If Harley had never seen Karina’s genuine smile, perhaps he wouldn’t have noticed. But he had seen how she smiled at Wilfred, so radiant and pure it could light up a room. In contrast, her cold indifference toward him was painfully stark.Sliding the key into the ignition, Harley glanced at her through the rearview mirror. “Can’t you at least crack a smile? All this frowning—it’s hard to look at.”Karina didn’t even bother turning her head. “I’m a doctor, not here to provide entertainment. If you’re that desperate for a smile, hit up a bar tonight. You can pay someone to grin at you all you want.”Harley froze, his expression darkening ever so slightly. For a moment, he was genuinely at a loss for words. Apart from Wilfred, no one else had ever managed to leave him speechless quite like this.Karina remained oblivious or perhaps indifferent to the fact that she had joined Wilfred in Harley’s mental list of thoroughly disliked people. And even if she knew, it wouldn’t have fazed her
Karina wasn’t naive enough to take Professor Zeller’s words as a compliment. Given his position and history with Wilfred, it was far more likely he was testing her or subtly undermining her. Still, Karina knew how to hold her ground. “So, Professor Zeller,” she began calmly, though her nails were already digging into her palms, leaving crescent-shaped imprints. “Why exactly did you call me here? I have responsibilities back at the hospital, and I’d prefer not to waste time.” Professor Zeller raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into an amused smirk. “You’re quite fond of your current job, aren’t you?” “Yes, I am.” Karina’s voice was steady, though her body was tense. She couldn’t afford to offend him—not someone with his influence. Zeller studied her in silence for a moment, then tilted his head with a thoughtful frown. “There’s something familiar about you... but I can’t quite place it.” Karina blinked, caught off guard, but before she could ask, he shook his head. “N
Karina heard Harley’s parting word, but she didn’t stop walking. She already had someone like Wilfred who dared to stand up against authority. She wasn’t alone in her fight. When she returned, Yvette bombarded her with questions about her visit to the association. Karina chose to gloss over certain details, recounting only the less controversial parts. Even that left Yvette in awe. "You actually turned them down? You really did? Gosh, I admire you!" Yvette exclaimed.Karina swatted Yvette’s exaggerated thumbs-up. "Cut it out. I’m barely holding it together. I was so nervous."Yvette’s face twisted in mock disappointment. "You? Nervous? Where’s all that boss energy you walked in here with?""Boss energy? More like trembling cowardice," Karina retorted with a wry smile. "I was barely holding my knees steady in there."“No wonder people used to bow down to authority back in the day,” she thought. Standing her ground in front of someone like Professor Zeller had been nearly impos
Hearing Wilfred’s suggestion, Karina was stunned for a moment. After some careful thought, she shook her head. “No, I’d rather not.”Now it was Wilfred’s turn to be caught off guard.“Switching back and forth isn’t a solution. Looking back, I shouldn’t have left in the first place. Were those people really capable of doing anything to me? Probably not. I just wanted to avoid trouble,” Karina said slowly.A person’s family would have a way of shaping their personality, and Karina’s upbringing with the Stone family had left her overly cautious—afraid of causing trouble or confronting conflict. But now, after everything she’d been through, she wasn’t scared anymore. Trouble was just trouble. She could handle it. “I’ll face whatever comes my way,” she added. “If it’s a challenge, I’ll rise to it.” When she shared her thoughts, there was silence on the other end of the line. Worried she might have disappointed him, Karina hesitated. “Did I let you down?” “No.” Wilfred’s quiet
After Yvette finished her rant, she finally got to the point.Karina learned that Dr. Lincoln had transferred out, leaving a vacant spot for a new director at the hospital.“So someone new is being transferred in,” she mused, absentmindedly nibbling on her pen. “I wonder who it could be.”But even Yvette, the self-proclaimed hospital gossip queen who usually knew everything, was stumped this time.“For once, I’ve got nothing,” she admitted, crossing her arms. “But I’ll bet you anything—they must have serious connections. Someone like that doesn’t just fly under the radar.”Karina just shook her head. Gossip wasn’t really her thing. She usually listened and moved on without a second thought. This time was no different. To her, it didn’t really matter who the new director was. After all, what were the odds it would be someone she knew?She would soon find out just how wrong she was.Not only did she know the new director, but she knew him very well. On his first day, Karina
Wilfred paused for a moment after hearing Karina’s suggestion, then nodded. “Sure. Let me grab my coat.”Karina didn’t think much of it at first. But when they arrived at the house, she realized it was the same one he had been borrowing last time. Surprised, she asked, “Weren’t you just renting this from a friend? You’re still staying here?”“Not renting anymore,” Wilfred replied casually, his eyes flicking toward her, a rare glimmer of something unspoken in them. “I bought it from him.”Karina didn’t catch the look. She didn’t know much about Wilfred’s circle of friends, nor did she pry.Inside, the same housekeeper from before greeted them. Familiarity made her more relaxed this time, and she didn’t try to stop Karina from stepping into the kitchen. But halfway through the preparations, Karina discovered a problem—no gas, and the fridge was nearly empty.The housekeeper smacked her forehead. “Oh no, I forgot to restock! I’ll run out and grab some now.”“No, we’ll go,” Wilfred i
Karina stood frozen in shock, just like everyone else. She didn’t snap out of it until Wilfred gently pulled her aside, her cheeks glowing bright red. Noticing her flushed face, Wilfred gave her a meaningful look and casually asked, “Why is your face so red? Are you running a fever?” As he spoke, he reached out toward her forehead. Karina panicked and quickly dodged him. She wasn’t sick. She just knew that if he touched her, her face would turn an even deeper shade of red. “I’m fine. Maybe it’s just the heat and humidity,” she mumbled, fanning herself as if she were uncomfortably warm. Wilfred watched her, clearly seeing through her little act but choosing to keep his amusement to himself. He recalled Xavier’s suggestion to take the initiative. What a brilliant idea. That evening, Karina put her skills to the test and prepared a platter of garlic butter crab. Wilfred happily indulged, eating several pieces with obvious enjoyment. *Wilfred quickly settled into his
Even though Karina dismissed the situation lightly, it didn’t stop the rumors from spreading around the hospital. Gossip sprang up out of nowhere, speculating that she had a personal relationship with Wilfred and had only gotten her opportunity through backdoor connections. The details were so vivid, it almost seemed believable. Yvette was furious. “Seriously? If they’re jealous, they should just admit it. Why do they have to sneak around and spread petty rumors behind your back?” Karina, however, remained calm and even comforted her. “Don’t be upset. Here, have some tea to soothe your throat.” She handed Yvette a cup of tea from a recent online purchase. It was advertised as premium oolong tea, though she wasn’t sure how good it really was since she hadn’t tried it yet. This seemed like the perfect chance to give it a taste. Yvette, coaxed into it, took a sip. Smacking her lips, she suddenly realized something was off. “Hey, they’re talking about you! Aren’t you even a l
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.