LOGINREVAThe rest of the morning was a blur of patients and paperwork. And I made a mental note to check on Levi. We'd spoken shortly after his mother left. He had just met with a lawyer, who informed him that Hunter could be held accountable even if Alan had directly paid the bribe.Hunter was aware of the scheme, remained involved, and expected to profit from it, so prosecutors could build a case based on conspiracy, corruption-related offenses, and fraud participation.Levi stated that conspiracy to commit fraud would be the most serious charge. I couldn't imagine how foolish he would feel after being arrested, as I was sure he believed that nothing could implicate him since he wasn't directly involved in the rigging process. Otherwise, I doubt he'd have come forward, no matter how angry he was with his lover.I'd finished with the patient and was about to check on the next one when I heard someone speak behind me. The voice sounded familiar enough to make me turn around and see the w
REVAI walked into my office with a smile that would not leave my face, no matter how hard I tried to calm myself down. After the news broke online, almost everyone I passed in the hallway approached me to congratulate me. Nurses, residents, fellow doctors, and even administrative staff I rarely spoke with had already seen the photos from Thailand.Apparently, engagement news spread faster than hospital gossip. And I still felt overwhelmed every time I looked down at the ring on my finger and remembered Levi, my fiancé, kneeling in front of me beside the ocean. The thought still felt surreal.I placed my bag on my desk and exhaled softly, shaking my head with a silent laugh as I remembered waking up to dozens of messages from my cousins and aunts who'd also seen the articles.Levi had warned me in Thailand that photographers would undoubtedly leak our vacation after someone took a photo of us while we were touring Phuket. However, I was still unprepared for waking up to find our priva
DANIELLESlowly regaining consciousness, my body felt heavy and sluggish, as if I had slept for days. I was confused and disoriented as I stared at the unfamiliar ceiling above me until I noticed a faint antiseptic smell, which told me I was in a hospital.The realization hit me so hard that I tried to sit up in panic, but a gentle hand stopped me before I could go too far.Michelle quickly leaned in to assure me that everything was okay. But my hand instinctively moved to my stomach. “What about my baby?" I whispered, fear still clawing at my throat despite her assurance, and she quickly reassured me that the baby was fine. Relief hit me hard, and my eyes burned as I sank back against the pillows.She explained that I had developed a high fever and was extremely exhausted. My body had essentially crashed as a result of acute emotional and physical stress.The doctor had asked her if she was aware of anything I'd been through, such as a challenging time or bad news that could have tr
NIKOLAIMy rage erupted the moment Alan opened his mouth; the sound of his voice alone was enough to send shivers through me, and I forgot about the pain. I yelled at him about how he sent Hunter after my money, like the coward he was. His expression darkened instantly as he stepped deeper into the room and growled back that he had now come himself. His hovering over me brought the sense of helplessness slamming into me so hard it almost made me vomit.I wanted to get up and smash my fist into his face, but all I could do was move my arms, weakly at that. So I clenched my hands into the hospital sheets, snarling at him to get out of my face instead.He didn't move. If anything, he leaned in, and the sight of him standing over me ripped open every wound I'd been trying to close for the past five years—it transported me back to the night I lost everything, and I saw myself in that bathroom again. I felt Hunter's mouth against mine, and I felt my father's shock and anger as he walked i
REVAI awoke to the gentle clink of porcelain and the faint scent of something warm and fragrant wafting through the room. I remained motionless for a moment, wrapped in the comfort of the unfamiliar sheets, before opening my eyes.A breakfast tray had been neatly placed across my lap, filled with a spread straight out of a magazine, and my favorite, my fiancé, lay beside me, watching me with that smile that made my heart skip a beat.“Good morning," he said, and I replied, leaning in for a kiss on the lips before pushing myself up, still half asleep but smiling as I took it all in. He asked how I slept, and I told him it was the best I'd had in a long time. He agreed.My bladder was full, and I needed to use the bathroom, so I put the tray down while I got up and went there, where I relieved myself and cleaned up before returning to bed.Levi told me our plans for the day: we were going to the Phuket Elephant Sanctuary. He also presented me with a second option, but I chose the first
HUNTERThe doctor's voice was pleading as he advised me to stay in the hospital for another day. He explained that the impact on my ribs had caused additional damage and that pushing myself now could aggravate the situation, and I heard everything he said, but it didn't matter.I couldn't spend another second in the room without losing my mind. Every time I closed my eyes, I heard Alan's cold, disgusted voice telling me exactly what I meant to him.At first, as I lay there, doctors rushing around me, I had tried to justify what had happened as his wife monitoring him. But if that had been the case, he should have contacted me and explained.Furthermore, treating me the way he did to please his wife, whom he was supposed to leave, would have meant something else altogether.The truth was clear, and I had to accept it no matter how it stabbed at my heart each time—he used me. I pushed myself up despite my body's protests, and sharp pain spread through my ribs, causing me to pause despi
LEVII turned to my mother as Reva and my father disappeared into the house. “I hope you don't mind that I brought her," I said, and Mother quickly waved her hand dismissively. “Of course, I don't mind," she said before I could finish, but her eyes said something else, and I was about to ask when s
REVA“Mrs. Belkov?" Dr. Jacobs' voice echoed over the phone. “Are you still there?" That brought me out of the confused haze. “Yes," I quickly replied, forcing air back into my lungs. “I am here."I opened my mouth, prepared to say I had no idea why Nikolai had asked for me. I wanted to tell him th
THIRD-PARTY VIEWPOINTNikolai stumbled out of the penthouse and froze, realizing his car was not in the driveway. Only Hunter's car was present, so he rushed back inside, tearing through the place until he grabbed Hunter's keys from the counter. He didn't slow down and drove away in Hunter's car li
NIKOLAIThe music cut out. “Security department, this is Mark speaking," a guy's voice came through from the other side of the line, and I straightened instinctively. “My name is Hunter Starling. I was transferred from reception to discuss security footage from Christmas Eve."“Yes, Mr. Starling,"







