Karina let out a breath of relief, feeling the timing couldn’t have been better. She didn’t dwell on whether Orion had intentionally bailed her out. It didn’t seem fair to project adult motives onto a child. But in truth, Orion was every bit as clever as his actions suggested. Nina smiled gently as she ruffled Orion’s hair. “I should’ve known you’d be greedy. I didn’t bring you here to snack your way through the hospital.” Karina quickly waved her hands, dismissing any concern. The atmosphere grew quiet for a moment. Nina sat with her head slightly bowed, her calm demeanor radiating a quiet elegance. She reminded Karina of autumn leaves—tranquil and soft. Sitting across from her, Karina couldn’t help but feel inferior. Nina’s effortless grace only highlighted her own unease. Lowering her head, Karina mumbled, “I’m so sorry, Miss Walker. I didn’t expect you to come. I should’ve prepared something in advance. If you’d like, I can step out and get something for you.”
Karina immediately offered, “I’ll see if there are any more tangerines.” “No need, I was just teasing,” Nina replied with a casual wave, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Her relaxed demeanor, paired with her effortless charm, made her shine without even trying. She gave Karina a small smile before leaving. After she left, Fiona approached with a look of awe. “I can see now why everyone believes those rumors. She’s stunning! How could anyone not fall for her? If I were the director, I’d be head over heels too.” Karina’s chest tightened at Fiona’s words, though she couldn’t pinpoint why. Just the thought of Wilfred having someone special made her heart feel heavy and uncomfortable. She said nothing. Fiona, having seen Nina in person and picked up on her genuine demeanor, realized the situation probably wasn’t what the rumors suggested. She wisely dropped the topic of the supposed love child. As for those who continued gossiping, Fiona decided to steer clear, kee
Karina questioned herself. “What am I even thinking? Dr. Wilfred has been so kind to me. What does his personal life have to do with me?”For someone as emotionally oblivious as Karina, the realization hit her hard. She was acting out of character. The subtle closeness she had felt toward Wilfred, born of gratitude, now felt awkward and unwarranted. A pang of guilt surged through her, making her want to retreat entirely. Wilfred, noticing her silence, assumed she had concerns. “Why aren’t you saying anything? If you have any reservations, speak up now. We can deal with them together.” He didn’t like leaving issues unresolved, which was why he offered so openly. But how could Karina let him know what was on her mind? Even imagining the look of disdain that might cross Wilfred’s face if he found out made her feel as though she were being ripped apart from the inside. Steeling herself under his questioning gaze, she forced a smile and said casually, “No concerns. Miss Walk
Wilfred’s gaze soon settled on Karina, sharp and probing. “What’s on your mind?” Karina shook her head but hesitated. “I do have some thoughts… but until I meet the patient in person, they’re just ideas. Dr. Wilfred, you’re the one who taught me that.” She lifted her head, her bright eyes unintentionally glowing with determination. Wilfred’s gaze flickered for a moment, as if momentarily dazzled by her intensity. Resting his hands on his knees, he deliberated briefly before saying, “Then pack your things—we’re going.” Karina blinked in surprise, completely caught off guard. His lips curved slightly. “Didn’t you say it’s best not to jump to conclusions without seeing the real person? Well, let’s go meet them.” It was both an exciting and overwhelming surprise—no, more like a shock. Karina didn’t even know where to start. Should she grab sterilized gloves? Instruments? Maybe her notes? In the end, Wilfred took only her notebook, tossing the rest aside. “These aren
The man’s smile faded slightly, and he curled his lips. “You’re quite protective, aren’t you?” Not wasting words, Wilfred brushed past him and entered the facility, with Karina following closely. As they passed, the man leaned in toward Karina and murmured in a low voice, “I just wonder if the one being protected is actually worth it.” Karina stopped in her tracks, glancing back at him as they reached the elevator. He raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised that she turned around. She met his gaze and said evenly, “Why don’t you wait and see?” Ignoring the sudden spark in the man’s eyes, she stepped into the elevator and took a deep breath.Wilfred glanced at her briefly as she lagged behind but said nothing.*The patient’s room was clean and minimalistic. Wearing hospital-issued pajamas, the patient moved about within a severely limited range—about five steps from the bed to the washroom, no more than ten or so in total. The room was shockingly cramped, barely en
Sweat beaded on the researcher’s forehead as he struggled internally, hesitating for what felt like an eternity. In the end, he caved, allowing them to see the patient. As the researcher scurried away, Karina glanced at Wilfred. “Earlier, you mentioned Dr. Carter and Professor Zeller. Who are they?” Wilfred’s response was calm and straightforward. “Harley Carter, the person you just met. A dual specialist in internal and external medicine with years of overseas training. As for Professor Zeller, he’s a towering figure in the medical field. He’s given lectures at prestigious universities.” “Dr. Carter is his last and most esteemed protégé.” Karina’s heart raced. “Are you talking about Tim Zeller? The Professor Zeller?” Wilfred glanced at her, his tone neutral. “That’s him. What, are you a fan?” Realizing her excitement might have been a bit much, Karina hesitated. Given the earlier tension, it seemed like there might be some conflict between Wilfred and the mentor-prot
The young man smiled faintly but then asked, “Do you know how old I am?” Karina paused, caught off guard. Though unsure why he was asking, she played along. “Twenty?” Looking no older than eighteen, she had deliberately guessed a little high. With his rapid cell division slowing his aging, she figured he might appear a couple of years younger than his actual age. But his smile deepened. “I’m thirty-five. I might even be 10 years older than you.” Karina’s eyes widened in shock. He explained that he was the CEO of a publicly traded company. Because he was already in his thirties yet didn’t age, his family was pressuring him to seek treatment. He was also increasingly uneasy about his condition. “I can’t keep living like this forever. What if I end up becoming some kind of monster?” Hearing this left Karina disoriented. She couldn’t believe it. He didn’t look a day over high school age. For the first time, she truly grasped the saying: appearances can be deceiving.
Karina was more than willing to rest. It had been a while since she felt this exhausted, the kind of tiredness that made her want to stay still for days. After grabbing a cup of instant noodles from the cupboard and finishing it off, she took a quick shower and climbed into bed, ready to sleep for as long as her body needed. But just as she was drifting off, loud knocks on her door startled her awake. The banging grew louder and more insistent. At first, she thought it might be a delivery, but when she opened the door, she was greeted by the sight of Kieran sitting in a wheelchair. Instantly alert, her first instinct was to slam the door shut. “Karina, is that it? You see me and don’t even want to say a word?” Kieran’s hand shot out to block the door. He was strong. No matter how hard Karina pushed with all her might, she couldn’t close the door. Her resistance only seemed to fuel his anger. Grabbing her wrist tightly, Kieran said, “I’m here to talk, that’s all. Let m
And just like that, the conversation fell into a brief silence. Meanwhile, on the other side, Hunter received a call from Yelena. “What did you just say?” Yelena told him that her hand was broken, and on top of that, Liam seemed to be getting suspicious. She wasn’t sure what to do, so she called Hunter for advice. “I don’t really care what happens to you, but at the very least, take care of yourself.“Otherwise, if something else goes wrong later, I’ll have to step in and clean up the mess. Don’t you think so?” Hearing this, Yelena was a little taken aback. “It’s not just about my injury. The real problem is, I’m scared of what he might do now.” Sure, she had taken the two hundred thousand dollars, but she had to stay alive to spend it. At this rate, she wouldn’t even make it through in one piece. “I already told you—protect yourself. If you need anything else, I’ll try to provide it. But right now, I need you to do something for me.” Hunter had been look
“Yes, it’s in that mountain area. If you’re worried, you can go check it out yourself. But as for anything else, we don’t really have much more information.”Compared to everything else, this was the most baffling situation.“You make a good point. But given the current circumstances, I think it’ll be difficult to pull off.”Vera was speaking with the private investigator. Deep down, she was more worried than anything else.“Don’t worry,” the private investigator reassured her. “Aside from what we discussed earlier, nothing else seems too extreme. Plus, we’ve already looked into it pretty thoroughly.”By the time he finished speaking, his expression had grown more complicated.“Alright. I understand.”After hanging up, she anxiously looked straight ahead. If she had been mentally prepared before, now she was starting to feel uneasy. “What’s going on?” Caleb asked while driving, glancing at her. Vera hesitated, debating whether to tell him or not. But seeing the strange
“I only had one surgery today,” Caleb said as he drove, his voice calm but firm. “Now that it’s done, I want to know why this happened.” After that, he said nothing more. Vera sat in silence, her heart uneasy as the car pulled up in front of an upscale club. Even though her hand was already bandaged, she still felt a sting of pain every time Caleb showed concern. “So this is what it feels like to have someone care,” she thought to herself.Back when Vera had been stepped on, her only concern had been the contract—whether the deal would fall apart and if her suffering had been for nothing.If it had been anything else, she probably wouldn’t have cared as much.But Caleb’s concern made it impossible for her to brush aside.It kept lingering in her mind, refusing to let her feel indifferent.“Don’t overthink it,” Caleb said, his voice firm. “Whatever happened between Luna and me doesn’t change the fact that this concerns me too—and I owe it to you to make things right.”
“Oh? So this is the apology you wanted?” Vera’s forehead was covered in cold sweat from the pain, but the two women standing over her barely reacted. As if this was normal to them. As if humiliating her was just another game. “I asked you a question.” Vera remained half-crouched on the ground, her hand still pinned under Luna’s heel. Helena smirked. “Yeah, I’d say that’s good enough.” She hadn’t expected Vera to be this stubborn, but it didn’t matter. With an exaggerated sigh, she casually scribbled her signature onto the contract. The deal was officially secured. Vera didn’t waste another second. She cast one last glance at the two women. “I have no interest in getting involved in your personal drama. As for Caleb and me, that’s between us. We both made our choices.” Luna’s expression twisted slightly. “I won’t bother commenting on your relationship,” she said, voice dripping with disdain. “But don’t think for a second that this will ever earn
The moment Vera heard her assistant’s words, her expression darkened. Her previously calm tone turned firm. “If that’s the case, I understand. But I still have to go. This is my responsibility, and no one else can handle it.” If she didn’t take the lead, the other party would only grow bolder. However, the moment she glanced at the name on the negotiation list, she couldn’t help but frown. Because the person she was supposed to meet wasn’t just anyone. It was Helena Xander. Vera had encountered her before—back when her relationship with Caleb hadn’t yet escalated. Even then, Helena had openly mocked her, saying that since Caleb had been Luna’s devoted lapdog for years, he should know his place and never overstep. She had also thrown a few sharp words at Vera, telling her to recognize her own status—as if warning her that getting involved would only bring trouble. Back then, Vera hadn’t taken it seriously. She never thought she would cross paths with the
“Alright, enough of this. If you’re serious about investigating, you’ll need proper psychological evaluations,” Caleb said nonchalantly.“The best way to assess something like this is through clinical observation—watch for behavioral inconsistencies, memory gaps, or personality shifts. If you can, gather video footage of his daily life. That’s the only way to get a clearer picture. Otherwise, it’s just speculation.”Caleb made the remark casually, then swiftly issued a dismissal.“You came all the way here just to mess with me? What about your own situation? How’s that going?” Caleb’s sarcasm was dry and pointed. Hunter let out a long sigh. “What else could it be? Business as usual. Compared to others, I’m probably the only one with enough patience for this mess.” He was, of course, referring to his ongoing battle with Liam. Caleb gave him a small nod. “Alright, you should get going now. I need to rest. Don’t loiter around here.” Without hesitation, he waved his hand
Vera forced an awkward smile at Hunter before quickly retreating back into the bathroom to change. Hunter, watching her leave, couldn't help but smirk. “You’re really living the good life, huh?” he teased. “Didn’t expect you to have such luck.” Caleb rolled his eyes, clearly uninterested. “Enough with the nonsense. Why are you here? And who exactly were you talking about over the phone?” He didn’t want to entertain pointless banter, especially not about women. If he was being honest, even he couldn’t fully explain his feelings toward Luna. He wasn’t sure what was left between them—was it love, or just the remnants of something that had long turned sour? That pitiful look in her eyes earlier had shaken him. For a fleeting moment, he had wanted to pull her into his arms, to comfort her like he used to. But after so many years of being humiliated and pushed aside, he had forgotten how to even speak to her anymore. So instead, he did what was easiest—he change
Hunter spoke casually, his tone light. “Just someone, that’s all. Do you really need all these details?” Caleb was now certain of his suspicion. “Hunter, did you forget what I do for a living? I’m a doctor. If you’re asking me about this, I need to get a clear picture before I can give you an answer.” Hunter exhaled lightly. “That’s fair, but some things can’t be diagnosed right away.” Based on the information Yelena provided earlier, Hunter was only speculating about Liam. But Caleb was an expert in this area, so he specifically called to ask him.Still, explaining everything over the phone wasn’t going to work. “Forget it,” Hunter said. “This isn’t something I can explain over a call. Where are you? I’ll come over.” Caleb hesitated for a moment before glancing at Vera, who was still beside him. In the end, he gave Hunter the address to his villa. Hunter chuckled. “Haha. I’m surprised. You actually do go home to rest.” Caleb ignored the jab and tossed his p
“Call me Liam.” Before Yelena could finish speaking, Liam cut her off with a sharp, angry voice. She quickly nodded and corrected herself. “Liam, don’t worry. I’ll do exactly as you say. I’ll be good. I won’t make you angry again.” But Liam didn’t care. With a violent shove, he threw her to the ground. Yelena barely had time to brace herself before hitting the cold floor hard, pain radiating through her limbs. Liam, however, just looked down at her with a twisted grin, laughing like she was nothing more than a ridiculous joke. “You’d better learn fast,” he sneered. “And leave your hand broken for a few days—feel the pain properly.” “Alright.” Her voice was quiet, submissive. But Liam wasn’t listening. Without another glance, he turned and walked away. As she watched his retreating figure, Yelena felt a deep sense of dread rise in her throat. Liam wasn’t human. He was something far worse. Her future with him would be nothing short of hell.