Nash responded, "Hmm, if the car's broken down, we'll just get a new one. It'll make things easier for you.""Okay."They had a bunch of cars at home. It would be more convenient for her to switch to an ordinary one, especially the car used by the helpers for grocery runs.After cleaning her wound, Nina walked out of Nash's office. She was getting ready to leave work.Eve was waiting outside, and as soon as she saw Nina, she immediately called out, "Sister-in-law!"Her voice immediately drew everyone's attention. The people in the office were still there, and upon hearing Eve's voice, they all looked at her with confusion.With so many eyes staring at her as if trying to see through her, Nina instinctively tensed up. Before Eve could say "sister-in-law" for the second time, Nina covered her mouth."Mmm..." Eve did not understand why Nina did not let her speak."Don't call me that," Nina whispered, "This is a workplace."Eve did not understand, "Why can't I call you sister-in-l
In the car sat Eve and Nina, with Nash in the driver's seat, his expression dark as he glanced at them holding hands in the rearview mirror.When did they become so close?He did not want Eve tagging along with them."Nash, thank you for your hard work. Let's have dinner together," Eve urged Nash to drive, oblivious to his grim expression. She was famished.Nash coldly replied, "Did I say I'd take you home? Where's your driver? Get him to pick you up."He was not going to chauffeur them around.But Eve clung to Nina, insisting, "We promised to have dinner together. You can't chase me away."Nina explained, "We're going to my parents' place. I've already arranged for friends to join us for dinner.""Oh, to your parents' place? Do I need to bring something?" Eve worried about making a good impression on Nina's family."Don't worry about it. My parents are very easygoing, and they cook well," Nina reassured her.Going back to the villa would mean just the few of them, probably a
Julia glanced at Nash, her warmth now replaced with a distant politeness. "No need, you're a guest, just sit there."Before, Julia used to like Nash quite a bit. Love begets love. But after all the facade shattered, she had regrets, yet she did not want to blame them. Their marriage was their business. If they were divorcing, she could not treat him the same as before. Now, when Nash came to their home, he could only be treated as a guest. No more favors. Nash knew it would come to this and his image in their hearts had taken a big hit. He wanted to redeem himself, especially in front of Nina's parents."It's no trouble to lend a hand when I’m idle," Nash persisted despite Julia's standoffishness, taking the initiative to help her. Julia wanted to refuse, but Nash had already walked into the kitchen, just as he used to, understanding her hardships and volunteering to help. Julia sighed inwardly as she watched him.Before, she used to be happy. She only had Nina as her daughter.
She meant well by talking to him. No matter how satisfied she was with him before, nothing mattered at the moment their marriage became a transaction. She wanted her daughter to be happy, not trapped in a loveless marriage. Nash did not pause his actions as he had expected what Mrs. Walker would say. He replied solemnly, "Mom, I'll give you an answer." Mrs. Walker said, "Nina also needs her happiness. I hope it won't take too long." Her words were clear. After divorce, with Nina's qualities, she would find someone who genuinely liked her. They were getting older and they could not accompany Nina forever. If Nina wanted to find a good match, get married, and have children, she hoped no one would stand in her way. During dinner, the family was harmonious. Although Eve had eaten with many people before at her grandfather's birthday or major holidays, it felt different this time. Mrs. Walker had heard from Nina that Eve had never been loved by her parents since she was young. As
She envied Nina for having such caring family members. She knew it was because she was Nina's friend that they treated her with such care."Come on, don't shed tears. A girl's tears are precious," Mr. Walker could not bear to see a girl cry.But Eve could not stop.Nina was the kind of person who easily empathized with others. She knew that Eve had no parents, only Grandpa George as her sole relative. Feeling sympathy, she wanted to introduce her to her own parents."Don't cry. Haven't you shed enough tears today?" Nina did not want to see her cry.Eve wiped away her tears, sniffled, and hugged her milk tea. "Thank you, Mr. Walker and Mrs. Walker. I'll come again next time."Zion and Julia saw them off at the door. As Eve descended the stairs, she could not help but cry again. Nina handed her a tissue.Nash, on the other hand, remained indifferent. "If you cry like this, and your grandpa sees it, don't blame Nina for bullying you."Nina was trying to comfort the girl, but Nash
She handed the bag to Eve.Eve, however, had some concerns and asked, "Weren't you next to me making a phone call yesterday? I turned around and you were gone. Are you sure it was me who disappeared?"Stella did not tell the truth. She did see Eve being bullied, but she did not lend a hand. Being a girl herself and not having anyone with her, intervening would have brought trouble upon herself. She could only watch coldly, waiting for an opportunity to slip away unnoticed.She could not let Eve know that she was aware of the danger she was in but acted as if nothing had happened. She smiled and said, "Yes, I was in an important business call. It lasted for over half an hour, and after I hung up, I didn't see you anymore. I thought you couldn't wait and went back first, but your bag was left with me, so I brought it over.""What happened, Eve?" Stella asked as if she knew nothing.In the past, Eve would have believed Stella's words without question. Stella was her senior schoolma
Stella's words left her momentarily at a loss for how to respond. Based on her understanding of Eve, she was simple-minded. As long as someone was kind to her, she would reciprocate that kindness tenfold. Yet, she had asked such a question. However, Eve's words did make sense. When they were still abroad, Stella did not know that Eve was Mr. George Gibson's granddaughter. Eve was young and inexperienced in the outside world, with significant differences in lifestyle habits. She was not accustomed to it, lacked friends and often kept to herself. She was said to have grown up without parents, making her seem vulnerable and helpless, with a much more tragic background than most. In contrast, Stella came from an affluent background, leading a comfortable life from childhood, and was doing well abroad. Someone like Eve needed help, and Stella could earn her admiration by providing it. Eve saw her as a support, and Stella felt a sense of accomplishment from that. She had always felt
She used to think that Eve was obedient. But since she returned to the Gibson family, she no longer was. Stella's eyes gradually turned cold. After venting about Eve, she began to dislike Nina even more. If it weren't for Nina, Eve would still be an obedient little bunny in front of her, doing whatever she was told. Ruining her good things!---While Nash was in the study and not around, Nina was shopping online with her phone. She bought a few parenting books. She rubbed her belly, though it was not very noticeable yet. Perhaps sensing her pregnancy, she felt that heaviness in her stomach. With the child inside, she felt reassured. Naturally, the books she bought could not be sent to her home, so she could only have them sent to Yvonne's place. She asked her to help with receiving them, and when she had time, she could go and see her, and take a look. She sent Yvonne a message to remind her. Yvonne replied, "Got it! When you send it to my place, I'll take a look too. Pregnant
The trash can sailed through the air, scattering its foul-smelling contents across the police station, filling the air with a pungent odor. Several young officers flanked Kieran from both sides, trying to grab hold of his arms. But Kieran thrashed wildly, his surprising strength allowing him to break free from one officer’s grip. With a sharp elbow strike, he hit another officer square in the stomach. The officer grunted in pain, stumbling back a few steps but gritted his teeth and held his ground. The scene in the reception hall descended into chaos. Civilians seeking assistance huddled in corners, some shrieking in fear. Mrs. Stone stood to the side, wringing her hands and stomping her feet in desperation. Her voice, pleading and panicked, was drowned out by her son’s shouting. “Kieran, stop this! Calm down!” she cried. But Kieran was too far gone, consumed by his manic performance. He couldn’t—or wouldn’t—hear her. The situation was teetering on the brink of tot
Karina stared at the flood of messages, feeling nothing but disgust and revulsion. Kieran’s texts were growing increasingly obsessive, filled with unhinged threats, unreasonable demands, and even veiled warnings against her safety. No. She couldn’t allow the Stone family’s harassment to continue unchecked. Taking a deep breath, she decisively dialed the police. She provided the authorities with a detailed account of the Stone family’s relentless harassment, including Kieran’s disturbing demands and the threatening content of his messages. The officers assured her that they would investigate promptly and provide her with protection if necessary. With the police now involved, Karina finally felt a sliver of relief. *The response was swift. The blare of sirens pierced through the city’s noise as several police cars raced toward Kieran’s address. Flashing red and blue lights reflected off the surrounding buildings, drawing curious stares from passersby. Guided by
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