Nina was still a bit groggy and she asked in a hoarse voice, "What made it?""The drama," Nelly said excitedly. "We've made a comeback!"Nina was instantly wide awake. She sat up quickly and grabbed her phone to check the news about their drama. Yesterday it was ranked second, but today it had climbed to first place. The viewership had multiplied several times overnight, and the reviews were getting better and better. It was breaking real-time popularity records.Nina could not help but feel a huge surge of joy. If the popularity continued to rise and the storyline held up, things would only get better. The worry that had been weighing on her lifted, and she felt a wave of happiness. Hard work did pay off. If one put in enough effort, dreams would indeed come true.She quickly got ready to meet up with the others. She ran into Wilfred downstairs, who was driving his car. He rolled down the window. "Where are you headed? I'll give you a ride."Nina, in a good mood, did not
Nina laughed and said, "Have these been authorized?""Yes, they have!" Nelly confirmed. "I can vouch for it. This isn’t a knockoff. It's an official release. These are just samples, and they're already selling well online!""It seems like this isn’t a dream. 'Glory' is actually doing well," Nina remarked. Just that morning, everything had seemed so uncertain, but now their drama's popularity was soaring."We’ve already hit over a hundred million views! I never thought I’d see this in my lifetime," Angel exclaimed.Nina glanced at the numbers. The view count had indeed surpassed a hundred million, with comments praising the thrilling and engaging plot. The positive feedback was overwhelming."My son’s formula milk money is covered!" Nina joked."I think we can surpass 'Demon Bone!'" Angel said excitedly. "'Glory' is trending nonstop, and everyone’s calling it the dark horse that came out of nowhere with minimal marketing.""I keep seeing fan edits with hundreds of thousands of
"Then go see him," Penelope suggested, "not for him, but for yourself. Knowing he's safe will give you peace of mind."---Meanwhile, Miranda had not slept all night, worrying about Nash's safety. She had called Seth for reassurance, but he insisted there was no danger. Still, her instincts would not let her rest.Early in the morning, exhausted and anxious, she stayed alert to every sound, hoping it was Nash returning. But there was no news of him.Miranda was so preoccupied with Nash's safety that she barely cared about the ratings of 'Demon Bone'. Yesterday's ratings were good, and she knew the ratings of 'Glory' had not met expectations and might even decline. This reassured her that she was finally winning against Nina, both in fame and love.Just as she was feeling a sense of accomplishment, she heard a noise at the door. Thinking it was Nash, she eagerly ran to open it. "Nash—" she started, but it was only her assistant with breakfast.The excitement faded from Miranda's
Miranda could not sit still any longer. It was not just Nina. Nash's absence was making her anxious as well."I need to go out," Miranda said, unable to stay put any longer.Her assistant quickly prepared breakfast for her. "Where are you going, Miranda?""Nash hasn't come back yet. I need to go find him."With that, Miranda hurried to change her clothes. "You're not having breakfast?" the assistant asked."No!"Gathering her things, Miranda grabbed her bag and rushed out the door, instructing the driver to take her to Nash's place. Waiting at his place made her feel more secure. She could see him the moment he arrived.On the way, she noticed a familiar car, one that Nina used to drive. As far as she knew, Nash had given it to her. However, this car was not included in the divorce settlement, which had only specified a villa and four million dollars. Compared to Nash's assets, four million plus a villa was a mere trifle. It felt like charity, so naturally, she did not say
"Miranda!"Her assistant finally arrived, holding an umbrella to shield her from the sun. But Miranda's dress was already dirty."Nina has no manners at all. Let me help you clean it," the assistant quickly knelt down, pulling out tissues to wipe the dress.Miranda glared in the direction Nina had left, her eyes wide with hatred. How dare she act so arrogantly when she was so sick! She would beg for mercy when her illness got worse.Miranda took a deep breath, trying to maintain her composure. "Let's go wait at Nash's villa."From the rearview mirror, Penelope saw Miranda's furious expression and could not help but smirk. "Give her an inch, and she'll take a mile. She's spoiled."Nina did not care about Miranda. Honestly, she did not even want to acknowledge her existence. It was Miranda who kept pushing, always trying to harm her."The weather is nice today. How about we set up a tent and go camping?" Nina suggested, noticing the bright sun."I think that's a great idea. Let's
The driver knocked Miranda unconscious, and slung her over his shoulder. He then got out of the car, and moved to another vehicle, disappearing from sight.---Nina was unconscious but vaguely felt the jostling, which almost made her vomit. When she woke up, she found her hands and feet bound and smelled a strong odor of gasoline. She was in a wooden house, and it seemed like there was someone else tied to the pillar behind her.Straining to turn her head, she saw the edge of the other person's clothes and recognized who it was.Miranda!Nina furrowed her brows. Why was she tied up with Miranda? Where were they? Despite her panic, Nina forced herself to stay calm.Since she and Miranda were both bound, it was clear that their captor was an enemy of them both, ruling out the possibility that Miranda had orchestrated this. If someone had a grudge against both of them, it was likely connected to Nash. Could it be related to the female corpse case?"Who is it? Who kidnapped
Miranda's face turned bright red from the slap, stunned into silence."Stop trying to intimidate me with his name. I've wanted to kill him for a long time!" Sawyer snarled. "If you don't want to die, keep your mouth shut, and maybe you'll live."This shut Miranda up completely.Nina's heart pounded, her hands slick with sweat. She was not alone in this. She had a child to think about, so she dared not make any rash moves."I'm surprised you're still alive," Sawyer sneered at Nina. "Looks like Nash has gone to great lengths for you."Nina responded with cold sarcasm, "Nash? What effort? Don't you know he dumped me? I'd love to kill him myself right now!"Sawyer glanced at Miranda again, laughing. "Looks like this woman has some tricks up her sleeve, just like her father!"Nina continued, "I don't understand why you kidnapped me. Even if you have a grudge against Nash, that has nothing to do with me. We have no conflict!""You and I have no conflict," Sawyer admitted, pacing in f
"Shut up!" Scarlett glared at Miranda. "My life belongs to Sawyer. I live only to serve him!""You're insane!" Miranda continued. "He's a fugitive now, and you're just a loyal dog!""Stuff her mouth!" Scarlett ordered immediately.Someone grabbed a dirty, foul-smelling rag and shoved it into Miranda's mouth."Mmmph..." Miranda gagged at the stench, feeling like she might vomit, but she could not break free.Scarlett looked at Nina, who met her gaze and saw a message in her eyes. Scarlett was not planning to help Sawyer this time. She intended to help Nina.Nina furrowed her brows and shook her head vigorously.Scarlett gave a reassuring smile, trying to put her at ease.Nina's heart was uneasy. She knew Scarlett wanted to get the antidote for her. Just like she had promised that day. But would the antidote be with Sawyer?Nina did not want Scarlett to take such a risk and she grabbed Scarlett's arm but Scarlett pulled away. Outside, gunfire and explosions erupted, mingled
“Ava.”A deep voice cut through the air, and Karina turned to see a man in a black suit, wearing a hat and a mask, striding toward them. But the man’s white eyelashes and distinctive eyes were all Karina needed to recognize him. He was her albino patient, Xavier Jasper!Xavier also didn’t expect to run into both Wilfred and Karina here. “It’s you two,” he exclaimed in surprise.Wilfred’s gaze sharpened as he calmly addressed Xavier. “Keep your sister in line. Apologize.”Before Xavier could respond, Ava stepped forward and, to everyone’s surprise, said, “I’m sorry. I was too impulsive. Please forgive me.” Karina was taken aback by how quickly Ava apologized. Even Xavier, who knew his sister’s arrogant tendencies well, looked stunned.Karina nodded, her tone steady but firm. “I forgive you, but that doesn’t mean everyone else will. You should work on your attitude. Stop acting so entitled everywhere you go.” With that, Karina turned on her heel and walked away. Although Xavie
”Those were her meticulously compiled notes, the result of hours of hard work—and now they were ruined just like that?” Karina thought.“I’ve never wronged you. Why would you do something like this?” she demanded, her voice trembling with indignation. Something about the situation felt off, and Karina’s sharp intuition told her this wasn’t a simple misunderstanding.Under Karina’s intense gaze, the nurse finally broke down, revealing Ava’s role in orchestrating the whole thing. Karina’s anger turned into a mix of rage and incredulous amusement. “Really? Rich people—did they all enjoy throwing money around like this?”All this trouble, just to ruin her hard-earned work over a seat?Her carefully compiled notes were gone, and there wasn’t a second copy. Arguing wouldn’t bring them back, but Ava wasn’t going to let this slide without giving someone a piece of her mind.Finding Ava wasn’t difficult. In fact, Ava didn’t even try to avoid her. She seemed to be waiting, eager to see
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