Unforeseen Temptation: Spoiled By The Aloof Magnate

The darkness enveloped the city of Driyver like a vast curtain.

Moonlight pierced the clouds, casting light onto the narrow alleyways.

Corinna Hudson, carrying a medical kit, briskly walked out of a house in the alley.

As she reached the entrance of the alley, a figure stumbled toward her.

She caught the pungent scent of blood emanating from the figure.

She instinctively recoiled.

The silhouette resolved into a man.

With a thud, the man collapsed to the ground.

He lost consciousness before he could speak.

With caution, Corinna moved closer, turned the man over, and recognized the face before her.

It was Andres Spencer, the well-known heir of Driyver's leading family.

She pondered both the risks and rewards of intervening. The potential gains made her decision clear.

She checked for his breath; it was faint but present.

He was alive. There was hope.

She supported Andres' arm and managed to lift him up.

They made their way to a hidden door down the alley, which she opened with a key.

Behind it lay one of her secret clinics.

Inside, she swiftly moved him to an operating table.

After removing her bloodied coat and donning a white one, she sterilized her surgical tools and commenced the operation.

Soon, a bloody bullet clinked as it hit the metal tray.

Corinna let out a weary sigh, the surgery taking its toll on her.

She then stitched up the wound, ensuring it was well cared for.

But just as she finished...

The door burst open with a loud crash!

Suddenly, a squadron of armed guards clad in black burst into the room.

Some guards quickly surrounded Andres, who was still unconscious on the hospital bed, while others moved to secure the premises.

A guard pressed the cold barrel of a gun against Corinna's temple, his voice tense as he asked, "What are you planning with Mr. Spencer hostage?"

Despite the threat, Corinna remained calm.

She glanced at Andres and noticed his fingers twitching.

It seemed he was beginning to regain consciousness.

This development made her worry even less.

She considered whether someone as influential as Andres, respected on both sides of the law, would be ungrateful for her intervention.

Pain wracked Andres' body, each minor movement bringing sharp, sweat-inducing pain.

"Let her go." Andres' voice was faint yet commanding as he spoke.

"Everyone out..."

Despite his weak state, the authority in his voice was clear and the guards did not hesitate to obey.

They left swiftly, leaving Corinna and Andres alone.

Corinna took this moment to sit down in a nearby chair, crossing her legs casually.

She watched Andres intently, maintaining her silence.

"You saved me?" Andres' voice carried a hint of suspicion.

Corinna simply hummed in response, maintaining her composure.

Andres grimaced as he touched his wound. "As a token of gratitude, I'm willing to grant you a favor. What... would you ask for?"

Corinna leaned back, feigning thoughtfulness.

"Let's say I'll call in that favor later."

Her tone was casual, but she was already considering the possibilities this connection could open up.

Andres was well-known in Driyver, a formidable figure not to be underestimated.

Given the challenges Corinna currently faced, aligning with someone like Andres could prove invaluable.

"Call me if you need me," Andres said, sliding a business card towards her as he slowly rose from the bed.

Corinna watched him leave, a smile playing on her lips.

Saving someone of Andres' stature had not been in her plans, yet here she was, possibly a step ahead because of it.

Inside the car, Andres was studying the documents just handed over to him.

The woman who saved him was Corinna Hudson.

The Hudson family of Driyver was once a prestigious clan.

Jeff and Sandra Hudson, Corinna's grandparents, had been renowned figures in the medical field but unfortunately died early.

Their son, Brad Hudson, carried on the family legacy and later married Rachael Brown, a woman from another medical family. Corinna was their child.

However, when Corinna was just one year old, the Hudson family faced misfortune and decline.

Rachael suddenly developed severe mental issues and was admitted to a sanatorium for long-term care.

Brad divorced Rachael and within the same year, married his second wife, Monica Hudson.

Six months after their marriage, Monica gave birth to a daughter, Cassie Hudson, and twins followed the next year.

As a result, Corinna, who was already disliked by the Hudson family, found her situation at home increasingly difficult.

She was just barely scraping by.

Andres closed the documents and pondered as he reached up to touch his wound.

The pain had long since turned to numbness.

"Sir, it's time to go back," said his assistant, Kevin Curtis, from the front seat, turning around to cautiously remind him.

Andres nodded and reclined his body to rest his eyes.

The news of his recent ambush had probably already reached his family. If he didn't return soon, chaos would ensue.

The next afternoon, Corinna, dressed in black with a hat and mask, appeared in the alley.

The patient she had treated the previous night had fully regained consciousness today, and she was there to collect her final payment.

As she entered the alley and walked a short distance, she suddenly stopped.

It was quieter than usual, and something felt off.

After a moment's hesitation, she turned to leave.

But at the mouth of the alley, she was confronted by her father, Brad.

A group of black-clad bodyguards quickly appeared and surrounded her.

Brad's expression was icy as he spoke. "You haven't been home for months. Do you really think this place is any better than home?"

"No way! How could this place ever compare to your home?" Corinna retorted, her voice laced with sarcasm.

But that place was not her home.

"Then go home now," Brad decreed.

As soon as he finished speaking, two bodyguards materialized at Corinna's sides and forcefully ushered her into the car.

Hidden in a shadowy corner, a watchful observer took in everything. After Brad and his group had left, the observer quickly sent out a message.

Kevin received the message and promptly reported to Andres.

"Sir, should we intervene?"

His voice conveyed his concern-Brad and his entourage did not seem like benevolent characters.

Andres replied with calm authority, "Let's just wait a bit longer."

"Understood!" Kevin acknowledged.

Back at the Hudson estate, Corinna was thrust into the hall.

"Kneel down!" She was commanded to get down on her knees.

She was forced to kneel on the frigid floor, and her mask was stripped away, revealing her unflinching, defiant gaze.

Brad towered over her, interrogating her sharply. "Did you secretly study medicine?"

"No." Corinna's response was cold, unwavering.

The harsh crack of a whip striking flesh resounded in the hall, making Corinna's siblings shudder involuntarily.

Yet the one under the whip, Corinna, seemed untouched by the pain. She clenched her teeth, maintaining a stubborn silence.

"Don't think you can deceive me," Brad shouted, his hand tightening around the whip. "Someone informed me that you secretly studied medicine and even dared to treat people! Will you confess?"

Corinna's complexion was ashen, yet her spirit was unbroken, her voice even more determined. "I have done nothing wrong. Why should I confess to falsehoods?"

"Ah, so you claim the information I received is incorrect?" Brad swung his whip again.

Corinna tightened her fists, her resolve hardening. "I don't know who misled you, but I haven't secretly studied medicine or treated anyone. If you doubt my words, bring forth your informant, and let's unveil the truth together."

As Corinna stood resolute, ready to face whatever came her way, Brad found his own confidence wavering for a moment.

His wife, Monica, walked up to him and said, "Brad, how can you be so harsh with Corinna? Even if she studied medicine in secret, she's just continuing her mother's legacy. Remember, Rachael was indeed a respected doctor until that surgical mistake because of her illness."

Mentioning this only made Brad's anger surge.

He lifted his hand and struck Corinna again. "Will you speak the truth?"

With another lash, Corinna's face turned completely pale.

Yet, her eyes showed no sign of giving in. She looked at Monica with increasing defiance. "How dare you speak of my mother? She was one of the top medical professionals in the world. And you both know very well what caused her illness!"

She didn't know all the details, but she was aware of this much.

Her mother's health had deteriorated after she found out about Brad's affair with Monica.

How could these two even dare to speak of her mother in her presence?

The hatred in Corinna's eyes sent a shiver down Brad's spine as he recalled the day Rachael caught him with Monica.

Rachael didn't show any signs of losing her sanity. She just looked at them, calm and scornful, as if they were nothing more than dirt under her shoes.

She had looked down on them.

That expression was something Brad could never erase from his memory.

Rachael had always been distinguished, always the superior one. Next to her, he always felt diminished.

To everyone else, he was simply Dr. Brown's husband.

He hated that feeling.

That night had been his proudest, for he felt he had crushed Rachael's pride.

Yet, it was also his most shameful, as Rachael had completely dismissed them, treating them as if they were mere fools.

Corinna's mocking words and defiant stare reminded Brad of the feelings of inferiority he often felt around Rachael.

His frustration quickly boiled over into rage, and he lashed out at Corinna with unrestrained force.

"Who taught you to talk like that?" Brad shouted, his voice filled with fury. Each strike of his whip seemed aimed to end her life.

Despite the trembling of her body, Corinna did not lower her head. Instead, she retorted sarcastically, "What goes around comes around. It's only a matter of time."

"You disrespectful child!" Blinded by his anger, Brad's strikes grew even more ruthless.

In the silent hall, the sound of the whip hitting flesh echoed loudly.

The Hudson siblings watched with cold detachment, some even taking pleasure in Corinna's suffering, secretly hoping she might not survive the ordeal.

Brad, exhausted from the whipping, had lost count of the blows he had inflicted.

Corinna lay curled up on the cold floor, covered in blood from head to toe.

It was then that Monica stepped forward and intervened. "What are you doing? Corinna is just a kid. She may be blunt, but I'm sure she just studied medicine in secret to follow in her mother's footsteps."

To follow in her mother's footsteps.

That very idea fueled the bitterness swelling inside Brad.

Rachael had been the ghost that haunted his whole life, and now he saw her legacy in the daughter who continually reminded him of his own inadequacies and failures.

"Fine! She wants to be a real doctor! We don't need a doctor here for her then. Let her heal herself!" Brad exclaimed, his voice laced with sarcasm.