Even as Linda cried out in panic, Tina did not hesitate to pull the tablecloth with all her strength. Crash!!!Everything from the plates, confectionery and drinking glasses on the table were sent crashing down on the floor, leaving an utter mess."Stop it already, Tina!" Henry bellowed at her.Stop?!Tina smirked—the only reason she came here today was to ruin this party for Linda and Rory!In fact, even as Henry kept bellowing at her, Tina strode off to knock over the stacks of presents, sending everything crashing down, reduced to trash."Wargh!!!" Rory bawled even harder as she watched.She was going to show off to all her friends, only for Tina to destroy everything!It was all ruined now!"That's enough from you!" Linda sprang to her feet furiously, her eyes widened in rage as she charged at Tina.As she grabbed Tina's hand, she shoved her towards the nearby champagne tower.Once Tina crashed into it, she would definitely be disfigured!However, Tina's was just too
Tina struggled as hard as she could, but simply couldn't free herself.She could only watch as the gang leader's shive streaked toward her hand…That was when the door opened from the outside.The three women inside clearly didn't expect that, and were taken by surprise.Tina also seized the moment to pull her hand back to herself, but the gang leader quickly realized it. She thrust her shive downward, but it missed and struck the floor with a sharp, audible clang."What are you doing?!" The captain of the precinct bellowed when he saw what happened inside.Even before he charged inside, a figure dashed inside, covering the distance between the four women and the doorway in just a few sides.The man most famous in Jadelight for his gentlemanly demeanor lost his composure right then, as he glowered and kicked the gang leader brutally!"Argh!" She screamed shrilly as she slammed heavily on the floor.Her two lackeys, already spooked at John's intimidating presence, promptly re
And with that, Henry's stiff expression turned tender even as he studied Tina.Without that armor of thorns she wore in the morning, she was so soft and sweet, even nuzzling his palm as if flirting, only to brush against the cut on her cheek."Ah…" She gasped in pain, flinching and turned away.Click.His hand freed, the man moved his hand to turn on the bedlight, illuminating the room.He could see her red, swollen cheeks and the distinct palm prints over it.He strode out of the room, looking through the first aid kit by the tea table for aspirins while calling Andy."Yes, Mr. Barnes?""Find out who assaulted Tina while in lockup," Henry's tone was cold and sinister. "Then get some people on the inside to return the favor a hundredfold.""Yes, Mr. Barnes."With that, Henry hung up, and returned to Tina's room with the aspirin."Open wide. It's time to take your meds."However, Tina was immediately resistant—she hated it!-When she was eight, the orphanage caretaker had
Nonetheless, as Henry saw her open her eyes, he growled, "Is it that difficult to ask for my help?"All she had to do was ask, and the cops wouldn't have arrested her in the first place!Tina's expression turned cool right then.Her cheeks didn't hurt that much with the ointment and a bath, but every moment she experienced in the lockup could well be burned into her mind's eye.And now, he was saying that just because she didn't beg him for help, she deserved everything that happened there?Shoving his hand off firmly, Tina's expression was apathetic as she snorted, "I am willing to ask anyone for help except you. Quit shoving your fake sympathy at me—I don't need it."Henry's expression fell. "Can't you see things clearly for once?!""Oh, am I not?"Tina chuckled coolly, her smile not reaching her eyes as she retorted, "So just because you offered me both carrot and stick, I should be awash with gratitude?""What happened at the lockup wasn't my intention," Henry suddenly sai
Henry's visage was ice-cold. "Buried?! Does it hurt you to stop cursing your own daughter?!"Tina wobbled, her eyes red as she glanced at her daughter's photo on the nightstand, which happened to be staring straight at Henry.Ever since Sophie was born, she loved her father to bits, no matter how cold Henry was to her.At that moment, Tina thought she saw hope in her daughter's eyes—hope for him to accompany on her final journey before her next life.Tina took Henry's arm just then, turning toward him to speak once more for Sophie's sake. "I'm telling you the truth. Sophie is really—"Henry looked into her tearful gaze, seeing the genuine pain within.But those eyes only reminded him of the day of the design competition, when he had been deceived by those same eyes!"You're incorrigible!"Henry shoved her away so violently that he sent the pendant he always carried around flying straight at Tina's face.She turned in reflex but was struck on the temple anyway."Oof…"As Tina
Linda feigned composure.Ever since she returned to the country, Henry would always give them a million each month, and more after Rory fell sick.As such, a million dollars was really nothing to Linda."You'd better not play any tricks!" Quentin shot Linda a warning glare and left as Henry came over, disappearing into a corner.Henry stared at the direction of which he left. "Trouble?""Nothing—just asking for directions," Linda replied calmly.Henry did not press the issue, and they left the hospital together.-Meanwhile, at Maple Park, Tina had slept for an entire day, waking up in the evening.She was famished as she went a day without eating. She got changed and ordered a large plate of pasta at the cafe opposite the apartment.Her body warmed up as she took small bites.As she paid up and headed back, the skies had darkened.Maple Park was ideally positioned, but the apartment itself was old and the streetlights were poorly maintained. Then, as Tina passed through
The bellboy nodded at once. "Yes, Mr. Barnes!"Through it all, Linda said nothing as she leaned against Henry, but she turned to smile at Tina just before they went in.Tina was left clenching her knuckles, as one sentence from Henry denied her entry no matter what she might do.Still, she moved to wait for John by a pillar facing the doorway.With the pouring rain, the umbrella could not shield her entirely, and she was mostly soaked over the back.She was shaking from the cold, looking utterly miserable.Even so, she stood there, staring at the front entrance with determination.Later, Andy stepped out with an umbrella. "Ms. Smith, Mr. Barnes has asked me to take you home—""No," Tina refused coolly, ignoring him from then on, and continued to wait for John in silence.Unable to get Tina to leave, Andy called Henry. "Sir, she's not leaving…""Leave her be," Henry snapped coolly and hung up, so Andy left too.Meanwhile, the cold winds of the rainy night cut into Tina's bone
As Tina quickly alighted, John followed, holding up an umbrella to keep her dry.Time passed, but it was soon past the agreed time, and Quentin had still yet to show up.Unable to wait, Tina called him—and just as she did, a phone rang in the alley behind her.She did not notice at first, but she realized something was unusual when her call reached voicemail a third time.John noticed it too, and they traded glances before heading into the alley together.Soon, they notice a man lying motionless in a pool of blood nearby.He continued to bleed, dyeing the ground at their feet red.Stunned, Tina stumbled backward, but John caught her with perfect timing.Tina gulped, her hands shaking as she called the number again, and a phone started ringing from the man's body.Tina turned pale, and she scrambled to Quentin's side, dropping to her knees to push him up and shrieking, "No, don't die! Get up! You haven't told me who it was!"This time, John could not catch her and had to hurry
Henry had not fallen asleep for long when Jimmy rudely shook him awake.He was a light sleeper, and as he jolted awake right away and opened his eyes, he leveled a clearly hostile glare at Jimmy.Jimmy met his glare unflinching, even snapping coolly, "My godmother wants to see you."Henry's hostility faded right away at those words.Jimmy's godmother was obviously Tina's mother, and for some reason, she was asking to see him.Henry promptly got up, but he moved too quickly and his head started spinning.He leaned against his bed on one hand, pushing himself up slowly.He headed to the washroom first, cleaning up at top speed before putting on a suit and heading to the opposite room."Mrs. Smith."As he entered, he greeted Tina's mother humbly, without poising himself with superiority.Mrs. Smith knew she should not feel agitated when her surgery was so recent.In fact, she took her time composing herself before Henry came over and was much calmer when she saw him this time.
Yancy had been sleeping in his office too and never left the hospital, leaving express instructions for the nurses to call him as soon as Mrs. Smith woke up.As he hurried over, he quickly examined Mrs. Smith, while Tina stood by her bed looking utterly worried.When Yancy was finally done, Tina quickly asked, "How's my mother?""She's cleared the risk period—she's stable now." Yancy nodded at her, utterly relieved as well.As they spoke, Mrs. Fuller—who was standing behind them—quietly hung up the call on her phone.Linda was listening on the other end.She too had gone the entire night without sleeping after leaving the hospital yesterday, albeit waiting for Mrs. Smith to die from the surgery.She really wondered how much Tina would suffer from it, and if she would lose her mind altogether.What she did not expect was for Mrs. Smith to be so lucky to survive, and she panicked as soon as she heard the surgery was a success.Nothing about everything that had happened yesterday
Hearing that the surgery was a success, Tina burst into tears of joy. "Thank you so much!"An exhausted Yancy told Tina that Mrs. Smith would be out in another ten minutes, and she had nothing to worry about.Then, he returned inside as well to get changed.As the doors of the operating room closed, she turned and threw herself into Jimmy's arms. "Oh, Jimmy! Mom's alright now!"She was completely unaware that it was Henry, who had somehow arrived outside the operating room and was standing right beside her.Henry knew that she got the wrong person, but he could not resist wrapping his arms around her.However, the embrace was all too brief as Tina realized almost instantly that she was hugging Henry.Having loved him for so many years, she was all too familiar with his scent and did not hesitate to push him away just as he was just about to hold her in turn.However, he had just donated a lot of blood and had barely made it there to wait with Tina.Utterly frail, he staggered
However, Henry did not hesitate to hang up on Linda while grasping and gently squeezing Tina's cold, trembling hand."I won't leave until your mother's surgery is over. I'll do all I can to make sure she's safe."There was no changing Sophie's death, and there was nothing he could do about that.But he would do what he could for Mrs. Smith.And before Tina could speak, Henry released her hand and hurried away with the nurse.His phone rang three times before he was gone from his sight.They were all calls from Linda, but Henry did not hesitate to hang up on her.It was the first time Henry had chosen Tina instead of Linda when Tina needed him.Nonetheless, Jimmy put a hand around Tina's shoulder then. "I just got off the phone with two of my friends. They're coming as we speak."Don't take it to heart, Tina. Henry Barnes owes you that much."He did not want Tina to feel burdened by Henry's help, when she hated that man to the bone.Even if what he did would not change Tina's
"The patient needs multiple emergency transfusions, and our blood bank supply won't last for long."Yancy was really anxious—the surgery was difficult in the first place, and he certainly did not anticipate a nasty surprise like this halfway.And if they did not get enough blood in time, Mrs. Smith was really going to die.Even if Yancy did not say that out loud, Tina could read that much from the look on his face.Her blood grew cold as if she fell into an icy abyss, and she could not stop herself from trembling.It was as if she had returned to the day when Sophie died.Dr. Ferguson had stepped out halfway during the surgery just to tell her that the kidney transplant could not be performed as the kidney had been taken away.There was nothing he could do, and he told her to be prepared for the worst.But there was no way Tina could give up on Sophie—grabbing Dr. Ferguson's arm, Tina begged him not to give up and said that she would come up with something.As she stood outsid
As Tina trusted Jimmy, she did not keep her feelings bottled up and leaned on his shoulder as she sobbed softly, "Jimmy, I'm really scared… It's just like what happened to Sophie…""No." Jimmy promptly stopped her. "Your mother's definitely going to be fine."As Henry heard the mention of Sophie while standing nearby, his heart clenched, pain showing in his eyes.Nonetheless, it was soon over ten hours since the surgery started, and it was still going on.Even as night arrived, the trio remained outside the operating room.They did not have an appetite in the afternoon, but Henry ordered some food as evening arrived.Tina really still did not feel like eating.Henry knew that reasoning would not work on her. And while he could just force her to eat, he could not bear to do it either.He turned to give Jimmy a look.Although Jimmy was on Tina's side and hated Henry, he had to cooperate for Tina's sake.He walked up, took a lunchbox, and sat beside Tina as he opened it. All
The day Sophie died two years ago was a barb stuck deep in Tina's heart, and it hurt at the slightest touch.-Soon, Mrs. Fuller returned in a hurry after getting a call and was told that Mrs. Smith was in trouble.Her face was covered in sweat as she ran headlong into Linda, and she glanced at Linda out of the corner of her eye while Linda watched her.Still, she soon hurried to Tina, immediately tugging on Tina's arm as she cried and apologized, "I'm so sorry, Ms. Smith. It's all my fault—I shouldn't have run off when I was supposed to be on duty."I'm so sorry… I didn't think that this would happen to your mother in such a short span of time."However, Tina really could not even be bothered to respond and frowned at her sobs.Henry promptly strode up and snapped coolly, "Shut up."He was so intimidating that Mrs. Fuller promptly turned silent.Not daring to keep crying, she said softly, "I'll be here, Ms. Smith. Just call me if anything comes up."Still looking guilty, she
Tina did not even look at Henry as she shoved him off and hurried to Andy, demanding, "Where's the footage?"She really doubted that her mother's suddenly worsened condition had nothing to do with Linda.Nonetheless, Andy showed her the security footage with just a look from Henry.And Henry stood beside Tina, while gesturing for Andy to help Linda back on her wheelchair.However, the footage only showed Mrs. Fuller taking Mrs. Smith outside, where there were cameras.The cameras only caught several people running toward the stairs, and soon, nurses rushed in the same direction with a stretcher, with Mrs. Smith and Linda brought upstairs after.No one knew how Mrs. Smith fell and what happened before that. "I called them over too, Mr. Barnes," Andy said, beckoning for the people who were at the stairs at the time.Henry nodded, and the people were each enthusiastic as they were told there would be a reward, telling everyone everything they saw at the time."We were just passi
Tina's kick landed squarely on Linda's face!"Argh!" Linda cried out in pain and turned to level a tearful gaze at Henry. "Help me…"She waited for Henry to do what he usually did—throw Tina aside and run over to dote on her.And yet Henry kept holding on to Tina, pulling her backward. "Calm down, Tina!"However, Tina's eyes were red as she glared viciously at Linda on the floor. "Calm down?! Linda murdered Sophie and Grandma, and now, my mother has to undergo her surgery ahead of time because of her!"And you're telling me to calm down?! Let go of me!"Nonetheless, Henry dragged Tina firmly backward, and she could not free herself despite struggling violently.As such, she stopped struggling and kept kicking Linda instead.Unable to dodge, Linda was kicked repeatedly until Henry finally pulled Tina away and pinned her between himself and the wall.Tina's chest heaved—even if she could not free herself from Henry, she glared spitefully past Henry's shoulder.Henry could not s