Austin widened his eyes. He wanted to dodge, but his legs were rooted to the ground. Hence, he stood frozen in place.Slam!Maria knocked Austin to the ground. She did not think she would trip over her heels as well, and her body was leaning forward as she lost control over it. Her arms were wide open, and she crashed into Austin entirely.“Mr. Fike? Mr. Fike, are you alright?” She hurried to get up, but it only made her press down on him even more. Austin was gritting his teeth by now, and with all his strength, he shoved Maria away. He lifted himself off the floor and brushed the dust off his clothes as he yelled in rage, “Who the h*ll are you?! Are you nuts?!”“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” Maria felt awkward and embarrassed. Initially, she wanted to show her sincerity toward Austin, but she almost crushed him to death.“Mr. Fike, I didn’t fall on you on purpose. I tripped right there, and look how my heels are broken. I…” As Maria explained herself, she stretched her leg out to
Maria’s brain could not process Austin’s words, and she stood there, stunned. Austin did not care for all the things she had mentioned. Since everyone thought he was Dominic’s secret apprentice, many wealthy and influential people sought his help. It was not like he helped all of them.He knew he was not Dominic’s secret apprentice. Although he was confident in his medical skills, there was a risk of things going wrong. When that happened, he would offend influential people, so taking the risk would not be worth it.Moreover, he understood that he could not accept their invitation easily with the increasing number of people who sought his help. It would only make him lose his mystique and make him appear worthless.“Mr. Fike, I don’t have ill intentions, and I’m not lying to you. Didn’t you learn about medicine to save people’s lives? My niece is only a little over 20 years old, and she consulted many doctors about her condition, but none of them could help her.“If you could save
With Alexander playing along, Lily called and invited Anastasia over the next day. Lily wanted Anastasia to go to her house because, firstly, Anastasia did not enjoy being in public places and being stared at. Secondly, she could be more casual and relaxed in the house.Apart from that, Anastasia’s house would not be appropriate. If her father, Secretary Cameron Rollins, were to return or say anything, her treatment would be disrupted. ‘That’s right! Anastasia requires treatment. I think her obesity is caused by both psychological and physiological problems.’To ascertain the problem, Lily needed to take the woman’s pulse. However, before concluding, Lily did not want to reveal much. Even Alexander had no idea that she was Dominic’s secret apprentice.To Lily, there was nothing special about her relationship with Dominic. She had only learned something that she was interested in from an expert and that might be useful in the future. Coincidentally, the expert was famous, and
“Well, you must leave home every once in a while.” Lily smiled. “Try the tea.”Anastasia was okay to drink tea, but she only took a tiny sip. As she was about to put down the cup, she licked her lips thoughtfully and took another small sip. “It’s sweet?”She did not look surprised but horrified, as if she had done something terrible. She immediately set the cup down, spilling some of the tea. “Did you add sugar? Why are you doing this to me?”Lily observed Anastasia’s reaction in silence and said slowly, “I didn’t add another sugar. The sweetness came from the tea leaves.”“How is that possible? How can tea be sweet by itself? Besides, I can’t have anything sweet!” Anxious, Anastasia held her neck and wanted to throw up but could not as she only took two sips.Lily poured a cup for herself and spoke after calmly drinking the tea, “This is ginseng oolong tea. Since it’s naturally sweet, it could lower blood pressure and lipid levels. Also, it’s good for your body.” Anastasia’s ey
Anastasia did not know what was wrong with her. Over the years, she had sought help from mainstream specialists and healers of alternative medicine. She even tried going to the gym. However, nothing could solve her problem.The truth was, besides being obese, she was weak and would easily pass out.According to alternative medicine practitioners, she lacked vitality, while the specialists claimed she was suffering from hormonal imbalances. There were several diagnoses and proposed treatments, but none worked.Her father had not restricted what she ate at first, but seeing her getting in worse shape over the last two years, he anxiously decided to treat her the way he ran his department and started to enforce a strict diet plan for her.He thought soldiers were trained by controlling their diet and making them exercise. Although Anastasia could not undergo physical training due to her health problem, he could control what she ate, thinking she would surely slim down by eating little
Lily soothingly spoke when she noticed Anastasia’s anxious expression. After all, being too nervous would affect hormone secretions, which would not be suitable for Anastasia’s treatment.Besides, Lily did not want Anastasia to regard herself as a patient. Anastasia would feel more relaxed if she did not see it as getting treatment.“O-Oh, okay.” Nodding, Anastasia said, “But my father…”“We’ll keep this from him for now.” It was something Lily had wanted to tell Anastasia in the first place. “Let this be a surprise for him.”“A surprise?”“Yes!” Lily nodded assuringly and said, “If you can adjust your condition and slowly become more spirited while slimming down a bit, wouldn’t it surprise him? He wouldn’t be disappointed if nothing happened, either, would he?”Lily wished Anastasia could prepare herself mentally before she started working on improving her health.‘Anastasia mustn’t worry too much about the results. She should be hopeful yet not overly so she wouldn’t be greatl
Surprised, Maria could hardly react. She blinked. “Mrs. Russell? Which Mrs. Russell?” “I’m not sure, and I only know it’s Mrs. Russell. She’s a friend of Anastasia, and she invited her over to her house.” Knowing little, the housekeeper did not dare to say too much.“Russell…”Maria could not think of anyone, but Austin seemed to have an idea. “Are you talking about Lily Christian?”She would be the only Russell in Kingsland capable of developing a friendship with a household like the Rollins. ‘Mrs. Russell… I would never forget about that woman! It’s such a small world, isn’t it?’“Yes, I think that’s the name.”She did not dare to ask much about Anastasia’s personal affair, but she seemed to have heard that the woman’s maiden name was Christian.“Do you know her, Mr. Fike?” Surprised that he guessed the name right away, Maria asked curiously.Clenching his teeth, Austin smiled coldly. “I don’t just know her!”Maria was puzzled. Standing at the doorway with him, she did
Slowing down, Anastasia chewed her food well and tasted flavors she had not tasted before. It was a marvelous and pleasant feeling.After lunch, Lily made a glass of prune juice for her and set it on the table. “Drink it slowly.”“Can I drink it?” Frowning, she took in its mild scent.“Don’t you trust me?” Lily asked her back.Anastasia nodded. It was because she trusted Lily that she had accepted her treatment and agreed to have a wonderful lunch with her. “I haven’t felt like this for a long time,” Anastasia said with mixed emotions. She had suddenly found herself at peace with food today.It was not her enemy, and she did not have to fight it. She needed food, and the food was willing to satisfy her needs. Everything was perfect. She took a small sip of the prune juice and felt its sweetness permeating from the tip of her tongue.Closing her eyes, she felt as if many cute-looking plums were dancing on her tongue and let out a smile.A maid then entered the room from the out