Chapter 2

Tatiana turned to see a man walking in from the doorway.

He had changed into a white shirt andblack pants, his tall figure exuding an impressive presence that made it clear he was no ordinary man.

The middle-aged doctor quietly slipped out of the room.

Maxim stepped closer to her, his voice sharp and clear, “Why were you out at sea?”

He hadn’t missed the sight of the tiger shark carcasses floating on the water.

That area of the ocean had only contained the two of them, and here was an eighteen-year-old girl who somehow managed to take down so many tiger sharks on her own.

She was no ordinary person!

Tatiana raised an eyebrow. “My stepmother wanted me dead and tossed me onto a ship bound for another country. I developed peritonitis and was thrown overboard. I happened to see your ship, climbed aboard, and saved you. The rest is none of your business.”

Maxim furrowed his brow. He had learned from the doctor that the poison in his system had indeed been neutralized. She had really saved him.

Maxim's dark eyes were fixed on her, as if he were weighing the truth of her words.

Tatiana met his gaze head-on.

"Don't worry, I've cured your poison, and you helped treat my peritonitis. We're even now, and I won't bother youanymore."

But Maxim shook his head, holding up two fingers. "You owe me two lives."

"What? You're joking right? I only have one life, how can I be owing you two lives?"

A smirk appeared on Maxim's handsome face as he leaned closer to her, patiently explaining, "If it weren't for my kayak, you would have drowned in the sea long ago."

His striking features suddenly loomed large before her.

Tatiana couldn't help but take a step back, her luscious lips forming the words, "That's a stretch. Fine, what do you want?"

But somehow, he did have a point?

"I can protect you," Maxim said, handsin his pockets, his peachy lips slowly uttering, "You could become mine. We just have to get married."

Tatiana was furious. As he turned away, she kicked him hard, cursing, "Pervert! Gosh I just saved you and you're ready to perform?"

To her surprise, he was quicker than he looked.

Maxim sidestepped her kick, trying to grab her ankle, but Tatiana seized the moment, using her other leg to strike at his elbow.

Her movements tugged at the wound in her abdomen, causing pain that distracted her momentarily.

In that instant, she found herself pinned to the hospital bed by Maxim.

The distance between them was minimal, and they could feel each other's breath.

Tatiana, however, seemed oblivious to the situation, still angrily shouting, "Pervert! Pervert! Pervert! How can a man be so shameless"

"…"

Maxim tightened his grip on her slender ankle, taking a deep breath to suppress his anger, trying not to snap her delicate leg in two.

"You little bean sprout, do you have too much confidence in yourself?" he said, deliberately glancing at her with his narrow eyes.

At his words, Tatiana instinctively glanced down at herself. This body was a bit malnourished, which made her shorter than usual…

But in her past life, she had been a stunning beauty with a killer figure.With a cold huff,

Tatiana looked at the hand gripping her ankle and gritted her teeth, "I'm just speaking the truth."

Maxim was taken aback, releasing her ankle as if burned, straightening up and adjusting his white shirt.

"What I mean is, you could become my subordinate, and I would protect you. As for your stepmother… I can help you bring her down without any effort" His eyes narrowed slightly, radiating danger.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Tatiana replied, "No thanks. I can handle it myself I don't need a green branch to deal with my stepmother."

While she was unconscious, she overheard some secrets.

She would return his life, but it would never be used for his benefit.In her past life, her fate was controlled by others, and she died without ever tasting freedom. In this life, her destiny was in her own hands!

Maxim raised an eyebrow, leisurely fastening his cufflinks. "Think it over carefully."

After he left, Tatiana rolled out of bed,

leaving behind a note before she slowly exited the hospital room.

Walking aimlessly in an unknown path, Tatiana sits by the side of the road hoping to get a miracle some how.

As night fell, Maxim stepped into the hospital room once again, only to find it completely empty.

On the bed lay a note that read: "I’ll give you back a life.

One of your bodyguards has a dragon tattoo on his neck; he’s here to kill you."

Maxim clenched the note tightly in his hand, scanning the room full of bodyguards without revealing any emotion.

Turned his head towards his secretary “Fine her. Search everywhere. I want her back to this hospital safe and sound”.

Then, he kicked one of the burly men in the leg!

The man felt a jolt of pain and collapsed to the ground."Young Master, you—"

Maxim didn’t spare him a glance, his voice cold as ice. "Check him."

Maxim couldn't let go of such an information. He must fine out how Tatiana got this information and also know if she is connected to the underworld.

Since someone had issued a warning, whether true or false, it needed to be investigated thoroughly. He signaled to his bodyguard to hold the man.

The man knew there was no way out; he quickly pulled a weapon from his waist—

But before he could aim it at Maxim’s back, a dagger pierced his heart.

Maxim walked away without looking back. He needs find Tatiana cause she's the only one who can cure him completely "I need you find the whereabouts of that woman. I need the details".

“Sir, we couldn't get any information about her. It's like she disappeared completely”.