But suddenly, there was a cold voice in her ear. "Do you know that I’m your cousin-in-law?" Sue's body stiffened, and she looked up to see Nash staring at her with icy eyes. There was no trace of normal male desire in his eyes, just coldness, as if she were performing a solo act. It sent shivers down her spine. Sue tightened her grip on her hands, trying to compose herself, her tone becoming soft, "Of course, I know you're my cousin-in-law."Nash frowned. Seeing this, Sue offered eagerly, "Nash, are you having a headache? Let me massage it for you." She was about to reach out when Nash said, neither cold nor warm, "Since you know I'm your cousin-in-law, shouldn't you know your boundaries?" Sue saw him distant, showing no interest in her whatsoever.How could that be? What man wouldn't like a young and beautiful woman? Sue forced a smile, "Nash, I just want to help you. Since my cousin isn't home, I'll do it. I'm even more considerate than my cousin." Her words carried a hint
Why did Sue set her sights on Nash? Sue emerged with her elbow scraped and tears streaming down her face. Fearful of being mocked by Nina, she hurried away. Nina watched her silhouette and furrowed her brows once more. Then, she turned to Nash. His expression had not softened as he coldly stared at her. "Your cousin was trying to seduce me, didn't you see?" Nina calmly replied, "I saw." Her response darkened Nash's face further. "No reaction?" he asked. Nina didn't understand, "What reaction do you need?" Nash's face grew even colder. He observed that Nina never reacted when any woman tried to seduce him. She didn't get angry or upset, not even shedding a tear. But this annoyed him greatly. She never felt jealous.After a moment, Nina added, "I was surprised to see Sue act like that, but now I understand. She never liked me and wanted to retaliate. I'm sorry for the trouble she's caused you." "Is that all?" Nash stared at her. "Yes," she replied.Nash's gaze turned icy,
"I'm considering your best interests!" Lily's mother said sternly. "Xander just can't compare to his older brother! Money rules over everything else. Look at how glorious Nina is. She's praised by so many. The moment her name is mentioned, everyone knows how outstanding she is. And how about your daughter? Even if she marries an old man, as long as he's wealthy, she'll never have to worry for the rest of her life!""Mom!" Lily disagreed. "I'm not as materialistic as you. You're obsessed with money. Everyone says I'm petty. I know who I resemble now—it's you. You're the one who's led me down this path, and now you want my daughter to follow in my footsteps!""How can you say that? What's wrong with that?" Lily's mother retorted angrily."Fine, fine, fine! I'm useless then. If that's what you think, then go on, go find your son. Stop bothering me, your daughter!" Lily's heart turned cold. She couldn't understand why she had a mother like this.Nina heard everything from outside the d
Nina knew very well that this person had contact with them all. After Lily vented her emotions, she calmly asked, "At the scene where Xander abducted me that day, there was another person, a woman. She didn't want me to recognize her, so she altered her voice. You framed me. I already know someone was pulling the strings behind the scenes. Another person was present during my abduction, and I suspect it's the same person. To uncover who killed Xander, we have to rely on your identification!""Nonsense, pure nonsense, it's impossible!" Lily didn't believe it. "You're just trying to absolve yourself and lessen your guilt!"Lily's refusal to accept reality was evident. She couldn't bear to admit that Nina's kidnapping led to this dire situation. Instead, she shifted all blame onto Nina, absolving themselves of any responsibility.Nina's words were clear: "Think carefully for yourself. Is Xander's death worth it? If not, tell me who that woman is. I won't let her off the hook!"These w
Linda didn't dodge; she just tilted her head and looked back at Nina. "Why are you so angry, Nina? Assaulting someone is against the law!"Nina sternly retorted, "The things you've done could land you in jail!"Unfazed, Linda smiled and replied, "What things? Nina, don't falsely accuse me. I haven't done anything wrong; I'm just here on a trip.""Nina, what are you doing!" Suddenly, Sally approached from nearby, her face not looking too pleased at seeing Nina hitting someone. She rebuked, "You're getting too hot-tempered, even hitting Linda. She's carrying the seed of our York family in her belly. Can you afford to pay if you damage it?"Nina glanced over as Sally came to support her. Taking advantage of this, Linda's eyes gleamed with a victorious smile. "Sally, it's nothing. She can't conceive, so she's envious of others. That's why she gets angry seeing me."Sally sharply remarked, "She can't lay eggs, yet she expects others not to bear offspring. She's been spoiled!"Nina fur
Linda instinctively covered her stomach, palms sweating. She forced a smile, "I haven't done anything wrong, so I'm not afraid of retribution."Seeing them speak in riddles, Sally didn't quite understand. However, sensing something amiss with Nina, she coldly asked, "What are you doing here? I’m just trying to take a break and still run into you."Linda quickly replied, "I just asked, it seems Nina attended a funeral here, right in this place.""A funeral?" Sally felt embarrassed and quickly pulled Linda away, saying, "Don't stand with her, it's ominous!"Nina pursed her lips and remarked calmly, "The area you're in is all cemetery.""In such a place? Linda, why would you come here?" Sally urged, "Let's go elsewhere, this place is too eerie, not good for the baby!"As they conversed, Sue, who happened to be standing at the entrance of the cemetery, caught sight of them. She frowned at Linda's figure. It was that woman!Sue clenched her fists, brows furrowed. Why was that woman h
"I told Dad that Nina was bullying you, which led to the police detaining you. He was furious and went to confront Nina. But he shouldn't have kidnapped her. Could it be true what she said, that someone was pulling the strings behind the scenes? Think about that woman who helped us. Could it be her...?" Sue felt a chilling sensation creeping over her. How could someone help others without any reason? If not for a purpose...Then, had her father also believed her nonsense?"It's impossible, it's impossible..." Lily refused to believe this fact.Sue said, "If someone else killed Dad, what should we do?"She did not know what to do next.They could not let her father's death be in vain and let the culprit escape unpunished.---"Is it over?" Standing there, his tall figure towering, Nash asked as the car parked behind him, seeing Nina walking over.Nina looked up at him. "Yes, it's over.""They've all gone back. Why did you take so long?" Nash noticed her late arrival.N
She gazed at Nash suddenly, noticing his icy demeanor and his chilling gaze. He spoke coolly, "You've been acting strange lately. Are you afraid I'll find out something?" Nina's heart skipped a beat. "What's wrong? Find... find what?"Nash replied, "Ever since you started finding women for me, I've sensed something off about you. And sneaking off to the hospital!"Nina avoided his gaze. "My life is perfectly normal. You're just imagining things.""Then tell me why. Give me a convincing reason!" Nash always felt Nina was being secretive, as if she had a secret he had not uncovered yet. He could not quite guess what it was and had to wait for her to confess.Nina crossed her hands, trying to ease her tension, and spoke lightly, "Nash, haven't you noticed something off about yourself?""Me? Something off?"After all this time, Nash only got such an explanation from Nina. Her explanation was a bit hard to believe. "What's wrong with me?""Your attention has been entirely on me l
The Stone family wasn’t just greedy. They were relentless, always pushing boundaries and expecting more.Karina sighed. “It’s not that I can’t stand up to them, but sometimes it feels unnecessary. There are things that just can’t be explained.”Wilfred didn’t press further. “Pack your things and come with me. I have to travel for a project negotiation that will help our hospital continue expanding.” He was determined to firmly establish himself in Birkham, not just for his professional ambitions but also because Nina was there. Wilfred wanted to protect her and mentor his students, ensuring they could safeguard Nina’s children in the future. “But didn’t we already promise a patient that we’d perform surgery?” Karina asked, a little hesitant. “I’ll arrange for someone else to handle it.” While Karina might have been the better choice for the surgery, Wilfred had other options, including pulling Caleb in at the last minute. “Alright,” Karina replied. Since Wilfred had
Sera blocked Karina’s path, her expression cold and disdainful. “You think you can just use that money to brush me off? Do I look like someone who needs your measly cash?”She grabbed Karina’s arm tightly, her nails biting into her skin. “Let me make this clear. If you don’t do what I’ve asked, I’ll ruin you, Karina. Completely.”Karina’s fear was palpable, but the thought of endless torment and manipulation was even more terrifying. She met Sera’s fierce gaze with a calm, unyielding stare. “Do whatever you want. But let me remind you, the money you gave me? I’m willing to go down with you if it comes to that. My life might not be worth much, but you’ve worked so hard to get into Wilfred’s hospital. Are you really willing to throw that all away?”Sera faltered. She had worked incredibly hard to get where she was. Countless sleepless nights studying, memorizing every detail of her medical texts, and enduring the challenges of difficult patients had pushed her to the brink. She often
Sera’s gaze was so sharp it felt like it could pierce through Karina. Karina hadn’t expected her momentary greed to create such a mess. If she couldn’t stay a doctor, she would have no source of income, and her life would spiral further out of control. “Please, don’t do this. Tell me what you want, and I’ll keep helping you. Maybe… I could spike his drink for you again, or set up another opportunity,” Karina said, grabbing Sera’s hand out of desperation. Sera clearly wasn’t short on money. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to give Karina such a large sum back then.All she wanted now was to secure her position at the hospital.Sera pulled her hand away, a mocking smile on her face. “Set up another opportunity? Do you think Wilfred would fall for it twice? Do you take him for an idiot, Dr. Norman?” Wilfred wasn’t an idiot, and ordinary drugs didn’t seem to affect him much.Karina felt utterly helpless. One wrong step had led to another, and now she had no idea how to
“Starting today, you’ll officially resume your position as my assistant. I trust you’ll adapt quickly,” Wilfred said firmly. Karina’s eyes lit up with a hint of surprise. “Dr. Wilfred, really? I’ll do my best to fulfill the responsibilities of the assistant role.” Wilfred stood up and walked over to her, giving her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “Familiarize yourself with the current work schedule and the relevant materials. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask me. I have confidence in you.” Karina hesitated, a trace of worry crossing her face. “But… I’m not sure this is a good idea.” Wilfred already had an assistant. If Karina agreed to take the position, wouldn’t that make her a target for trouble from his former assistant? And then there were all the people at the hospital who were infatuated with Wilfred. Lately, she had already been spending more time with him, drawing enough attention as it was. If she officially became his assistant, she’d surely
Back home, the first thing Karina did was take a shower, cranking the water temperature to the highest setting as if that was the only way to wash away the grim memories of the night.She scrubbed her arms fiercely, the spots where those repulsive men had touched her. Even through her clothes, the thought made her feel sick. Again and again, she lathered herself with soap until her skin turned slightly red, but no matter how hard she tried, the discomfort in her heart lingered.After her shower, Karina changed into clean pajamas and sat on the edge of her bed, unable to sleep. Her gaze fell on her phone. She hesitated for a moment before sending a text to Wilfred.“Dr. Wilfred, I’m truly grateful for your help tonight. I’ll never forget it.”After sending the message, she set her phone down, hugged her knees, and curled up on the bed. Returning to the hospital had always been her dream, but now she worried whether she could truly meet expectations and not let Wilfred down.As she
The men exchanged uneasy glances, hesitating for a moment before reluctantly mumbling, “Sorry,” to Karina. Wilfred watched their retreating figures with thinly veiled disgust. Turning to Karina, he asked gently, “Are you okay?” Karina shook her head lightly, brushing it off. “I’m fine, Dr. Wilfred. Thank you.” Wilfred let out a soft sigh. “Come with me. You shouldn’t be working here.” Karina nodded, following him out of the private room. Wilfred guided Karina through the bustling bar. The pounding music and chaotic chatter seemed distant and muted, fading into the background as they moved. They made their way to the parking lot, where Wilfred opened the car door, carefully helping Karina into the passenger seat before getting in himself and starting the engine. As Karina buckled her seatbelt, she turned to Wilfred with a look of curiosity. “Dr. Wilfred, didn’t you say you had things to handle at the hospital? How did you get here so quickly?” Wilfred kept his ey
When Karina stepped into the room, one of the men, his gaze hazy from drink, chuckled and said, “Well, so this is the beauty they sent over?”Karina forced herself to stay calm and replied politely, “Good evening, gentlemen. Here’s the drinks you ordered.” She began placing the drinks on the table one by one, hoping to finish quickly. Before she could finish, another man grabbed her wrist and yanked her toward him. “Come, have a few drinks with us, sweetheart.”Karina’s heart raced as she pulled her hand away with force. “Sir, I’m just here to deliver your drinks. I don’t entertain guests.”The men burst into laughter. “What bar do you think you’re in? There’s no such thing as not entertaining here. Don’t play coy, sweetheart. Sit with us, and you’ll be rewarded handsomely.”Fear surged through Karina as she instinctively stepped back, trying to maintain some distance. “I’m really just here for work,” she said, her voice trembling. “Please respect me!”But the men, emboldened
The woman leaned closer to Karina, lowering her voice. “You ruined my fun. The manager and I were having a great time, and you interrupted us. You need to make it up to me.”Karina’s frustration flared. “I didn’t mean to interrupt. The door wasn’t fully closed, and I was only there to talk about resigning.”But the woman wasn’t about to let it go. “I don’t care. You need to make it up to me. Otherwise, I can’t guarantee your night will go smoothly or that you’ll get to leave this job without issues.”Anger surged through Karina. “You’re being unreasonable! I didn’t do anything wrong!”The woman sneered. “In this bar, what I say goes. If you don’t cooperate, I have plenty of ways to make sure you can’t stay.”Karina knew arguing with her in this chaotic environment would only make things worse. But the idea of being bullied like this made her seethe. Taking a deep breath, she tried to stay calm. “What do you want me to do?”The woman’s eyes gleamed with triumph. “It’s simple. Ha
A strikingly glamorous woman sat perched on the manager’s lap, the two locked in a tight embrace, passionately kissing. The scene was nothing short of intimate, their connection palpable.Karina stood awkwardly at the door, caught between stepping in and retreating. She coughed lightly, trying to get their attention.Hearing the sound, the manager gently pushed the woman aside and turned toward the door. His expression showed no embarrassment; instead, he appeared slightly annoyed. “Karina, why didn’t you knock before coming in?”Karina forced a smile, her discomfort evident. “The door wasn’t fully closed. I didn’t mean to interrupt. I’m here to talk about resigning.”The manager adjusted his clothes, gesturing for the woman to sit aside. He raised his brows slightly. “Resign? Why the sudden decision to quit?”Karina bit her lip nervously. “It’s for personal reasons. I really can’t continue working here.”The manager leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. A f