Nash effortlessly picked her up and said softly, "Since you won't listen to me, I have no choice but to do this."Nina was annoyed and retorted, "Are you a robber? Forcing me like this!""It's better than you acting on impulse!""How am I acting on impulse?" Nina countered.Nash’s expression became more serious as he replied calmly, "Do you remember the last time you were overworked and almost had a miscarriage? Today, you’ve been busy with Miranda’s issue, haven't you?"Hearing this, Nina's agitation subsided. "What does that have to do with me taking a taxi home?"Nash had already carried her to the car and put her down, staring at her intently. "What if your stomach starts hurting on the way? You just said it hurt a moment ago. How can I be at ease letting you go home alone?"His words revealed his concern for her.So he remembered.Nina bit her lip, remaining silent for a moment. She could feel Nash’s worry and care but feared it was just her wishful thinking. She had not
"What are you trying to say?" Nina asked."To divorce me, you might even lie that the child is Scott’s," Nash replied.Nina could count the times she had lied to Nash on one hand. If it was not necessary, she would not lie to him. And she never claimed the child was Scott's. She never admitted that.Turning to him, she countered, "If it's not Scott’s, then could it be yours?""Who exactly is Zac?" Nash’s expression turned serious. "Nina, is this person real, or did you make him up to provoke me?"He had searched extensively, investigating everyone she had ever known, but found no trace of anyone named Zac. It could have been a nickname, but even then, there were no leads.When he pressed her on this, Nina’s heart tightened, and she instinctively clenched her fists. Should she keep this secret buried forever? If he was determined, he might figure it out eventually. Even if she revealed it, it might not matter. If he did not remember, he would forget forever.Nina decided to tel
Nina was so certain and she was completely unaware that she might have disappeared for an entire summer. This made Nash a bit suspicious. That missing summer seemed unusual.Not noticing anything wrong, Nina looked ahead and said, "I’m almost home. You can drop me off here."Quincy hit the brakes, stopping smoothly at the intersection. Nina got out of the car."Thank you for the ride. You should head home early too," she said politely to Nash.Nash was still puzzled, unsure where things had gone wrong. Nina saw he was deep in thought and did not wait for him, walking into her apartment complex.Nash watched her go, not getting out of the car. He was caught in a loop, unable to find an explanation."Did we miss anything in Nina's records?" Nash asked.Quincy had handled this matter, spending a lot of time trying to find Zac. "No, we didn’t miss anything. If it’s something known, it should be correct. Maybe she just forgot because it was so long ago?""Do you remember things from
Mentioning Nash brought a big question to Nina's mind. She hesitated for a long time, her hand hovering over the screen.She finally decided to ask and typed, "Mom, was there a summer during high school when I wasn't home?"Since Nash had this doubt, she wanted to clear it up as well. Julia took a while to respond, making Nina feel uneasy. They had been chatting just fine, but now there was silence.After ten minutes, Julia finally replied, "Who told you that?"Nina was not sure how to respond. "No one, I was just asking.""There’s no such thing," Julia said firmly. "You've been always at home from childhood through adulthood, except when you were working. Our family has strict rules. There's no way you would be away for an entire summer. Don’t overthink it, and don't listen to what others say!"Nina thought that made sense. All their relatives lived locally. Even visiting them would not account for disappearing for a month. Besides, while their family was not highly academic, th
After a long pause, Principal Wallace turned his gaze to Nash, his shock giving way to confusion. He did not understand why Nash was so concerned about this matter. "Why are you suddenly so interested? Even if the kidnapped girl wasn’t Nina, why does it matter to you?"Principal Wallace’s questions seemed genuine, not an attempt to hide anything or with any ill intent.Nash’s sharp gaze relaxed slightly, and he spoke in a calm tone. "I'm investigating something and came across this. I thought you could help clarify. The girl who was kidnapped wasn’t Nina, but she believes it was her and even shares the same name. If there was no intentional effort to hide the truth, how could she have these memories?"Principal Wallace’s expression kept changing."Principal Wallace, this happened at the school you managed. Can you provide an explanation?" Nash wanted a reasonable answer, suspecting there might be a larger conspiracy.Principal Wallace sighed deeply and sat up straight, ready to
Principal Wallace was taken aback, not expecting things to be like this. "I only just found out today. If I said anything inappropriate in the past, please don’t take it to heart."He had not forgotten his past attempts to matchmake Nina with Scott, including considering his own daughter."You're overthinking it, Principal Wallace," Nash said. "It's late, so I'll take my leave."Principal Wallace, being a cordial person, personally saw them out.---It was already early morning. Nina lay in bed, feeling her stomach growl with hunger. Lately, she had been getting hungry more often. Her cravings had intensified, with a particular fondness for salty and spicy foods. She could handle spicy food much better now.But she was also very tired and did not want to get up. She tried to sleep through it, curling up under the covers. Suddenly, she heard a noise, waking her up fully. It was the sound of knocking.She got up to answer the door. Opening it, she found Nash standing there, his ta
Hearing this, Nina instinctively clenched her fists and avoided his gaze. She was afraid she was being too self-centered. "You only want to change because you care. Why do you care so much?"Nash looked at her. "You’re my wife."Nina pursed her lips slightly and poked the tacos with her fork without eating. "Haven’t we already agreed to divorce? Just being your wife isn’t enough of a reason. You never tried to change for me before, so why now?"Nash simply watched her, seemingly deep in thought, without saying anything more.Feeling his gaze on her and seeing that he was not speaking, Nina stopped waiting and began to eat, keeping her head down."I think I’m falling for you.""Cough, cough, cough..."The light comment caught Nina off guard, causing her to choke on the spicy tacos. It burned her throat and made her feel awful.Seeing her struggle, Nash quickly poured her some water. "Are you okay? Drink some water!"Tears welled up in Nina’s eyes, blurring her vision, and she w
She sat on the bed, her gaze drifting toward the door, knowing that Nash was just outside. She could not fall asleep, her mind unable to calm down. She kept thinking about what Nash had said. When it came to this matter, she still felt a bit timid, unable to reveal her true feelings. Yet, she could not help but feel agitated.After a while, the door opened again. Nina looked up to see Nash walking in. She stared at him, just as she had the first time she saw him. She was unable to say a word and was simply looking at him openly.Nash held a cup of milk and placed it in front of her. "Drinking a glass of milk before bed is good for you. It’s sweet and can help relieve stress," he said in a low voice.Nina glanced at the milk and then at his arm, where veins slightly bulged. She felt a sense of déjà vu, as if she had experienced this moment before. Recently, she had felt very off. Not only was she becoming paranoid, but she was also recalling scenes she had not actually experienced.
Mrs. Stone was stunned into silence by the officer’s stern words. She stopped her hysterics, but her eyes still held traces of resentment and unease. Meanwhile, in another part of the station, Karina sat on a sofa, her mood as heavy and oppressive as the overcast sky outside. Her mind replayed the countless entanglements with the Stone family—the slander, the extortion, the endless pain. Those memories surged like waves, solidifying her determination to break free entirely. Staying in Birkham would only mean being drained by the insatiable greed of the Stones. Slowly, Karina took out her phone. Her fingers hesitated before they hovered over Wilfred’s contact. Taking a deep breath, she dialed his number. The line connected quickly, and Wilfred’s calm, caring voice came through. “Karina, what’s wrong?” Her lips trembled slightly, her voice tinged with an almost imperceptible quaver. “Dr. Wilfred, I need to tell you something.“I don’t think I can stay in Birkham anymor
“If your son is indeed suffering from a mental illness, we will proceed according to the appropriate legal procedures after professional evaluation. Until then, he must remain under our supervision and be investigated,” the officer explained firmly. Meanwhile, in another room at the station, Kieran, who had been subdued, was gradually calming down. Despite his quieter demeanor, a hint of cunning flickered in his eyes. The officer assigned to watch him kept a vigilant eye on his every move. Noticing the scrutiny, Kieran raised his head and feigned innocence. “Officer, I was having an episode earlier. I didn’t mean to act that way. I couldn’t control myself.” The officer’s response was cold and detached. “There will be time for explanations later. For now, sit tight and behave.” Kieran pursed his lips, remaining silent outwardly but scheming internally. *The police then called Karina to inform her of Mrs. Stone’s claims and to verify their accuracy. Karina let out
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