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
Karina could definitely manage on her own. She was motion sick, not incapacitated. Still, this side of Wilfred was unfamiliar to her. Seeing his face so close, she couldn’t help but notice how attentive he was. Her cheeks burned, and though she didn’t reach up to touch them, she knew they must be flushed. “I can handle it myself,” she muttered, sitting up to take the water and swallow the medicine he’d brought. The medicine didn’t work instantly. Exhaustion and dizziness overtook her again, and she lay back down, drained. Her head throbbed, her stomach churned, and sleep seemed like the only escape. Wilfred, clearly aware of her discomfort, spoke with even more gentleness. Pulling a blanket over her, he said, “Rest for a bit. Once the medicine kicks in, you’ll feel much better.” Karina, her eyes heavy with fatigue, glanced at the soft blanket. “Where did this come from?” The blanket was incredibly soft, wrapping around her in a comforting, cozy warmth.Wilfred smiled
Karina definitely wasn’t the type to wait for someone to serve her food. While some might enjoy that kind of pampering, she wasn’t one of them. She ate quickly, clearly starving, but even in her haste, she maintained an air of composure. From an outsider’s perspective, she and Wilfred looked like they had been cut from the same refined mold. As Karina finished her meal and prepared to set down her utensils, Wilfred reached over with a napkin and gently dabbed at the corner of her mouth. “You’ve got a little something there,” he said casually. Karina froze. She stared at him, wide-eyed and still, her lashes fluttering rapidly in shock. Wilfred, focused on the task, seemed oblivious at first. But her gaze had a weight to it, an intensity that couldn’t be ignored, and his eyes finally met hers. In that brief, charged moment, Karina felt her heart leap into her throat. Flustered, she broke the stare and quickly lowered her head, placing a hand over her chest as if that co
The steamy heat from the hot water filled the small bathroom as Karina stared at the borrowed undergarments in her hands, a look of resignation on her face. The size was too large, leaving them loose and ill-fitting, with straps constantly slipping off her shoulders. After several attempts to adjust them to no avail, she sighed inwardly. No matter what, she would need to find time tomorrow to buy something that fit.After a quick shower, she stepped out of the bathroom, wrapped securely in a towel, her damp hair cascading over her shoulders. Droplets of water slid down the strands and fell onto the carpet. She was just in the middle of drying her hair when the crisp chime of the doorbell broke the quiet, making her pause. She frowned in confusion. Who could it be at this hour? Was it Yvette needing something?Karina slipped on her slippers and padded to the door. Peering through the peephole, she froze. Standing outside was Wilfred, his tall figure illuminated by the dim hallwa
Yvette finally woke up, stifling a yawn as she replied, “Alright, give me ten minutes.”The two left the hotel shortly after, wandering along the bustling streets in search of a suitable shop. The foreign city’s streets were lively, brimming with shops of every kind. Finally, they spotted a lingerie store tucked into a street corner. Karina pulled Yvette along inside, quickly selecting and trying on several items until she found ones that fit.Just as Karina was about to pay and leave, her phone buzzed loudly. She glanced at the screen—Wilfred was calling. With a quick tap, she answered, and his low, steady voice came through.“Where are you? I’ve been waiting in the hotel lobby. We’re scheduled to meet with the representatives from HeShare Pharmaceuticals soon, and we’re running out of time.”Karina’s heart skipped a beat as she realized how long they had been gone. She quickly replied, “We’re just finishing up at a shop near the hotel. Sorry for the delay! We’ll head back right
Caleb’s first words were, “Don’t make things hard for her.”They all knew exactly who he was talking about.The excitement drained from Luna in an instant, replaced by a chilling cold that seeped from her head to her toes. Just thinking about it made her shudder.She forced herself to steady her voice. “Caleb, after all this time without a word from you, the first thing you say when you finally reach out is… about her?”“You’ve been pushing things too far lately,” Caleb replied. “I’m not Simon. I can’t handle your feelings, so you should focus on him instead.”“Simon has a kid now. He doesn’t have feelings for me.”Caleb didn’t hesitate. “Neither do I.”Luna had never imagined that words from someone’s mouth could cut so deep.Maybe because she didn’t respond, Caleb spoke again. “You never accepted me. There was never anything between us to begin or end. But whatever’s going on, don’t drag other people into it.”Luna almost laughed. Instead, she asked, “In your heart, Vera is
Vera felt a flicker of guilt, like a child being scolded by an elder. “It’s nothing.” Caleb studied her for a long moment, then sighed. “You really think you can hide things from me?” Vera hesitated, unsure how to respond. Caleb didn’t press her. Instead, he changed the subject and gestured for her to sit down and eat. She hadn’t had a chance to grab lunch before rushing out of the office. Not just today—she had been so caught up dealing with the board members that she often only ate one or two meals a day. No wonder Mr. Mason had noticed how worn out she looked. Caleb had picked up takeout from the hospital cafeteria. It wasn’t anything fancy—certainly no match for restaurant food—but it was balanced and nutritious. He had ordered two portions, like he had already planned to eat with her. As she quietly ate, Vera felt an unexpected sense of relaxation. She was so at ease that when Caleb spoke, she almost didn’t catch it. “Rough week?” “A littl
That man was definitely important to Luna. Vera made up her mind—she would keep an eye on it when she got back.“Our Mason Corporation has reviewed your company’s requirements for the HN Tower project, and we have two concerns. First, the compensation doesn’t match the workload. You’re demanding top-tier materials, yet only offering a profit margin of less than ten percent. “Second, we have our own team. As the client, your company shouldn’t have a say in our staffing decisions.” That was why Vera had come today. She was usually easygoing—if a client’s requests weren’t unreasonable, she was more than willing to listen. But this time, Luna was pushing it. Since when did a client get to dictate who the partner company could or couldn’t hire? And less than ten percent profit? What happened to the so-called “win-win” they had promised in the contract? Sounded more like a scam. Luna wasn’t the least bit surprised. “Too much? I don’t think so.” She shrugged. “E
Vera had no idea what kind of game Luna was playing. But she had no choice—she had to go. After a brief moment of hesitation, she made up her mind. Fine. It was not like she was walking into fire. Luna’s company was massive—one of the country’s top 100 firms. A company of that caliber naturally had a professional and well-trained front desk. “Miss Mason, Miss Gibson is expecting you upstairs,” the receptionist said with a polite smile, gesturing toward the elevator. “Right this way.” Vera took the elevator up to the third floor, where Luna’s office was located. She assumed Luna would be there waiting. But instead, her secretary greeted her with, “Miss Gibson is currently in a meeting. Please wait a moment.” How familiar. Vera couldn’t help but wonder if Luna was deliberately messing with her. She didn’t want to be petty, but… First, she refused to take her calls. Now that she was here in person, Luna was ‘too busy.’ Wasn’t this just a way to waste
“If you had been any later, she might’ve had a kid by now!” Luna had done her homework before coming, so she knew all about Vera’s situation. Her emotions were running high, but at the core of it, she looked down on the women who had been rescued from that mountain village. Some of them had even given birth. Who knew if Vera had been touched during her time there? The thought hit Vera like a blow to the head. A rush of emotions surged through her, and she instinctively wanted to sit up. But just as she moved her fingers, she remembered—she was supposed to be asleep. Opening her eyes too suddenly would make things worse. She had no choice but to stay put. Every second stretched unbearably long. Finally, she heard his voice. “Whether or not that happened doesn’t change how I feel about her.” Caleb’s tone was calm, unwavering. His words landed in Vera’s heart like a stone hitting water, sending ripples through her. Luna’s face paled. “Caleb, are y
Caleb was startled at first, quickly arranging for Vera to be taken to the hospital for a check-up. When he realized she had simply pushed herself to exhaustion, he sighed, caught between frustration and tenderness. “How could you let yourself get like this?” he muttered at her bedside. But Vera couldn’t hear him. She was still deep in sleep. The hospital had hooked her up to an IV drip, and she wouldn’t wake up until her body had fully recovered. Caleb wasn’t in a rush. She was safe now, and that was all that mattered. He had all the time in the world to sit there and watch over her. *“Caleb!” The hospital room door swung open, and Luna burst in. But the scene in front of her made her freeze. Caleb was sitting beside Vera’s bed, clearly exhausted from a sleepless night, but he refused to leave even for a moment. Even now, when he looked at her, his expression was unreadable. “What are you doing here?” he asked, his tone indifferent. There
Vera didn’t want to leave Caleb behind to face this alone. But there were people in the car depending on her. She took one last deep look at Caleb. Through the rearview mirror, she could see his tall figure shrinking into the distance as the car sped forward. Even as his silhouette blurred, his stance remained firm. Vera blinked back the heat in her eyes and slammed her foot on the gas. The car shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow. The next second, a mob of villagers—armed with hoes and shovels—swarmed around Caleb. *At the local police station, a distress call came in. The officers were stunned when the caller arrived, bringing four rescued women with her. After verifying their identities, it was clear that their bodies bore the marks of prolonged captivity and abuse. “There’s still someone back there! You have to save him!” Vera’s voice was urgent, almost pleading. She had driven all night without stopping.No food. No rest.Only a few
Caleb let them in. After hearing about what these women had endured in the village, his anger was palpable. Vera looked him in the eye. “I want to get them out of here.“They were forced to stay. Outside this mountain, their families are still waiting for them.“They shouldn’t be trapped here, forced to have children against their will.” At the mention of that, the room fell silent. Even Sera hesitated. Some of these women already had children. Leaving meant abandoning them. As mothers, the thought was unbearable. But what choice did they have? Stay and continue to suffer? Vera could see Caleb was thinking it over, so she pushed forward. “We have to move quickly. It won’t take long before the villagers realize they’re gone.“Once they start searching, it’s only a matter of time before they come here.“We won’t cause trouble for you. We just need a car.” There was a road leading out of the village. Otherwise, Caleb wouldn’t have been able to get in.
Vera watched as Leonard stumbled out of his house in nothing but a pair of pants, rushing toward the fire. Disgust churned in her stomach, but more than that, she worried about Sera’s safety. The darkness of the night concealed the emotions on her face, and no one noticed anything unusual. Women in this village were nothing more than tools for childbirth—no one paid them much attention. Especially now, with the fire raging, no one was thinking about her. The village chief had come by to ask how the fire started, but she had convinced him with a quick excuse. With all the men busy putting out the flames, Vera quietly slipped away toward Leonard’s house. Inside, Sera had been startled by the commotion outside. But the moment she saw Vera rush in, she understood immediately. “Was this you?” Sera’s eyes widened. “You set the fire?” Vera grabbed her hand. “There’s no time to talk about that!“We have to go—now. Do you know where the other women are being held?