Koven approached Selena's bedside, gently pulling back the covers. Seeing her peacefully asleep, he could not bring himself to wake her, so he dressed quietly and went to wash up. As Koven shaved, he looked at his handsome face in the mirror and fell silent for a moment.Today, he planned to take Selena to see a friend of his who would remove the monitoring device implanted in her heart. If the surgery was successful, Selena would finally be able to leave Spades openly and be with him.However, his friend generally did not treat people. Although his medical skills were exceptional, he spent most of his time wandering the mountains and avoiding worldly affairs.Mark Solero was someone he had known since childhood. They had always been very close. However, in elementary school, Mark was taken abroad by his mother and only returned after graduating from college. Throughout the years, they kept in touch through letters and phone calls, and their relationship grew stronger over time. T
After being warned by the woman’s husband, Mark still continued to pursue her. He thought about her day and night, constantly fantasizing about being with her. He said that it was worth it because the woman was very kind-hearted.Their encounter had actually happened because she was one of Mark’s patients. Even though she was ill, her husband rarely visited her, and when he did, his attitude was often harsh. The woman would tell Mark her stories every day to pass the time. Mark had never met such an intelligent and romantic woman before. He grew increasingly fond of spending time with her and loved listening to her stories. At that time, he did not know she was a chairwoman; he simply liked her for who she was. He cherished every second they spent together, and he would admire her beauty from every angle.However, two months later, the woman was about to be discharged, leaving Mark feeling very disappointed. He only wanted to spend every day with her, talking and chatting. However,
Selena looked at the house, feeling a bit uneasy. The house was made of bamboo and wooden planks. It was plastered with cement and shaped like a sunflower. It seemed like a piece of art, but it was difficult to appreciate. Just looking at it gave her a headache. Anyone unfamiliar with the place might think the owner of the house was an eccentric person!As they slowly approached, they were suddenly startled by a ferocious dog barking at them. The dog was huge, much larger than an ordinary dog. However, it only barked without any intention of biting. Even if it wanted to bite, it would not stand a chance against both Selena and Koven.The dog continued barking, but when it saw that Koven and Selena were not paying it any attention, it stopped and went back to eating its food. When they looked closer, they realized it was eating a live chicken. The chicken had not been properly prepared. Its feathers were splattered with blood all over, and the meat was left in a messy state, unatten
After the introductions, it was time to address the real purpose of their visit—Selena’s situation. At this point, they communicated through messages on their phones as Daniel was still listening in on their movements, making it too risky to speak openly. Once they finalized their plan, they decided to proceed, with Koven assisting on the side. The entire operation would only require two people.All three donned their sterilized gowns. Selena felt a wave of anxiety. She was genuinely terrified that something could go wrong. The tracker was not something that could typically be removed, and any mistake could trigger an explosion, killing all three of them instantly. Koven was sweating profusely, knowing that the woman he loved could be in grave danger in the next few hours. He could not bear the thought of losing Selena, and if she was going to die, he would rather die with her. It was unfortunate that his friend would be caught up in this, but there was no other option. He could
Selena groggily woke up, only to find herself in a clean, tidy room filled with artistic touches. She could hardly believe it. “Where am I?” she asked incredulously, feeling utterly drained. She felt a sharp pain in her chest after the surgery. “Silly, the surgery was successful. The tracker has been removed, and this is the room Mark prepared specifically for you to recover,” Koven reassured her. Selena wanted to say more, but Koven stopped her. “You need to rest and not talk. Here, drink this soup I made for you. It’s to help restore your energy and heal your wounds.”Seeing Selena so pale and weak, Koven felt like a knife was twisting in his heart. Selena slowly drank the soup that Koven carefully fed her, wincing in pain with every movement.At that moment, Mark entered the room, carrying a few pills in his hands.“These are your medicine. Take them, and don’t forget to drink the soup. Let me know immediately if you feel uncomfortable,” Mark said, handing the medicine over
Selena suddenly heard a noise outside. It was already midnight, and since the room was in the basement, she could not see what was happening outside. She called out to Koven, but he was sleeping too deeply and would not wake up no matter how hard she tried. Unable to sleep despite the quiet outside, Selena put an eye mask over Koven's eyes and turned on the lights. Her chest still hurt a bit where the surgery had been done.She carefully got out of bed, looking around at the room's design. She had heard that Mark had designed the place himself—how impressive! The room was shaped like a circle and had an elegant atmosphere. The walls were covered in paintings, though Selena could not understand them.Mark was a genius! The paintings depicted several fairies playing musical instruments and singing in a palace while handmaidens frolicked around. Selena leaned in for a closer look, and the figures seemed almost lifelike. One of them even appeared to be looking at her, smiling and greet
Selena felt a sharp pain in her chest, which caused her to collapse to the ground. She tried to ease the agony. When she looked up, she saw Mark walking toward her. Selena called out, and suddenly, she was sitting up in bed, drenched in sweat. Koven was still asleep, but when he saw Selena awake, he quickly asked if something had happened. Selena was still in shock, her chest aching. The Mark in her dream was terrifying, and Koven seemed so strange. The more Selena thought about it, the more confused she became. She sensed that there was something unusual about this place.“I had a dream, and it left me feeling uneasy,” Selena told Koven, still shaken by the nightmare.“Alright, don’t think too much about it. Tell me, what did you dream about?” Koven held Selena, trying to calm her down. He noticed she was covered in sweat and felt a deep concern for her.“The dream was strange. You were ignoring me, and there were those paintings on the walls, and Mark—everything was so eerie a
That day, Selena's wounds had almost fully healed, and after resting at Mark's house for so long, she felt much more energized.Koven planned to take Selena back since they had already stayed for several days."Mark, thank you for taking care of us these past few days and for helping me and Selena so much. I really don't know how to properly thank you," Koven said as he secretly slipped a check for five million into Mark's pocket.He knew that Mark was not interested in money right now, so if he gave it to him openly, Mark would just return it. It was better to give it secretly.Mark smiled at the two of them, feeling something indescribable inside. "It's no problem. I don't have many friends. The fact that you both stayed with me for so many days really touched me. You're welcome to come and visit anytime."Mark did not have many friends, and in the face of friendship, he felt quite insignificant.Koven knew that Mark still had not moved on from that woman and that he was using