POV: Female Lead (Doctor)
Luna Mariano had completely forgotten about the dare.
Between teasing Mark Watson and dealing with hospital work, the challenge her friend had given her—date a billionaire CEO—had slipped her mind.
Until now.
---
The Reminder
"Earth to Luna!"
luna blinked as her best friend, lufy, waved a hand in front of her face. They were sitting in a cozy café near the hospital, sipping iced americanos.
"You spaced out," lufy teased. "Let me guess. You were thinking about your favorite CEO?"
luna scoffed. "As if. I was thinking about work."
Lufy smirked. "Right. That's why you said 'Mark Watson' just now."
Luna choked on her drink. "I did not!"
Lufy laughed. "You totally did! Girl, you've got it bad."
Luna rolled her eyes. "Please. He's impossible. He barely talks, and when he does, he's annoyingly serious. I just like bothering him."
Lufy wiggled her eyebrows. "Sooo… about that dare?"
Luna groaned. "Ugh. I knew this was coming."
"You can't back out now! You said you'd do it!" Lufy grinned. "And from what I've seen, you're already halfway there. He actually talks to you!"
"That's not saying much. He talks to me reluctantly."
Ji-won leaned in, her voice dropping conspiratorially. "Look, just get him to fall for you. Flirt a little. See what happens. What's the worst that could go wrong?"
Luna stared at her friend.
Mark Watson, falling for her?
It sounded ridiculous.
But then again…
A slow grin spread across her lips. "You know what? Challenge accepted."
---
The Next Step: Flirting with a Brick Wall
Luna didn't waste time.
The next day, she "coincidentally" ran into Mark at the hospital. He was exiting a meeting, looking as serious as ever.
"Mark!" she called out, using his first name for the first time.
He stopped in his tracks, turning to her with a blank expression. "Excuse me?"
She beamed. "I figured since we see each other so often, we should drop the formalities."
Mark gave her a long, unamused look. "No."
Luna pouted. "Aww, come on. Friends call each other by their first names."
"We are not friends," he replied coolly.
"Not yet," she corrected, winking. "But I'm working on it."
Mark sighed. "Dr. Mariano—"
"Luna," she interrupted sweetly. "Say it with me. Lu. Na."
He stared at her.
For a second, she thought he might actually say it. His lips parted slightly, his gaze unreadable.
Then, without a word, he turned and walked away.
Luna grinned.
Progress.
---
Mark's POV: This Woman is Dangerous
Mark had faced many things in life—hostile board meetings, business rivals, even near-death experiences due to his heart condition.
But nothing had prepared him for Luna Mariano.
She was unpredictable. Annoying. Persistent.
And for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to ignore her completely.
She was a nuisance. A distraction.
But as he walked away from her that day, he realized something unsettling.
For the first time in years, someone had made him feel… alive.
And that was dangerous.
—