Chapter 1836

*
Karina stood, but as she took a step, her foot caught on something, and she nearly fell.
Before she could hit the ground, Wilfred caught her.
The unexpected gesture left Karina more confused than ever. If he was so cold and distant moments ago, why would he help her like this?
She wasn’t the only one caught off guard. Wilfred himself was surprised by his reaction. It had been pure instinct. The moment he saw her about to fall, he moved to catch her without a second thought. It was as if his heart acted faster than his words ever could. Before she could ask anything, Wilfred released her quickly, his demeanor detached once more, as if trying to explain away his actions. “Regardless, thank you for earlier.”
He hesitated briefly before adding, “Do you have a way to get home? I can drive you if it’s inconvenient.”
The warmth Karina felt moments ago instantly turned cold. She forced a bitter smile. “No need. I’ll get home on my own.”
She laughed at herself inwardly, a self-deprecating chuckle. “This is what happens when you overthink things,” she thought.
He had only helped her because he didn’t want to see her fall-not for any other reason. And here she was, foolishly overanalyzing again.
Karina had come full of hope, only to leave feeling defeated. She walked out into the darkening night, her figure blending into the shadows as if trying to disappear entirely. What she didn’t know was that Wilfred stood by the window, watching her leave.
When he saw her stumble slightly, his body tensed, and for a moment, he almost ran after her. But in the end, he stayed where he was, forcing himself to hold back.
Mrs. Santos, who had been observing quietly, couldn’t help but say, “Mr. Wilfred, it’s late. If you’re that worried, why not go out and walk her home?”
Wilfred shook his head, his eyes fixed on the path ahead. “This is a secure neighborhood, one of the safest in the city. She’ll reach the main road and get a cab soon. Besides, I have her location on shared GPS.”
The location tracking wasn’t for
anything inappropriate. It had been set up back when Karina was dealing with relentless trouble from the Stone family. She hadn’t been eating or sleeping well at the time, and Wilfred had suggested it to ensure her safety.
Hearing this, Mrs. Santos couldn’t hide her exasperation. “If you’re this worried, why not just go and check on her yourself? Who are you trying to convince with all this reasoning-me or yourself?” she murmured to herself.
The next day, Karina arrived at work late.
After seeing a few patients in her office, lunchtime rolled around, and she headed to the cafeteria to grab a meal.
Yvette spotted her and gasped, “Did you not sleep last night? Good grief, look at those dark circles. And I heard you were late today. What happened?”
Karina poked at her curry rice, mumbling, “I didn’t sleep well last night. That’s all.”
Yvette, stunned, sat down beside her. “You? Late? You’re practically a model employee. You’ve never been late, let alone missed a shift. What’s going on? Did something happen? Are you in a bad mood?”
Karina kept silent, idly stirring her food.
Yvette leaned in, teasing, “You look like someone nursing a broken heart. What’s the deal? Did you get dumped or something?”
It was meant to be a lighthearted jab, but Karina froze mid-motion.
Yvette’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Wait… I was just joking. Don’t tell me I hit the nail on the head?” She reached for Karina’s arm as she got up. “Hey, don’t go! Okay, I won’t bring it up anymore. Sit down, and I’ll give you some advice. I’m great at this stuff.”
Karina rarely opened up to anyone about her feelings, but Wilfred’s erratic behavior had been gnawing at her. He was hot and cold, distant and caring all at once. And he didn’t seem like someone who played with emotions on purpose.
After some thought, Karina sat back down and asked, “Why do you think someone’s attitude toward you would swing between hot and cold?”
Search theFindNovel.netwebsite on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.