Do You Want Me?

Kaylee sat on the floor, sobbing silently for over ten minutes until her fear and anxiety slowly began to subside. Just then, her phone rang, the screen displaying the word "Mom."

Through her tears, Kaylee answered the call, hoping for some comfort, but the next moment, she was met with a torrent of abuse.

"You ungrateful child! Your father's a cripple, and you're just a leech! I'm the only one bringing in any money. Where's the money?

If you don't send any, your dad's surgery the day after tomorrow won't happen, and he can rot in that wheelchair until he dies for all I care. You're both better off dead!"

Kaylee's sobs instantly stopped.

When she was ten, her father took her out for ice cream on his bicycle, and they had an accident. To save her, he shielded her with his body and was hit by an oncoming truck, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down.

The perpetrator paid some compensation and then disappeared, leaving the family destitute.

When she was eighteen, Kaylee got into college. Despite opposition, her father insisted she go, enduring insults and ridicule to borrow money from relatives so she could study. He believed only education could give her a better life.

The long-awaited surgery was just days away, a procedure they had been waiting five years for. If they couldn't pay, her father would continue to suffer in his wheelchair.

Kaylee had witnessed her father's dignity being trampled on over the years. Her heart ached with the memory.

Mom only has the elder brother in her heart. Sometimes she even feels as if she weren't born by her mother.

She hung up the phone, wiping away her tears. The thin disposable slippers on her feet did little to shield her from the cold floor, which sent chills through her body. Shivering, Kaylee gritted her teeth, stood up, and turned back.

In a few steps, she was at the door of apartment 1001. She wiped her face and knocked. After a moment, the door opened, revealing the man's handsome face.

Before he could speak, Kaylee blurted out, "Do you want me?"

Lucas was surprised to see her back. He looked at her tear-streaked face, even more pitiful than before, with her swollen red eyes and trembling lips.

He leaned against the bar, his voice calm, "Same rules. Strip."

Kaylee entered, closed the door behind her, and started removing her jacket. The thin fabric was quickly discarded, followed by her jeans.

Standing in just her underwear, she reached for the clasp of her bra, feeling a grim sense of determination.

Lucas watched her, his eyes darkening with interest. Her pale skin glowed under the light, her slender waist invitingly fragile, and her long legs exposed, silently begging for attention.

Her hair clung to her tear-streaked face, evoking a pitiful charm that stirred something primal in him.

The more she cried, the more it roused his instinct to dominate. Lucas sat on the sofa and beckoned her over, his voice cold, "You have twenty minutes. If you can't get me interested, you're out."

Kaylee bit her lip and moved closer, kneeling beside him. She was inexperienced, having never been in a relationship or even watched such films. She tentatively leaned in, pressing her lips to his.

Her kiss was clumsy and hesitant, just a light touch before she pulled back. Lucas felt a surge of desire at her innocent gesture, something he hadn't expected. As she continued her timid exploration, he found himself captivated by her efforts.

Unable to contain himself any longer, Lucas's hand shot out to grip the back of her head, deepening the kiss with a fervor that took her breath away. He took control, his intensity overwhelming her.

Before she knew it, she was on the sofa, his hands exploring her body with unrestrained desire. The overhead light shone on her exposed skin, highlighting every curve and contour.

"Could you turn off the light?" she whispered weakly.

"No," he replied, a smirk playing on his lips.

She closed her eyes, trying to block out the world. His touch was firm and unapologetic, his dominance absolute. As she struggled to cope, she clung to his arm, "Can you go slower? It hurts…"

Lucas's grip tightened around her waist, his voice a low growl in her ear, "Afraid of this? Bear it."

Kaylee bit back any further words, burying her face in his chest...

---

After leaving the Rhine Apartments, Kaylee took the subway back to her dormitory alone.

Her roommates were in class, so she took a long shower, scrubbing away the physical reminders of last night.

Her body bore marks of the encounter, red and purple bruises that were impossible to ignore.

The man from last night had been anything but gentle. His touch was rough, almost cruel. She wondered why he had such a fixation on her waist.

She took her time cleaning herself, then put on her pajamas and lay on her bed, sighing deeply.

The familiar surroundings of her dorm room provided some comfort. She checked her phone, but Lucas had not transferred the money yet.

Staring at the empty chat window, she hesitated for a long time, typing out messages and then deleting them, her face burning with embarrassment.

She decided to wait a little longer. Asking for the money outright felt too humiliating.

---

Lucas had been busy with surgeries all morning, the incident slipping his mind until he emerged from the operating room at three in the afternoon.

Glancing at his phone, he noticed a few light scratch marks on his arm, a reminder of last night.

He opened his messaging app and easily found Kaylee's account, marked by a cute cartoon rabbit avatar. Her name was simply "KL." Their chat history was empty. Despite her need for money, she hadn't reached out.

Lucas smirked, typing in an amount and starting to transfer it. Then he paused, deleting the transaction. He wanted to see how long she could keep up the pretense.

Back at the clinic, he covered for a colleague in the digestive department, working a near non-stop shift. As the end of the day approached, only a few patients remained.

A knock on the door broke the quiet, the sound polite and hesitant.

"Come in," Lucas called, not looking up from the patient file in front of him.

"Doctor, my lower abdomen hurts," came a soft, familiar voice.

Lucas looked up to see Kaylee standing there, her face showing a mix of surprise and embarrassment as she recognized him. Her cheeks flushed red, and she quickly averted her gaze.

So, he's a doctor, she thought, feeling even more awkward and unsure of what to do.