Dazed, Paige rested her chin on Caroline's shoulders. "You know, Carol, I was scared when I found out I was pregnant. But Alex's caring support after I told him helped me let go of my fear and fully embrace this child."Gradually, I felt a deep connection with the child, as if we were one and couldn't be separated. I also eagerly anticipated the childbirth. He is my precious darling, and I'll risk anything to protect him. But then, I didn't expect to contract this disease."What do I do about the child? What will happen to him... Carol, the doctor said he will get infected, too. He'll carry this virus for life if I give birth to him."But I couldn't bring myself to abort. I just couldn't... Besides, if people find out about my illness, they'll judge me unfairly. They might think I'm impure. But that's not who I am..."Paige poured her heart out, tears streaming down her face.Caroline also teared up. "Don't speak like that about yourself. I know the real you. Let's find a cure for
After that, Paige grabbed Caroline's hand and pleaded with the latter, "I'm begging you, Carol. Please don't tell Alex about this! Help me cover it up and stay with me when I get the abortion, okay? I can't let the child suffer in pain in the future!" Grief-stricken, Caroline looked at Paige. "Shouldn't you let Alex know about this?""No!" Paige refused firmly. "I'm begging you, Carol. Don't tell him!""He'll learn about your abortion sooner or later." Caroline didn't stop trying to persuade Paige. "Your misunderstanding with Alex will get worse if you keep it a secret from him and if he learns about it in the future.""Yes, I want that to happen!" Paige lost her mind and yelled, "What right do I have to be with him now? I'm infected with AIDS! I have AIDS! I'm afraid of disappointing and watching him get it with me!" Caroline felt sorry for Paige and asked, "Are you going to suffer through this alone?""I'm reaping what I've sown." Crying, Paige smiled helplessly. "I'm begging
Paige's belly was hit with excruciating pain, signaling the loss of her child. She suppressed her grief, looked at Alex, and called out, "Alex."Turning at the sound of Paige's weak voice, Alex rushed to her bedside and bent over. "Yes, I'm here. What's wrong, Paige? Tell me, okay?"Paige gnashed her teeth. "Alex...""Yes?""Let's stop seeing each other."A fatal blow struck Alex.Flabbergasted, he met Paige's eyes. "W-What did you say?"Paige repeated herself, "Let's stop seeing each other."Alex forced a smile. "Are you messing with me, Paige? It's not funny. Just tell me if you're ill, and don't worry about tiring me out. I'm willing to do anything for you and the baby. You—""The baby is gone," Paige interrupted Alex. "You don't have to do anything for me anymore because I've aborted the child."Alex's face stiffened upon hearing that. He stared at Paige in disbelief as blood drained from his face. "What did you say?""How many times do I have to repeat myself?" Paige so
"You terminated my child for such a ridiculous reason! You're something else, Paige!" Alex's eyes glowed red. "You claimed you felt insecure when I wasn't around but called me annoying when I was."The child did nothing wrong and was about to come into existence! How heartless can you be? If you disliked the child, you could have given birth and let me raise him. What position did you put the baby and me in? Why did you do that, Paige?!"Holding back tears, Paige looked away and bit her lips hard.However, Paige's cruel and distant attitude seemed to make something click in Alex's mind.He burst into laughter. "I get it now. My mother was right. You didn't want the child because it wasn't mine, right? You cheated on me and made me the father of someone else's child. Isn't that it?"Despite Alex's accusations, Paige remained silent.Alex lost control, grabbing Paige's arms and pulling her up onto the bed."Say something!" he roared. "Explain! You're usually talkative! Why are you
Sensing something off in Caroline's tone, Evan asked, "Where are you? What happened?"Caroline replied honestly, "Paige is at the hospital, and I need to stay with her.""Ask Alex to do it," Evan said, his displeasure evident."But Paige broke up with... Alex," Caroline added."What?" Evan couldn't believe it. "Isn't Paige pregnant? Why did they break up?"Caroline explained, "Paige aborted the child, and she ended things with Alex. Plus, Alex is out of control today. You should go to him."Realizing the gravity of the situation, Evan said, "Okay, I'll call him now.""Sure."After ending the call, Caroline returned to the ward.Although only a few minutes had passed, Paige was already awake, staring out the window.Concerned, Caroline approached and asked, "Hungry? I'll get the bodyguard to buy some food. Just eat a bit, okay?""I don't understand, Carol." Paige shifted the topic. "I don't understand why I'm infected with this disease."Sitting beside the bed, Caroline reas
"So, you think I have a bad insight since I'm Paige's boss," Evan remarked gloomily. "What does it have to do with you?" Alex shook his head. "No, I had a bad insight."Evan continued. "As a boss, I failed to see through Paige's character and made her the head of the design department."Stunned, Alex retorted, "You aren't very perceptive. How could you tell everything?"Quietly, Evan gave Alex a different look.After a slight trance, Alex said, "Wait a minute. You're trying to tell me something. Paige just used this excuse to lie to me, but she has a secret reason, right?"Evan said, "Why didn't Caroline tell me about the kids' true identities until now?""Because she's afraid you'll snatch away her kids since you're the father," Alex answered."So, you should give it some thought regarding Paige." Evan stood up. "You don't have to drink now.""Wait!" Alex stopped Evan."Why do you think Paige would abort the child?" Alex asked."Who should I ask then?" Evan replied."Caro
"I've made up my mind," Paige declared. "You saw how Alex behaved today. I don't want him to suffer another blow, and once is enough. Just let him give up.""Do you think Alex won't learn about your situation for the rest of his life?" Caroline persisted. "He'll find out sooner or later.""It doesn't matter even if he does because I'm going abroad for treatment."Stunned, Caroline asked, "You're going abroad? But Evan's hospital is as good as the ones abroad.""I don't want to stay here and dwell on my lost child since I've aborted here. Stop trying to persuade me, Carol." Misery crept into Paige's voice.Helplessly, Caroline stopped trying because she knew how memories could evoke sadness. "I'll stop since you've made up your mind. When are you leaving?""I will tell my parents about this. It's best if I leave as soon as possible," Paige replied.-Caroline returned to Bayview Villa after driving Paige home.Upon reaching home, she noticed Alex's car as well.After staring a
Suddenly, Evan bent over and carried Caroline from the sofa.Keeping his head hung, Evan stared at Caroline icily and demanded, "I'll make you doze off in exhaustion if you say no."His words made Caroline think of certain scenes.She struggled shyly. "Can you please don't do that kind of thing in broad daylight?"Evan carried her upstairs. "Your room is as dark as night, given the blackout curtains."But Caroline kept on resisting him. "I'm not in the mood to do anything else because of Paige's affairs now.""You can tell me, and I'll help you guys to resolve it," Evan insisted.Hence, Caroline stopped resisting and firmly leaned against Evan's shoulders.Of course, she knew that, but she couldn't break her word since she had promised Paige.After walking into the bedroom, Evan put Caroline on the sofa. Caroline took off her coat and picked up her bathrobe before heading toward the bathroom.When she reached the door, she turned to give Evan a confused look. "It's Thursday
Reese winced in pain. "Alright, ma'am. I guess I can read your mind? Be gentle!"Liora relaxed her grip at last. "Right, when are we going to that place you mentioned previously?""There's no rush. Your body isn't up for constant actions now. What if you get hurt by those harmful spirits again? I've already committed myself to you out of guilt. If it happens again, I won't have anything else to offer."Liora chuckled. "You make it sound like I'm desperate for your compensation.""What's wrong with that? I'm a strong, handsome man, and everyone loves me!" said Reese, displeased.Liora was astounded by his narcissism.She took a deep breath and said, "Reese.""Hmm?"Liora said, "In truth, I'm not the best choice to be your partner because of my profession. Those spirits may bother me from time to time. I'm the complete opposite of Isaac because of my negative physique.""What happens when you have a negative physique?""Spirits will be drawn to bother me and might cause me a lo
Reese and Isaac couldn't perceive the spirit, but they witnessed a dark mist dissipating before them.Isaac asked in astonishment, "What's happening, Lia?"Liora turned and answered, "The female spirit didn't want to move on, so her soul has been dissolved.""Dissolved? Do you mean her soul has been destroyed?" asked Reese. Liora nodded and looked around. "Uncle Kenny, please help me find the six spirits."Kenny took on the task and brought those fearful spirits in just a few minutes. Liora asked, "Do you want to choose the same option as her or come with me to Cross Chapel?""Cross Chapel!""We would have left long ago if we weren't trapped here by her threats!""She wouldn't let us go even in death. Aren't our lives worth anything?"After Fiery Red was gone, these spirits began to complain in anger.Liora was infuriated by their complaints. "How dare you criticize her! She may be responsible for your deaths, but what about you then? Do you think you bear no responsibil
"That's easy for you to say! Those who caused my death may have become spirits, but I still want to stop them from moving on!" Fiery Red barked. Liora frowned. "So, you're implying that those six students caused your death?""Why would I kill them otherwise?"Liora said, "It's time to let them go now that they've faced your revenge. Keeping them trapped is like trapping yourself. Why bother?""Allowing them to move on is letting them off too lightly!" Fiery Red roared. Liora said, "Your obsession is too strong and is keeping you trapped here. You're constantly hurting yourself with painful memories. If you move on properly, it will be a kind of liberation from your past.""Don't preach to me! I'll make it simple for you. It's either you die or my soul gets destroyed!" Fiery Red snapped. She was about to attack Liora just as she finished her sentence. Liora was planning to call out to Isaac when a figure suddenly showed up. Kenny rushed over and blasted away Fiery Red."Y
Tyler did not comment further upon hearing Liora's reply. In the evening, Isaac returned home from school to find Liora already there. He hurried over, brimming with excitement. "You're back, Lia! How are you feeling? Have you recovered from your injuries?"Isaac's smile stretched from ear to ear.Liora glanced at Isaac meaningfully and said, "Please do me a favor tonight, Isaac."Isaac nodded repeatedly. "Sure, are we heading to the campus?"Liora looked at Isaac in astonishment. "Are you not scared anymore?"The smile on Isaac's face faded slowly. "Spirits are scary, but I don't want to see you bullied by them again, Lia. I wanted to destroy those spirits on the same day after seeing you suffer. However, they told me to respect your decision, so I didn't do that."Liora caressed Isaac's head affectionately. "You've grown, Isaac. You know how to look out for me now."Isaac took Liora's hand and held her hand tightly in his own. "Lia, I've always cared about you. Next time you
Reese said, "Yes, you have been in love with her for 15 years and have invested a lot of time for her. However, haven't you noticed that Lia is a very rational person? As soon as she figures things out, she can move on immediately."Chester's breathing became irregular. He took two deep breaths shakily while staring at Reese. "Yes, she is more sensitive and rational than anyone else."Reese said, "I'm going to give you another analogy. If Lia chooses to be with me, what are you going to do?""Nothing. I said before that I'd respect Lia's choice no matter what. Similarly, you don't have to worry about anything else. I won't harbor any resentment because of love," Chester replied. Reese said, "In other words, you'll continue to be friends with Lia even if we end up together, is that right?"Chester frowned. "Lia and I are friends. If we can't be together, our relationship will remain the same as before. You like Lia, but you can't stop me from being friends with her, Reese."Reese
Reese raised his right arm and said, "My entire right arm was covered in blood at the time. I watched the removal of rotten flesh from your back with my own eyes. I couldn't sleep peacefully for days.""That's easy! Just get the doctor to prescribe sleeping pills to you. You will be able to sleep better, right?" Liora said while giggling. Reese crouched down next to the bed, smiling. "Lia, are you mad at me?"Liora was confused. "Mad at you? For what?"Reese scratched his nose. "If I didn't take you there, you wouldn't have gotten injured."Liora took a glance at him, astounded. "This has nothing to do with you taking me there. It's the ignorant spirits. I'll deal with them all once I recover!""You still want to go back there?" Reese exclaimed. "Yes, of course! Hades will be delighted if I can send the seven spirits to him," Liora said. Reese looked at the joyous smile on Liora's face, feeling guilty. "I was hoping that you'd scold me instead of talking to me so casually."
Reese sent away Tyler and the other, surging them to get some rest while he remained seated, his gaze fixed on Liora.She slept peacefully, her chest rising and falling slowly with each breath. Meanwhile, a nurse approached. Reese noticed her and hastily stood up. "Hello, nurse."The nurse asked, "How can I help you?"Reese said, "May I inquire when Liora can be transferred out of the ICU?"The nurse said, "I'm not too sure about that. It depends on the healing of her wounds and vital signs. She has the most extensive wound that I've ever seen on a girl. She might end up with scars…"The nurse opened the door and walked inside upon saying that. Reese was overwhelmed by a sense of guilt as he thought of the debt he owed to Liora. He knew he could never fully repay it in this lifetime.-Three days later, Liora was transferred out of the ICU.After learning about the incident, Caroline and Evan rushed to the hospital. They were heartbroken to see Liora lying prone on the be
Fear and worry flooded Reese's mind, making it impossible for him to sleep. He opened his eyes and looked at the sky through the skylight. Reese could not help Liora in her profession, so he wondered if he could help out in her safety. He thought about it before he grabbed his phone to text Tyler. Reese: [Can you tell me where Ms. Yelena is staying?]Soon, Tyler texted Yelena's hotel and room number. Reese: [Thank you, my friend.]Tyler sneered.Tyler: [I haven't settled the score with you over Lia's predicament.]Reese: [I'll accept any punishment you deem necessary. It was my mistake, and I'll take responsibility for it.]There was no reply from Tyler afterward.Reese did not send another text, so he started the car and drove to the hotel. -Half an hour later, Reese arrived at the door of Yelena's room. He pondered briefly before knocking on the door. Soon, he heard a response. "Coming."Yelena opened the door and was surprised to find Reese. "Are you the lad fro
Liora opened her palm. The outline of the charm was vague, but she could feel its intense energy. She took a deep breath and stood up. After sensing her movement, the spirits glanced at her. Liora turned to look at them and felt the same feeling that stopped her from leaving again!Suppressing the fear, Liora braced herself to walk out of the door.The closer she got to the door, the more intense the gloomy presence became—she felt as if her soul was being crushed. "Don't be scared, Lia!""Try to walk out, Lia! They won't hurt you!""Lia! Axel, Ty, Mr. Gates, and I are waiting for you!"Αfter hearing their voices, Liora shed tears. She gnashed her teeth and continued to stride toward the door, which seemed so close yet remained out of reach. She took a deep breath, raised her hand with the charm, and attempted to walk closer. This time, the spirits all turned to look at her. They rushed forward in unison when they sensed Liora was about to touch the door. Sensing t