"No," Nina said firmly.Nash's expression changed, and he added coldly, "Soon to be ex-wife!"The doctor was momentarily taken aback by their responses but quickly continued, "The patient has a mild concussion and a fractured hand. She will recover with some rest. There's no need to worry too much."Nina was relieved and immediately said, "Thank you, doctor.""You're welcome."They followed Zoe as she was taken to her room.Nina noticed that Zoe's lips were dry, so she quickly got some warm water and used a cotton swab to moisten them.Nash stayed by her side. No one else was in the room to avoid disturbing the patient’s rest.Nina could not relax, so she sat across from Zoe, keeping vigil. As she watched over her, she grew tired and dozed off, slumping over in sleep.She was jolted awake by a nightmare, finding herself in a dark, confined space. These dreams plagued her often, leaving her feeling unsettled.When she awoke, she realized she was covered with a jacket. It was s
She caught a faint scent of disinfectant.Instinctively, she looked up. The man was wearing a black coat over a sweater, with dress pants and leather shoes. His face bore a slight smile, and he stared at her with his brown eyes. His face was fairer than his hands and he wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses. His lips curved naturally into a soft smile, giving him an approachable appearance, and a small mole marked the corner of his left eye.Despite his friendly appearance, Nina felt a chill run through her.A chill that penetrated to the bone."Ivy..." the man murmured, staring at Nina.Trying to calm her unease, Nina stood up, "Who are you calling?"Seeing no reaction from her, the man stood up too. He looked at her with those deep brown eyes meaningfully as he said, "It seems I mistook you for someone else.""Could you give me my things back?" Nina asked.The man smiled silently and handed her the shopping bags.Nina quickly took them, and the moment she touched his hand, sh
Hearing this, Miranda's expression stiffened slightly, but she firmly retorted, "No, I can’t do that. I'm Miranda, a big star now. How could I stoop to doing such things?""Miranda..." Wilfred repeated the name softly, then suddenly smiled. "That name isn't clean either. You’re dwelling in the darkness but dreaming of seeing the light, hmm?"He asked, tapping his slender fingers on the table.They were both people from the underworld and neither could claim purity.Miranda's face turned pale, and her hands clenched tightly. "It's all in the past. We can be clean now!"She longed to believe she could be clean. No one knew about the things she had done before. Although her hands were dirty, she had washed them clean.Wilfred remained silent.Miranda looked at him earnestly, "I want a normal life. I have a career, and I will have a family. You can have that too. You can live a normal life."Wilfred gazed into Miranda's eyes. He believed that, at this moment, she was sincere.But.
Nina stood at the doorway. She had hired someone to follow Miranda, waiting for this moment. There was no way Miranda would have intentionally made herself deaf. Someone must be helping her. Coming to this place was highly suspicious, and Nina hoped to find some clues.When the door opened, she saw the tall figure before her. "It's you!"Wilfred responded, "What a coincidence."Nina looked at the man dressed as a doctor. It all made sense now. She glanced inside, searching for any sign of Miranda. The person following Miranda said she had entered and never left."Are you a doctor?" Nina asked.Wilfred answered, "Yes."Nina probed, "I think a friend of mine came here...""Miranda?" he interrupted.Nina looked up at him. He did not seem to be hiding anything, and he seemed to know exactly what she wanted to ask. It felt almost too easy."She really came here?" Nina asked."I have the answers you're looking for," Wilfred said directly. "If you want to know, come in."He left
Wilfred's smile remained, the mole at the corner of his eye becoming more pronounced. "Isn't this what you wanted to know? I'm just telling the truth."Nina could not quite read him. With a single glance, she could see the entire space, and she was sure that Miranda was not there. She doubted the truth of his words. "How can I trust what you're saying?""What would I gain by lying to you?" Wilfred looked at the desk. "Here are the records of Miranda seeking my help. You can see for yourself."Nina picked up the medical records and reviewed them. Indeed, it showed Miranda had come to him for help. The regular doctors could not cure her, but he could. His medical skills seemed impressive. He was capable of inducing and restoring hearing loss. Everything fit."You know the truth now, aren't you afraid for your life?" Wilfred had moved close to her, his words dropping from above.Nina looked up at him, genuinely feeling a bit panicked. This man’s background was unknown, and she wa
"It's me!" Nash grabbed her hands.Nina looked up and saw Nash standing in front of her. "What are you doing here?"Nash's expression was dark. "I should be asking you that. What are you doing here?"Nina still had the medical records in her pocket and could not let Nash find out. If he knew, he might destroy them. She quickly responded, "I came to see a friend.""Do you think I'll believe that?" Nash retorted."What else would I be doing here?" Nina countered."You went to the fourth floor," Nash said coldly. "Do you know the consequences of entering a stranger’s territory?"Nina replied, "But I came out just fine!"Seeing her lack of concern, Nash's brows furrowed. "Nina, if something had happened, you could have lost your life. Do you realize how serious this is?"Nina studied Nash, wondering why he was here. Was it for the same reason as her? She could not be sure. Maybe their purposes were different. Regardless, she had what she came for. She softened her tone. "I und
"Isn't the child yours too?" Sally retorted.William looked at her coldly. "I don't even want this marriage, so why would I want a child?"Sally's face turned pale. "I knew you would say that, William. Why did I ever marry you? I regret it. If I could start over, I would rather have never married you!"William's tone was equally harsh. "Didn't you use every trick in the book to marry me? Did you think I wanted to marry you?"Sally's heart felt like it was tearing apart, her eyes reddening. "Yes, I used every trick, and you've been punishing me ever since!"He stayed out all night, rarely came home, and never treated this place as his home since they married. She felt like she was living a life of emotional deprivation."Punishing you? That's putting it lightly," William said with cold eyes. "I never even saw you as someone worth my time."Sally's heart grew colder. What had she been hoping for? That one day William would have a change of heart?No, she had not. She just could n
At that moment, she felt like she had lost everything. No one would be by her side.---Nina returned to the hospital.By this time, Zoe had woken up. She looked tired, lying motionless on the hospital bed."Aunt Zoe," Nina called softly, carrying several bags.Zoe turned her head and smiled, "Nina, it's you.""How are you feeling? Any better?" Nina asked. "If you're uncomfortable, let me know."Zoe glanced at Nash standing behind Nina and hesitated before saying, "The pain is still there, but it's manageable. Don't worry, I'll be fine in a couple of days."Nina nodded, acknowledging her words."Nash," Zoe turned her gaze to Nash, feeling a bit guilty about what happened at the cemetery. "I'm sorry, I spoke without thinking. Don't take it to heart."Although she was angry with Nash, she felt she had said too much, which could have affected him.Nash looked at Zoe and said in a low voice, "It's in the past. Don't dwell on it."Zoe sighed, her face filled with sorrow. "It mus
The woman had deliberately spoken in a vague and ambiguous way. She had been sent by Summer, with Mrs. Lucas's covert assistance. Together, they had schemed to place a helper in the villa with a simple enough task with their combined influence. But to Jamie, the words carried a different implication. This was Lucas’s territory, which meant this woman had likely been instructed by Ben. If Jamie didn’t drink the soup, she was certain Ben wouldn’t let it slide. A wave of bitterness washed over her. “Fine, just leave it over there. I’ll drink it later when I’m thirsty.” “Miss Lewis, I need to personally see you finish the soup before I can leave. If you’re not ready to drink it now, that’s no problem. I’ll just wait here.” The woman placed the tray on the table, pulled a chair over, and sat directly in front of Jamie. Her stare was unrelenting, her attitude clear. She wasn’t leaving until the job was done. If it had been anyone else in Jamie’s place, the woman wouldn’t da
“Don’t beg me. If begging worked, I’d have begged Ben not to leave a long time ago,” Winnie said as she wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes. “Here’s the deal. I called to make one thing clear. Everything you owe me, I’m going to take back, bit by bit, through Charlie. He’s your son, and they say the sins of the mother fall on the child.” With that biting remark, Winnie hung up without hesitation.Clutching her phone, her chest ached with a deep, lingering pain. The masked man approached, standing by her side. “Winnie, what’s the point of all this? You’re clearly full of hate for Jamie, but instead of taking it out on her, you’re here looking after her kid. I don’t get you sometimes.“If it were me,” he continued, “I’d grab this opportunity and make her suffer. Why are you holding back?”Winnie shook her head. “Charlie calls me his aunt, and besides, it’s not right to blame a child for the mistakes of adults.”She might despise Jamie, but Winnie couldn’t bring herself
On the day of the engagement banquet, Ben’s phone appearing near Jamie should have been a warning sign, but she missed it. Later, she had warmly welcomed Jamie into her home, showering her with care. She had even worried that Ben might dislike Jamie and tried to help them get along. And what happened in the end? While she had been tirelessly caring for them, the two of them ended up in bed together. Now, they were living under the same roof, while she and her child were left with nothing. How could Winnie not harbor resentment? Especially when she looked at Charlie, a chilling thought crept into her mind: If her own child’s life was ruined because of Jamie, then shouldn’t she retaliate by ruining Jamie’s child? An eye for an eye. But she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Every time Charlie called her "Aunt Winnie" with such innocence, it reminded her of the bond between them. How could she be so heartless? “I’m in Ben’s villa. He won’t let me leave,” Jamie
Ben gripped Jamie's chin tightly, his voice firm and unyielding. When Jamie had disappeared from his life, he had exhausted every possible means, called in countless favors, and poured his energy into finding her. But he had failed. Just when he was on the verge of giving up, he had met Winnie. It felt like fate had stepped in, intertwining their paths once more, as if destined for a lifetime of entangled love and hate. If that was his reality, then he would play along with it.“Instead of plotting ways to escape from me, why don’t you focus on apologizing? Show me some sincerity, and maybe I’ll make your life a little easier,” Ben said.Jamie’s lips curved into a bitter smile. She knew what he wanted.He wanted an apology and an attitude of remorse. But she also knew she had no leverage to stay by his side.Even if she played along now, making him happy temporarily, there was no future for them. Mrs. Lucas’s disdain for her was an insurmountable mountain, and she couldn’t see
Unfortunately, Ben couldn’t see through any of this. Summer, however, wasn’t the least bit intimidated. Shaking her head confidently, she said, “I’ve never done anything to upset him. I don’t believe that just exchanging a few words with him would make him kick me out.”Mrs. Lucas opened her mouth, about to say something, but seeing Summer’s confident demeanor, she hesitated. Maybe, just maybe, Ben might actually feel too awkward to reject her outright. And if a little covert manipulation were added into the mix…Suddenly, Mrs. Lucas had an idea. Hearing it, Summer’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Mrs. Lucas, that’s an excellent plan! We should act quickly before he does anything else irrational.” “Alright.” Though the plan was solid, the two of them decided to put it into action three days later. Meanwhile, Ben hadn’t been to the office lately, but he was still keeping track of all the firm’s cases. He was also trying to reach Winnie, but while her phone would ring,
Ben wanted nothing more than to wring Jamie's neck after hearing her cold, cutting words. “I don’t need your lectures,” he growled. Human nature? Didn’t she think he knew enough about it already? He had seen it in every case he handled, and he had learned it the hardest way through her betrayal. When he fell for Jamie, it had been with the intent to marry her, to share a future. But she had stabbed him in the back without hesitation. And yet, when he tried to hate her, tried to wish for her downfall, he couldn’t bring himself to follow through. “Stay here and reflect on your actions, Jamie.” Ben knew her well enough. If she cried, begged for forgiveness, he would soften. But she didn’t. Instead, all she cared about was that child, the child he refused to acknowledge. “Fine,” he thought grimly. “Let’s see how long that bastard can survive.”*Meanwhile, Ben’s mother, Mrs. Lucas, had failed to convince him to cut ties with Jamie. This left her in a tough spot, especial
Ben would never believe the truth, and his mother would never allow Charlie’s existence. Instead of creating chaos and an irreparable fallout, Jamie chose to keep it hidden. She thought that once Ben’s anger subsided, he would eventually let her go.“Even if you figure out who the father is, what difference does it make?” Jamie met Ben’s intense gaze calmly. “We’ve already said everything that needed to be said. Can’t we stop making each other’s lives miserable?”"Your mother offered so much money. Why wouldn’t I take it? I’m not a fool. I gave you up for one million before. After these past four years, do you really think there’s any love left between us? Do you honestly expect me to cry and beg for you?”Jamie’s voice was steady as she stared calmly at Ben. She had been scared at first, but over time, she had come to terms with her reality. Ben wasn’t going to kill her. And as long as she stayed alive, there would eventually come a day when he’d let her go. Right now, his anger wa
The next second, there was only silence on the phone.Ben sent the phone number to his assistant. “Investigate thoroughly.”A thought suddenly struck him. He couldn't let Jamie continue to roam freely outside.*Four days later, Ben's mother came to visit. “You refuse to take over the family business, and now you're going against me by keeping Jamie around again?”Ben didn’t respond, but her anger only grew. “Ben, you’ve seen for yourself what kind of person Jamie is. Why are you still so obsessed with her? The fiancée I arranged for you is far better than the one you’ve chosen!”The Larson family was also one of the prominent families in Birkham. While the Lucas and Larson families couldn’t rival the York family, the Lucas family still held its position as the second most influential family in the city. On top of that, they were relatives of the Scott Lucas. Even Scott, who had initially resisted marriage, eventually followed his parents’ wishes and entered into a family
Jamie closed her eyes briefly, sinking further into despair. She didn’t even notice when Ben had left the room. Her thoughts were scattered, her mind drifting in and out of focus.Though she wanted to leave the hospital, she was constantly watched, making it impossible. By afternoon, a nurse came in to change her dressing.Jamie glanced up absentmindedly. “It’s fine. I don’t need it.”“This is under Dr. Lawson’s direct orders,” the nurse replied gently but firmly. “I can’t afford to cut corners. Since you’re still admitted, please cooperate.”Jamie lifted her gaze slightly, her tone subdued. “I’d like to get some fresh air.”“Of course, once we’re done changing your dressing, I can take you outside. Just make sure not to strain your muscles,” the nurse said patiently.The weather was exceptionally pleasant that day. As she sat in the wheelchair outside, Jamie made several calls to Winnie. The phone was still off, as if Winnie had made up her mind to disappear completely from her