Chapter 1729

Wilfred raised his hand, gently brushing aside a strand of hair from Karina’s forehead. His fingertips grazed her cheek, the touch lingering with a subtle trace of something ambiguous. Karina’s face flushed instantly, heat spreading across her skin. Her wide eyes reflected a mix of shock and embarrassment.
“Dr. Norman, you’re acting very strangely today,” Wilfred said softly, his deep voice tinged with an almost hypnotic calm, sending shivers down her spine.
Karina’s lips trembled, and she stammered, trying to explain but failing miserably. “I-I… Dr. Wilfred, I… ”
Wilfred’s gaze sharpened, his eyes turning cold as he suddenly grabbed her wrist. The strength of his grip made Karina gasp in pain.
“So this is your plan? I finally see it now,” he said, his voice laced with anger and disappointment. “You spiked my water, thinking I wouldn’t notice? Did you really think I wouldn’t taste it?”
Karina froze, terror flashing across her face. She hadn’t expected him to notice.
“Dr. Wilfred, please… I-I have my reasons. Just let me explain!” she pleaded, her voice trembling, tears pooling in her eyes.
Wilfred let out a bitter, scornful laugh. “Reasons? What possible reason could justify drugging someone? I trusted you, Karina. I really thought you were better than this.”
“It’s not what you think-please!” Karina cried, but Wilfred was unmoved. The hurt and disgust in his eyes cut through her like a blade.
As someone who had once been subjected to drug experimentation, Wilfred had an acute sensitivity to any substance. The moment he tasted the water, he knew something was wrong. He had spat it out discreetly, but the betrayal still left him cold.
“I put my trust in you, and this is how you repay me? Have you completely lost your conscience?” Wilfred growled, his anger boiling over as he dragged Karina toward the door.
“Dr. Wilfred, please listen to me!” she begged, tears streaming down her face.
Wilfred ignored her pleas, yanked the door open, and shoved her out into the hallway. “Get out!”
Karina stumbled and fell onto the hallway floor as the door slammed shut in her face.
She sat there in a daze, tears spilling uncontrollably down her cheeks. Hugging her knees tightly, she buried her face in her arms, her trembling body betraying the weight of her despair. She knew she had made a terrible mistake, but the overwhelming sense of injustice swallowed her whole.
Wilfred sat in his room, frustration simmering beneath the surface.
He couldn’t believe Karina had done something so underhanded. He had expected her, someone he deemed cunning and determined, to find another place to sleep after he threw her out. After all, she had already proven she would stop at nothing to achieve her goals, as shown by her attempt to drug him earlier.
But outside in the hallway, Karina sat slumped against the door, her heart weighed down by despair and helplessness.
She had nowhere to go. The hotel
hallway was quiet and cold,
amplifying the fear and guilt gnawing at her. She hugged her knees to her chest, trembling as the chill seeped through her clothes and into her bones. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t erase the image of Wilfred’s angry?
disappointed gaze.
ve
As time dragged on, her body grew weaker, exhaustion overtaking her. In the end, she drifted into a restless sleep, her lips occasionally murmuring incoherent words as a fever began to take hold.
Inside, Wilfred tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Something didn’t sit right with him. Suddenly, a faint sound reached his ears-a soft, pained groan coming from the hallway.
He startled awake and quickly got up to open the door, only to be shocked by what he saw.
Karina was still there, huddled by the door, her face flushed and her brows furrowed in discomfort. It was clear she had developed a high fever.
A sharp pang of guilt pierced
Wilfred’s chest as he crouched down
beside her. Gently, he reached out
and touched her forehead. The burning heat under his fingertips made his frown deepen.