The two of them were in the car, steadily making their way through the city traffic to meet Mr. Simon, when Anne glanced down at her phone and froze. She had been casually scrolling through social media, passing time during the drive, when her eyes caught sight of something that made her heart stop.It was trending news. Breaking news. News that was now taking the internet by storm, spreading across platforms like wildfire."What the hell is this?" she whispered, completely speechless as she stared at her phone screen. Her eyes widened, and she blinked several times, hoping the words would rearrange themselves into something less devastating. But they didn't. She couldn't believe her eyes at all. This couldn't be happening. Not now. Not after everything.Dave noticed her sudden change in demeanor immediately. He glanced over from the driver's seat, concern flickering across his features. "What's it? What happened? Why is your face like that?" He tried to steal a glance at her phone wh

Mr. Simon sighed deeply, the sound carrying the weight of everything he had witnessed and failed to prevent. He hesitated for a long moment, gathering his thoughts and composing himself before he finally started speaking. His hands were clasped tightly on the table, knuckles white from tension.He explained how everything had been going smoothly and peacefully at the hospital before everything fell apart. There were no warning signs, no indications that anything bad was brewing beneath the surface. The hospital was doing well—patients were being treated, staff were working diligently, finances were stable. It was business as usual, or so he had believed.Then suddenly, he started noticing some strange activities that raised red flags in his mind.Some members of the hospital board—doctors and senior staff whom Dave and Simon had trusted implicitly—were having suspicious meetings without including him. He would walk past conference rooms and see them gathered behind closed doors. He wo

Mr. Simon stared at him, curiosity and determination mingling in his expression. "What's it? Name it, I'll do anything you say! Anything at all!" He was eager to help, driven by the overwhelming guilt he felt for the mess that had happened on his watch. The weight of perceived failure pressed heavily on his shoulders, and any opportunity to redeem himself was welcome.Dave smiled warmly at his friend's enthusiasm, appreciating the loyalty despite everything. "All I want you to help me do is look more into him. Dig deeper. Investigate further.""Huh?" Mr. Simon asked, tilting his head slightly, not quite understanding."Help me look more into this Mr. Yale," Dave elaborated, his voice calm and measured. "Help me get more information about him—his background, his connections, his operations, his weaknesses. Spend your time doing your research and digging out more information about him. I believe there should be something useful out there since he just came out of nowhere and decided to

While Dave explained everything to her, Anne couldn't help but be completely shocked and thoroughly impressed. Her eyes widened at certain revelations, and she found herself leaning forward, completely captivated by his story. A smile kept tugging at the corners of her mouth, not from disbelief but from genuine amusement and wonder at the extraordinary tale unfolding before her.Dave noticed her expression and paused, a hint of uncertainty creeping into his voice. "What? Is it too unbelievable? I know you might not believe me at all. It sounds like something from a science fiction novel, I realize that."Anne shook her head immediately, her smile widening. "No! Not at all!" she assured him warmly. "I don't find it stupid or dumb. Not even a little bit. Rather, I find it really, really interesting. Because it explains so many things about you—things I've always noticed but couldn't quite understand."Dave stared at her, genuinely surprised by her reaction. "Huh? Is that so? How so? Wha

And so Dave turned to face Anne directly, his heart pounding in his chest. He knew there was no turning back now. The words had to be said."Well... you know what..." Dave began, his voice slightly unsteady but determined. "I'm done being polite about it. I'm done pretending. I'm..."Anne stared at him, confusion evident in her expression. "Huh? What do you mean by that? Done being polite about what?"Dave hesitated for a brief moment, gathering his courage. Then he continued, the words flowing out before he could second-guess himself. "We've been partners for a long time. We've worked together through so much—danger, uncertainty, fear, joy. We've spent enough time together to know and understand each other better than almost anyone else in this world."He paused, searching for the right words. "All this while, I can honestly say I've respected you and admired you deeply. That alone was already good enough for me. I valued our partnership, our friendship, more than anything. But as ti