Why would someone as unbothered by non-work matters as Wilfred suddenly intervene in this situation? Karina didn’t think too deeply about it. She failed to notice that the real reason lay in Wilfred’s reluctance to let Xavier stay at the hospital. After all, the only person Wilfred trusted in the Atlantis hospital was Karina. If Xavier stayed, she would inevitably be the one to care for him. And Wilfred, stationed in Birkham, wouldn’t be able to keep an eye on things. Just the thought of Karina and Xavier spending days and nights together in a place out of his sight, talking and sharing moments, made Wilfred’s gaze grow icy without him realizing it. Meanwhile, Karina, shivering from the sudden chill, blamed the air conditioning or her choice of outfit. She was completely oblivious to the most obvious culprit standing right next to her. The discharge procedures went smoothly. By the afternoon, Xavier’s belongings were packed, and he was ready to leave. Since he was Karina’
Just minutes earlier, Wilfred had watched this person leave with his own eyes. Answering the call, his tone was cold. “Why are you calling?” Xavier’s voice came through, calm but pointed. “Dr. Wilfred, I just wanted to thank you and offer a bit of advice. Not everyone can endure your aloofness and indifference. Sometimes, it wouldn’t hurt to take the initiative.” Wilfred’s grip on the phone tightened, his brows drawing together sharply. “What are you trying to say?” He was already considering hanging up. It was as if Xavier could read his thoughts. “Have you ever considered that maybe the other person isn’t unwilling?” The words struck Wilfred like a bolt. Wilfred could sense Karina’s feelings for him. But his past and his self-awareness painted a starkly different picture of himself—dull, detached, like a withered tree. Others might look at him and think he could bloom again with the arrival of spring, but Wilfred knew better. He had long since withered, lifele
In the medical field, the association referred to here was an elite organization. Its members were either highly reputable figures like Professor Zeller or individuals with exceptionally powerful connections, like Harley. The majority of the association fell into two categories. The first was well-connected individuals who used their influence to secure their positions. The second was a rare group who stayed out of cliques and politics, dedicating themselves solely to their craft. These individuals were admitted into the association based purely on merit and skill. Wilfred had once belonged to this latter group before he chose to leave the association. Karina had learned all this inadvertently from Wilfred, whose brief mentions of the association had piqued her curiosity for a long time. Finally catching sight of the association’s forum, her eyes instinctively lit up. But then her gaze landed on a highlighted post in bold red letters: “How Can an Unknown Nobody Pull Off
Karina had no idea why the association would send her such a letter. The invitation at the end even encouraged her to visit them in person. But instead of feeling flattered, her first thought was suspicion. Was this truly an act of goodwill, or was there something more behind it? Were they targeting her or perhaps Wilfred? Yvette noticed Karina’s lack of enthusiasm and tried to persuade her. “You’re not planning to go? This is an invitation from the association! For newcomers like us, meeting any of those big names is practically impossible.“If you join, everything could change.” Karina shook her head firmly. “I’m not interested at the moment.” “But what about finding a mentor…” “I’ll figure something out,” Karina replied calmly. “Thanks for your concern, but please don’t try to convince me. I don’t have a good impression of the association, and I won’t be joining.” Her tone left no room for further discussion. Yvette wanted Karina to join out of genuine conce
Wilfred coughed lightly and replied, “There’s nothing else to do while staying in the room.” His explanation only made things worse. Karina’s brows shot up immediately. “What do you mean by nothing else to do?” Her expression turned serious, and her tone carried an unusual firmness. “It doesn’t matter. When you’re sick, you need to rest properly. Your book is confiscated. Go lie down.” It was the first time someone had ordered Wilfred around like this, and he found it oddly amusing. Of course, if it had been anyone else, he wouldn’t have listened. Only Karina could manage to sway him. Even so, Wilfred didn’t head to bed but remained seated in his chair. “You mentioned earlier that you came because of something. What is it?” Karina hesitated briefly. “Well, the association sent me an email. I just saw it. They’re inviting me to visit when I have time.” As soon as she finished, she watched Wilfred’s reaction nervously. Knowing his antagonism toward the association
Karina wasn’t eager to turn to the association for help. After all, the people there weren’t just disliked by Wilfred—she couldn’t stand them either. Hesitating, she muttered, “When the time comes, something will work out… right?” Wilfred glanced at her indecisive expression and sighed lightly. He could already tell she hadn’t given the matter much thought. “I figured it’d be like this. I’ve already thought it through for you. If you need a recommendation letter, I’ll write one for you.” “Really?” Karina’s eyes lit up, and she couldn’t suppress the excitement in her voice. She had considered asking Wilfred for help. His reputation and capabilities were unmatched—even those in the association couldn’t hold a candle to him. But Karina had hesitated, feeling like she had already leaned on him for too much. He had helped her in countless ways. Asking for a recommendation letter felt like pushing the boundaries of her gratitude. Her joy didn’t last long before she falte
Wilfred ended up eating two full bowls without realizing it. Only when he couldn’t take another bite did he put his spoon down and wipe his mouth. “The porridge is well made,” he remarked. The housekeeper chuckled. “It’s all thanks to Miss Karina’s idea. And to think I’m a certified nutritionist, but I didn’t come up with something like this. It’s a good thing she was here today!” Karina smiled sheepishly. “It’s just something I learned growing up in a regular household. We didn’t have much, and when I didn’t have an appetite as a kid, I’d make this porridge for myself. I’d always end up eating a lot. So, I figured it might work this time too. I’m glad it turned out well.” The housekeeper insisted she was being modest, showering Karina with praise. Wilfred, watching the simple yet thoughtful meal on the table, felt a rare warmth in his chest. It might not compare to a five-star meal, but knowing that every bite was made with care, specifically for him, made it more satis
Although Karina had no idea what they intended, with Harley already waiting outside her office, she figured she had no choice but to meet him. Taking a few deep breaths to steady herself, she entered her office. Harley stood by the window, examining her pot of red dianthus on the windowsill. Karina frowned. “Dr. Carter, that plant is mine. Please be careful not to knock it over.”As soon as the words left her mouth— Crash!The flower pot toppled off the windowsill, shattering into pieces on the floor. Karina jumped in shock, quickly followed by relief. At least it had shattered indoors and not fallen outside. Someone could have been seriously hurt if it had. But that didn’t stop her from getting angry. “Dr. Carter, what’s the meaning of this?” she snapped, her frustration evident. She had barely finished warning him, and the pot had already fallen. Was that really just an accident?Harley pocketed his hands and apologized with an infuriating nonchalance. “My apo
But instead of feeling touched, Vera’s first reaction was nausea. A wave of discomfort surged up from her stomach, and Vera’s face paled. She bolted for the bathroom. Caleb followed quickly. “Are you feeling sick?” “I don’t think so. I’ve been eating normally—nothing too heavy or weird lately.” Vera clutched her stomach, just as confused as he was. Then, a possibility flashed through her mind. Caleb clearly had the same thought. Without a word, he turned and walked into their bedroom, returning moments later with a pregnancy test. Vera looked at him, stunned. “When did you buy that?” He responded matter-of-factly, “Better safe than sorry.” Vera was momentarily speechless. Five minutes later, she stepped out of the bathroom, her hand instinctively resting on her stomach, her expression a mix of shock and disbelief. It was positive. They had only been married for three months. How did this happen so fast?Caleb, on the other hand, remained composed—at le
Of course, Vera wasn’t about to dump all her responsibilities on her assistant. That would be exploitation. She called her assistant into her office. “You’re twenty-five this year, right?” Her assistant blinked, confused. Wasn’t her age common knowledge? Why was Vera suddenly bringing it up? A thought struck her. Was this an arranged marriage situation? Her face immediately filled with silent refusal. “Miss Vera, I’m still young. I’m not thinking about marriage anytime soon.” Vera tapped her pen against the desk. “I’m not telling you to get married.” “Oh.” “I just want to offload some of the smaller daily tasks to you. You don’t have to run every minor document by me.”Her assistant instantly understood. A raise. After confirming she was on board, Vera gave her a salary bump and had her hire a few more assistants to distribute the workload. “If I don’t have time to handle everything, you guys will take care of it. If something’s too complicated, jus
Vera could sense danger the moment the conversation turned in this direction. Her father had never questioned her about married life, and she was lucky enough to avoid nosy relatives. But just because she hadn’t experienced it firsthand didn’t mean she hadn’t seen it happen to others. Without hesitation, she abandoned the half-folded pastry in her hands. “I... uh, need to use the restroom.” Before she could escape, Mrs. Smith caught her wrist. “You and Caleb aren’t getting any younger,” she said matter-of-factly. “You should start thinking about kids—make sure you’re putting in the effort, hmm?” Vera left the kitchen visibly drained. Mrs. Smith was a wonderful mother-in-law, the kind who treated Vera like her own daughter. Despite knowing Vera came from a well-off family, she had still gifted them a house as a wedding present. Of course, Caleb already owned a place, but his mother had insisted. “That’s your house. This is the home I’m giving you as a weddi
That undeniable possessiveness flickered in Caleb’s gaze—subtle yet impossible to ignore. It was the kind of look a powerful man might give his beloved in an old Hollywood film. And right now, the photographer felt like the unlucky bystander who had accidentally stumbled upon an intimate scene. His voice wavered slightly, caught up in his own imagination. “Mr. Smith, lift your eyes toward the camera.” Caleb’s sharp gaze flickered over, intense and commanding. The photographer instinctively pressed the shutter. They continued with several more poses, reviewing the shots as they went. Vera loved them all, but her favorite was still the vintage-inspired one. “How long until we get the final prints?” she asked. “Two to three days at most,” the photographer replied. “I’ll have them shipped directly to you.” Then, after a slight pause, he hesitated before making a request. “I actually have a personal favor to ask—would you both be open to letting us displa
Vera was tempted. They had already taken plenty of wedding photos—several sets at the island, more at the wedding itself. But this wasn’t just any photo studio. It was privately booked and known for being one of the most prestigious studios in the city. Appointments here were nearly impossible to get. The fact that Caleb had managed to secure a session meant he had gone to great lengths to make it happen. If they were just going to take ordinary wedding pictures, it would be a waste of an opportunity. Still, she wasn’t sure what kind of shoot she wanted. The photographer, understanding her hesitation, pulled out a sample album. “You can take a look at our past work. These are some of the styles we’ve done.” Flipping through the pages, Vera saw an array of stunning concepts—each picture more breathtaking than the last. Then, one particular set caught her eye. A Golden Age Hollywood theme.It was classic, nostalgic, and beautifully atmospheric. “Ca
After the wedding, Vera considered taking some time off for a honeymoon. But the thought quickly faded when she realized Caleb had been practically living at the hospital. With a sigh, she dismissed the idea. She was used to it, but to say she wasn’t disappointed would be a lie. Her assistant picked up on it. “Mrs. Smith, don’t you want to go on a honeymoon?” she asked one day. “One of my friends just got married, and she’s been obsessively researching destinations. “She even said a marriage without a honeymoon is already half a failure.” Vera froze mid-page, suddenly losing interest in the documents she had been reviewing. Her assistant hesitated, then offered a suggestion. “Why don’t you go visit Dr. Smith at work?“You seem… distracted. Maybe seeing him will help.” Vera snapped out of her daze, suddenly aware of how preoccupied she had been lately. It was embarrassing to admit, but she had been zoning out far too often—especially after coming hom
Whenever they did this in the past, Caleb always maintained some restraint. But tonight—he didn’t hold back at all. He took her from the bedroom to the bathroom, then back to the bed, his searing kisses trailing every inch of her skin. The next morning, even as she woke up, Vera could still feel the lingering traces of last night’s intoxicating pleasure. As expected, she ended up taking the day off. It wasn’t until two days later that she finally returned to work. *Everyone at the company had already prepared for this. The moment Vera walked into the office, she was greeted with knowing smiles and teasing remarks. “Congratulations, Mrs. Smith!” “Newlywed bliss, huh?” “Three whole days off? Someone had a good time.” It didn’t take a genius to figure out what she had been up to. Obviously, her married life was going exceptionally well—so well that she had completely abandoned work for it. Under the weight of their mischievous stares, Vera barely k
Yelena still hadn’t accepted Hunter, but he wasn’t giving up either and was relentlessly closing in on her. Knowing Yelena’s soft heart, Vera figured it was only a matter of time before she gave in. She let out a sigh. Her friend’s love life wasn’t something she could interfere with. Besides, Caleb had already given her a little inside scoop. “She came to the hospital for a follow-up a few days ago,” he had mentioned casually. “Hunter was the one who brought her.” Vera had clicked her tongue at the news. Yelena always seemed quiet and reserved, but apparently, she was full of surprises.*Time flew by in the blink of an eye.By mid-month, Caleb had rented out an entire vineyard and spent several days transforming it into the perfect wedding venue.When the day arrived, the celebration took place right there.The vineyard was sprawling and elegant, every bit as grand as any luxury hotel—if not better. Even the wine cellar remained untouched, stocked with years-
“Did you plan this from the start?” Vera narrowed her eyes, feeling like she had just walked into a carefully laid trap. “Mm.” Caleb smiled, then leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. Because yes—he had always been planning this. The biggest change in Vera’s life after the island proposal was the ring now sitting on her finger. It wasn’t just any ring. It was custom-made, something Caleb had specially ordered. She only found out by accident when she glanced at his phone one day and saw the purchase record. It had been ordered two months ago. Vera did the math and was stunned. He had been preparing for this long before she even started getting impatient. Her heart swelled with emotion. And as soon as Caleb’s parents heard that their son had finally proposed, they wasted no time pushing them to get the marriage license. *One day, Vera overheard Caleb’s mother lecturing him. “Your dad and I weren’t expecting much from you. With how much ti