, "Changed your mind?"
• Aileen cursed his audacity in her mind.
• She recoiled with a mix of confusion and a dizzying sensation.
• Soon after, she was scooped into the driver's seat, which was pushed back to create more space...
• ...
• Cole, rubbing his neck, went to the parking lot to pick something up, preparing for a night shift.
• He caught sight of the supercar in his peripheral vision and snorted dismissively.
• He unlocked the car, causing the lights to flash.
• Inside, Aileen jumped at the sight of a figure.
• She was about to return to the passenger seat.
• Unbeknownst to her, Alvin suddenly gripped her waist and pointed his nose towards the figure outside, "Want to make him jealous?"
• Before Aileen could understand the situation, Alvin had already taken hold of her hand and pressed it against the window glass.
• He placed his large hands over her small hands, their fingers intertwined.