Nash frowned, his concern evident. "It's clear that you passed out earlier. It's safer for you to get checked." Nina adjusted her clothes, her eyes fixed on the blood staining Nash's hands. "I think you need the check-up more than I do." She hurriedly got out of bed and added, "I just have a small cut on my neck. It just needs bandaging. Doctor, please attend to Mr. York first."Nash squinted at Nina, sensing that something was amiss. She seemed different, as if she were hiding something. She declined the check-up but then secretly went to a private hospital.What could she be up to?The doctor, observing their disagreement, intervened. "Mr. York, allow me to tend to your wounds first." Nash didn't respond directly to the doctor but instead questioned Nina, "You don't want a check-up, yet you sneak off to a private hospital. Is there something you're hiding from me?"His gaze grew cold once more, and his tone became distant.Nina felt nervous on the inside but kept a calm exte
Nina didn't see it that way, even though she had spoken disdainfully to Miranda. She was just protecting herself. "Don't you know there's someone else I like?" Nina said. That sentence shut Nash down completely. She had feelings for someone else. But he had never seen this man! It seemed to become a puzzle between them. Nash's handsome face grew cold and stern, yet he had to say, "You don't need to mention this man. When the contract expires, I'll let you go. Even if you don't give me the divorce papers, I'll deliver them to you!" They could only get their shares when the marriage contract expired. Nina knew that. Without saying it explicitly, she cooperated with him. It was a kind of repayment to him. "Alright," Nina took out her phone and glanced at the calendar. "There aren't many days left. I hope Mr. York will find time when the time comes." Nash didn't reply further.Both of them had their wounds bandaged by the doctor. Nina's wound was just a shallow cut on the skin
She took a sip of the milk, which was still warm. It had a sweet taste with a hint of milk fragrance. It helped to calm her fear but left a slight bitterness."You should take some rest," Nash said, his wound already bandaged."I'll take care of everything with the police." He didn't want Nina to exert herself too much.A serious kidnapping case like this required a thorough investigation. He couldn't afford to rest.Nina lay on the hospital bed, and soon her mother arrived. "Nina," her mother called out. "Mom," Nina responded. Julia rushed to the hospital and saw Nina lying in bed, looking miserable with wounds on her neck.She immediately burst into tears and hugged her daughter. "How could that bastard Xander do such a despicable thing? Threatening and kidnapping you? He's caused you so much suffering! Our family will never associate with theirs again! I've already told your father. He only ended up like this because of brotherly love! He realizes it too. I'll scold Xander la
"Indeed! Some people are simply born with bad intentions. Xander's death was truly tragic; he was killed by his own niece, and there is still no closure. It's really sad.""What did the police say? Are they just going to let it go like that?""People die, they get buried, and that's the end of it.""That's really unfair. One life lost, and Nina gets all the benefits!"These comments caused Julia's face to darken. "They're crossing a line, especially considering they're relatives. Gossiping like this!"They rarely interacted with these relatives, only exchanging greetings on formal occasions. Julia looked at Nina and said, "Nina, don't pay attention to their nonsense. Let's finish paying our respects and leave."She didn't want any trouble. If it wasn't for Nina's insistence, they wouldn't have come. Nina didn't mind, used to being talked about behind her back. Some relatives were worse than neighbors. She wasn't just here to pay respects, but to uncover the person responsible
This incident became a sensitive topic in their conversations, creating a jealousy instead of blame. Among these individuals, Nina's family fared the best. They were ordinary people with no chance of marrying into wealth and had never even seen a wealthy household before. The success of Nina's family made others feel uneasy.Why should they share the same last name, "Walker," when their statuses were so different?"That's right! Our Walker family's family tree can't accommodate someone as important as you!" Zion had grown used to these rumors over the years, but he didn't want Xander's spirit to be affected by them. Zion exclaimed, "We never had such intentions. You're all speaking nonsense without knowing the truth! I don't want to argue with you. We're here today to pay our respects to my brother. Spare us your gossip!""Get out! We don't want you here. We don't need your prayers!" Lily shouted, "Your family are all guilty parties!"They forcefully pushed them out. "You should
The crowd instantly fell silent, their attention drawn to the voice's source. A few cars were parked in the background, and a tall, noticeable figure approached. He wore a black-grey suit and had a stern demeanor. His sharp, serious eyes emitted an aloof aura, causing people to be cautious yet respectful, keeping their distance. They made way for him as he walked through. Nina turned around, feeling somewhat startled. How had he also ended up here? The tension eased as she released the water hose from her grip. After a few seconds of silence, someone angrily questioned, "Who do you think you are, interfering in the Walker family's business?" Nash's piercing gaze fixated on the individual, who felt a shiver run down their spine under the pressure. Nash's voice turned cold as he replied, "I am Nina's husband. Do you think I have the rights to speak?" "Husband?" they exclaimed in astonishment, curiosity piqued. "That means he comes from a wealthy family." Numerous luxury car
It had been a while since she last stayed there, but the place was regularly cleaned. Zion and Julia were grateful people, despite knowing that their marriage was over, they still made Nina thank Nash.Nash sat in the living room. Nina poured him a glass of water, "My parents said to thank you.""No need to be polite."Nina sat beside him and teased, "I couldn't make them believe me no matter how hard I tried, but a few words from you and they believed. Am I just weak? Why do they believe you instead of me?"She couldn't understand. Even though she could handle it herself, in the end, it was Nash who resolved it. Nash sipped his glass of warm water, his expression unchanged as Nina spoke. He responded casually, "You need to understand one thing: human nature is ugly, especially among your relatives. They magnify your flaws while turning a blind eye to your strengths. Don't sympathize with those who deserve none. The more people dislike you, the more miserable their lives tend to
Upon hearing Nash's words, Nina felt no need to hide any longer and replied, "Grandpa Henry, I am already married. You don't need to find suitors for me."Grandpa Henry was delighted. Before Mr. Walker Sr. passed away, Nina was still a student. Now, seeing her married, he could not help but size up Nash. He smiled and said, "Handsome and talented, a rare gem among men. Clearly, Nina has excellent taste!"Grandpa Henry continued, expressing his concern for their marriage, "You two must cherish each other and your marriage. Meeting is fate, staying together is even more precious. Cherish it!" Nash's lips curled slightly upwards upon hearing this. Nina chose to listen patiently, not interrupting Grandpa Henry's words.As they were about to have dinner together, Grandpa Henry sighed, "This Xander, it's a good thing Mr. Walker Sr. passed away. If he found out, it would've been infuriating!" He had watched Xander grow up and seeing him change so drastically, he couldn't help but feel
With about two hours left before the surgery, Karina focused intently on reviewing the patient’s information. She had never taken over a major surgery at the last minute before, and she didn’t want to waste a single second. Wilfred didn’t remain idle either. Leaning forward slightly, he pointed to the patient file with a steady hand. “This patient has coronary artery disease, along with several other complications causing vascular blockages. When he arrived at the hospital, he had already lost consciousness.” He continued in a calm, soothing tone, like the gentle flow of a stream. “Since the patient is over fifty, you’ll need to be particularly mindful during the procedure…” His steady voice eased Karina’s anxiety, giving her a sense of calm she desperately needed. When a knock at the door interrupted them, signaling it was time to head to the operating room, Karina felt more composed. Just as she stood, Wilfred rose with her. “I’ll go with you,” he said. “Having me ther
Wilfred looked at Karina, but in the end, he didn’t say what was on his mind. “How much longer are you going to wrap it?” he asked. Karina snapped out of her thoughts and realized she had nearly mummified his hand in bandages. “Oh, sorry! You were talking to me earlier, and I got distracted. Let me undo some of this.” She carefully unwrapped a couple of outer layers, and the bandaging instantly looked much better. Still, Karina couldn’t help her worried expression. “How did you get hurt? Did you grab the knife directly earlier?” Adjusting the bandages to feel more comfortable, Wilfred replied casually, “No, it just grazed me.” Karina’s brows knit tightly together. She felt an urge to storm down to the police station and give the culprit a piece of her mind. At the same time, she couldn’t understand Wilfred’s calm demeanor. He acted as if being injured was no big deal, his expression unbothered, like this was just another ordinary day. She couldn’t hold back. “You
Without sparing the man another glance, Karina let out a breath of relief as the police quickly left, bringing an end to the chaotic ordeal. Just as she thought she could relax, Yvette appeared nearby, making exaggerated winks and smirks, her face practically screaming curiosity. “Do you have a twitch or something?” Karina asked, raising an eyebrow. Yvette rolled her eyes. “Twitch? Who taught you how to talk? And no, that’s not the point! Spill it—what’s going on with you and the director?” Karina blinked, confused. “What do you mean by what’s going on?” Yvette’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Are you serious? Just now! You two were like all hugged up together! Do you think we’re blind? We all saw it. If you say there’s nothing going on, even a ghost wouldn’t believe you!“I’m telling you, honesty is your best option. Spill the truth now, and our friendship might survive this,” Yvette teased with mock seriousness. Karina’s brain blanked out. Her face flushed bright red
As soon as the man’s attention shifted, Karina acted without hesitation. She lifted her leg and delivered a sharp kick straight to his groin. The man immediately let go, doubling over in pain. Karina didn’t waste a second. She bolted for the door, grabbing anything within reach—a patient file, a water glass—and hurling them at him as she ran, not even pausing to aim. His curses and shouts echoed behind her as she escaped. Just as she darted out the door, she collided with what felt like a wall of solid muscle. Before she could react, large hands gripped her shoulders, holding her firmly in place. Karina didn’t look up. In her panic, she assumed it was one of the man’s accomplices. Terrified, she yelled, “No! Get away from me!” She tried to repeat her earlier tactic, but this time her attempt was blocked. Her heart sank in despair—until a familiar voice came from above her. “Why are you so shaken up? Did someone hurt you?” Karina froze, then looked up and saw Wil
But Karina still felt embarrassed. Noticing this, Wilfred stopped what he was doing, sat back in the driver’s seat, and fixed his gaze on her. In the light, his usually dark eyes softened to a deep, rich brown. His stare made Karina fidget, her heart pounding in her chest. She was certain her face was already bright red. “What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?” Wilfred’s lips curved into a faint smile, so subtle it was almost imperceptible. “If you really want to thank me, hurry up and write a proper thesis.” Thud!Karina’s heart skipped a beat, and any trace of excitement crashed and burned.She was momentarily speechless. How could someone constantly bring up writing a thesis? Wasn’t that the least romantic thing he could say? She completely forgot how flustered she had been moments earlier, unable to even meet Wilfred’s eyes. *Once the lawyer was arranged, the next step was filing a lawsuit with the court. This was beyond Karina’s scope, so she left ev
The woman didn’t mind at all. She knew very well that most people wouldn’t get involved in something like this. Karina’s willingness to help came from her kindness. Even if things didn’t work out, the woman wouldn’t hold it against her. Karina, however, felt a sense of responsibility. After confirming the meeting time with Wilfred, she took the day off, postponing all her work to focus on the matter. When the time came, Wilfred drove to pick her up. *At the café, a man stood and offered his hand. “Hello, Ms. Norman. I’m Attorney Jenkins from Birkham Law Firm. You can call me Jenkins.”Karina shook his hand with a polite smile. “Thank you, Mr. Jenkins. I appreciate you coming all the way from Birkham.”“It’s no trouble. I happened to be in Atlantis for another matter. Besides, when a friend asks for a favor, it’s not something I can refuse.” After a bit of small talk, the group sat down, and the conversation shifted to the case. Since Mr. Jenkins had only been give
“Dr. Norman… my life is so miserable. If I had known it would come to this, I’d rather have died than gotten married. What do I do now? If it were just me, I’d leave everything behind and disappear. But my daughter is only eight years old—she’s still so little,” the woman sobbed. Karina hesitated for a moment. “You do need to consider her…” Suddenly, she thought of Wilfred. Among her own connections, she didn’t know anyone in the legal field. But Wilfred might. Still, since she hadn’t asked him yet, she couldn’t promise anything. For now, she focused on calming both the mother and the child. The little girl was surprisingly mature for her age. At just eight years old and barely into elementary school, she didn’t fully understand the situation or what had been done to her. In her own innocent words, she said, “Daddy just played a little game with me. He said if I didn’t cry, I’d get a reward.” Even so, she understood that her mother was upset because of her. “Mommy,
After leaving the room, Karina quickly patted her cheeks, trying to calm herself down. At the very least, she couldn’t let anyone notice anything was off. “Dr. Norman?” someone called from behind her. She turned to see a woman she recognized as the family member of a former patient. Noticing the child in the woman’s arms, Karina’s expression immediately softened with concern. After a brief exchange, Karina learned that the child’s condition had flared up again. She led them back to her office and conducted a thorough examination. Five minutes later, she reviewed the results with a slight frown. “Her stomach and intestines seem fine. Can you tell me where exactly she’s feeling discomfort?” Karina asked, assuming the mother may have misunderstood or misspoken. But the woman hesitated, stammering nervously. Sensing something deeper was going on, Karina softened her tone. “It’s okay. This is a hospital—we’re here to help. There’s no need to hide anything. Just tell me wha
But Wilfred wouldn’t bother explaining. In fact, he thought it was better to let the misunderstanding linger. The nurse glanced at Karina, then back at Wilfred, her face twisting with humiliation before she turned and fled the room. Karina instinctively stepped aside, avoiding a collision. “For a moment there… I thought I was interrupting something,” she hesitated, her tone uncertain. She couldn’t deny the relief she felt after Wilfred’s firm stance. The suffocating feeling, like someone gripping her throat, had finally dissipated. Her breathing steadied, though a lingering bitterness remained in her chest. She couldn’t help but wonder why the nurse had acted that way. Wilfred looked at her briefly and explained, “I don’t know her. She knocked and let herself in. And not long after, you walked in.” Karina’s expression softened significantly. “Maybe it has something to do with the rumors going around the hospital recently.” Wilfred frowned. Though he said nothi