Nina had guessed right. After leaving the doctor's office, Winona made sure someone leaked the news to Yvonne. By that afternoon, Yvonne had learned about her condition from a patient in the room next door.Kidney failure.Her whole world collapsed in an instant. It felt like a form of release, but deep down, she still had a lingering sense of unwillingness.When she came back, she locked herself in the bathroom. Nina received a call from the doctor and rushed to the hospital immediately. Before she could even ask, the doctor explained what had happened. There was no way the patient in the next room could have known about Yvonne’s condition without someone stirring the pot.Nina instantly thought of Winona. Already harboring ill feelings toward her, Nina’s anger surged. She stormed into Joe’ hospital room and grabbed Winona by the collar, demanding, "Why did you do this? Yvonne has never wronged you. Why would you hurt her like this?"Winona signaled her people to pull Nina away
"Of course," Winona replied smoothly. "Think about it, they like Yvonne. Knowing she’s struggling, they’ll definitely agree. Besides, we won’t be taking advantage of them for free, right?"Her words ignited a spark of hope in Joe. After finding an excuse to send Winona away, he made his way to Yvonne’s hospital room.The moment Yvonne saw him, she stiffened in alarm. "What are you doing here? I don’t want to see you. Leave now, or I’ll jump out the window."Joe paused, not daring to move further. He stood at the doorway, his gaze steady. "I’ve found a potential kidney donor for you. Also, I recovered your missing paintings. Just say the word, and I’ll arrange for them to be hung in the exhibit.""There’s no need. I won’t be using them, and I don’t need you to worry about my affairs," Yvonne replied coldly, her tone even more distant than before.Joe’s last shred of hope crumbled into disappointment. After a long silence, he quietly took out a piece of paper and wrote down the cont
As soon as he walked in, Nigel spoke up, "The note is real. We’re going there now."Yvonne looked at him like he was talking nonsense. How could a kidney transplant be that simple? She had already started accepting the reality of her illness and didn’t want to make any more effort to change it.Ignoring her, Nigel picked her up and carried her out."What are you doing? Put me down!" she protested, embarrassed as nurses and patients stared at them. Her face turned red, wishing she could disappear.Nigel didn’t seem to care about the attention and continued carrying her, placing her in the car. Furious, Yvonne demanded, "Do you think this will make me feel grateful or something?"Nigel started the engine. "You’ve got it wrong. I just want you to live. There’s finally hope now, and I don’t want to miss it." He sped up the car, running several red lights as they raced toward the address in the southern part of the city.When they arrived at the location written on the note, they we
Once they were seated, Shelly brought out tea and placed it in front of Yvonne and Nigel. While they were served in nicer cups, Shelly and David used chipped porcelain cups for themselves.Nigel silently observed the scene, watching as the couple continued their act. David began reminiscing about the past, but seeing Yvonne’s confused expression only made Nigel more certain that these two were fakes. They clearly were not the ones selling a kidney, but their true motives remained unclear. "Miss Yvonne, I understand if you don’t remember, but that’s okay. As long as we keep it in our hearts. Go ahead and drink, cold tea is no good," David urged, his eyes misty, performing his role flawlessly.Unaware of the deception, Yvonne raised the cup to drink, but Nigel stopped her, whispering not to drink the tea.David smiled slightly, trying to reassure her. "It’s just a small sip, it won’t hurt you. Besides, would I really harm my own benefactor?"Yvonne, trusting him, took a sip. Sati
Nigel lunged forward and shoved Yvonne out of the way just as the beam crashed down. A sharp scream of pain echoed through the room. It had landed directly on his legs."Nigel!" Yvonne cried out, terrified. She tried to crawl over to him, but before she could reach him, a piece of wood knocked her unconscious.When Yvonne came to, she was back in her hospital bed. A bandage was wrapped around her head and the dull ache reminded her of the injury. The first thing that came to mind was Nigel. She immediately tried to get out of bed to find him.Just as she swung her legs off the bed, Nina walked in. Seeing her trying to get up, she rushed over, gently pushing Yvonne back onto the bed. "What are you doing? You need to rest.""I need to find Nigel. How is he? Please tell me he's still alive," Yvonne begged, clutching Nina's hands. Tears were streaming down her face, soaking the sheets beneath her.Nina wiped her tears and soothed her, "He's alive. But seriously, what were you both thi
Yvonne scolded sharply, "What are you doing? Haven't you caused us enough harm already?"Her words froze Joe in place. He stared at her, stunned, as if he couldn’t process what she had said.Nigel, adding fuel to the fire, pretended to wince in pain. "Ow, it hurts, like a needle stabbing me. Yvonne, can you check if something's wrong with my legs?"Joe immediately pulled the blanket over Nigel’s legs and scoffed, "Nigel, let me call a doctor. Yvonne doesn’t know about these things.""None of your business," Yvonne snapped, not giving Joe any kindness. She stood up and began to carefully examine Nigel's legs, as if handling something precious.Watching her tender care, Joe felt a crushing pain inside, like his heart was being twisted apart. His anger turned to Nigel, who was looking at him smugly, clearly enjoying the moment.Joe clenched his fists but knew he couldn’t lose control. If he did, he would only make Yvonne hate him more.After a long pause, he managed to calm himself
Joe knew that Yvonne's words earlier were mostly to stop him from bothering her, but Nigel wanted to take advantage of the situation. Seeing Yvonne look down without a word, Nigel refused to give up and asked again, "If marrying me would get rid of Joe for good, would you do it?"Yvonne lifted her head, tears welling up in her eyes. "That wouldn’t be fair to you."Nigel let out a bitter laugh. "Fairness doesn’t matter to me. I can see you don’t feel that way about him. Since that’s the case, I like you, and if being your shield is what it takes, so be it."Yvonne choked up, unable to find the right words. And just like that, they agreed to a marriage, a decision that should have been made with more caution.The next morning, when Yvonne told Nina about it, Nina was shocked. She stared at Yvonne in disbelief for a long time before Yvonne gave a bitter smile, and Nina began to understand.Nina took Yvonne's hand and gently urged, "Before this goes public, you should explain things
Late into the night, as Winona was frantically calling around looking for Joe, she received a text message from an unknown number asking for her email, claiming to have some "explosive news."Still fuming, Winona rolled her eyes.Soon after, she received a photo. It was of Joe kissing a woman in a car.Without a second thought, she sent her email to the stranger.A few minutes later, a video appeared in her inbox. It was a clear, high-quality recording of Joe and Yvonne in the car, locked in an intimate kiss. The angles were so precise that if Winona did not know them, she could have mistaken it for some kind of inappropriate film.Furious, Winona grabbed the nearest vase and hurled it to the floor. Still unsatisfied, she began destroying anything within reach, leaving the room in complete disarray.Once her anger was somewhat vented, a new plan sparked in her mind. She picked up her phone and dialed a number. "Is Nigel and Yvonne's wedding tomorrow? Where's it being held? Alri
With about two hours left before the surgery, Karina focused intently on reviewing the patient’s information. She had never taken over a major surgery at the last minute before, and she didn’t want to waste a single second. Wilfred didn’t remain idle either. Leaning forward slightly, he pointed to the patient file with a steady hand. “This patient has coronary artery disease, along with several other complications causing vascular blockages. When he arrived at the hospital, he had already lost consciousness.” He continued in a calm, soothing tone, like the gentle flow of a stream. “Since the patient is over fifty, you’ll need to be particularly mindful during the procedure…” His steady voice eased Karina’s anxiety, giving her a sense of calm she desperately needed. When a knock at the door interrupted them, signaling it was time to head to the operating room, Karina felt more composed. Just as she stood, Wilfred rose with her. “I’ll go with you,” he said. “Having me ther
Wilfred looked at Karina, but in the end, he didn’t say what was on his mind. “How much longer are you going to wrap it?” he asked. Karina snapped out of her thoughts and realized she had nearly mummified his hand in bandages. “Oh, sorry! You were talking to me earlier, and I got distracted. Let me undo some of this.” She carefully unwrapped a couple of outer layers, and the bandaging instantly looked much better. Still, Karina couldn’t help her worried expression. “How did you get hurt? Did you grab the knife directly earlier?” Adjusting the bandages to feel more comfortable, Wilfred replied casually, “No, it just grazed me.” Karina’s brows knit tightly together. She felt an urge to storm down to the police station and give the culprit a piece of her mind. At the same time, she couldn’t understand Wilfred’s calm demeanor. He acted as if being injured was no big deal, his expression unbothered, like this was just another ordinary day. She couldn’t hold back. “You
Without sparing the man another glance, Karina let out a breath of relief as the police quickly left, bringing an end to the chaotic ordeal. Just as she thought she could relax, Yvette appeared nearby, making exaggerated winks and smirks, her face practically screaming curiosity. “Do you have a twitch or something?” Karina asked, raising an eyebrow. Yvette rolled her eyes. “Twitch? Who taught you how to talk? And no, that’s not the point! Spill it—what’s going on with you and the director?” Karina blinked, confused. “What do you mean by what’s going on?” Yvette’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Are you serious? Just now! You two were like all hugged up together! Do you think we’re blind? We all saw it. If you say there’s nothing going on, even a ghost wouldn’t believe you!“I’m telling you, honesty is your best option. Spill the truth now, and our friendship might survive this,” Yvette teased with mock seriousness. Karina’s brain blanked out. Her face flushed bright red
As soon as the man’s attention shifted, Karina acted without hesitation. She lifted her leg and delivered a sharp kick straight to his groin. The man immediately let go, doubling over in pain. Karina didn’t waste a second. She bolted for the door, grabbing anything within reach—a patient file, a water glass—and hurling them at him as she ran, not even pausing to aim. His curses and shouts echoed behind her as she escaped. Just as she darted out the door, she collided with what felt like a wall of solid muscle. Before she could react, large hands gripped her shoulders, holding her firmly in place. Karina didn’t look up. In her panic, she assumed it was one of the man’s accomplices. Terrified, she yelled, “No! Get away from me!” She tried to repeat her earlier tactic, but this time her attempt was blocked. Her heart sank in despair—until a familiar voice came from above her. “Why are you so shaken up? Did someone hurt you?” Karina froze, then looked up and saw Wil
But Karina still felt embarrassed. Noticing this, Wilfred stopped what he was doing, sat back in the driver’s seat, and fixed his gaze on her. In the light, his usually dark eyes softened to a deep, rich brown. His stare made Karina fidget, her heart pounding in her chest. She was certain her face was already bright red. “What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?” Wilfred’s lips curved into a faint smile, so subtle it was almost imperceptible. “If you really want to thank me, hurry up and write a proper thesis.” Thud!Karina’s heart skipped a beat, and any trace of excitement crashed and burned.She was momentarily speechless. How could someone constantly bring up writing a thesis? Wasn’t that the least romantic thing he could say? She completely forgot how flustered she had been moments earlier, unable to even meet Wilfred’s eyes. *Once the lawyer was arranged, the next step was filing a lawsuit with the court. This was beyond Karina’s scope, so she left ev
The woman didn’t mind at all. She knew very well that most people wouldn’t get involved in something like this. Karina’s willingness to help came from her kindness. Even if things didn’t work out, the woman wouldn’t hold it against her. Karina, however, felt a sense of responsibility. After confirming the meeting time with Wilfred, she took the day off, postponing all her work to focus on the matter. When the time came, Wilfred drove to pick her up. *At the café, a man stood and offered his hand. “Hello, Ms. Norman. I’m Attorney Jenkins from Birkham Law Firm. You can call me Jenkins.”Karina shook his hand with a polite smile. “Thank you, Mr. Jenkins. I appreciate you coming all the way from Birkham.”“It’s no trouble. I happened to be in Atlantis for another matter. Besides, when a friend asks for a favor, it’s not something I can refuse.” After a bit of small talk, the group sat down, and the conversation shifted to the case. Since Mr. Jenkins had only been give
“Dr. Norman… my life is so miserable. If I had known it would come to this, I’d rather have died than gotten married. What do I do now? If it were just me, I’d leave everything behind and disappear. But my daughter is only eight years old—she’s still so little,” the woman sobbed. Karina hesitated for a moment. “You do need to consider her…” Suddenly, she thought of Wilfred. Among her own connections, she didn’t know anyone in the legal field. But Wilfred might. Still, since she hadn’t asked him yet, she couldn’t promise anything. For now, she focused on calming both the mother and the child. The little girl was surprisingly mature for her age. At just eight years old and barely into elementary school, she didn’t fully understand the situation or what had been done to her. In her own innocent words, she said, “Daddy just played a little game with me. He said if I didn’t cry, I’d get a reward.” Even so, she understood that her mother was upset because of her. “Mommy,
After leaving the room, Karina quickly patted her cheeks, trying to calm herself down. At the very least, she couldn’t let anyone notice anything was off. “Dr. Norman?” someone called from behind her. She turned to see a woman she recognized as the family member of a former patient. Noticing the child in the woman’s arms, Karina’s expression immediately softened with concern. After a brief exchange, Karina learned that the child’s condition had flared up again. She led them back to her office and conducted a thorough examination. Five minutes later, she reviewed the results with a slight frown. “Her stomach and intestines seem fine. Can you tell me where exactly she’s feeling discomfort?” Karina asked, assuming the mother may have misunderstood or misspoken. But the woman hesitated, stammering nervously. Sensing something deeper was going on, Karina softened her tone. “It’s okay. This is a hospital—we’re here to help. There’s no need to hide anything. Just tell me wha
But Wilfred wouldn’t bother explaining. In fact, he thought it was better to let the misunderstanding linger. The nurse glanced at Karina, then back at Wilfred, her face twisting with humiliation before she turned and fled the room. Karina instinctively stepped aside, avoiding a collision. “For a moment there… I thought I was interrupting something,” she hesitated, her tone uncertain. She couldn’t deny the relief she felt after Wilfred’s firm stance. The suffocating feeling, like someone gripping her throat, had finally dissipated. Her breathing steadied, though a lingering bitterness remained in her chest. She couldn’t help but wonder why the nurse had acted that way. Wilfred looked at her briefly and explained, “I don’t know her. She knocked and let herself in. And not long after, you walked in.” Karina’s expression softened significantly. “Maybe it has something to do with the rumors going around the hospital recently.” Wilfred frowned. Though he said nothi