Inside the hotel room, the place was a mess. Nina Walker woke up, her entire body sore and achy. She rubbed her temples, preparing to rise, and glanced at the tall figure lying next to her. His strikingly handsome face boasted sharply defined features and deep-set eyes. He remained sound asleep, showing no signs of waking.Nina sat up, the sheets slipping off, revealing faint marks on her fair, sensual shoulders. She got out of bed, bloodstains clearly visible on the sheets.Glancing at the time, realizing she was almost late for work, she grabbed her scattered professional attire from the floor and changed into it. Her stockings were already torn by him. She balled them up and tossed them into the trash, slipping on her high heels. There was a knock at the door. Nina was already neatly dressed, back in her role as an efficient secretary, holding her purse as she headed out. Entering was a pure-looking beauty. Nina had called her. The type that Nash York liked. Nina said, "You ju
Upon hearing the voice, Nina's face jolted with surprise, nearly stumbling.With her balance faltering, her body leaned towards him. Nash felt her body tilting and reached out to steady her by the waist. The scorching warmth instantly reminded her of the scene from last night when he ravaged her recklessly.Nina composed herself, lifting her head to meet his deep gaze. His eyes were too serious, containing both questioning and doubt, as if trying to see through her with just one look. Nina's heart raced rapidly. She dared not hold his gaze for another second, instinctively lowering her head.When he assumed it was the woman from earlier, he flew into a rage. If he were to discover it was her, her fate wouldn't be any better. Yet, she couldn't accept it. If Nash knew it was her, could their marriage last a little longer? She dared not meet his eyes. "Why would you ask such a thing?" Only she knew she was hoping for it.However, Nash chuckled lightly. "You don't have the courage."
She looked up to see Miranda wearing an apron, holding a ladle. Upon seeing Nina, her smile faltered for a moment, then she warmly greeted, "Are you Sally’s guest? I just made some extra soup. Come in and have a seat." Her demeanor was composed, entirely that of the lady of the house. It was as if Nina was the guest from afar. Indeed, before long, she would become an outsider.Nina frowned, feeling deeply repelled. When she married Nash, Miranda even sent a congratulatory letter. It was impossible for her not to know Nina was Nash's wife. Seeing her standing motionless at the door, Miranda quickly came over and took her hand, "A guest is a guest, don't be shy, come in." As she approached, a faint jasmine scent filled the air, the exact same fragrance of the perfume Nash gave her on her birthday last year. She felt her throat ache, and her breathing became heavy, as if there were a thousand pounds on her feet, making it difficult to move. Sally noticed Nina standing there m
"Nina seems to be in a bad mood today. She didn't want to come to deliver the documents, so I had to come instead," Miranda placed her scalded hand in front of him. "Nash, don't blame Nina. I don't think she did it on purpose. I hope it didn't delay you."It was the first time Nina had done something like this with the company's documents in someone else's hands. Nash's expression was grim, but he restrained himself in front of Miranda. He just adjusted his tie and replied calmly, "It's okay." Changing the subject, he added, "Since you're here, stay for a while."Hearing him say this, Miranda felt a sense of relief. At least he accepted her and didn't dislike her. "Aren't you supposed to have a meeting? Will I disturb you?" Nash made a call, "The meeting is postponed for half an hour." Miranda smiled faintly. Before coming, she had wondered if her departure without notice would make him resentful. It didn't seem as bad as she had imagined. Lost time could be made up for. Sitting
Nina stopped in her tracks, her demeanor devoid of the harmony that would typically exist between them as spouses, instead exuding an air of detachment more akin to that of superior and subordinate: "Mr. York, do you have any further instructions?" Nash turned his head, gazing at Nina's somewhat distant expression, his tone carrying a commanding undertone. "Sit down."Nina suddenly couldn't fathom what he intended to do next.Nash approached.As he drew nearer, Nina watched, sensing a difference in the air, making it feel thin, tense, and peculiar.She remained still, but Nash took the initiative to grasp her hand.The warmth of his palm against hers felt like a burn, and she instinctively tried to pull away. However, Nash held her firmly, not giving her the chance to withdraw, pulling her aside instead, his brows furrowed as he asked, "You've injured your hand. Didn't you notice?"His concern caught Nina off guard. "I... I'm fine," she stammered."Your hand has blistered," Na
She saw stars, feeling dizzy all over, only hearing someone urgently saying, "What's going on with you guys? How could such a mistake happen! Nina, Nina..."As the voice faded into the distance, Nina passed out.When she woke up again, Nina was in the hospital, staring at the white ceiling, still feeling woozy and with a severe headache."Nina, you're awake!" Taylor, with red eyes, sat up from the chair, anxiously inquiring about her condition. "Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere? Should I call the doctor?"Looking at her, despite still feeling very weak, Nina subconsciously sat up. "I'm fine. What about the construction site? Are there any other injuries?"Taylor said, "You don't need to worry about the construction site right now. You've got a concussion. You scared me to death. I thought you wouldn't wake up."With that, she started crying again.Taylor was Nina's assistant who always accompanied her. Nina had always taken care of her. She was young and had never encounte
After spending some time at the hospital, she left disheartened with injuries."Nina!"When Nina's best friend, Yvonne Turner, saw Nina’s pale face and the wound on her head, she quickly caught her. "Oh my, where did you get hurt?"Nina remained silent."You were at work during this time, so this must be a work injury," Yvonne said. "Where’s Nash?""I don't know."Yvonne noticed that her expression wasn't good, and it wasn't just about the injury. She sneered, "You've worked diligently for him, injured your head like this, and yet he, as your husband, can't even be found. This husband of yours is as good as dead.""It won't be for much longer.""What? He wants to divorce you?" Yvonne's expression changed."I want to divorce him."Yvonne's attitude changed again. "Then divorce him, right away!" Then she warned her, "Remember to split the property in half. Smart women know that the first step is to get the money. If you have money, you won't be afraid of not finding a good man.
Nina understood his seriousness about work. He wouldn't tolerate even the slightest mistake. But this matter couldn't be blamed on her; he was with Miranda last night at the hospital."You said you were busy and hung up," replied Nina.Nash was silent for a second before pursing his lips. "How did you handle it?" At that time, Nina was already at the hospital, she explained, "There wasn't time to handle it then, I...""Secretary Nina," he said coolly, deliberately using her title rather than acknowledging her as his wife. "I recall your work never having such errors."He emphasized "Secretary Nina," reminding her of her role as his secretary, not his spouse. Nina bit her lip, finding it hard to speak. "Work can still proceed at the construction site; the problem isn't significant, in my opinion.""When problems arise, don't rush to make excuses for yourself. This is something I taught you before," he distanced himself. "Come to the office immediately!"With that, he hung up dec
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 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
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
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
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’
Harley gritted his teeth, glaring at her as if he wanted to press further, but before he could act, Karina was pulled back. Wilfred fixed him with an icy stare. “This isn’t your place to lay a hand on anyone.” “Wilfred!” Ignoring him entirely, Wilfred turned to Karina and asked softly, “Does it hurt?” Her wrist was red, but as she looked at his serious expression, any discomfort seemed to fade. She shook her head. “It doesn’t hurt. With you here, he wouldn’t dare go too far.“Still, there’s no point wasting time on him. Let’s go.” Wilfred nodded. Before leaving, he glanced coolly at Harley and left him with a parting shot. “This bet? I won. Relay this to your mentor and tell him to keep the association’s hands out of Birkham and Atlantis. Otherwise, I won’t hesitate to make sure his reputation is shattered, no matter his age.” With that, they left the corridor. Karina didn’t turn to see Harley’s expression, but as they walked away, she couldn’t help voicing her
At the time, Wilfred had already guessed that this had everything to do with Harley and his mentor, Professor Zeller. “You and your so-called association don’t focus on benefiting patients. Instead, you spend all your time trying to monopolize everything. And now you want to turn me into one of you? Keep dreaming.” Wilfred’s tone was filled with disdain, his eyes cold with contempt. The smug smile on Harley’s face slowly faded. With a sneer, Harley’s voice turned bitter. “You know what I despise most about you? That self-righteous, holier-than-thou attitude of yours. I was offering you advice, but if you don’t want to hear it, fine. There’s nothing more to say. After all, if the surgery fails—” Before he could finish the word “fail,” the surgical light outside the operating room flicked off. Clack!The sliding doors parted, and Karina burst through, her face flushed with emotion. She didn’t even notice Harley. Her focus zeroed in on Wilfred. “Wilfred!” Her voice trem
As the surgery approached, Karina worked overtime, meticulously double-checking for any possible oversights. Before stepping into the operating room, she took a deep breath."Karina, you’ve got this!" a nurse beside her encouraged.This surgery was particularly significant, and the assistants and nurses weren’t from her hospital. They were brought in by the project, specifically by Harley’s team. Without a single familiar face around, Karina felt a twinge of anxiety. Opportunities to lead surgeries were already rare for her, let alone under circumstances like this, with no one she could truly rely on.But there was no turning back now. Gritting her teeth, Karina donned her gloves. As she was about to enter the operating room, her peripheral vision caught sight of a figure standing silently in the distance. It was Wilfred. His steady gaze met hers, his eyes carrying something profound she couldn’t quite decipher. When their eyes locked, a faint smile curved his lips.In th
“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