One Night With Dr. Temptation

The ballroom on the thirty-third floor of the Astoria Grand Hotel sparkled beneath rows of crystal chandeliers.

Guests filled every corner of the venue, and just as Madeline Reed arrived at the entrance, the giant screen abruptly cut to the private backstage lounge.

On the screen, her fiancé, Julian Clarke, had a woman in a red dress pinned against the wall while he kissed her without restraint.

The ballroom instantly fell into chaos.

Camera flashes burst from every direction. Murmurs spread through the crowd. Quiet laughter followed, cruel and suffocating as it surrounded Madeline from all sides.

Julian really was heartless.

He had picked their engagement party as the perfect place to disgrace her before everyone.

Madeline fought back the sickness churning in her stomach. Keeping a calm smile on her face, she walked straight to the projection table. She unplugged the equipment, sending the screen into darkness, then turned around and made her way toward the inner banquet hall.

Everything happened so quickly and smoothly that the guests and reporters were caught off guard. By the time they processed what had happened, Madeline had already disappeared from sight.

The inner banquet hall remained strangely calm. The room was occupied by longtime associates of the Clarke and Reed families, and everyone carried on as if the commotion outside had never taken place. Yet the second Madeline stepped inside, several guests traded subtle glances as they quietly waited to see how she would respond.

Madeline paid no attention to them. Her eyes moved across the room until they landed on the man sitting in the center of the family seating area.

The man was Nathan Spencer, Julian's cousin and the only heir of the Spencer family.

He was also one of the brightest names in medicine and was recognized nationwide as the top orthopedic surgeon of his generation.

Nathan sat by himself, while everyone around him kept a careful distance. His temper was well known, and even Julian was cautious whenever he dealt with him.

Madeline headed toward him one step at a time.

Nathan had shown up at Madeline and Julian's engagement party wearing a tailored black suit. The suit made his tall and lean figure stand out even more. While holding a wine glass, he sat quietly with his head slightly lowered and slowly moved the wine around inside the glass. Nothing that happened in the outer hall seemed to interest him, and Madeline's approach earned the same lack of concern.

With every step Madeline took toward him, the pressure weighing on her chest seemed to loosen. Since Julian was determined to embarrass her, there was no reason for her to still care about him.

From a nearby table, she took a glass of champagne before sitting beside Nathan.

There wasn't a trace of hesitation in her actions. The moment she chose the seat beside the most dangerous man in the room, she had already accepted whatever consequences might follow.

"Dr. Spencer." Turning her head toward him, she spoke in a calm and controlled voice. "Would you like a drink?"

At last, Nathan lifted his eyes.

His gaze landed on her face. There was nothing she could read from those eyes, yet she could clearly see her own reflection in them. She was nervous.

Nathan remained silent.

Without waiting for a response, Madeline reached for the bottle of red wine on the table. She poured a glass and extended it toward him.

From a distance, they looked comfortable together, almost like a close pair. Nathan made no effort to create distance between them. Instead, he watched her with quiet interest, as though he wanted to see where this would lead. "What exactly are you doing, Miss Reed?"

"Are you aware that Julian is making out with another woman in the backstage lounge?" Madeline asked. She angled herself slightly toward him. There was a reckless look on her face, the kind that appeared when a person no longer had anything left to protect.

After the Reed family lost everything, Madeline had spent her days relying on the protection of her fiancé's family. She had always behaved carefully, followed the rules, and paid attention to every word and action.

Never once had she intentionally approached a man this way. Provoking one was something she had never done either.

Nathan appeared amused by the situation. He accepted the glass of wine.

Lightly brushing his fingertips against the glass, he spoke in a cool and measured tone. "That isn't any of my business."

"You're right, Dr. Spencer. It doesn't matter to you whether Julian is a bastard or not."

A quiet laugh escaped Madeline's lips. Tilting her head back, she finished the champagne in her glass. She then refilled it to the brim. "But I'm the one engaged to him. Everything he did today would make sure I can never show my face in Seabrook with pride again."

The glass remained in her hand as she moved a little closer to Nathan. The distance between them became small enough that her breath could brush against his ear. "Since he's so determined to embarrass me, then I should do something in return."

The meaning behind her words couldn't have been clearer.

At once, Nathan turned toward her, and the gap between them nearly disappeared. A faint gardenia scent lingered around her. Her eyes were slightly red. She looked unsettled, reckless, and dangerously difficult to ignore.

"Madeline," he called out. His voice dropped lower than before. "Do you even realize what you're doing?"

Right in front of everyone, she was trying to tempt him. Was she really planning to end her engagement with her own hands?

"I know exactly what I'm doing." Without looking away, she met his gaze directly. "My family's company has already gone bankrupt, so I understand why Julian doesn't want to marry me anymore. But humiliating me in front of everyone and betraying me like this..." She paused briefly. "I can't leave with everyone laughing at me. Dr. Spencer, will you help me?"

There was no room for misunderstanding.

A darker look settled in Nathan's eyes. For several seconds, he kept his gaze on her before a quiet laugh left him. "So this is your plan?" he asked. "You want to use me to get even with him?"

While speaking, he reached over and held her chin. The force behind his grip wasn't gentle, and the pain made Madeline knit her brows.

Her heart pounded hard against her chest. She understood that this opportunity would only come once. Nathan's eyes held a trace of desire, and she couldn't afford to let this chance slip away.

Madeline gathered her courage and met his gaze without looking away. "Dr. Spencer, Julian isn't worthy of me. You are. I'm choosing you. Are you really going to refuse?"

At that point, she had already abandoned every hesitation.

Her family had gone bankrupt. She had been humiliated. Her engagement was falling apart. There was barely anything left for her to lose. If she could keep Nathan Spencer by her side, she might still be able to rebuild her future.

Even though Nathan gave no response, Madeline suddenly reached for his wrist and led him toward the elevators.

Nathan offered no resistance. He allowed her to guide him forward. His pace remained steady and relaxed, and the look in his eyes made it seem as though she had stepped into his snare without realizing it.

Once the elevator doors closed, Madeline finally released a breath she had been holding. Even so, the tight space around them only made her feel more aware of every breath she took.

People often said alcohol could make someone fearless. Yet with Nathan standing so near, and that striking face only a short distance away, Madeline felt her heart pounding harder than ever.

A soft chime soon echoed through the elevator. The doors opened, and Madeline immediately led Nathan out. Holding the room key she had prepared in advance, she swiped it, pushed the door open, and lifted her arms around his neck as she moved closer to him.

Before she could get any closer, a strong and warm arm settled around her waist.

Nathan pushed her gently back against the door and lowered himself toward her. His presence surrounded her completely. The scent of tobacco and wine lingered around him, making the air feel strangely thin.

Keeping his eyes on her, he said, "I'll give you one final chance. Do you understand what you're doing?"

The champagne had left her slightly dizzy, and her breathing had become uneven. Even so, she refused to retreat.

"Nathan, there's no need to pretend. You've never been fond of Julian either, have you? Help me get even with him, and we'll both get what we want. Isn't that true?"

A quiet laugh escaped Nathan's lips. "Getting involved with his fiancée would bring me more trouble than it's worth."

As soon as he finished speaking, he removed his hand from her waist.

Madeline had already come too far to stop now. Clenching her teeth, she pushed aside the last bit of pride she had left. "If you help me see this through, I'll give you anything you ask for."

Nathan studied her reddened eyes for a long moment. When he finally spoke, his voice carried a quiet warning. "You came to me knowing exactly what you were doing. Are you prepared to face what comes after?"

"Of course."

A faint scoff slipped from him. "Don't forget those words."

Then he placed a hand behind her head and pulled her into a firm kiss.