In the grip of a ferocious category-one typhoon, Florivera was caught in the throes of a windy night. Stepping out of the hospital, the cold gusts hit Abigail full on, making her shiver and instantly sobering her up.'Nathan is Xander! Xander is Nathan! That's the indisputable truth! That means my boss, the billionaire, the man countless women queue up to marry, the world's richest man, Xander, is my husband!'As Melody had pointed out, becoming Xander's wife was like winning the lottery, a dream come true for many women. Abigail never imagined having anything to do with Xander beyond work, yet here she was, hit square in the face with this reality, without any warning. By all accounts, she should have been thrilled and ecstatic, but instead, she felt suffocated, a discomfort she could not put into words.Abigail had witnessed too many marriages come and go. She knew marriage was more than just the union of two people; it involved two families. Society today still valued compatibili
As Abigail closed her eyes in anguish, taking a deep, measured breath, Felix's voice suddenly echoed from behind her."Caterpie, you're sure that Xander and Nathan are the same person, right?"Melody and Felix had followed her to the hospital. They had been waiting for her beside her car while she went up to the ward. Seeing her emerge from the hospital with such a heavy heart, they had pretty much guessed what was going on.Abigail was startled. "What are you two doing here?"Melody stepped forward, enveloping Abigail in a comforting hug. "We're here for you, Caterpie. With all that's happening, how could we not be by your side?"They had always been there for her, rushing to her side whenever she faced any difficulties, helping her navigate through her tough times. Abigail wanted to smile, but the sting in her nose and the swelling in her eyes told her tears were imminent. She quickly tilted her head back, refusing to let the tears flow."You two are so annoying, always quietly
Felix could see Abigail wavering, so he quickly said, "Caterpie, don't listen to Mel's nonsense. You're young and have your whole life ahead of you. You'll definitely meet a man who you truly love and who genuinely loves you back. Don't waste your best years on a man who's not worth it.""A man I love and who loves me? Hmm..." Abigail chuckled, deciding not to comment further.Melody chimed in, "It's getting late. Let's head back. We can discuss this properly after a good night's sleep."Abigail did not want to keep them either. "Let's go."Melody turned to Felix. "Fee, you'll drive separately. I'll ride with Caterpie."Felix nodded. "Just keep an eye on our Stinky Caterpie."Abigail laughed. "Don't worry, guys. I'm fine. I've weathered much worse than this. A small issue like this can't take me down."The more nonchalant she was about her past hurt, the more it tugged at Melody's and Felix's heartstrings. Such a scandal could potentially ruin a girl's life. It had nearly ruined
He remained expressionless, yet Abigail could again faintly sense a level of respect from him. Abigail let her guard down."What's up?"Paxton spoke, "Mr. Zane's condition is far worse than you've been led to believe. If you aren't busy with other things, could you please return and stay by Mr. Zane's side? You don't have to do anything, just be with him for a while.""Is Mr. Zane's condition that bad?" Abigail was taken aback. She had known Paxton for quite some time, and this was the first instance she had heard him utter so many words at once. She could not shake the feeling that something was off. She figured that Paxton was Xander's most trusted subordinate; it was quite possible that he was acting under Xander's instructions to deceive her. She had just left Xander's hospital room, and he seemed perfectly fine—not at all like someone who was sick.Paxton responded firmly, "It's not good."Abigail was not keen on seeing Xander at this point and hesitated a bit. "I'm not a doc
A familiar, yet somehow different, masculine voice drifted toward Abigail from behind. "Nothing happened to Mr. Zane after you left, but while you were here, he went through a lot that his body couldn't handle.""So, you're blaming me then?" Abigail whirled around to face "Paxton", her eyes a blazing red. "You're not going to pin this all on me!" She thought, 'If I made any mistake, it was coming here to find Xander for verification. Had I played dumb and acted like I knew nothing, wouldn't this all be avoided?'"Paxton" ignored her outburst, continuing, "Mr. Zane has been in the ICU for two days. He was only out of danger tonight. He had just woken up not long before you arrived. You didn't notice his poor health because he had put on makeup to not worry you. You came in all noisy and violent, potentially hurting him. But that's not the most important part. The crux of it all must be something you said that deeply upset him."Every word "Paxton" spat out was an accusation against h
"I'm Paxton's twin brother, Samuel," the man introduced himself. "Usually, I operate in the shadows. Aside from Mr. Zane, my elder brother, and my mother, you're the fourth person to know of my existence."Abigail was surprised. "So secretive? Then why let me in on it?""Because you're one of the few people Mr. Zane trusts. I don't mind letting you know," Samuel said."But I do mind," Abigail retorted. "I'm just an assistant. I don't want to know things about Mr. Zane that should be kept secret. I don't want to get too involved and be blamed if something goes wrong.""If something happens, you can't exactly stay uninvolved because you're not an outsider," Samuel shot back.Abigail crinkled her nose in distaste. "Why is it that you're chattier than your brother? You're supposed to be this mysterious figure by Mr. Zane's side; can't you maintain some of that mystery? There are things you should keep to yourself.""You're quite talkative yourself," Samuel countered."Do you know wh
'The bullet tore through his chest, missing his heart by a mere fifth of an inch?' Abigail did not need to read through the rest of the medical history about Xander's health. Just this one sentence alone was enough to send chills down her spine and make her heart pound in her chest. "Dr. Watson, when did this happen?" she asked, wondering, 'Why haven't I heard about this before?'Dr. Watson slowly said, "Over a decade ago. Xander had just taken over Zane Corporation and was negotiating a deal in Alvonia when a competitor played dirty. He was inches from death. After our team fought for a day and a night, we finally pulled him back from the brink. But as soon as he woke up, there were more problems. He had to go sign contracts, despite his weakened state, and that set the stage for his current condition. If Xander had listened to us and taken proper rest, he wouldn't be in such a situation. But he's been running around these years, rarely taking a break. He barely takes care of himself
"Can't you tell me?" Abigail pressed.Dr. Watson frowned. "It doesn't seem particularly relevant to Xander's condition.""It's of great importance. Please, Dr. Watson, I need you to be honest," Abigail insisted.Dr. Watson seemed to think for a moment before responding, "A very long time. Longer than Dr. Sander."Abigail knew that with Xander's personality, he would not put all his eggs in one basket. Even if Dr. Sander and her son betrayed him while he was unconscious, he would still have others he could rely on. "Until Mr. Zane wakes up, I'm counting on you to stay by his side, Dr. Watson. No one else should touch his medication, especially Dr. Sander." Abigail was not petty; she simply knew that the emotional state of Dr. Sander and her son was unstable. They could potentially act against Xander out of hatred. Xander was helpless at the moment; they could not afford to take any chances. Even though she was not comfortable acknowledging her role as his wife, the fact remained tha