Nina's face was smeared with dirt and tears, looking utterly disheveled. When she tried to stand up, she had no strength left and fainted. Nash caught her just in time.Now, Nina was quiet, with tears still streaming down her cheeks. Nash's deep eyes fixed on her as he gently wiped away her tears."Captain," someone called out.At that moment, they were all there. Nash cradled Nina in his arms. "Clean this place up," he ordered.Scarlett's face turned pale, and she hesitated. "Is that it? She will be heartbroken."Nash replied, "If we don't do this, she'll have nothing but death. As long as she's alive, there's hope. Even if this child is gone, she must live."To Nash, Nina's life was more important than the child's. Even if she hated him for it, he would accept that.Scarlett fell silent, unable to bear seeing Nina in such pain."Take care of the rest," Nash instructed Scarlett. "Keep her safe and remember what I told you."Scarlett responded seriously, "I understand. I w
Nina followed Scarlett's gaze."Someone's here."Scarlett went to open the door. It was Quincy who entered, not Nash. Nina's expression changed, thinking Nash had come. She glanced outside but saw no one else.Quincy came in holding a folder, which made Nina curious."Madam," Quincy nodded to her.Nina, putting her negative thoughts aside for the moment, sat up and asked coolly, "What are you here for? Where's Nash? Did he send you? What's this about?"Her tone was impatient. Quincy understood that the relationship between her and Nash was strained and would not be mended easily.Quincy took a document from the folder and said, "Mr. York sent me. He needs you to sign this document."Nina scoffed. "A document? What else is there to sign? We’ve already signed the divorce papers. What else could possibly involve me?"She was puzzled. They were technically still married because they had signed the divorce agreement but had not filed for divorce. Even so, she could not think of any
Quincy did not push further. "I'll take the documents back, but the legal process has already taken effect."Nina's brows furrowed even more. She asked again, "Where is Nash? Why isn't he here to explain this himself?"She had asked three times, and Quincy still had not answered."Do you think I won't get suspicious if you don't answer?" Nina pressed.Scarlett knew they could not keep this from Nina forever. She would find out sooner or later. It was better to tell her now than to let her imagination run wild."Captain has already left," Scarlett said.Nina turned her gaze to Scarlett, seeing the seriousness in her expression. "Where did he go?""He went to the Yaren territory," Scarlett replied."What?" Nina was shocked. "Why did he go there? Is it to get the antidote?""No," Scarlett shook her head. Seeing Nina's confusion, she continued, "Nina, haven't you noticed your health improving?"Nina was taken aback. She had found it strange, but after so long without a cure, she
Nina's throat tightened with endless bitterness, and she muttered to herself, "Is this what I wanted?"Quincy remained silent. He had witnessed the journey of Nash and Nina over the years. Nina had given her all to Nash, and Nash had done the same for her. In this moment, Quincy did not know how to respond.Nina became more agitated, her smile turning increasingly self-deprecating. "This isn't what I wanted at all!"Her voice grew louder, her emotions becoming more intense and distorted. Quincy was stunned. Mr. York had given her everything he had. What more could she want? Wasn't this a sign of his love? But Quincy could not understand that what Nina desired was Nash's presence, facing life's challenges together, not his repeated departures.Scarlett watched Nina, feeling deeply pained. She took a tissue from the bedside table and gently wiped Nina's tears. "Nina, you need to stay calm. You shouldn't cry or get upset while you're in recovery."Quincy also felt a pang of
Before Nash left, he made sure to put everything in order. He instructed Quincy to follow his directions and to take good care of Nina. A few minutes later, Quincy was gone for good. Nina remained silent, and Scarlett did not know what to say. The room was eerily quiet.Seeing Nina like this, Scarlett grew worried. "Nina, say something. You’re scaring me.""I'm fine," Nina replied. Though deeply pained, she was not someone who would simply wallow in sorrow."How about I take you out for a walk, or should I call some friends over?" Scarlett asked, seeking her opinion.Nina lay back down, turning to face away from Scarlett. "I don't want to see anyone right now.""Okay, then rest for a while," Scarlett said, deciding not to disturb her further.Scarlett walked over to the small sofa in the room and sat down. She considered leaving but thought better of it, worried about what might happen if Nina had dark thoughts. She could not just leave her alone.Scarlett waited for over five
"Mr. York contacted me..." Quincy dared not lie. Moreover, it was the truth.Nina fell silent. Nash had contacted Quincy but not her. He had truly cut her out completely!Nelly walked over and took Nina's hand. "Nina, last time you couldn't come, but this time our drama won another award. I've booked a big room at Moonlight. Let's all go celebrate!"Before Nina could respond, a cheerful female voice approached. "Looks like I arrived just in time."Everyone turned to see Angel coming over with a bouquet of flowers.Nelly laughed heartily. "Then join us.""Wait!" Scarlett's sharp eyes caught Quincy trying to leave. She fixed him with a steely gaze. "Hand over your phone."Everyone was surprised.Quincy exchanged glances with Nina, realizing what was happening. He quickly took out his phone, unlocked it, and handed it to Nina, showing her the call log.Nina glanced at it. The first number was Nash's, with a call lasting only a few seconds.Nina did not say a word. Everyone
In that moment, Nash's face flashed in her mind, and her heart ached intensely. But then she suddenly thought of their dead child, a child she never even got to see...There were some things she could not think about, because once she did, she could not control her emotions."I need to go to the restroom," Nina said.Standing next to her, Penelope immediately noticed something was wrong. She saw the redness in Nina's eyes and followed her.Penelope found Nina leaning on the sink, silently crying. It was as if an invisible hand was gripping her heart, and Penelope felt it too."Nina..." Penelope walked over.Nina did not expect her to follow. She had thought she could control her emotions, but now she could not hold back anymore."Penelope, I have fame and fortune now, and you're all celebrating with me. I know I should be happy. But I can't. I feel so empty, so hollow..."She pointed to her heart as she spoke.Anyone who saw Nina and Nash's interactions would have said they
Nina did not respond. In that moment, it felt like she had swallowed razor blades, and as the pain intensified, everything around her became incredibly clear.She remembered she had the KA48 poison in her system, but she did not have any symptoms after giving birth.Nash had arranged everything meticulously, covering every detail, including Miranda, her confusing memories and the death of their child. Initially, Nash had not known the child was his. He had lost control, gotten angry with her, yet still chose to keep the child. His deep feelings for her were evident in everything he did, including leaving after making all these arrangements and not contacting her for days.She understood why. He did not want her to be hurt and he wanted her to be safe. But she wished for his safety just as much."Nina, you have to take care of yourself. Otherwise, all the efforts Nash put in for you will be in vain," Penelope said, trying to encourage Nina.Penelope had been an observer thro
At the time, Wilfred had already guessed that this had everything to do with Harley and his mentor, Professor Zeller. “You and your so-called association don’t focus on benefiting patients. Instead, you spend all your time trying to monopolize everything. And now you want to turn me into one of you? Keep dreaming.” Wilfred’s tone was filled with disdain, his eyes cold with contempt. The smug smile on Harley’s face slowly faded. With a sneer, Harley’s voice turned bitter. “You know what I despise most about you? That self-righteous, holier-than-thou attitude of yours. I was offering you advice, but if you don’t want to hear it, fine. There’s nothing more to say. After all, if the surgery fails—” Before he could finish the word “fail,” the surgical light outside the operating room flicked off. Clack!The sliding doors parted, and Karina burst through, her face flushed with emotion. She didn’t even notice Harley. Her focus zeroed in on Wilfred. “Wilfred!” Her voice trem
As the surgery approached, Karina worked overtime, meticulously double-checking for any possible oversights. Before stepping into the operating room, she took a deep breath."Karina, you’ve got this!" a nurse beside her encouraged.This surgery was particularly significant, and the assistants and nurses weren’t from her hospital. They were brought in by the project, specifically by Harley’s team. Without a single familiar face around, Karina felt a twinge of anxiety. Opportunities to lead surgeries were already rare for her, let alone under circumstances like this, with no one she could truly rely on.But there was no turning back now. Gritting her teeth, Karina donned her gloves. As she was about to enter the operating room, her peripheral vision caught sight of a figure standing silently in the distance. It was Wilfred. His steady gaze met hers, his eyes carrying something profound she couldn’t quite decipher. When their eyes locked, a faint smile curved his lips.In th
“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