Being caught by the press was a big no-no. Nina watched the video quietly, opting not to chime in. Whether Miranda was involved with the male actor did not matter much to her. But Nash's reaction, was he getting jealous?Nina had no interest in checking if they were in the office or why Nash was upset. That would just spell trouble. She reminded herself not to overthink it.Meanwhile, Taylor and Cynthia discussed Nash and Miranda's relationship. The office door swung open once more, this time by Miranda herself. Taylor and Cynthia fell silent."Nash, there's nothing between us. It's just tabloid nonsense. I'll make sure it doesn't happen again. Please don't be mad," Miranda's voice wavered as she tried to calm Nash down.Taylor could not help but roll her eyes. Miranda was quite the performer, so fake.Nash's expression was stern, his eyes grave as he replied in a deep voice, "This is the last time. I don't want to see this kind of gossip again.""I'll be more careful," Miranda e
Rattled by a blow to her pride, Miranda felt as though Nina was mocking her acting abilities, implying her performances required no intellectual effort.She had intended to boast about her accomplishments as a singer, suggesting that her acting career had taken her to new heights, even surpassing her previous success. But instead, Nina's remark felt like an insult, fueling a desire within Miranda to lash out.With Nash present, however, she had to rein in her temper."I think this poster turned out quite well. What do you think, Nina?" Miranda deliberately strolled to the window, glancing at the billboard on the building across the street. She chuckled, surprised by how prominent Nina's position was. Seeing her poster every day must be uncomfortable for her.Without even turning her head, Nina replied, "Miss Miranda, I still have work to do. Do you have any other business?"She had no interest in engaging with Miranda, who seemed more concerned with showing off than anything else.
Upon receiving the order, Cynthia simply replied, "Oh."Nash stared at Nina, his expression darkening involuntarily, and added, "I'm not accustomed to drinking what others make."Cynthia halted in her steps once again.However, Nina retorted, "Didn't you hear what Miss Miranda say? The company doesn't keep idlers. If Cynthia can't handle the drink, what else can she do?"Her words carried a sting, far from pleasant.This caused both Taylor and Cynthia to draw in a sharp breath, feeling uneasy.The atmosphere did not seem quite right.Taylor had been by Nina's side for several months now. Although she was reserved by nature, she was gentle in her demeanor, especially in front of Mr. York, showing utmost respect.She always knew how to handle any situation.When would she ever speak in such a tone to him?They dared not breathe heavily, standing there obediently.Nash's eyes darkened. He was not feeling pleased about this matter either. He said coldly, "Didn't you bring this u
Nina was completely stunned. When did Nash have the leisure to watch a movie with her? They had been married for so long, and he had never bothered to have dinner with her alone or watch a movie together. These were things that couples typically did.Seeing her silence, Nash asked again, "Why aren't you saying anything? I've already had Quincy reserve a restaurant for us. After dinner, we can catch a movie before heading home."Nina asked suspiciously, "Why do you suddenly want to have dinner and watch a movie with me? Is it some important holiday?"She maintained skepticism about anything that seemed overly unusual, especially between her and Nash. Recently, she had been pushing for a divorce and had been distant from him. Perhaps Nash just wanted to make amends, thinking she might not have such thoughts anymore. He said, "I simply want to have dinner with you. Come along with me when the time comes."Finishing his coffee that Nina made, he sensed something was off. "Did you cha
Her friend asked curiously again, "How do you know? You mentioned before that you had work collaboration with the York Corporation. Did Nash tell you?"Stella looked at Miranda walking towards them, confirming that she was indeed very beautiful, fitting the description of "unrequited love." But back then, she had asked Nash in person, and he had said he did not have feelings for anyone. The rumors of them falling in love since high school did not hold up.Stella composed herself and opened the car door. Just as Miranda walked past the car and heard the sound of the door opening, she instinctively glanced over and then looked away."Miss Miranda," Stella called out.Miranda stopped and turned to look.Seeing it was a girl, her guard lowered a lot. Now that her status was different, if she wanted to attract attention, she had to be approachable and friendly. So she subconsciously smiled and said, "Hello.""Miss Miranda, I didn't expect to meet you here. I'm your fan. I've watched y
Miranda chuckled again. "Actually, it's not much of a secret anymore. Nash admitted his marriage a while back, but he didn't want to tell everyone who his wife is.""Do you know?" Stella asked.Miranda replied, "I do know, but Nash doesn't want me to say. After all, it's a secret marriage. They've been married for so long, so naturally, he doesn't want everyone to know about the woman.""Alright, I have to go. I won't keep you any longer. I'll treat you to tea when I'm less busy." With that, Miranda got into her chauffeured car.Stella was left alone, puzzled for a while.Before getting into the car, Miranda glanced at Stella and smirked."Miranda, why didn't you assert your dominance? Let others know you're Mr. York's sweetheart. They'll feel the pressure and back off!" Her assistant, Ruby, did not understand why she acted that way.Miranda would not have said something like this before. But she noticed Stella's keen interest in Nash, which changed things.Since Stella mention
Nash still harbored some anticipation. Over the years, he had never prepared gifts to please women, so he was curious about Nina's reaction. However, upon arriving, he found Nina's desk empty. Approaching, he noticed her computer was off. He turned to Taylor, who was approaching, and asked coldly, "Where's Nina?"Taylor, holding a stack of documents, replied, "Nina left ten minutes early, said she had plans to dine with a friend."Nash's expression immediately soured!Dining with a friend? A male friend or a female friend? Didn't he mention they would have dinner together tonight? Was she rejecting him?Nash was displeased, his deep gaze turning extremely cold. Taylor, observing his gradually darkening expression, felt her heart pound in her throat, unaware of why he suddenly became upset. She quickly added, "Mr. York, I heard Nina's phone call. It was a woman's voice."Nash, with a stern face, swiftly walked out. Downstairs, Quincy had been waiting for a long time. They
"What's wrong?" Yvonne, noticing her sudden withdrawal, stopped the playful banter and asked instinctively. As she stood up, her gaze met Nash's looming figure, and she too felt a pang of panic. Why was Nash suddenly here? No one was more nervous than Nina herself. She had barely been catching up with Yvonne for a while, and now Nash appeared out of nowhere.Instinctively, she tidied her appearance to disguise her unease. Nash, still visibly displeased, approached with a stern, icy demeanor. Observing their apparent discomfort, he inquired sharply, "What's so amusing? You seem unusually happy."His penetrating gaze scanned the table, taking note of the tea, snacks, and an inconspicuous package that did not belong. Nina hurriedly removed the books and package, placing them behind her. "Nothing, just chatting with Yvonne, having some fun," she replied quickly, attempting to deflect his attention."Yeah, yeah," Yvonne chimed in, trying to help Nina navigate the awkward situat
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