The Triplet Alphas' Forbidden Temptation

Silence settled between them. Remembering his shock after realising she was the one who suggested the rejection made the silence awkward, but from the way he was more interested in the medical charts, it seemed she was the one overthinking.

Yuki stared at the numbers above the doors, suddenly very aware of Kieran standing beside her. She could feel his presence without looking at him, and the quiet seemed to grow heavier with every passing second.

Then, unexpectedly, Kieran spoke. "So you’re in the top five."

"Huh?" she blurted, surprised that he had spoken. Kieran sighed, closing his chart.

"Central Hospital spots are reserved for the best five, meaning you made the cut," he explained, releasing a heavy breath.

Yuki’s lips twitched. She glanced at him. "Don’t tell me you’re disappointed to find out I have a brain capable of studying."

Kieran looked at her. For a moment, she thought he might ignore the comment. Instead, a short laugh escaped him.

Yuki froze, hearing the sound leave his mouth. Her eyes widened as she stared at him. She had never heard Kieran laugh before, never imagined he was capable of that.

The sound had barely lasted a second, but it had been real. It was strange seeing that expression on his face, especially when she had spent so long believing he was incapable of finding anything funny.

Kieran noticed her staring. His amusement faded slightly. "What?" he asked, sounding bewildered.

"Nothing," Yuki said quickly, looking away.

His gaze remained on her for another moment before he returned his attention to the elevator doors.

"I’m just surprised," she admitted, still stunned.

"By what?" Kieran questioned, surprised.

Yuki hesitated. She couldn’t exactly tell him that she was surprised he was capable of laughing. "Nothing." She shook her head. It was better to drop it.

Kieran’s mouth twitched again. Yuki immediately looked away.

Then his voice came again, quieter this time. "It’s surprising, though," Kieran mentioned.

Her brows pulled together. "What’s that supposed to mean?" she asked, genuinely lost.

Kieran turned to face her. "That you became one of the top students or have the ability to be one," he said with a serious expression, and her face turned red because she had a good feeling about what he meant.

Kieran’s voice softened as he remembered something. "Considering you were the same girl who confused medical terms and herbs," he added, and her face burned even harder. He just had to remind her of the most embarrassing time of her life and all the stupid things she did because of a crush.

Back at Xyrus University, she had struggled a bit with some of her classes, especially identifying certain herbs. She had taken advantage of every opportunity to approach Kieran, joining study groups she didn’t need and finding excuses to visit the greenhouse whenever she knew he would be there.

She had thought he never noticed. After all, she wasn’t the only girl who had the same idea of how to get close to him. Apparently, she had been wrong.

"Freshman year was confusing," she muttered as an excuse.

Kieran’s expression remained calm. "It must have been pretty confusing then."

Yuki narrowed her eyes at him before looking away. The elevator stopped. The doors slid open, and Kieran stepped out.

Yuki followed, but her earlier question still bothered her.

"By the way," she said, catching up with him, "you didn’t have to go out of your way to escort me. You could have just given me directions."

Kieran’s steps slowed slightly. "Who said it was out of my way?" Kieran asked with an arched brow.

Yuki stared at him before she could respond, but he continued walking.

Her brows furrowed.

What was that supposed to mean? she asked herself.

She followed him anyway. They walked for another minute before Kieran stopped in front of a small conference room. He pushed open the door and stepped inside.

Yuki entered behind him.

Her four classmates were already seated around a table with a female doctor in a lab coat. Their heads turned towards the door, surprise written across their faces when they saw Kieran.

"Good afternoon," Kieran said, stepping into the room. "Sorry for keeping you waiting. I had to go downstairs to pick something up."

His gaze briefly moved towards Yuki.

Yuki froze. It took her a second to understand what was going on.

Kieran walked towards the front of the room before she could think too deeply about it. His entire demeanour changed.

The quiet man who had just teased her in the elevator disappeared, replaced by the composed doctor everyone in the hospital seemed to respect.

"I’m Doctor Kieran Ravencourt," he introduced himself, his voice calm and authoritative. "Most of you probably know me as Second Lord Kieran. However, within the hospital, I’m Doctor Ravencourt."

He gestured towards the woman standing beside him. "You’ve already met my assistant, Doctor Lancashire, and we will be in charge of you to ensure you get the experience you require," he explained.

Yuki’s eyes landed on the woman. She was a lady in her mid-thirties, probably with more experience than Kieran. Yuki’s gaze slowly shifted back to Kieran.

"And I will be your primary supervisor during this internship," Kieran mentioned, and her head whipped around so fast that it almost broke.

So much for avoiding him in a large hospital.

This was wonderful. Just absolutely fucking wonderful.

Yuki took her seat, and Kieran continued addressing the group. His expression was stern.

"During your stay here, I will appreciate it if you all work together," he stated. "I don’t care about whatever conflicts you might have between you because I am finding it very hard to believe that no one among the four of you noticed someone was left in the car."

All four students’ faces went pale. "Maybe it was an accident, or you were in too much of a hurry. It doesn’t matter. If something similar happens again, I am sure there are others who will be more than happy to take your spots."

They all couldn’t meet his gaze. Kieran’s eyes darkened as he could see their guilt written across their faces. "Is that clear?" he asked.

"Yes, sir!" they all replied in unison, trembling.