She began to imagine how grand her wedding with Nash would be. She envisioned herself as the happiest bride in the world. Just then, Miranda heard footsteps and assumed it was the helper. "You don't need to take care of things here. You can go," she called out.However, the footsteps did not stop. She frowned, growing impatient. "I said you don't need to..."As she looked up and saw who it was, her eyes widened in shock. She quickly removed the face mask and stood up straight. "Dad.""Miranda," the man said, his eyes smiling as he looked at her. "It's been a long time. You've grown into a fine young woman."Miranda stood up and ran to hug him. "Dad, you're finally out. I've missed you so much!"The man was in his fifties and slightly taller than Miranda. He was still looking strong and fit. Patting Miranda’s head affectionately, he said, "You've been through a lot these past few years." "It's nothing compared to what you've endured, Dad. Besides, I'm a star now. With the fam
For her, there was only one way out.---Nina had no idea how she survived the night. It was excruciatingly long and torturous. She lay on the sofa, wide awake the entire time. When she finally became fully alert, it was already the break of dawn.She was exhausted and feeling completely drained.Dragging her weary body to the bathroom, Nina washed her face and looked up, only to be startled by her reflection. She thought she was seeing a ghost. Her eyes were bloodshot, her face haggard and colorless, resembling someone gravely ill.She touched her face in disbelief, questioning how she had come to look like this. Was a broken heart enough to completely bring her down? Could she not live without Nash?The answer was no.Hadn't she already contemplated severing ties and divorcing him long ago? It just so happened that he initiated it this time. She had to move on and live a better life, a hundred times better than before.Nina made up her mind. One night of sadness
Her life was fortunate in many ways. She had a harmonious family and many people who cared about her. Her misfortune lay in her love life. Perhaps her life was too stable, and there had to be some turbulence, which manifested in her romantic failures.Her words made Wilfred laugh. He sat by her side, watching over her, his brown eyes exceptionally gentle. "You didn't exactly risk your life for me, but you did give me life," he said. He decided not to hide and face the truth with her. "You'll understand when you remember."He had saved her multiple times, and she believed he would not harm her, despite his complex identity. Now, the only person who stayed by her side was Wilfred."Do you have friends?" she asked."No.""None of you have friends?""I don't need friends," he replied."What about your parents?""I don't know who they are.""You must feel so lonely, without friends or family. Life must be dull," she said, suddenly feeling pity for him.Fate had not been enti
Wilfred's expression was complicated. If she knew what he had done, she would not say such things. He did not dare touch her hand, let alone tell her about the darker parts of his life.Wilfred did not refuse her this time, letting her hold his hand. They sat quietly for a long while. The beads in Nina's hand seemed to deepen in color, the red tint becoming more prominent. She noticed this and asked, "Are these beads changing color?"Wilfred's eyes darkened. "Are they?"Nina held the beads up to the sunlight, confirming the brightening red. "I thought the beads might darken over time from wear, but this red seems to be getting brighter. These are your beads, right? Haven't you noticed?"Wilfred instinctively clenched his wrist, then smiled. "Maybe they're fake. I never had them tested."Nina's gaze fixed on Wilfred. "Would you wear fake beads for so long? I'm not saying they're fake, just that it's strange to have blood inside them."She sniffed the beads. "They smell of
"It’s my first time," Wilfred said.Nina raised an eyebrow. "Not bad for a first attempt. Let's see if you have a natural talent."Half an hour later, Wilfred emerged from the kitchen. There was no smell of smoke, which meant he had not blown up the kitchen. But when he set the dishes on the table, Nina was taken aback.She stared at Wilfred in horror.Wilfred, sensing her confusion, calmly explained, "This is chicken heart, and this is chicken liver… both are internal organs. This part is the chicken breast, and the legs have the most tender meat..."Listening to Wilfred's descriptions felt like a lesson in anatomy rather than a meal. She could almost picture Wilfred performing a dissection on the chicken while cooking. Instead of feeling hungry, she felt nauseous.Seeing Nina not touching the food, Wilfred asked, "What's wrong? Does it not look appetizing? I tried to keep it all intact.""It's not that..." Nina replied. "You didn't have to keep it so intact. Do you have anythi
Wilfred flinched, clearly not wanting to be touched. This only made Nina more suspicious. "Why are you still bleeding?" she demanded. His injury had been there for a while. Even if it had not fully healed, it should not still be bleeding unless he had a new wound. Wilfred tightened his sleeve, but the few drops of blood were hard to ignore. Forcing a smile, he made an excuse. "I cut myself while cooking. It's nothing serious."Nina was not convinced. "You've handled surgical tools for years. How could you accidentally cut yourself? You can't fool me! This doesn't look like a cooking injury. What really happened?"Wilfred remained silent. Seeing his reluctance, Nina took his hand and saw the hastily wrapped bandage around his wrist. It was not well done, likely because he had to do it himself with one hand. "It's just a minor injury," Wilfred said softly. "You've seen worse on me. This is nothing."He hoped she would drop the topic, but Nina's suspicions only deepened. "Did
Her gaze shifted back to Wilfred. He looked at her with a casual, unbothered expression. This was no longer surprising to him. Nina understood that the place Wilfred had come from was far from legitimate or transparent. As he said, they lived in darkness, away from the light.Even so, Nina was still deeply shocked, unable to fathom how people could live such different lives. "How could you give me your blood?" Nina's voice was filled with reluctance. "I would have woken up eventually. You didn't need to cut your wrist to help me. It's harmful to you. I don't need you to do that."Wilfred smiled, as if this was the easiest thing he had ever done. "It's just a bit of blood. It won't kill me.""You can't say that. You mustn't do it again!" Nina firmly opposed. "With me, you are a person who deserves respect, not an animal, and certainly not someone who needs to sacrifice themselves for anyone else. You are free. Don't bind yourself."Nina wanted to convey that he did not need to
Yvonne felt like she was in a dream, her head spinning. She could see that they loved each other, so how could they divorce so easily? Yvonne asked, "What happened? Nash is such a jerk for changing so quickly. I have to go confront him!"Nina had already accepted the reality. "There's no need. It's better this way. Look, now I have money and a house. I'm a rich lady now. Even if I never work again, I won't starve. You should congratulate me.""That just benefits the other woman!" Yvonne fumed, imagining herself in Nina's position. How could she bear it?"How much can she benefit, really?" Nina said. "Don't worry about it. It's over now.""Got it. I'm just worried about you. Are you okay? Do you need me to keep you company? I've been calling you, and you didn't pick up. I was so worried." Yvonne was genuinely concerned, but she knew Nina was resilient. Otherwise, Nina would not have stayed by Nash's side for so many years like an unyielding weed."If it were me, I'd divorce suc
Just as Ava was about to cause a scene, the sound of steady footsteps filled the room. Wilfred strode in, his white coat enhancing his composed, almost ethereal aura. Ava shot Karina a glare, silently committing her to memory, then begrudgingly found another seat. Wilfred’s gaze swept across the room, pausing ever so briefly on Karina before moving on. She wasn’t sure if it was real or just her imagination. “Today, we’ll discuss cellular structures. I’ll start with an example from my doctoral thesis,” Wilfred announced, adjusting the projector. To Karina’s surprise, he was an exceptional lecturer—clear, engaging, and far more comprehensible than many university professors. She listened intently, taking meticulous notes. Yvette peeked over at Karina’s notebook, wide-eyed at the densely packed writing. “Karina, when you eventually get promoted, land a big raise, or go for your doctorate, I promise I won’t be jealous. Truly.”Karina chuckled. “If you need these notes, I can len
Karina glanced at the time and quickly gestured for Yvette to sit down as well. However, barely had they taken their seats when a haughty woman marched up to Karina, her sharp gaze fixed on the chair she was sitting on. “You, get up. I want that seat!” Karina frowned, studying the unfamiliar woman. She didn’t recognize her from the hospital, but the designer jewelry around her neck and the branded bag on her arm screamed wealth. She seemed like the kind of entitled socialite who rarely had to fight for anything, let alone a seat.Unsure if the woman was trying to pick a fight or genuinely wanted the chair, Karina pointed to the open seats nearby. “There are plenty of seats over there. Take one of those.”Then, she lowered her head, dismissing the woman entirely.The woman’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Excuse me? I said I want your seat. Get up. Now!” Not content with words alone, she reached out to pull Karina up by force. Karina, now genuinely angry, shook her off. “I was h
Karina looked slightly surprised. She distinctly remembered that Wilfred wasn’t a drinker. “I thought you avoided alcohol?” Wilfred, ever the epitome of control and composure, preferred to steer clear of anything that dulled his sharpness. Back when they worked at the Birkham Central Hospital, she had seen him reject bottles of expensive wine from people trying to curry favor with him. He sipped his tea slowly before replying, “You’ve started at a new hospital. As your former mentor, I haven’t given you a proper congratulatory gift yet.” “This is… for me?” Karina asked, her voice tinged with disbelief. Wilfred’s gaze was steady as he replied, “Don’t like it? If not, I can send it back and we can find something else later.” He raised his hand to call the server over. “Wait! No need. I like it a lot,” Karina interjected hastily, stopping him in his tracks. The idea of going gift shopping with him later felt uncomfortably like a date. And knowing Wilfred’s personality, w
Wilfred’s gaze swept over her without a word, and Karina climbed into the car on her own. When choosing her seat, she instinctively moved toward the back, but before she could get in, Wilfred spoke, “Sit in the front. It’s more convenient.” Karina hesitated briefly. Not wanting to appear overly particular, she complied and took the passenger seat. Although there was a saying that the front seat was reserved for a girlfriend, Wilfred didn’t strike her as someone who cared about such details. She decided to pretend she didn’t know. After buckling her seatbelt, a phone suddenly appeared in front of her. She looked up, her face full of confusion and surprise. Wilfred glanced sideways at her, one hand on the steering wheel, the car still stationary. “I haven’t decided on a restaurant yet. I’ll be driving soon. You pick something.” Karina took the phone. As Wilfred drove, she scrolled through the options, narrowing it down to three restaurants. But her mild indecisivenes
Karina forced a smile. “Really, it’s fine. You all go ahead.”Yvette pouted, her disappointment clear as she relented. “Alright then.”Once the others had left, Karina tried to refocus on work. She pulled out her research materials, determined to get something done. Yet, no matter how hard she tried, her thoughts kept wandering. The cheerful chatter from outside finally snapped her out of it, making her realize just how distracted she had been.Karina gave a wry smile and muttered to herself, “This is why you don’t get ahead of yourself. Seriously, one of life’s biggest delusions.”For a fleeting moment, she had thought Wilfred might feel something for her too. But it was better this way, she told herself—better to wake up now than to fall in too deep later. Romance wasn’t her strong suit; focusing on her career was safer.While others might drown their heartbreak in food or a night out, Karina chose the most grueling outlet: work. It might be exhausting, but it was effective. S
After hearing Wilfred’s response, the director could barely contain his excitement. He immediately signed the contract.As he finished, the director couldn’t help but remark, “Dr. Wilfred, I had a feeling you’d be a great ally for our hospital. And now I see I was absolutely right!”Wilfred replied in his usual composed tone, “Well, considering you’ve helped me solve a big problem, it’s only fair I return the favor.”The director froze for a moment. When had he ever helped Wilfred? He had no idea what Wilfred was referring to.Instinctively, he glanced at Karina, catching the fleeting surprise and uncertainty in her expression. Realization dawned, and he let out a hearty laugh. “Dr. Wilfred, you’re too kind! Honestly, Dr. Norman is so talented. She’s hardly a burden. If anything, we’re the ones benefiting.”The rest of the conversation blurred in Karina’s mind. Her thoughts were stuck on Wilfred’s earlier comment, delivered so casually yet carrying so much weight. Was it really
Karina froze for a moment, watching as Wilfred walked through the crowd toward her. He wasn’t wearing his white coat but casual clothes—a khaki turtleneck sweater that softened the sharp angles of his features, paired with tailored pants. The outfit gave off a relaxed, homely vibe, yet the air of aloofness surrounding him remained untouched. If anything, that distance only added to his allure, intensifying the crowd’s fascination and desire to get closer. Wilfred extended a hand to the hospital director. “Dr. Lincoln, thank you for personally greeting me.” “No need for thanks, Dr. Wilfred,” the director said with a chuckle. “It’s a privilege to have someone of your stature visit our hospital. As the director, it’s my duty to show the proper respect.” Their handshake was brief, followed by the usual pleasantries. Karina kept her gaze down, avoiding any indication of familiarity with Wilfred. She guessed he would prefer it that way, and her suspicion was confirmed when
For a moment, she wanted to ask Karina, "If you’re so eager to study, why don’t you just sign up for a class?" But seeing Karina’s confused expression, she swallowed her words and instead said, “It’s time to eat. You need to take care of yourself. Just the other day, I saw you taking medicine for your stomach pain.” Karina wanted to cover the phone, but it was too late. Wilfred had already heard everything. The other end of the line fell silent for a moment. Karina was a little afraid of this silence. After the female doctor left, she tried to explain, “I really have been eating well…” Wilfred interrupted, “Can you charge your meal card at the cafeteria? I’ll load it up for you with my account.” This way, he could get real-time notifications whenever she ate or didn’t eat. Karina recognized the firm tone in his voice and reluctantly accepted. After the meal card was loaded, with Wilfred constantly monitoring her meals, Karina never had to worry about skipping a
Harley replied, “The bottom line is, if you can't get it done, Wilfred will have to resign.”Boom!Karina felt like she had been struck by lightning, frozen in place for a moment. After the shock passed, overwhelming anger followed! She couldn’t believe that Wilfred had personally proposed it. She could tell how much he loved his profession, and there was no way he would voluntarily say he would give up his career. It had to be because they pressured him! However, Harley said, “You’ve got it wrong. It was definitely Wilfred who proposed it himself.” His gaze turned more meaningful. “That’s why I said, he cares about you. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have made so many exceptions for you.” Karina could barely process his words, her mind only echoing that one sentence that Wilfred cared about her.Just the thought of it felt like being burned, as though her heart was on fire. Her heart became a tangled mess, and she couldn’t bring herself to ask Wilfred directly. She cou