After Martin dropped Charles off at home, he rushed to the ICU immediately.
The ICU was fully enclosed, with a nurse stationed outside, observing the patients through the glass door. Any unexpected situations could be dealt with promptly.Patricia, perhaps exhausted, sat beside the nurse and dozed off, her head resting on the table.Martin instructed the doctors to bring in a long chair from outside and gently lifted Patricia, laying her flat on the chair, with her head resting on his thigh.This way, he could monitor Randy's condition at any time and allow Patricia to sleep more comfortably.Bobby was in the neighboring ICU, separated only by a wall.Madam Thomas looked at Bobby, who was unconscious, with a heartache through the glass door. She stayed outside, refusing to leave.Concerned, Greta said, "Grandma, you're tired. Why don't you rest in the ward? Debbie and I can stay here. If anything happens, I'll inform you right away."Madam Thomas shoSeeing that she didn't want to say more, Martin stopped asking and walked up to her. Gently, he tucked her stray hair behind her ear.The intimate gesture caused Patricia's recently calmed heart to race again.In a hoarse voice, Martin asked, "Are you hungry? Let's go out for breakfast first! What would you like to eat?"Concerned about rekindling her emotions, Patricia stepped back, putting some distance between them, and nodded awkwardly. "Having something to eat sounds like a good idea. We'll need the energy to take care of Randy when he wakes up."Martin nodded happily.Just as they turned around, before they even had a chance to leave, they heard a nurse standing outside the ICU say, "The patient has woken up."One sentence successfully halted Patricia and Martin in their tracks.The two rushed towards the window.Sure enough, Randy, who had been unconscious, slowly opened his eyes. He seemed unaware of his surroundings and curiously looked aroun
The words of the nurse brought Patricia to a complete halt; she immediately sensed something was very wrong. Madam Thomas' breath hitched, and her aged body swayed. Debbie frowned in displeasure and reprimanded the nurse angrily, "What are you panicking for? What could possibly happen to Bobby?" The young nurse, feeling aggrieved yet out of respect for Madam Thomas who stood close by, chose to speak in a roundabout way instead of directly addressing the issue. "There's an anomaly with Bobby's monitor; Professor Brown, please go check on him right away!" Madam Thomas grabbed Debbie's hand, her voice trembling, and asked, "Debbie, nothing bad will happen to Bobby, right?" Debbie felt unconcerned by the nurse's words as she nonchalantly assured Madam Thomas, "Madam Thomas, like I said, Bobby will be fine. He has just been moved out of the ICU; a small deviation or error in the monitor is quite normal!" Despite Debbie’s words, Madam Thomas still f
Madam Thomas frowned deeply, displeased she asked harshly, "What are you laughing at?"Patricia looked at them with a face full of sympathy and spoke slowly, "After all that has happened, do you still think it's my fault? When Bobby had his postoperative hemorrhage, I shouldn't have been soft-hearted and agreed to help."Madam Thomas’ countenance darkened, "What do you mean?"Patricia spread her hands and spoke bluntly, "Let me put it to you this way—have you ever wondered why so many doctors refused to perform surgery on Bobby?"Madam Thomas’ body shook. She understood the reasons for their refusal.Seeing her reaction, Patricia knew immediately and sarcastically raised the corners of her mouth, "Bobby’s coronary artery disease had narrow distal vessels, unsuitable for coronary artery bypass surgery. Additionally, this condition mostly affects the middle-aged and elderly, it’s exceedingly rare in children—one in a hundred thousand.”Patricia contin
Just as Patricia was cornered with no apparent escape option, the silent Martin stepped forward. His imposing figure stood between them, his eyes slightly narrowed, exuding an oppressive aura."Madam Thomas, I think she has made herself quite clear. I respect you as an elder, and I ask you to also act with such dignity and not to trouble her." Martin spoke in a tone of finality. Madam Thomas growled unwillingly, "But my grandson is the one laying in the OR right now."Martin's thin lips pursed slightly, contemplating his words before speaking he said."Your grandson ended up in his current state because of your decisions, isn't that so? You shouldn’t project the blame onto Patricia now." Madam Thomas's face showed her discomfort at his assessment, unable to accept it she asked, "Are you declaring yourself against me to stand by her side?"Without a word, Martin placed his hand supportively on Patricia's shoulder, and with a resolute gaze, he met Madam Thoma
In the ICU observation room, Patricia's phone 'dinged' with a message. A colleague from her department sent a WhatsApp message, informing her."Bobby didn't survive the resuscitation and passed away at 7:10 PM. Madam Thomas couldn't accept the outcome and fainted; the department is in chaos. If you can avoid coming back, stay away."The final sentence carried a lot of weight. Patricia frowned slightly and sent a message back. "Why shouldn’t I return?" The screen indicated that the other party was typing, but no message came through. Guessing what was happening, Patricia sent another message: "Does the Thomas family think Bobby's death is related to me?"This time, the reply came quickly. "We all know it's not connected to you, but the Thomas family won't listen to reason. They believe you and Professor Brown are responsible for Bobby's death. They're causing a scene in the office right now! Madam Thomas is still unconscious. No one knows where Debbie
Martin’s pupils contracted with anger watching Patricia get slandered, but before he could react, she calmly grasped his hand, whispering only for him to hear, “Let them speak. As long as we know the truth, that's all that matters.”Martin looked at her, biting back his anger. Just as Patricia finished her memorial respects Debbie arrived, making a show of her grief before Madam Thomas, seeking absolution for her failure to save Bobby.Madam Thomas watched Debbie with a cold gaze, offering reassurance that shifted ominously to a veiled threat, intimating that none involved would escape punishment.Despite the disconcerting interaction, Debbie couldn’t pinpoint the implied threat and retreated, only to spot Martin and Patricia. Envious of Patricia in this moment, she addressed Patricia mockingly, suggesting her own involvement in the child’s fate.Patricia ignored Debbie’s baiting. Undeterred, Debbie’s vitriolic comments continued, earning Patricia a bout of undeserved laughter.“Deb
"No, Madam Thomas, you can't do this... You watched me grow up, how can you be so heartless... I'm Greta's best friend..."Debbie shook her head in terror, her voice quivering with fear.Madam Thomas let out a 'heh heh' laugh, chilling and sinister, like it was wafting up from the depths of hell."You watched Bobby grow up too, yet you still ended up killing her! Since you don't care about our families' friendship, why should I care about you?"With those words, her palm lifted slightly.Four men surged forward, pinning Debbie to the ground.One man held her hands above her head, two others each secured a leg, and the last prepared the camera, inching closer to Debbie.Debbie tried to escape, but pinned down by limbs, she could only watch helplessly as her clothes were ripped from her body.With a 'hiss,' her clothing was torn to shreds, exposing her perfect figure to all eyes."Ah..."A blast of cold air swept over Debbie, causing her to shiver uncontrollably, tears streaming down he
In the living room on the first floor.Martin, clad in a sharp suit, his white shirt contrasting with the black, stood under the dazzling light of the crystal chandelier. His features were striking, his jawline sharp enough to instill a sense of awe.Madam Thomas approached with a harmless smile, extending her hand in greeting. "Martin, what brings you here today? Perhaps a new business venture?"Martin glanced at her outstretched hand with disdain, not wanting to waste time with pleasantries. "You know exactly why I'm here, Madam Thomas. Patricia, my wife, I would like you to hand her over to me."Madam Thomas didn't seem perturbed. She withdrew her hand, her smile sly and foxy."Martin, what are you talking about? Patricia isn't here with me. You must be mistaken."Martin chuckled lowly, his voice as cold as ice. "Madam Thomas, we've known each other for years. Let's not pretend. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't certain."Unfazed, Madam Thomas retorted, still playing coy. "Professor W
Martin, lost in thought and gazing into the distance, didn't see Charlotte deliberately fall to the ground when her relatives reached out to her."Ah..."Her cry successfully snapped Martin back to reality.He immediately bent down to help her up. "Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?"Charlotte, tears welling up in her eyes, replied pitifully, "My wrist hurts so much, I think I've fallen on it again! I hope it's not dislocated?"Martin noticed the bandage on her wrist had come undone.The packet of medicine inside was nearly falling out. Anger started to well up inside him; this time, he was thoroughly enraged."Alan, take all of them to the police station, contact the lawyer, charge them with slander, intentional harm, extortion... I want them in jail."Feeling his boss's rage, Alan immediately carried out the order."Why are you suing us? We're the ones who have been wronged.""Just because you're wealthy doesn't put you above the law. Let me tell you, we won't back down without pr
Hunter looked at her with tenderness, patiently waiting for her to finish speaking.Seeing his gentle expression, Patricia found it difficult to voice the words at the tip of her tongue. Nervously she reached for the lemon water on the table and took a gulp.She drank too hastily, and the sourness made her teeth quiver, causing her face to scrunch up.Hunter was amused by her adorable expression and considerately poured a little packet of sugar into her lemon water."I remember you used to hate sour tastes! What changed? Are you not afraid anymore? Going straight for it?" he asked with a smile.With her cheeks flushed with embarrassment and faced with his caring gesture, found her words of refusal even harder to pronounce.Hunter stirred the water in her cup with a straw for a while, making sure the sugar dissolved, then handed it back to her: "Here, try now. It shouldn't be sour anymore."Patricia nodded and took a sip through the straw. The taste was a bittersweet delight.Although
Only when the phone’s ringtone broke the silence, the deadlock was finally broken.Martin glanced at the caller ID with a gloomy expression, sighed, turned the phone upside down on his thigh in resignation. He turned to Patricia, unbuckled his seatbelt, and moved closer, taking hold of her shoulders. With a serious and helpless look on his face, he said, "Patricia, I'm sorry, I admit I was too overbearing just now. But I'm being overprotective because I care about you so much, and I don't want to see you getting too close with Hunter."Care? It was the first time Patricia had heard this word from him.The anger in her chest dissipated almost instantly, and her tone softened unconsciously. "Hunter and I grew up together. When Debbie and her daughter bullied me, he was the one who protected and encouraged me time after time. He is very important to me. If a condition for remarrying you is to cut ties with him, then I can give you the answer now."Even without her saying it, Martin gues
Martin didn't give her a chance to escape, questioning every word, "So, is what Hunter said true? Are you really going to get engaged and marry him?"Patricia felt that the matters between her and Hunter couldn't be explained in just a few words, and moreover, everything was premature without having cleared things up with Hunter first.Seeing her still not responding, Martin grew impatient and urged, "Answer my question."Patricia pulled her hand back and said indifferently, "I won't marry him."That was her only answer. The rest, she wasn't ready to share with Martin yet.This answer caused a surge of joy in Martin's heart, his previously tense facial features gradually softened as he smiled like a child, unable to hide his delight."I knew you wouldn't like him." He said.Patricia rolled her eyes at him, "Now take me back to the restaurant."The smile on Martin's face vanished in an instant, and he refused without hesitation, "No, I won’t..."Before he could finish, his cell phone r
Upon hearing his question, Patricia burst into laughter, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "So what if it is? What difference does it make if it isn't?"She did not deny it.Martin took her non-denial as an admission, and his handsome face darkened like the bottom of a pot, his eyes filled with brooding shadows."I don't agree.""Haha..." Patricia laughed even harder, her snort of derision loud and unmasked. "And might I ask, who are you to me? By what right do you interfere? What does it matter to you whom I'm with? At best, you're nothing more than my ex-husband. Remember, ex-hus-band."She enunciated the words “ex-husband” deliberately, making sure he grasped their significance.Martin's normally composed brows furrowed, wrapping him in an aura of cold sternness.He was clearly displeased with these words. Then silence hung in the air, heavy and enigmatic.He spoke with grave seriousness, "Let's remarry!"As he spoke, a chilly wind blew past them, its whistling sound drowning out Mar
Hunter expected Martin to back down and leave in a sorry state.However, to his surprise, Martin’s expression was filled with pain as he stared at their clasped hands for a moment and then strode over to them.Confusion filled Patricia as she instinctively turned her head and locked eyes with Martin, whose gaze burned with fierce anger. Her mind felt like it was exploding as if something detonated."How did you get here?" Patricia asked, barely able to form the words.No sooner had the words left her lips than Martin had reached out, forcibly separating Patricia and Hunter's clasped hands. In Patricia's stunned state, he grabbed her wrist and started to pull her away."Martin, what are you doing?" Patricia's heart began to flutter with slight panic.Martin's face had been a ghastly sight just now, as if he was on the verge of a killing spree. She had no clue where his rage was coming from.Hunter quickly stood up and seized Patricia's other wrist, forcing Martin to stop. Martin turned
The doctor conducted a thorough examination of Charlotte. Her wrist wasn't fractured but had suffered from a dislocation and soft tissue damage."Mr. Langley, please hold her tightly. I'm about to reset the bones in her wrist, which may cause some discomfort. Keep her steady, and do not let her move.""Bone reset!" Just hearing it, Charlotte's eyes widened with fear, and her body trembled. Despite this, she bravely closed her eyes, extended her hand, and prepared herself for the pain. "Go ahead! I'm not afraid of the pain!"The doctor looked surprised and said, "It's going to be very painful. Are you sure you're not afraid?"His words instantly drained the color from her face, but she vigorously nodded, clenching her teeth, and refusing to voice her fear."I'm not afraid! Back when I was boarding at school, someone pushed me down the stairs, and I broke my leg but didn’t cry. I can handle this pain!" she explained."You were pushed down the stairs?" Martin's discerning eyes narrowed,
Patricia's heart skipped a beat. She knew she had been framed, again. And this woman's tactics were identical to Debbie's.Not only did she remind her of Debbie, but her methods and cunning were also the same. Indeed, Martin's taste had never changed. He always liked these hypocritical, nauseating women who could put on an act.The incident had happened too quickly; the onlookers only saw a scuffle but hadn't truly seen who had started it. They only saw someone fall and another with a hand outstretched as if pushing, so they naturally assumed Patricia was the aggressor."Professor Watson, what happened? Why did you push her?" one on looker asked."Yes, Professor Watson, is there some conflict between you two? If so, have a proper conversation about it. Getting physical in public won't do your reputation any favors." Another said."Yes! Professor Watson, perhaps you and her should talk in your office? It's not convenient in this corridor."After the incident with Debbie, everyone's vie
Martin had thought he would be calm when he saw Patricia again, as if nothing had ever happened.But in this moment, with Patricia standing right in front of him, his heart raced with intense emotions that he had suppressed for so long. It was in that moment that he realized the depth of his love for her, far greater than he had ever imagined.He couldn't bear to see her with Hunter, nor could he draw a clear line between them. "You..."Martin's lips parted as he tried to speak to her, to bridge the distance between them.Unfortunately, Patricia had made up her mind to keep her distance, and with her head bowed, she took a step back, yielding the path ahead.Martin clenched his fists tightly, struggling to contain the anger and turmoil within him. Unaware of the tension between Martin and Patricia, Charlotte flashed a sweet smile at Martin and said, “Martin, let’s go! I can’t wait to see Randy!”Patricia smirked derisively, her lips curling up."Well, isn’t that affectionate?"Marti