Mr. Zook was visibly shaken by Nina's intense gaze. If not for his years of sales experience, he would have lost his composure. After a long pause, he forced a smile and leaned closer to Nash in an attempt to curry favor. "Mr. York, I'll have to trouble you with this shipment. I'm really out of options this time.""I recall you used to work with the Lowe Group. Why aren’t you partnering with them anymore?" Nash didn’t beat around the bush, going straight to the point and waiting for an answer.Mr. Zook’s face fell, and after stumbling over his words for a moment, he let out a heavy sigh. Nash immediately grew suspicious. Something was off in this partnership. He gave Nina a glance, signaling her to look into it.Right then, Nina’s phone rang. It was Orion’s teacher."Excuse me, I need to take this call," she said, stepping out of the meeting room. She answered the phone politely, "Hello, this is Orion’s mother, Nina. What can I do for you?""Mrs. York, could you please come to
When Nina got home, she made a quick phone call to Nash, then asked their lawyer to contact Mrs. Lowe. For her, the matter was closed.She went to Orion's room and saw that he was already asleep, so she went downstairs to prepare dinner. As soon as she closed the door, Orion sat up in bed and whispered, "Grandpa, did you hear what we talked about earlier?""Yes, I heard. Someone bullied you, right?""Yes, Grandpa, you have to help us. You can't let anyone bully Mom. Bullying Mom is the same as bullying you."Before Pharaoh could respond, Orion continued, "Grandpa, do you have money? Lots and lots of money? Can you lend me some first?""Grandpa has money, Orion. Don’t worry about anything. Whether it’s about money or anything else, Grandpa will help you handle it. Just wait, I’ll arrange it right away."Pharaoh immediately arranged for someone to go to Birkham. Orion was right. Bullying Nina was the same as bullying him.After hanging up the phone, Pharaoh wanted to call Nina b
"No, I just… I’m just not used to this." Zoe wished she could disappear into a hole. She couldn't understand why Nash, who knew she worked in the advertising department, would arrange for her to meet with Eugene.No matter how hard she thought, she couldn’t recall any advertising collaboration with the Lowe Corporation. Then, a sudden thought struck her, and it startled her.With an uneasy heart, she entered the meeting room, only to find out that Nash wasn't even in the office. Zoe felt a surge of anger."Miss Zoe—no, Manager Zoe—how about a cup of tea first?"Eugene, knowing full well that Zoe had been tricked into coming, chose not to reveal it. If Nash had set this up, he must have understood Eugene's intentions, so there was no need to hide anything.After drinking a cup of tea, Eugene felt light-headed, as if he had consumed alcohol. He knew Nash wasn’t the type to use underhanded methods, but if he hadn’t been sure of that, he might have suspected something was wrong with
The secretary was even more panicked than Zoe, quickly dialing Nash’s number, but the line was constantly busy."Enough, stop calling. Dial for an ambulance immediately and tell them someone has been drugged.""Manager Zoe, who’s been drugged? What’s going on? I prepared the tea myself. I didn’t do anything. Please believe me, I really didn’t do anything," the secretary pleaded, clutching Zoe’s hand. Zoe, overwhelmed, pushed her aside.A loud noise came from the meeting room. Zoe rushed over and opened the door. She saw Eugene lying on the floor, having knocked over a chair, writhing in pain."Don’t come near me! Damn it, Nash really played dirty, using such a strong drug.""I… I’m calling an ambulance right now. Hang on!" Zoe stammered. She quickly shut the door and instructed the secretary to call for an ambulance again.When the ambulance arrived, so did reporters. It seemed they had gotten wind of the situation, and as soon as the paramedics carried Eugene out, the photog
"Nash, something happened to Eugene here? How could this happen?" Nina pushed the door open and entered the office, seeing Nash reviewing the surveillance footage. In a low voice, she asked, "What’s going on? Wasn’t this your doing?""You think I did this?" Nash asked, his eyes focused on the screen. When he saw a shadowy figure moving near the tea room, he immediately called out to Nina, "Watch closely."He didn’t need to say it. Nina was already fixated on the figure on the screen. There was something oddly familiar about this person. They seemed to know the exact positions of the security cameras, showing only their back to the footage, with a baseball cap hiding any identifying features. Despite this, Nina couldn’t shake the feeling that she knew this person.The footage showed the figure entering the tea room and leaving confidently afterward. Somehow, they managed to avoid being seen by anyone."Does this person look familiar to you?" Nina voiced her suspicion.Nash’s ex
"This must be your wife, right? You two really look like a couple. Anyone can see it. No wonder your relationship is so strong," Eugene remarked with a look of admiration, which made Nina think of something immediately.After placing the fruit basket she brought on the table, she pulled over a wooden stool and sat by the bed."Having a good relationship isn’t just about looking like a couple. It’s about truly loving each other. You’re such an outstanding person, Mr. Lowe. I’m sure you’ll find the right girl."She didn’t name anyone specifically, hoping Eugene would admit his feelings for Zoe on his own.Eugene wasn’t foolish. He smiled slightly. "I’m afraid I’m not that lucky. I was too competitive when I was younger, and it ruined my luck. Now, it’s time for payback. Maybe I’m destined to grow old alone."Hearing this, Nina wasn’t sure how to respond. "Is this about the incident at our corporation when you were drugged?"She didn’t want to dance around the issue with him, nor di
When they arrived at the old, abandoned park on the outskirts, Nash finally came face to face with the so-called Mrs. Lowe."She’s the parent of that student who fought with Orion," Nina whispered, surprised that Pharaoh had gone so far as to abduct this person. Had Mrs. Lowe somehow offended Pharaoh?Upon seeing Nina, Mrs. Lowe became extremely agitated. She was struggling to break free and rush toward Nina. Her eyes blazed with hatred, as if she wished to tear Nina to pieces.Nash signaled Pharaoh’s men to remove the rag stuffed in Mrs. Lowe’s mouth."I won’t let you get away with this! I’ll make sure you’re utterly ruined, no—I’ll destroy your reputation and leave you with nothing!" Mrs. Lowe spat venomously.Pharaoh’s men moved to gag her again. However, Nash stopped them and, in a moment of frustration, kicked Mrs. Lowe. She cried out in pain, tears streaming down her face, yet she continued to hurl insults."Meeting you like this wasn’t the right approach, I admit," Nash
"Mrs. York, what will it take for you to forgive me? I know I failed in raising my son properly. Please, give me one more chance, I beg you," Mrs. Lowe's pleading voice came from behind, but Nina didn’t stop walking.Nash caught up with her, asking with concern, "What’s wrong? Why are you suddenly so upset?"Nina shook her head. "Let her go. Tell her to transfer her son to another school and make sure he never crosses paths with Orion again.""Alright, I’ll handle it right away."Nash could tell that Nina’s mood had soured, and he was sure it had something to do with Mrs. Lowe. Since Pharaoh had already taken action and Mrs. Lowe wasn’t connected to the real Lowe family, there was no reason to hesitate. He decided to deal with her swiftly.Nash leaned in to his subordinate and quietly instructed, "Take her and her family away. Just tell them that my wife doesn’t want to see them again."Pharaoh’s men responded immediately. One knocked Mrs. Lowe unconscious, and the other put he
At the time, Wilfred had already guessed that this had everything to do with Harley and his mentor, Professor Zeller. “You and your so-called association don’t focus on benefiting patients. Instead, you spend all your time trying to monopolize everything. And now you want to turn me into one of you? Keep dreaming.” Wilfred’s tone was filled with disdain, his eyes cold with contempt. The smug smile on Harley’s face slowly faded. With a sneer, Harley’s voice turned bitter. “You know what I despise most about you? That self-righteous, holier-than-thou attitude of yours. I was offering you advice, but if you don’t want to hear it, fine. There’s nothing more to say. After all, if the surgery fails—” Before he could finish the word “fail,” the surgical light outside the operating room flicked off. Clack!The sliding doors parted, and Karina burst through, her face flushed with emotion. She didn’t even notice Harley. Her focus zeroed in on Wilfred. “Wilfred!” Her voice trem
As the surgery approached, Karina worked overtime, meticulously double-checking for any possible oversights. Before stepping into the operating room, she took a deep breath."Karina, you’ve got this!" a nurse beside her encouraged.This surgery was particularly significant, and the assistants and nurses weren’t from her hospital. They were brought in by the project, specifically by Harley’s team. Without a single familiar face around, Karina felt a twinge of anxiety. Opportunities to lead surgeries were already rare for her, let alone under circumstances like this, with no one she could truly rely on.But there was no turning back now. Gritting her teeth, Karina donned her gloves. As she was about to enter the operating room, her peripheral vision caught sight of a figure standing silently in the distance. It was Wilfred. His steady gaze met hers, his eyes carrying something profound she couldn’t quite decipher. When their eyes locked, a faint smile curved his lips.In th
“Ava.”A deep voice cut through the air, and Karina turned to see a man in a black suit, wearing a hat and a mask, striding toward them. But the man’s white eyelashes and distinctive eyes were all Karina needed to recognize him. He was her albino patient, Xavier Jasper!Xavier also didn’t expect to run into both Wilfred and Karina here. “It’s you two,” he exclaimed in surprise.Wilfred’s gaze sharpened as he calmly addressed Xavier. “Keep your sister in line. Apologize.”Before Xavier could respond, Ava stepped forward and, to everyone’s surprise, said, “I’m sorry. I was too impulsive. Please forgive me.” Karina was taken aback by how quickly Ava apologized. Even Xavier, who knew his sister’s arrogant tendencies well, looked stunned.Karina nodded, her tone steady but firm. “I forgive you, but that doesn’t mean everyone else will. You should work on your attitude. Stop acting so entitled everywhere you go.” With that, Karina turned on her heel and walked away. Although Xavie
”Those were her meticulously compiled notes, the result of hours of hard work—and now they were ruined just like that?” Karina thought.“I’ve never wronged you. Why would you do something like this?” she demanded, her voice trembling with indignation. Something about the situation felt off, and Karina’s sharp intuition told her this wasn’t a simple misunderstanding.Under Karina’s intense gaze, the nurse finally broke down, revealing Ava’s role in orchestrating the whole thing. Karina’s anger turned into a mix of rage and incredulous amusement. “Really? Rich people—did they all enjoy throwing money around like this?”All this trouble, just to ruin her hard-earned work over a seat?Her carefully compiled notes were gone, and there wasn’t a second copy. Arguing wouldn’t bring them back, but Ava wasn’t going to let this slide without giving someone a piece of her mind.Finding Ava wasn’t difficult. In fact, Ava didn’t even try to avoid her. She seemed to be waiting, eager to see
Just as Ava was about to cause a scene, the sound of steady footsteps filled the room. Wilfred strode in, his white coat enhancing his composed, almost ethereal aura. Ava shot Karina a glare, silently committing her to memory, then begrudgingly found another seat. Wilfred’s gaze swept across the room, pausing ever so briefly on Karina before moving on. She wasn’t sure if it was real or just her imagination. “Today, we’ll discuss cellular structures. I’ll start with an example from my doctoral thesis,” Wilfred announced, adjusting the projector. To Karina’s surprise, he was an exceptional lecturer—clear, engaging, and far more comprehensible than many university professors. She listened intently, taking meticulous notes. Yvette peeked over at Karina’s notebook, wide-eyed at the densely packed writing. “Karina, when you eventually get promoted, land a big raise, or go for your doctorate, I promise I won’t be jealous. Truly.”Karina chuckled. “If you need these notes, I can len
Karina glanced at the time and quickly gestured for Yvette to sit down as well. However, barely had they taken their seats when a haughty woman marched up to Karina, her sharp gaze fixed on the chair she was sitting on. “You, get up. I want that seat!” Karina frowned, studying the unfamiliar woman. She didn’t recognize her from the hospital, but the designer jewelry around her neck and the branded bag on her arm screamed wealth. She seemed like the kind of entitled socialite who rarely had to fight for anything, let alone a seat.Unsure if the woman was trying to pick a fight or genuinely wanted the chair, Karina pointed to the open seats nearby. “There are plenty of seats over there. Take one of those.”Then, she lowered her head, dismissing the woman entirely.The woman’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Excuse me? I said I want your seat. Get up. Now!” Not content with words alone, she reached out to pull Karina up by force. Karina, now genuinely angry, shook her off. “I was h
Karina looked slightly surprised. She distinctly remembered that Wilfred wasn’t a drinker. “I thought you avoided alcohol?” Wilfred, ever the epitome of control and composure, preferred to steer clear of anything that dulled his sharpness. Back when they worked at the Birkham Central Hospital, she had seen him reject bottles of expensive wine from people trying to curry favor with him. He sipped his tea slowly before replying, “You’ve started at a new hospital. As your former mentor, I haven’t given you a proper congratulatory gift yet.” “This is… for me?” Karina asked, her voice tinged with disbelief. Wilfred’s gaze was steady as he replied, “Don’t like it? If not, I can send it back and we can find something else later.” He raised his hand to call the server over. “Wait! No need. I like it a lot,” Karina interjected hastily, stopping him in his tracks. The idea of going gift shopping with him later felt uncomfortably like a date. And knowing Wilfred’s personality, w
Wilfred’s gaze swept over her without a word, and Karina climbed into the car on her own. When choosing her seat, she instinctively moved toward the back, but before she could get in, Wilfred spoke, “Sit in the front. It’s more convenient.” Karina hesitated briefly. Not wanting to appear overly particular, she complied and took the passenger seat. Although there was a saying that the front seat was reserved for a girlfriend, Wilfred didn’t strike her as someone who cared about such details. She decided to pretend she didn’t know. After buckling her seatbelt, a phone suddenly appeared in front of her. She looked up, her face full of confusion and surprise. Wilfred glanced sideways at her, one hand on the steering wheel, the car still stationary. “I haven’t decided on a restaurant yet. I’ll be driving soon. You pick something.” Karina took the phone. As Wilfred drove, she scrolled through the options, narrowing it down to three restaurants. But her mild indecisivenes
Karina forced a smile. “Really, it’s fine. You all go ahead.”Yvette pouted, her disappointment clear as she relented. “Alright then.”Once the others had left, Karina tried to refocus on work. She pulled out her research materials, determined to get something done. Yet, no matter how hard she tried, her thoughts kept wandering. The cheerful chatter from outside finally snapped her out of it, making her realize just how distracted she had been.Karina gave a wry smile and muttered to herself, “This is why you don’t get ahead of yourself. Seriously, one of life’s biggest delusions.”For a fleeting moment, she had thought Wilfred might feel something for her too. But it was better this way, she told herself—better to wake up now than to fall in too deep later. Romance wasn’t her strong suit; focusing on her career was safer.While others might drown their heartbreak in food or a night out, Karina chose the most grueling outlet: work. It might be exhausting, but it was effective. S