Yona stood in the hallway, watching Keith's face as he struggled to answer her question about whether he liked Cynthia. The silence stretched between them, heavy and painful. She could see the confusion in his eyes, the way he was trying to work through his feelings.That was answer enough.If Keith had to think that hard about it, if he was that conflicted after Cynthia's grand sacrifice, then clearly something was developing between them. Yona didn't need to hear him say it out loud. She could spare him the awkwardness of having to explain."It's fine," she said quickly, forcing a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "You don't have to answer that. I should go. Goodnight, Keith."She turned and walked away before he could respond, her vision blurring with tears she refused to let fall until she was safely behind her bedroom door.Keith stood there, bewildered by her sudden retreat. "Yona, wait—"But she was already gone, disappearing around the corner. Keith frowned, replaying the conv

Yona sat across from Viola in the luxurious office, feeling completely out of her depth. The question hung in the air between them – what was her relationship with Keith? She struggled to find the right words, ones that wouldn't reveal too much but also wouldn't be dishonest."Keith used to be my brother-in-law," Yona said finally, choosing her words carefully. "He was married to my sister, but they're divorced now. Currently, he just... he dotes on me, I suppose. He's been very kind."Viola's eyes lit up with excitement, and she actually clapped her hands together. "Oh, that's wonderful to know!"Yona blinked, confused by the enthusiastic reaction. "It is?""Yes!" Viola leaned forward, her expression animated. "You see, Yona, I need to be honest with you. I have a massive crush on Keith."The words hit Yona like a punch to the gut. Another beautiful, successful woman interested in Keith. Of course."When Keith won this company from me in that medical competition," Viola continued, se

"I'm not family," Yona interrupted. "Not really. I'm your ex-wife's cousin who you've taken pity on. And I appreciate everything you've done for me, but I can't keep living here."Keith frowned, clearly trying to understand what was really going on. "Yona, what's this really about? You were fine yesterday, and now suddenly you want to leave. Something changed. What is it?""Nothing changed," Yona lied, turning back to the dishes."Don't do that," Keith said firmly. "Don't shut me out. Talk to me. What's wrong?""Nothing's wrong!" Yona insisted, scrubbing at a plate that was already clean.Keith reached out and gently took the plate from her hands, setting it aside. "Yona, look at me."She reluctantly met his eyes, and the kindness she saw there almost broke her resolve completely."Why do you really want to leave?" he asked softly.Yona opened her mouth to give him another deflection, another excuse, but the words wouldn't come. She was so tired of hiding, so tired of pretending. Mayb

Linda sat in her private laboratory, surrounded by ancient medical texts and modern research papers. Her eyes were tired from hours of reading, but she couldn't stop now. Not when she was so close to finding an answer.Keith's healing powers were extraordinary, but they weren't at their full potential. He was currently operating at about ninety-five percent capacity, which was impressive by any standard. But Linda knew that wasn't enough. Those missing five percent could be the difference between life and death in a critical situation. And worse, his powers could degrade over time if they weren't properly maintained.She flipped through another weathered tome, her fingers tracing over faded illustrations of rare plants and their properties. Then she saw it – a detailed drawing of a peculiar plant with dark purple leaves and silvery veins."The Nightshade Lotus," she read aloud, her eyes scanning the text rapidly. "Found only in the northern regions, specifically on the small islands o

"Is that so?" Chris turned to his cousin with false concern. "Cynthia, if you're really hurt and need help managing things, perhaps I should step in. I could handle the company affairs while you rest here at home."Keith's response was immediate and sharp. "No."Chris's head snapped toward him, his eyes flashing with anger. "I'm sorry, what did you just say?""I said no," Keith repeated calmly. "Cynthia doesn't need you managing the company.""And who exactly are you to make that decision?" Chris demanded, his voice rising. "The company has nothing to do with you. You're just an outsider, a hired doctor.""An outsider who saved Ivan's life," Keith pointed out. "An outsider who discovered he was being poisoned."Chris's face flushed red. "That still doesn't give you any right to interfere in family business!""I'm not interfering," Keith said evenly. "I'm simply stating a fact. Cynthia is perfectly capable of managing the company, even while recovering. There's no need for you to sudde