In the dim glow of the emergency light, | extended a granola bar toward him, and he remarked with a deep
voice, "You sure are keeping your cool."
"Dr. Hilton, you taughtthat. On the operating table, | had to save lives, even if it was someone who had hurt
me. Who's got more mental strength than me?"
My self-deprecating comment made him tighten his grip on my arm a bit more.
The elevator lights went off as | moved the granola bar toward his mouth. Suddenly, | had no idea where to aim
the snack. My fingertips accidentally brushed against something soft and warm, which made my face red in the
darkness. Thankfully, he couldn't see anything in the pitch-black. That softness was his lips, which | remembered
tasting a few times.
Even in the dark, Max accurately grabbed my wrist and took the granola bar from my hand.
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As tticked by with no sign of rescue, my anxiety started to kick in. The darker it got, the more | was
reminded of being hurt in that dark, secluded cabin. A shiver of cold began to run through my body.
"What's wrong?" Max asked, reaching out to hold my hand. Instinctively, | pushed him away and shouted, "Don't
touch me!"
Right, that wasn't the tfor anyone to touch me.
"Keep your distance," | shouted, no longer caring if my fluctuating demeanor madelook foolish in Max's
eyes. All | could think about was how Daniel tormented me, his laughter echoing in my ears. "| said, stop
laughing! Get away from me!"
The world seemed to spin around me. | felt nauseous, scared, and terrified. | had forgotten we got stuck in an
elevator.
"Claire."
| couldn't tell how many times Max called my name. Finally, his long fingers steadied my waist, and | felt a warm
breath followed by a soft kiss.
I'm not sure how long it took, but eventually, the panic and fear insidebegan to fade away. As | slowly
regained my senses, the elevator lights turned back on.
| blinked to find myself in Max's embrace, locked in a kiss. His face was even redder than mine. The elevator
doors slid open before | could react and push him away.
"Oh..." The person outside exclaimed in surprise before quickly turning away to say, "Dr. Hilton, the elevator's
fixed now."
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That was when | pushed Max away and pretended to straighten my clothes, puffing my cheeks and exhaling
deeply. It seemed the person who cwas the sdriver who drove the Rolls-Royce Phantom. How did he
find us right on time?
"Max, did you already know someone was coming to rescue us? Is that why you were so calm?" | asked, finding it
hard to believe he had resorted to such an extrmethod to snapout of it breaking through his
psychological barriers.
"I was discussing spatient cases with the Hilton family," Max said as he stepped out of the
elevator first, then turned around et
and offereda hand like a true gentleman, his eyes gently signalingto follow him out.
| glanced at the members of the Hilton family behind him but didn't take his hand, choosing to walk out on my
own and head straight into my apartment. From outside, | heard someone say, "Could Ms. Floyd be mistaken
about the Hilton family?"