The One He Dismissed Became The One He Died For novel Chapter 17

Miles immediately looked away, staring out the window. His voice came out a bit hoarse. "Are you done?"

"Almost, just the waist." Claire crouched down slightly, wrapping the measuring tape around his midsection.

Her fingers accidentally brushed against his abdominal muscles through the fabric of his shirt.

The sensory stimulation was instantly amplified, sending a dangerous urge rushing through him.

Miles squeezed his eyes shut. When he opened them, his pupils were darker and deeper than usual. He took a sudden half-step back, abruptly breaking the heart-racing proximity.

"That's enough."

Claire froze in her half-crouched position, looking up at him in pure confusion.

"But I haven't measured the length yet."

"I said that's enough. I have work to do."

He cut her off sharply, turning around and sitting back down behind his desk. The dismissal was crystal clear.

Claire stood up, feeling totally lost. She couldn't understand why he was suddenly in such a bad mood.

This man's temper was entirely unpredictable. Trying to figure out his thoughts was exhausting.

"Then I'll leave you to your work, Dr. Zimmerman. I'll drop the shirt off once it's finished."

Claire packed away her measuring tape, grabbed the thermos, and walked out.

The moment the door clicked shut, Miles let out a heavy breath.

He leaned back in his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose. Feeling entirely overwhelmed, he undid the top two buttons of his shirt. His skin felt like it was burning.

He was going insane.

Around the corner in the hallway, Vivian Langford clutched a stack of medical files, her eyes glaring fiercely at Claire's retreating figure.

She turned to a nearby nurse, her voice dripping with disdain.

"Is that the girl Dr. Zimmerman lent hundreds of thousands of dollars to?"

The nurse nodded timidly. Everyone knew Vivian was the hospital director's daughter, and nobody dared to cross her.

"From today onward, we aren't going to take anyone's crap ever again."

Looking into Claire's calm, confident eyes, Betty's anxiety finally settled. She blinked back her tears and nodded firmly.

Claire headed back to Chloe's apartment, quickly made herself a bowl of pasta, and immediately started studying the Crescent Moon Couture design brief.

It was a high-end luxury brand that demanded a flawless blend of traditional aesthetics and modern fashion. The requirements were incredibly abstract and punishingly strict.

After thinking it over for a while, she still lacked inspiration. Rather than force it, she decided to switch gears to clear her head.

She would design Miles's shirt first.

Closing the project files, she pulled out a blank sheet of paper and picked up her sketching pencil.

Resting the tip on the paper, she closed her eyes, letting the image of the stoic doctor form in her mind.

A shirt meant for him couldn't be too flashy, but it also couldn't be entirely rigid.

She began drafting lines, deliberately discarding traditional, complicated embellishments. Slowly, a sleek, uniquely styled shirt began to take shape under her pencil.