Karina was trembling with anger at Wendy’s mother’s behavior. It wasn’t about meddling; it was about protecting her hard work. This was a patient she had painstakingly helped to recover. Who wouldn’t be furious if the progress they’d worked so hard for was undone by a few careless words? Just days ago, Wendy had been smiling with a healthy flush to her cheeks, but after her mother’s visit and a few cutting remarks, she was pale and withdrawn again. This couldn’t go on. Karina made up her mind. Wendy’s mother had to go. “I don’t care about the rest, but this is a hospital. Even if you’re her family, you have no right to interfere with her care. Here, only the doctors make the decisions,” Karina said firmly, her tone leaving no room for argument. She had already noticed that Wendy’s mother was the type to bully the weak but cower before strength. As expected, her harsh stance left Wendy’s mother visibly flustered, her expression shifting between fury and frustratio
Wendy replied nonchalantly, “About a million or so.” Karina froze on the spot. “Looks like I’m the fool here,” she thought to herself.She had assumed Wendy was talking about a modest amount of pocket money. She had completely forgotten Wendy wasn’t an ordinary teenager. Her father was a CEO, and her mother was a designer. Of course, she wasn’t going to have “normal” pocket money. Karina’s thoughts were a whirlwind of emotions, but in the end, she pushed the card back toward Wendy. “No way. It doesn’t matter how much. It’s still not right for me to accept it. Doctors can’t accept bribes from their patients.“And since you said there’s over a million in this card, there’s really no way I can take it. If I did, I’d lose my license, get fired, and probably go to jail.” She exaggerated the consequences just a bit, but not entirely. Accepting bribes could really lead to those outcomes. Wendy hesitated, clearly rattled by the serious tone. After a moment, she took the card back
Wendy lit up with joy when she saw her grandmother. “Grandma, aren’t you supposed to be away?” “Oh, my precious Wendy!” Her grandmother exclaimed, immediately noticing the changes in her granddaughter. “Look at you, how did you get so thin? Has someone not been taking good care of you?” She cast a sharp glance at the middle-aged man beside her. The man could only manage an awkward smile and a half-hearted excuse. “I’m sorry, Wendy. Dad’s been so busy with work.” Wendy’s grip on her grandmother’s hand tightened. She wasn’t the naive girl she used to be, blindly believing whatever excuses were fed to her. What work could possibly be more important than one’s own child? It was nothing but an excuse. Karina was right—people who didn’t value her simply weren’t worth her energy. Ignoring her father completely, Wendy led her grandmother over to Karina. “Grandma, Dr. Karina has been taking such good care of me,” she said. “Whenever I needed something, it was always her who
“You sent that girl away? I honestly thought you’d keep her around, maybe even adopt her,” Yvette teased. Karina choked on her water, launching into a series of startled coughs. “Adopt her? What nonsense are you talking about? She’s an adult! How would that even work?” The thought alone was absurd. Adopting a grown woman? Not only was it unfeasible, but considering their earlier dynamic as semi-rivals, it was outright bizarre. Just imagining it gave Karina goosebumps. Yvette, unfazed, leaned lazily against Karina’s desk, sipping from her water cup like she hadn’t just said something ridiculous. “Anyway, I heard you’ve taken on a new research project?” Karina shot her a skeptical glance. “How do you always hear about these things so quickly?” Yvette smirked. “Please, who do you think I am? They call me the *Queen of Internal Medicine Gossip.* Now, spill!” Karina sighed, a trace of resignation on her face. “Yes, I’ve been selected for a project, but nothing’s been final
Although Karina found out a little earlier than planned, it didn’t make much of a difference. She beamed with excitement. “So, I’ll go home and start packing today?” “You can. Also, take a look at this.” Wilfred slid a folder across the desk. “It’s the profile of the company we’ll be visiting.” Karina picked it up and flipped through a few pages, muttering to herself, “HeShare Pharmaceuticals... Doesn’t really sound like an international company.” Wilfred nodded. “It’s not. It was actually founded by two Birkhamese entrepreneurs. One of them, the chairman, Mr. Hall, had a stroke last year. Since then, the company’s operations have been handed over to his son-in-law.” “What about the vice-chairman?” she asked, curious. “He’s been uninvolved for years. You don’t need to worry about him.” Wilfred’s expression gave nothing away, his tone steady. Karina shrugged, uninterested in company politics. What she really cared about was whether their groundbreaking cancer drug w
Yvette's excitement was growing, her mind racing at the thought of flying business class.But when she turned her head, her eyes landed on Karina and Wilfred.Karina was looking up at him, sharing something that made her smile, while Wilfred gazed down at her with a soft, unguarded expression. There was an effortless tenderness in his eyes that he didn’t seem aware of. Together, they looked so harmonious, like a scene straight out of a painting.As Yvette stood there observing, Karina was completely oblivious to her gaze. She was busy sharing a funny story with Wilfred.“When I was going through security just now, I saw this guy carrying a huge bottle of fresh milk. The staff told him he had to take a sip. But instead of just taking a sip, he chugged the entire thing! Then he kept burping for ages—it delayed the whole line!”Wilfred chuckled softly, indulging her humor.As they prepared to board, he turned to Karina. “You go ahead and find your seat. I’ll take care of the luggage
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."
Yvette's excitement was growing, her mind racing at the thought of flying business class.But when she turned her head, her eyes landed on Karina and Wilfred.Karina was looking up at him, sharing something that made her smile, while Wilfred gazed down at her with a soft, unguarded expression. There was an effortless tenderness in his eyes that he didn’t seem aware of. Together, they looked so harmonious, like a scene straight out of a painting.As Yvette stood there observing, Karina was completely oblivious to her gaze. She was busy sharing a funny story with Wilfred.“When I was going through security just now, I saw this guy carrying a huge bottle of fresh milk. The staff told him he had to take a sip. But instead of just taking a sip, he chugged the entire thing! Then he kept burping for ages—it delayed the whole line!”Wilfred chuckled softly, indulging her humor.As they prepared to board, he turned to Karina. “You go ahead and find your seat. I’ll take care of the luggage
Although Karina found out a little earlier than planned, it didn’t make much of a difference. She beamed with excitement. “So, I’ll go home and start packing today?” “You can. Also, take a look at this.” Wilfred slid a folder across the desk. “It’s the profile of the company we’ll be visiting.” Karina picked it up and flipped through a few pages, muttering to herself, “HeShare Pharmaceuticals... Doesn’t really sound like an international company.” Wilfred nodded. “It’s not. It was actually founded by two Birkhamese entrepreneurs. One of them, the chairman, Mr. Hall, had a stroke last year. Since then, the company’s operations have been handed over to his son-in-law.” “What about the vice-chairman?” she asked, curious. “He’s been uninvolved for years. You don’t need to worry about him.” Wilfred’s expression gave nothing away, his tone steady. Karina shrugged, uninterested in company politics. What she really cared about was whether their groundbreaking cancer drug w
“You sent that girl away? I honestly thought you’d keep her around, maybe even adopt her,” Yvette teased. Karina choked on her water, launching into a series of startled coughs. “Adopt her? What nonsense are you talking about? She’s an adult! How would that even work?” The thought alone was absurd. Adopting a grown woman? Not only was it unfeasible, but considering their earlier dynamic as semi-rivals, it was outright bizarre. Just imagining it gave Karina goosebumps. Yvette, unfazed, leaned lazily against Karina’s desk, sipping from her water cup like she hadn’t just said something ridiculous. “Anyway, I heard you’ve taken on a new research project?” Karina shot her a skeptical glance. “How do you always hear about these things so quickly?” Yvette smirked. “Please, who do you think I am? They call me the *Queen of Internal Medicine Gossip.* Now, spill!” Karina sighed, a trace of resignation on her face. “Yes, I’ve been selected for a project, but nothing’s been final
Wendy lit up with joy when she saw her grandmother. “Grandma, aren’t you supposed to be away?” “Oh, my precious Wendy!” Her grandmother exclaimed, immediately noticing the changes in her granddaughter. “Look at you, how did you get so thin? Has someone not been taking good care of you?” She cast a sharp glance at the middle-aged man beside her. The man could only manage an awkward smile and a half-hearted excuse. “I’m sorry, Wendy. Dad’s been so busy with work.” Wendy’s grip on her grandmother’s hand tightened. She wasn’t the naive girl she used to be, blindly believing whatever excuses were fed to her. What work could possibly be more important than one’s own child? It was nothing but an excuse. Karina was right—people who didn’t value her simply weren’t worth her energy. Ignoring her father completely, Wendy led her grandmother over to Karina. “Grandma, Dr. Karina has been taking such good care of me,” she said. “Whenever I needed something, it was always her who
Wendy replied nonchalantly, “About a million or so.” Karina froze on the spot. “Looks like I’m the fool here,” she thought to herself.She had assumed Wendy was talking about a modest amount of pocket money. She had completely forgotten Wendy wasn’t an ordinary teenager. Her father was a CEO, and her mother was a designer. Of course, she wasn’t going to have “normal” pocket money. Karina’s thoughts were a whirlwind of emotions, but in the end, she pushed the card back toward Wendy. “No way. It doesn’t matter how much. It’s still not right for me to accept it. Doctors can’t accept bribes from their patients.“And since you said there’s over a million in this card, there’s really no way I can take it. If I did, I’d lose my license, get fired, and probably go to jail.” She exaggerated the consequences just a bit, but not entirely. Accepting bribes could really lead to those outcomes. Wendy hesitated, clearly rattled by the serious tone. After a moment, she took the card back
Karina was trembling with anger at Wendy’s mother’s behavior. It wasn’t about meddling; it was about protecting her hard work. This was a patient she had painstakingly helped to recover. Who wouldn’t be furious if the progress they’d worked so hard for was undone by a few careless words? Just days ago, Wendy had been smiling with a healthy flush to her cheeks, but after her mother’s visit and a few cutting remarks, she was pale and withdrawn again. This couldn’t go on. Karina made up her mind. Wendy’s mother had to go. “I don’t care about the rest, but this is a hospital. Even if you’re her family, you have no right to interfere with her care. Here, only the doctors make the decisions,” Karina said firmly, her tone leaving no room for argument. She had already noticed that Wendy’s mother was the type to bully the weak but cower before strength. As expected, her harsh stance left Wendy’s mother visibly flustered, her expression shifting between fury and frustratio
Karina didn’t resist. The scent was too familiar—so familiar that she didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. Of course, there was another reason she didn’t want to look back. She wasn’t in a good mood. She tugged at the jacket draped over her shoulders. “I was just thinking about something I once heard,” she said softly. Wilfred stayed silent, waiting for her to continue. “They say hospitals hear more prayers than churches. I never understood it before, but now, as someone on the inside, I do.” Karina’s voice carried a quiet sadness, tinged with melancholy. Wilfred’s chest tightened at her words. Without thinking, he pulled her into a gentle embrace. Both of them froze for a moment, caught off guard by his action. But neither moved to pull away. Instead, they relaxed, a shared silence settling between them. In that moment, it felt as though the invisible barrier that had always been there had quietly dissolved. Karina finally let her thoughts spill ou
Professor Cruz assured Karina that he would do his best to convince Professor Zeller to reconsider. Even if that didn’t work, he promised to personally approve her paper for publication. Karina was deeply grateful, but her gratitude extended even more to Wilfred, who had made this meeting with the professor possible. On the way back, she pondered how she could thank him. Wilfred didn’t seem to lack anything, and no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t decide what to get him. Her musings were interrupted by an urgent phone call from Wilfred. “Have you left Professor Cruz’s office yet?” he asked, his voice tinged with urgency. “I have. What’s wrong?” she replied, sensing something was wrong. “I’ve been called out for an emergency consultation, but I just got a call from the rehab center. Wendy attempted to hang herself. She’s likely in the ER by now.” “What?” Karina’s grip on her phone tightened. Without hesitation, she said, “I’ll head there right away
“Come, sit down. I hear you’re one of Wilfred’s students? I know him well. His students are practically my own,” Professor Cruz said with a warm smile the moment Karina sat down, catching her off guard. “You know Dr. Wilfred?” she blurted out, then immediately realized how silly the question sounded. Of course, they knew each other. How else could Wilfred have arranged for her to attend the lecture? Professor Cruz chuckled, unbothered by her slip. Instead, he found her straightforwardness rather refreshing. As he looked at her, he let out a sigh, seemingly lost in thought. “Good, good… I had thought that kid might…” He trailed off, speaking more to himself than to Karina. Karina didn’t catch his last comment. “I hear from Wilfred that you’re here to discuss your paper?” Professor Cruz asked, steering the conversation back. “Did you bring it with you?” “Yes, I did,” Karina said quickly, pulling out her paper with care and handing it over. Professor Cruz slipped on a