"At least you’re self-aware," Lydia replied, her smile growing wider.Quincy noticed this and couldn’t help but admire her composure. Even in such a dire situation, Lydia could still find it in herself to smile. Her mental strength was something else.Quincy frowned slightly and asked, "You’re aware of what’s going on, but you don’t seem scared at all. Why…?""Do you think we should be wearing gloomy faces instead?" Lydia cut him off with a soft laugh. "Honestly, if we’re meant to die here, that’s just fate. If it’s destiny that we die together, what choice do we have?"She didn’t seem like she was just trying to laugh in the face of adversity. There was a genuine acceptance in her tone.Quincy felt a pang of guilt. "I brought you on this trip, and now look what’s happened."Before, Quincy might have been wary of Lydia, but after all they had been through together, he knew what kind of person she was. If she were the type to abandon someone in trouble, she would have left him beh
"One million," Nash named his price.The man had not expected such a high figure, but since Nash mentioned it, he was more than willing to agree. "Alright, but you'll only take them once I get the money."Without hesitation, Nash replied, "Give me your account number."Though the man spent most of his life hunting in the mountains, he still had a bank account. As soon as he gave Nash the number, the money was transferred into his account. One million was in his account in less than two minutes.He had never seen that much money in his life.While he was still lost in the excitement, Nash had already left with the people, heading to find Quincy and Lydia.Since the payment was made, Nash naturally took them with him.He had them both sent to the hospital, where Caleb personally checked their injuries. Both were hurt, and traces of snake venom still lingered.Thankfully, Caleb administered the antivenom and kept them under observation in the hospital.Nash instructed Quincy, "Yo
Caleb was doing it on purpose.As soon as he started grumbling, people passing by began glancing in their direction. Back when Nina was not in Nash’s life and Miranda was nowhere near him either, rumors about Nash and Caleb’s relationship had already spread wildly. And now Caleb was stirring things up again!Nash was at a loss for words, his expression quickly hardening as his gaze sharpened. "If you really have a death wish, I don’t mind helping you out."Nash despised being the subject of rumors, especially now that he was happily settled with his family. The thought of false stories circulating about him now was intolerable.Seeing the deadly look in Nash’s eyes, Caleb immediately realized he had pushed too far and dared not say anything more. He could only watch helplessly as Nash walked farther and farther away.When Nash got back to their home at Riverside Estate, even Nina noticed the tension on his face.Alarmed, she asked, "What’s wrong? You didn’t find them?"It had
The uninvited guest was none other than William's mistress, whom he had been supporting outside the family. Back when William was alive, their lives were filled with material comforts. But now that he was gone, things had drastically changed for the worse.To make matters worse, the mistress, Xena York, was visibly pregnant. Standing beside her were William's son and daughter, and their intentions were clear."My beloved man is dead. Even though you didn’t kill him directly, he died because of you. Now our entire family's livelihood is in jeopardy!" Xena sobbed, covering her face dramatically.She also took notice of Nina's slightly swollen belly and raised her voice intentionally, shouting, "You’re pregnant too! You should understand how hard it is for a pregnant woman!"We're barely surviving, that’s why we came to you. We have no other way out…"Xena’s cries grew louder, and her children followed suit, wailing alongside her.Nash instinctively shielded Nina behind him. "Go ups
Xena kept pushing the issue. It was obvious she could not provide the paternity test results and was just trying to squeeze out more money by making a scene. Otherwise, why wouldn’t she follow the proper legal process?Nina, not wanting to waste any more time, raised her voice. "Someone, show them out!""You!" Xena shot to her feet in anger. "Nina, Nash, you’re going too far!""Yeah! My mom’s pregnant. If you stress her out and something happens to her, can you afford to pay for it?" Xena's son chimed in."I’m telling you, if we don’t get money today, we won’t leave! We have no way to survive!" Xena and her children stood united, with Xena even putting on a show of exaggerated pain.But Nina wasn’t falling for it. She turned to the house staff and ordered, "Don’t lay a hand on her. Just call the police and an ambulance.""Yes, ma’am," the staff replied and followed her instructions.Nina then added coolly, "We aren’t family, nor are we friends. Since you refuse to leave, I have
Nina finally breathed a sigh of relief. If Yvonne needed money and came to her for help, there was no problem with that."I’ll bring it to you. Where are you now, or do you want to come and get it?" Nina asked, thinking everything through carefully.Yvonne replied, "Bring it to me, and help me leave Birkham tonight."Yvonne had initially thought about packing her clothes, but on second thought, as long as her account had money, she didn’t need to worry about material things."Okay," Nina agreed, and Yvonne hung up the phone.Shortly after, Yvonne sent her location. It was a hotel. Nina, holding her phone, transferred five million to another bank card. She then turned to Nash and explained the situation, "Can you arrange for a few people to come with me?"Nina had decided that these people would escort Yvonne out of the city.Nash frowned. "You’re not planning to take me with you?""Yvonne wants to see me, and just have a few of your people follow us." It was clear from Nina’s
Joe reached out to Yvonne, his demeanor disturbingly unwell. She had no desire to continue this twisted relationship and screamed, "I don’t need you! Joe, I’ve already contacted my best friend, Nina! You know exactly who she is and her connections. If you dare hurt me, she and her husband won’t let you get away with it!"Joe chuckled dismissively. "But do you really think anyone would believe us? Would you even dare tell anyone, Yvonne? Or maybe you want me to expose our relationship in public?"Yvonne felt completely numb. Joe’s words stirred up memories from the past five years, with days and nights filled with his actions and the sound of his voice echoing in her mind."Ahhh!" She couldn’t take it anymore.Like someone losing her mind, Yvonne grabbed a crystal glass from the coffee table and smashed it to pieces. She picked up one of the shards and pressed it against her neck."Joe, don’t push me. If you keep pushing, I’ll die right here in front of you!"She wasn’t bluffing
After calling Caleb, Nash quickly explained the situation and then instructed the driver to speed up. The whole ride, Joe remained tense. He was glancing at Nina several times, as if considering pushing her away to better protect Yvonne himself. But in the end, he did not. Instead, he fixed his gaze on her with an unreadable expression. Nash noticed but did not ask questions. He was not sure what had happened, and with Joe staying silent, prying would have been pointless. Besides, anything Joe said at this point might not even be the truth.When they arrived at the hospital, Caleb was already there. Before Nash could speak, Nina rushed to Caleb, grabbing his hands, "Caleb, no matter what it takes, you have to save my friend. Please, you must save her."Nash gently pulled her aside, speaking softly to calm her, "I’ve already told him. The person inside is important. He’ll do whatever it takes.""Yes, whatever it takes," Nina said through tears. "I can’t lose Yvonne."Nash held h
“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
After hearing Wilfred’s response, the director could barely contain his excitement. He immediately signed the contract.As he finished, the director couldn’t help but remark, “Dr. Wilfred, I had a feeling you’d be a great ally for our hospital. And now I see I was absolutely right!”Wilfred replied in his usual composed tone, “Well, considering you’ve helped me solve a big problem, it’s only fair I return the favor.”The director froze for a moment. When had he ever helped Wilfred? He had no idea what Wilfred was referring to.Instinctively, he glanced at Karina, catching the fleeting surprise and uncertainty in her expression. Realization dawned, and he let out a hearty laugh. “Dr. Wilfred, you’re too kind! Honestly, Dr. Norman is so talented. She’s hardly a burden. If anything, we’re the ones benefiting.”The rest of the conversation blurred in Karina’s mind. Her thoughts were stuck on Wilfred’s earlier comment, delivered so casually yet carrying so much weight. Was it really
Karina froze for a moment, watching as Wilfred walked through the crowd toward her. He wasn’t wearing his white coat but casual clothes—a khaki turtleneck sweater that softened the sharp angles of his features, paired with tailored pants. The outfit gave off a relaxed, homely vibe, yet the air of aloofness surrounding him remained untouched. If anything, that distance only added to his allure, intensifying the crowd’s fascination and desire to get closer. Wilfred extended a hand to the hospital director. “Dr. Lincoln, thank you for personally greeting me.” “No need for thanks, Dr. Wilfred,” the director said with a chuckle. “It’s a privilege to have someone of your stature visit our hospital. As the director, it’s my duty to show the proper respect.” Their handshake was brief, followed by the usual pleasantries. Karina kept her gaze down, avoiding any indication of familiarity with Wilfred. She guessed he would prefer it that way, and her suspicion was confirmed when