Seeing the two men gearing up to strike again, Karina instinctively reached for Wilfred, ready to pull him away. A little humiliation was better than getting hurt, she thought.The blow Wilfred had taken earlier still made her heart pound with fear just thinking about it. She couldn’t imagine the state of his back now. It was likely bruised and swollen but there was no time to sit down and check. Without hesitation, Karina reached out and grabbed Wilfred’s hand. His wide, warm palm enveloped hers, though she didn’t seem to notice. “Dr. Wilfred, let’s go. The police will handle this when they arrive,” she urged, tugging him gently. Karina didn’t pay attention to the moment, but Wilfred did. Her hand felt so small, so delicate in his, as if he could completely enclose it with just a slight movement. A strange warmth crept into his chest, unsettling him. He pulled his hand free, his voice calm but firm. “There’s no need.” Before Karina could argue, the sound of sirens p
Wilfred’s back was smooth and unblemished, his skin noticeably fairer than most, making the bruises stand out starkly. However, Karina wasn’t distracted and her entire focus was on carefully applying the medication. But for Wilfred, maintaining his composure was far more challenging.The warmth of her breath and the faint tremble of her fingertips felt like a persistent feather brushing over his senses, teasing his composure. For the first time, Wilfred realized just how sensitive his back was, and the discovery filled him with regret. His fists clenched as he silently endured. Suddenly, Karina leaned closer and gently blew on the bruised area. “Does it hurt? I’ll blow on it to make it better.” His entire body stiffened, and in one swift motion, he grabbed his shirt and shrugged it back on, quickly pulling his lab coat over it. His voice came low and firm. “That’s enough. No need for anything else.” Karina froze, her eyes darting around the empty office. It was just t
Karina was startled and quickly grabbed Wilfred's hand, rummaging through her bag for a wet wipe. “How did this happen? Why didn’t you say anything earlier?”Wilfred gently brushed her hand aside, his cool demeanor and tired expression softened under the streetlight. “It’s nothing. Just a small injury. It’ll heal on its own.”“That’s not okay!” Karina shot back, ignoring his resistance as she took his hand and cleaned the wound with the wet wipe. She then pulled out a bandage, her movements precise yet tender.Wilfred watched her in silence, his gaze inscrutable. For a fleeting moment, something flickered in his eyes, as if his thoughts were both present and absent at the same time. Beneath the cold glow of the streetlamp, the air seemed to soften. Wilfred let himself linger in the moment, indulging in the rare warmth of being cared for.*The next day, they confronted Dr. Kerr, a prominent figure in organ transplantation. Dr. Kerr had narrowly lost the hospital's directorial po
Dr. Kerr was quickly taken into custody for investigation, and the truth emerged not long after. What happened to the girl was no accident. He had secretly swapped the liver source.The originally matched donor liver had been replaced, leading to the rejection that ultimately cost the patient her life. Following the revelation, the hospital paid a substantial settlement for Dr. Kerr's actions, though no amount of money could ease the pain of the grieving family. A life lost was irreplaceable.For Karina and Wilfred, the outcome was bittersweet. They felt the sorrow of the situation but could do little more than reflect on it. After Wilfred's name was cleared, he followed through on his promise to Karina. He assigned her to an important research project, one of the hospital's most significant undertakings. The decision was met with resistance.Many colleagues believed Karina was too young and inexperienced for the role. But Wilfred stood firm, defending her. “I chose her. If th
“Send me forty thousand. I need to upgrade to a better wheelchair.”Karina frowned. “Didn’t you just get a new wheelchair recently? Let’s be real, it’s not for the wheelchair, is it? You’re just going to blow it on something else.”Caught off guard, Kieran’s voice rose in anger. “Cut the crap! Just tell me, are you giving me the money or not? Give me forty thousand, and I’ll stay out of your life for a while. Deal?”Listening to his voice through the phone, Karina gripped her phone tightly, regret and frustration bubbling up inside her. No one knew how much she regretted that day. If only she hadn’t gone out, hadn’t gotten into that car, or if she had been the one to die instead. At least then, she would be free. Instead, she was stuck, drained by this family like a parasite that wouldn’t stop until they had sucked her dry.Exhaustion weighed heavily in her voice as she responded, “I told you last time, I don’t have any more money. No matter how many times you ask, the answer wo
Karina handed the menu to Wilfred. “Take a look and let me know if there’s anything you can’t eat.”Wilfred’s reply was brief. “No.”Relieved, Karina took the menu back and carefully selected a few dishes she could afford within her current budget. “How about this?”Wilfred glanced at the choices. His expression was calm as always, but Karina felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her. She couldn’t even lift her head. She had invited him out for dinner, confidently saying it was her treat, yet this was all she could afford. “He must think so little of me,” she thought. But before her thoughts could spiral further, Wilfred withdrew his gaze. “This is fine, but you don’t need to factor in my preferences so much. Order whatever you like.” Karina flushed, realizing he had seen right through her. She had indeed chosen the dishes based on what she thought he would like. The food arrived quickly. Karina, ever attentive, handed Wilfred a set of utensils. “This restaurant h
Karina had never seen that particular look in Wilfred's eyes before. The emotions were subtle, hidden beneath the surface, almost imperceptible unless one paid close attention. Having spent so much time by his side recently, she had grown adept at reading his subtle expressions.“Sorry, Dr. Wilfred, have I caused trouble for you again?” she asked hesitantly, her guilt written all over her face.Wilfred lifted his gaze, ready to deliver a prepared response. Yet, faced with her earnest eyes, his words faltered, and what he finally said was, “From now on, you don’t need to call me ‘Dr. Wilfred’ every time.”“Then what should I call you? Mr. Wilfred?” she asked tentatively.“Just my name.”Wilfred’s voice was calm as he used his knife and fork to cut into his steak. His dark lashes framed eyes that seemed to glimmer with depth, as if they held secrets untold. Despite his cool demeanor, Karina felt a small surge of satisfaction and smiled. “Alright. At the hospital, I’ll call y
Karina’s grip loosened instantly, her eyes filled with disbelief. “What did you just say?” How could they possibly know... Could it be the intern? But hadn’t she already left the hospital?The nurse smirked and shook her hand dismissively. “Oh, you didn’t know? Go check online yourself. Someone’s already exposed all your shameful secrets.” Boom! Karina staggered back, her face pale as a sheet. It took all her strength just to steady herself. With trembling hands, she pulled out her phone. Her movements were frantic, her urgency barely concealed. In her mind, she prayed over and over again, begging it not to be true. But reality wasn’t kind. Karina unlocked her phone, and an overwhelming flood of messages and trending headlines popped up. The words “secretly taking photos” leapt off the screen, stabbing her like a blade. Her limbs turned to jelly, and she nearly collapsed under the weight of the revelation. One of the nurses sneered, her voice dripping with m
Kieran didn’t see it that way. “Of course, it benefits me. Look at you! You came back, didn’t you? Regretting not giving me that 40,000 yet? You could’ve saved us both the trouble if you’d just handed it over earlier.” “You—” “Now it’s 100,000,” Kieran interrupted, reclining smugly in his wheelchair. “You want the trending posts gone, don’t you? Pay up—100,000, not a penny less. Otherwise...” His voice dropped, laced with menace. “I’ve still got a few things up my sleeve.” The blatant threat made Karina’s hands tremble, her voice quivering as she spoke. “One hundred thousand? Wasn’t it forty just a few days ago?” Kieran sneered. “That was the old price. It’s 100,000 now, take it or leave it.” Karina could taste blood in her mouth. Her lips had been bitten raw without her noticing. Rage and utter disappointment overwhelmed her. This was her family. Twenty years of being with them, and all they had ever done was take. They had given her nothing in return. Her mind wa
Wilfred pondered briefly after hearing Karina's words. “I’m coming with you. Don’t rush to refuse. After what happened last time, I don’t think I need to remind you of the situation. If I hadn’t been there, leaving the Stone family might not have been so easy.”Karina couldn’t argue, especially when she remembered Kieran’s aggressive demeanor during her last visit. She took a deep breath and smiled faintly. “I’ll have to trouble you again, Dr. Wilfred.”Wilfred’s lips curved into a faint smile. True to his word, he personally drove Karina to the Stone residence that very day.As they arrived, Karina stopped at the door. “You can wait here. If things get bad, you can come in.”Wilfred glanced at her phone. “Keep the phone on you.”Karina held it up for him to see. She had already set him as her emergency contact. “If anything happens, I’ll call right away.”Prepared, Karina used the key she still had to open the door and walked in.The moment she stepped inside, Mr. Stone’s face
Karina felt the need to clarify. “It’s not because of what they’re saying about me. It’s… something else.”She left the rest unsaid, but Wilfred had already pieced it together. He had seen the trending posts online, and after hearing the truth from her a few days ago, everything made sense.The online rumors didn’t just accuse her of secretly taking photos. They delved into her past, exposing videos and photos of her working multiple part-time jobs day and night. The posts claimed she came from a poor background and insinuated that her position at the hospital was only secured by leveraging a powerful benefactor.It didn’t take much to infer that the “benefactor” in question was him.Karina’s past wasn’t common knowledge in the hospital. Even Wilfred only learned about it through her explanation. The only people who could expose such private details were her own family. Wilfred’s gaze softened with an almost imperceptible hint of pity. She had sacrificed her youth working hersel
Karina’s grip loosened instantly, her eyes filled with disbelief. “What did you just say?” How could they possibly know... Could it be the intern? But hadn’t she already left the hospital?The nurse smirked and shook her hand dismissively. “Oh, you didn’t know? Go check online yourself. Someone’s already exposed all your shameful secrets.” Boom! Karina staggered back, her face pale as a sheet. It took all her strength just to steady herself. With trembling hands, she pulled out her phone. Her movements were frantic, her urgency barely concealed. In her mind, she prayed over and over again, begging it not to be true. But reality wasn’t kind. Karina unlocked her phone, and an overwhelming flood of messages and trending headlines popped up. The words “secretly taking photos” leapt off the screen, stabbing her like a blade. Her limbs turned to jelly, and she nearly collapsed under the weight of the revelation. One of the nurses sneered, her voice dripping with m
Karina had never seen that particular look in Wilfred's eyes before. The emotions were subtle, hidden beneath the surface, almost imperceptible unless one paid close attention. Having spent so much time by his side recently, she had grown adept at reading his subtle expressions.“Sorry, Dr. Wilfred, have I caused trouble for you again?” she asked hesitantly, her guilt written all over her face.Wilfred lifted his gaze, ready to deliver a prepared response. Yet, faced with her earnest eyes, his words faltered, and what he finally said was, “From now on, you don’t need to call me ‘Dr. Wilfred’ every time.”“Then what should I call you? Mr. Wilfred?” she asked tentatively.“Just my name.”Wilfred’s voice was calm as he used his knife and fork to cut into his steak. His dark lashes framed eyes that seemed to glimmer with depth, as if they held secrets untold. Despite his cool demeanor, Karina felt a small surge of satisfaction and smiled. “Alright. At the hospital, I’ll call y
Karina handed the menu to Wilfred. “Take a look and let me know if there’s anything you can’t eat.”Wilfred’s reply was brief. “No.”Relieved, Karina took the menu back and carefully selected a few dishes she could afford within her current budget. “How about this?”Wilfred glanced at the choices. His expression was calm as always, but Karina felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her. She couldn’t even lift her head. She had invited him out for dinner, confidently saying it was her treat, yet this was all she could afford. “He must think so little of me,” she thought. But before her thoughts could spiral further, Wilfred withdrew his gaze. “This is fine, but you don’t need to factor in my preferences so much. Order whatever you like.” Karina flushed, realizing he had seen right through her. She had indeed chosen the dishes based on what she thought he would like. The food arrived quickly. Karina, ever attentive, handed Wilfred a set of utensils. “This restaurant h
“Send me forty thousand. I need to upgrade to a better wheelchair.”Karina frowned. “Didn’t you just get a new wheelchair recently? Let’s be real, it’s not for the wheelchair, is it? You’re just going to blow it on something else.”Caught off guard, Kieran’s voice rose in anger. “Cut the crap! Just tell me, are you giving me the money or not? Give me forty thousand, and I’ll stay out of your life for a while. Deal?”Listening to his voice through the phone, Karina gripped her phone tightly, regret and frustration bubbling up inside her. No one knew how much she regretted that day. If only she hadn’t gone out, hadn’t gotten into that car, or if she had been the one to die instead. At least then, she would be free. Instead, she was stuck, drained by this family like a parasite that wouldn’t stop until they had sucked her dry.Exhaustion weighed heavily in her voice as she responded, “I told you last time, I don’t have any more money. No matter how many times you ask, the answer wo
Dr. Kerr was quickly taken into custody for investigation, and the truth emerged not long after. What happened to the girl was no accident. He had secretly swapped the liver source.The originally matched donor liver had been replaced, leading to the rejection that ultimately cost the patient her life. Following the revelation, the hospital paid a substantial settlement for Dr. Kerr's actions, though no amount of money could ease the pain of the grieving family. A life lost was irreplaceable.For Karina and Wilfred, the outcome was bittersweet. They felt the sorrow of the situation but could do little more than reflect on it. After Wilfred's name was cleared, he followed through on his promise to Karina. He assigned her to an important research project, one of the hospital's most significant undertakings. The decision was met with resistance.Many colleagues believed Karina was too young and inexperienced for the role. But Wilfred stood firm, defending her. “I chose her. If th
Karina was startled and quickly grabbed Wilfred's hand, rummaging through her bag for a wet wipe. “How did this happen? Why didn’t you say anything earlier?”Wilfred gently brushed her hand aside, his cool demeanor and tired expression softened under the streetlight. “It’s nothing. Just a small injury. It’ll heal on its own.”“That’s not okay!” Karina shot back, ignoring his resistance as she took his hand and cleaned the wound with the wet wipe. She then pulled out a bandage, her movements precise yet tender.Wilfred watched her in silence, his gaze inscrutable. For a fleeting moment, something flickered in his eyes, as if his thoughts were both present and absent at the same time. Beneath the cold glow of the streetlamp, the air seemed to soften. Wilfred let himself linger in the moment, indulging in the rare warmth of being cared for.*The next day, they confronted Dr. Kerr, a prominent figure in organ transplantation. Dr. Kerr had narrowly lost the hospital's directorial po