บททั้งหมดของ The Price of His Betrayal : บทที่ 21 - บทที่ 30

Christian stepped into the room, his eyes immediately landing on Ilda, who was lounging on the bed, her laptop casting a soft glow on her face. As soon as she noticed him, she quickly clicked something away before offering a warm smile.He shut the door behind him, leaning against it for a moment before moving closer. "We need to talk," he said softly. "My mom isn’t too comfortable with you."Ilda’s smile faltered, and she let out a quiet sigh, closing the laptop. "I figured," she murmured, lowering her gaze.Christian crossed his arms, watching her carefully. "She thinks you’re hiding something."A soft chuckle escaped Ilda’s lips as she shook her head. "Of course she does," she muttered, rubbing her temples like the conversation was already exhausting her. "Christian, I’ve tried. No matter what I do, she still sees me as an outsider." She lifted her gaze to meet his, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "And it hurts. I love you, but she makes me feel like I don’t belong here."Ch

The tires screeched as Crystal pulled up in front of Westbridge City Hospital, the best medical facility in the area. Crystal threw the car door open, rushing to the passenger side where Adrian slumped, barely conscious. His skin was ghostly pale, sweat glistening on his forehead, and his breathing was labored.“Somebody help!” she screamed, her voice cracking as she tried to support his weight. A few nurses and a security guard rushed over, a stretcher rolling behind them.A nurse, dressed in blue scrubs, knelt beside Adrian, quickly checking his pulse. “He’s burning up! What happened?”“He—he has a brain tumor,” Crystal stammered, her hands trembling. “He was receiving treatment here before… before he stopped.”At the mention of his previous treatment, the nurse’s brows furrowed. “Dr. Collins, page Dr. Benson immediately!” she called out to another staff member before looking at Crystal. “We need to get him inside now!”Crystal stepped back as they carefully lifted Adrian onto t

A few minutes later, Crystal drifted off to sleep, her head tilting to one side. Her exhaustion was evident.Meanwhile, Adrian's fingers twitched slightly. Slowly, he was regaining consciousness. His eyelids fluttered before he finally opened them, adjusting to the sterile white ceiling above him. The beeping of the monitors was faint, but enough to remind him where he was.Turning his head, he saw Crystal fast asleep beside him. A small, tired smile formed on his lips.Then, out of nowhere, Crystal jolted awake. She blinked at him in surprise before realizing he was watching her."You're up?" she asked, rubbing her eyes. "How are you feeling?"Adrian gave a small nod.Then, with an amused glint in his tired eyes, he murmured, "Wait… if we were both asleep, who was supposed to watch over me? What if a nurse tried to smuggle me out? Or worse, what if the hospital ghosts decided to take me instead?"Crystal stared at him for a second before bursting into laughter. "Hospital ghosts? Adri

The soft hum of music played in the background as Olivia gracefully walked through the supermarket aisles. Her sharp features remained composed, but her eyes, dark and piercing, held an edge of impatience as she picked out a few items.Just as she handed her shopping bag to a staff member for packing, her phone rang. She barely glanced at the screen before answering.“What’s the update?” she asked smoothly, stepping toward a quieter corner.The voice on the other end was shaky, almost frantic. “Ma’am, you need to be very careful with Ilda. She’s very dangerous.”Olivia’s brows furrowed slightly. There was something off about his tone. “I don’t understand. How?” she asked, gripping her phone tighter.Suddenly, there was a scuffle on the other end. A muffled cry. Then the man’s voice rose in distress.“Leave me alone!” he shouted, the sound of a struggle in the background.Olivia’s heartbeat quickened. “Hello? I can’t hear you properly. What’s going on?” she raised her voice, steppin

The door clicked shut behind them, sealing them away from the chaos downstairs.Adrian lowered Crystal gently onto the edge of the bed, his touch surprisingly careful. Crystal tried to focus on anything but the pain searing through her leg, but it was impossible. The burn throbbed, and she bit down on her lip to keep from wincing too much.Adrian crouched in front of her, reaching for the small medical kit he had pulled from the drawer. Unlike before, his face wasn’t unreadable—it was softer now, the tension in his features replaced by something else. Guilt.“I’m sorry,” he murmured, unscrewing a bottle of antiseptic.Crystal blinked, startled by his tone.“I’m sorry I had to put you in all of this,” Adrian continued, dipping a piece of cotton into the liquid. “But it’ll be over soon.”There was determination in his voice, firm yet gentle.Crystal’s brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”Adrian hesitated. “When the time is right… I’ll tell you.”Something about the way he said it sent a