But something else tugged at the edge of Elaine's awareness. She remembered her screams and then a man’s voice. That voice was so familiar. Was it... Antonio? She thought. She tried to sit up, but a sharp pain pierced the side of her head. The beeping of the monitor quickened, and before she could gather her thoughts, a pair of arms engulfed her. “Elaine!” Rose cried, pulling her daughter into a trembling embrace. Her mother’s sobs rattled through her chest, loud and raw. “Thank God you’re awake. Thank God!” Elaine winced from the sheer volume of Rose’s grief. Her mother clung to her tightly and her tears soaked into Elaine’s hospital gown. “I thought we’d lost you,” Rose whispered brokenly, then immediately turned toward Harry. “Harry… thank you. If it weren’t for you, she… she might not have made it. You saved her. You really did.” Elaine’s dazed eyes shifted to the corner of the room. There stood Harry nodding with a modest smile on his lips, as if

Even though Elaine wasn't completely satisfied about the comments about Antonio, she forced a polite smile as she looked at Harry. “Thank you, Harry. I really appreciate what you did,” she said softly. Harry returned the smile as though the praise barely touched him. “Anyone would have done the same,” he replied. Elaine felt the words pass her lips, but deep inside, she remained unsettled and cold. Before now, she had been so certain that the voice she had heard when she was drifting in and out of consciousness belonged to Antonio. She could almost still hear his voice. But now, listening to Harry also recount his supposed rescue, the reality began to sink in. If Harry had been the one to save her, then that voice must have been a figment of her fading mind. And even up till now, Antonio hadn’t even come. The thought made Elaine's chest tighten. She had already been trying for weeks to push aside the lingering hope that Antonio still cared—that somewhere ben

Antonio didn't even respond immediately. Instead, his eyes narrowed with his tone dropping to an icy calm that made the room feel colder. Then he fixed his gaze on Alder. “You’re a fool, Alder—always have been. You never fail to disappoint me, speaking with such certainty about things you don’t understand.” Alder stiffened with his jaw tightening, but Antonio wasn’t finished. His gaze shifted to Harry. “And you—what a shameless creature,” his voice was heavy with contempt. “Taking credit for something you didn’t do. You couldn’t even stand up to a fly, let alone trained mercenaries like Jim and his men.” Harry’s smirk faltered, though he tried to hide it. He longed to snap back at Antonio and expose him as a liar, but no words came to his tongue at that moment. Elaine who was still weak from her ordeal, felt her temper surge. She had been quiet since Antonio walked in, but now her patience shattered. “Enough!” she snapped, her voice cracking but fierce, despi

Neither Kate nor Dora could answer Elaine’s questions. They both looked blindsided. Frustrated, Elaine threw herself into a thorough investigation, combing through documents and cross-checking every payment trail. It didn’t take long for the truth to come out. She uncovered that funds meant for her company had been siphoned off into a shell company called Topcrust. What she didn’t know was that Topcrust was directly tied to Harry’s failing business. Rage boiled inside her. It wasn’t just Nexora she despised, but Harry as well—for it was his advice that had pushed her to let Nexora take full control of operations. And now, look at the disaster they had caused. The disappointment cut deep. What on earth had she allowed herself to get tangled in? The losses were catastrophic—so severe there was no realistic chance of recovery anytime soon. Without wasting another second, she grabbed her phone and dialed Harry. He answered on the second ring. Elaine wasted

Antonio’s eyes were sharp, cold, and unyielding as he turned to face the head physician. “I know exactly what I’m saying,” Antonio said firmly. “Step back, all of you. If you truly value her life, give me the space I need to try and save her—and I want no interruptions.” The team of doctors surrounding Florence’s bed exchanged glances of disbelief. Had they heard right? Their white coats, pristine under the harsh glow of the fluorescent lights, contrasted with Antonio’s dark, travel-worn attire. Their skepticism was palpable and their professional pride was hurt that an outsider—a man they barely respected—had the nerve to tell them what to do. One of them—a short, broad-shouldered man with glasses slipping down the bridge of his nose, sneered openly. “Step back? You?” the doctor sneered. “You’re not even a licensed physician—you’re a reckless fraud! Florence is fighting for her life, and you actually think your cheap tricks with needles will save her? Pathetic! D