Chapter 1

It was at North City that Tiffany Quinton met Howard Specter again.

Work meant that Tiffany would be in North City for a year.

It was October, and North City was freezing cold. Tiffany arrived at the airport a little after ten o'clock in the evening. She hadn't been waiting long before Howard called her to check her location.

"I'm at Exit A."

"I'll be there shortly."

Tiffany saw a man walking toward her from afar before long. He stood tall, dressed in training clothes. He appeared mature and composed. His short hair was neat, and his facial features were sharp and well-defined. His gaze carried a sense of distance despite his calm appearance.

Tiffany's heart skipped a beat. She hadn't seen Howard in so long she would be lying if she said she wasn't nervous.

His gaze fell upon her. "Have you been waiting long?" he asked, his voice deep.

Tiffany's expression did not change, but inside she was flustered as she replied, "No, I've only just arrived."

It was getting late and was rather cold. Tiffany was only lightly dressed. Her face was flushed from the cold and her eyes were somewhat teary, making her look innocent.

Howard stared at her calmly but his gaze was inexplicably commanding. "Let's go."

He took the suitcase that was next to her and led the way to his car.

Tiffany followed him. "I'm sorry you had to come and pick me up."

"That's okay."

After getting into the car, it finally got a little warmer when the heater was turned on. However, Tiffany was still uneasy. Her back was tense as she put her hands on her knees and sat upright.

Howard started the car and drove out of the airport.

Due to her nighttime arrival, Tiffany had planned to stay in a hotel before reporting to the hospital the next day.

After driving for a while, Howard asked, "Are you going to be here for a year?"

"Mhm."

"Do you have a place to stay?"

"I'll stay in a hotel until the hospital arranges a dorm for me."

Howard paused for a moment, his hand holding the steering wheel, and then said, "I have a house in the city center. I rarely go there. You can stay there."

Tiffany instinctively didn't want to stay at his house. "That's really not necessary..." she said, declining politely.

Howard tilted his head a little to stare at the rearview mirror. "It's ten minutes from the hospital where you'll be working," he said, his tone indicating he wouldn't take no for an answer.

Tiffany flexed her fingers, uncomfortable. "It's really fine, I..."

He interrupted her. "Your family asked me to take care of you."

This made it clear he was helping her because of her family, not for any personal reasons. As he was considered her elder, he was obligated to care for her. Tiffany bit her lip, wanting to distance herself. If her family hadn't asked Howard to pick her up, she wouldn't have told him that she was coming to North City. "What if your girlfriend comes over... wouldn't that be inconvenient?"

If she remembered correctly, Howard had a girlfriend.

"Who told you that?"

"Nobody told me."

He paused and when he spoke his voice was low, "Don't worry. Just stay at my place. It won't be inconvenient."

"Then I will pay you rent and utilities every month. Will that be okay?"

After all, they weren't really family or related by blood. It would be embarrassing to feel she was taking advantage of him.

"Tiffany," he said, his voice suddenly heavier, making her heart skip a beat. "When did you become so formal with me?"

Her heart tightened, and she instinctively wanted to hide. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

Fortunately, Howard didn't say anything more, focusing on driving. His hands on the steering wheel were strong and defined. After a while, he asked, "Are you hungry?"

Tiffany answered, "No, I ate during the flight."

Howard said no more, and the silence continued until they arrived at their destination an hour later.

It was an apartment with three bedrooms and a living room. It had a heating system, and it was spacious, neat, and clean. It was decorated in monochromatic cool tones of black, white, and grey, very much in line with his style.

Howard carried Tiffany's luggage upstairs. Then, he came downstairs and told her, "You can stay in the room upstairs. The housekeeper comes by occasionally to clean. The spare key is on the wall. If you need anything, just let me know."

Tiffany stiffened a bit, but tried to remain polite. "Thank you. I don't need anything."

His gaze was deep and intense, with an underlying sense of dominance. "Get some rest. I'll leave now."

"Okay, take care."

As the door closed, Tiffany's phone rang with a call from her friend, Asher Jordan. "Did you arrive safely? Are you settling in?"

"Yeah."

"Did Ward come and pick you up?" Asher asked.

"How did you know?"

"He asked me about your plans. Since you're staying in North City for a year and he's there, I thought you might need his help, so I told him."

Tiffany panicked. After a pause, she said, "Don't tell him anything about me from now on."

"What's wrong? Don't you like him?"

Anxiety gripped Tiffany. "Just don't ask."

"Okay, I'll stop." Asher recalled something else. "By the way, did you hear from Kevin?"

Tiffany had little reaction at the mention of Kevin Jensen's name. "No."

Asher asked tentatively, "Did you break up with him?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

If Tiffany had to provide a reason, it would be that Kevin had not taken her seriously.

On the day of Kevin's birthday three months ago, Tiffany had painstakingly prepared a birthday gift and taken it to the party. She had heard his friend asking him about something before she entered the private room.

"When are you going to marry Tiffany? She's been throwing herself at you for such a long time. I guess you'll marry her very soon?"

However, Kevin had replied, "Do I have to say yes since she threw herself at me? She's overestimated herself."

"You're so cruel, Kev."

Kevin's friends had been laughing and joking, and Kevin had said, nonchalantly, "Women who throw themselves at men are very cheap."

"Yeah, women should have a higher respect for themselves."

That night, Tiffany had thrown away the gift and sent a breakup text to Kevin before deleting his number. She had never contacted him again.

Her last message to him before that had been wishing him a happy birthday, success at work, and for all his wishes to come true.

He hadn't replied at all.

The doorbell rang, startling Tiffany out of her memories. The sound of the lock turning frightened her. She turned around to see who it was, and saw Howard had returned.

She hurriedly ended the call with Asher as if she had been caught red-handed doing something bad.

She wondered if he had heard what she had said. The soundproofing in the house shouldn't be that bad.

Howard looked calm and aloof as usual. "I came back to get something."

"Okay."

Tiffany quickly calmed down, but her gaze betrayed her panic.

Howard did not expose her. He went into his room, and when he came out, Tiffany was still standing there with her hands behind her and leaning against the wall. She was still very nervous and uneasy.

Howard's gaze was heavy as he said, "Call me if anything happens."

Tiffany lowered her eyes, not daring to meet his. "O-Okay."

He acted like an elder towards a youngster, just looking out for her without any other intentions. Despite that, Tiffany behaved like she barely knew him and was afraid of him.

Howard said nothing else. He averted his gaze, opened the door, and left.

After closing the door, he stood in the corridor briefly. He lit a cigarette and smoked slowly. The white smoke he exhaled quickly dispersed in the air. He had heard everything Tiffany said on the phone. As expected, she didn't want anything to do with him.

Not only that, but she had also drawn a clear line between them.

Chapter 2

Tiffany hadn't always avoided or rejected Howard. In fact, she used to be very attached to him.

Several years ago, just a few days before her father was to marry Howard's sister, she had gone to see him. However, she had caught him at home with another woman.

The woman had had her arms wrapped around his shoulders, and he had bent his head down in cooperation, showing tenderness Tiffany had never seen before. Hiding behind the door, she had overheard the woman saying in a coquettish voice, "Don't be mad at me anymore, okay? I won't upset you again. Just don't look for other girls to make me jealous."

Howard had replied nonchalantly, "What other girls?"

"The one from the Quinton family called Tiffany."

"You're overthinking."

"Then, what's your relationship with her? She's always clinging to you, and I'm jealous."

"Her father is my future brother-in-law. So, what relationship can we have?"

"So, it turns out that you're trying to build a relationship with your future niece!"

"That's not what it is."

"Huh. Well if that's true, then, doesn't she have to call me aunt when we meet in the future?"

-

The next day, Tiffany reported to the hospital, where she was assigned to study under a professor named Professor Nolan Lynch. There were three other interns like her. The woman was called Lucy Zimmer while the other two were men.

She had no time to get used to the new environment. It was very stressful and competitive. She had to work overtime every day, and was busy with endless things, so she wasn't even able to eat meals on time.

Howard did not come home during that period. The hospital arranged dorms for the interns, and Tiffany was assigned a room with Lucy. Not wanting to stay at Howard's place, she moved into the hospital dormitory as soon as it was available.

On the way back to the dormitory that night, Tiffany received a call just after nine o'clock. It was Howard. After hesitating for a few seconds, she answered.

"Hello?"

His deep, magnetic voice came through the line. "You moved out?"

He must have found out when he returned and saw she wasn't there. She didn't hide it. "I moved to the hospital dormitory."

"Didn't I ask you to stay at Rose Garden?" That was the name of his place.

"I didn't want to trouble you."

"Tiffany, are you avoiding me?"

His direct question stunned her. It was as if he had seen through her thoughts. "No, I'm not," she denied weakly.

Howard paused and asked, "Where are you now?"

"I'm at the dorm."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Tiffany explained softly, "I didn't tell you because it was something trivial. I'm sorry. I'll let you know next time."

"Do you want me to call your dad?"

Tiffany immediately panicked at that. "Please don't!"

Her father, Desmond Quinton, would insist that she should stay at Howard's place.

Howard wouldn't take no for an answer. "If I don't see you when I'm back at Rose Garden an hour from now, I won't hesitate to come to the dorm and help you move."

If it had been anyone else, she wouldn't have felt so opposed, but it was him. His tone left no room for negotiation, and she believed he would follow through on his threat.

-

Moments later, Tiffany was back at her dorm to pack her belongings. She didn't have many clothes, and most of her belongings were books, so she quickly finished packing.

Lucy had been in the shower, and came out drying her hair, just in time to see Tiffany packing. "Where are you going at this late hour?" she asked.

Tiffany thought for a moment before replying. "I'm moving out."

"Why?"

Tiffany explained, "My family is worried about me. They asked me to go back instead."

"Aren't you from Angelwall? Do you have relatives in North City?"

Tiffany hesitated briefly and said, "Yeah."

"You don't need to move at night then," Lucy said, frowning. "Why not wait until morning?"

"It's okay. I don't have many things. It doesn't take up much time packing up."

"Your family cares very much about you."

-

Howard was not around when Tiffany arrived back at Rose Garden.

She carried her luggage upstairs and back to her room. She had only stayed for a day before, and everything was still in the same place where she had left it, neatly organized.

Fear gripped her. She was afraid that Howard might return later. After a while, she suddenly heard the door opening downstairs. A chill ran down her spine. She hesitated, unsure if she should go downstairs...

Before she could decide, there was a creak of floorboards outside her room, making her even more uneasy.

Howard stood at the door of Tiffany's room. When he first came in and saw the shoes by the entrance, he knew she had moved back. But it was dark in the room, judging from the crack underneath the door. Tiffany might be asleep. He didn't knock on the door. Instead, he turned and went downstairs.

Tiffany heard him going downstairs softly. It was very soft but sounded very clear in the silent night. Everything sounded loud in the pin-drop silence.

Suddenly, Tiffany's phone lit up with a new notification.

She tapped on her phone and realized that it was a message from Howard.

They had always had each other's WhatsApp contact, but never contacted each other. After becoming a part of his family, she hid all her status updates from him.

[Are you asleep?]

Tiffany made no reply. She did not even click on the chat log.

She stared at his profile picture. He seemed to have forgotten about his WhatsApp account. The photo was still the same from a few years ago. He had never changed it or posted anything on his status.

After ten minutes, he texted her again. It was as if he wanted to reassure her.

[I'm returning to the base.]

Tiffany still ignored it. She lay in bed and had a restless night.

When she went downstairs the next morning, she saw two bags on the living room table, filled with snacks and daily necessities. They were obviously not hers, so they must have been bought by Howard.

She didn't touch them and went to the hospital.

For several days, she neither saw Howard nor contacted him. She worked overtime frequently and had little rest. Even worse, she suffered from insomnia at night.

The next day, Tiffany waited until after work when she returned to Rose Garden to lie down on the sofa. She didn't have the strength to go upstairs. Aurora Clark, her best friend, called her.

"What's wrong with your voice, Tiff? You sound like you're dying." Aurora could tell from Tiffany's voice that there was something wrong with her.

"I don't feel very well." Tiffany felt dizzy, and her throat hurt badly. She had no strength in her.

"Are you very busy these days?"

"A bit. I've pulled a few all-nighters. I have a day off tomorrow, so I'll sleep it off."

"But you really don't sound well. Shouldn't you see a doctor?"

Tiffany didn't even want to move. She knew she probably had a cold and just needed rest. "That's okay. I'll feel better after some sleep..."

Her eyes closed slowly.

"Hello? Tiff?"

Aurora kept calling Tiffany's name, but she made no reply.

-

Tiffany had a dream. It was when her parents had just divorced. Her father couldn't wait to date another woman, buy a house, and prepare for a wedding. However, her mother was ill and hospitalized. She became hysterical as if she was a different person. Her mother scolded her and called her an ungrateful, heartless, and useless person.

When Tiffany woke up with a start, she was still crying. Tears blurred her gaze. Suddenly, she felt someone wiping away her tears. She was stunned and snapped back to reality. Gradually, she saw who it was in front of her.

Chapter 3

Howard was sitting beside the bed, and his fingers were still on Tiffany's face. His fingertips were coarse, rubbing against her delicate cheek. But he did not remove his hand. "You're awake?"

For a moment, Tiffany was stunned.

Her face was wet with tears, and she sounded very hoarse. "What happened to me?"

Howard replied solemnly, "You had a high fever. You've been asleep for a day."

He was still wearing his training clothes, showing off his strong, slim waist. His gaze seemed dark as he looked at her. His refined facial features and pursed lips made him look serious and cold.

Tiffany looked around. As expected, she was in a hospital ward where she was working as an intern.

"What are you doing here..."

Tiffany remembered that she had dozed off on the sofa last night because she was sleepy. She had no idea how she got to the hospital.

"Julia couldn't get in touch with you last night and was afraid that something was wrong," Howard explained. "So, she called me."

When he received a call from his sister Julia Specter the night before, he returned to Rose Garden from the army. When he entered the house, he saw Tiffany curled up on the sofa. At first, he thought she accidentally dozed off. But when he got closer, he noticed that she was trembling, and her face was unusually flushed. When he touched her forehead, he realized that it was burning hot, and took her to the hospital.

At the hospital, a doctor treated her. She woke up several times in a trance, crying, and now it was the same again. She kept calling for her mother and apologizing.

"I'm sorry to have troubled you," Tiffany said hoarsely.

Howard frowned and his voice grew suddenly icy. "Can you say anything other than sorry? Why didn't you see the doctor when you were ill? You're a medical student too. Don't you know what the consequences are if you ignore your fever? Do I have to teach you about that?"

Tiffany knew that she hadn't adjusted well after arriving. She was too tired from staying up late to read and study, and she wasn't used to the local environment. The place did not agree with her well.

She was afraid, and also frightened of Howard.

He served in the army. His temperament was frightening, especially when he was quiet.

Tiffany was too frightened to look at him, let alone breathe normally. Her limbs were stiff, as if her blood had stopped flowing.

Howard came closer, and she could feel his breath against her skin. His gaze was dark, full of unknown danger.

Tiffany kept her gaze low. She noticed the light reflected by the metal buckle on his belt. She felt her nervousness increasing, and she felt like she was suffocating. She started to apologize with difficulty. "I'm sorry..."

She tensed up as she clenched her trouser legs. She merely stopped talking and kept silent.

"I'll come home every day from today onward," Howard said. "There'll be a housekeeper taking care of you even if I'm not around."

Tiffany panicked as coldness ran down her spine. She hurriedly said, "You don't have to go to so much trouble..."

"Tiffany, do I have to make myself clearer?"

Tiffany's heart lurched, and she became more and more afraid of a sense of deja vu, but her throat had closed up and she couldn't make a sound.

Howard's lips were parted slightly. "You used to cling to—"

"Uncle Howard!" Tiffany clenched her fists and screamed. The atmosphere in the room seemed to freeze, and there was no sound at all.

She didn't dare to check Howard's expression. Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes, and pain gripped her body. She felt like dying when she thought of what he had almost said.

Those things should be better left unsaid and forgotten.

There was no familial connection between them when she had said those words to him in the past. Her parents hadn't gotten a divorce, and she could be reckless. But things were different now.

She had called him 'uncle' to remind them both that some things should not be mentioned again.

"Don't take old words spoken in ignorance seriously," she said.

Tiffany could feel Howard's gaze growing more intense. Her whole body felt numb, and she still didn't dare meet his gaze, holding her breath.

Just when she felt she would die from lack of oxygen, the tension was interrupted by a cell phone ringing. Howard glanced at his phone screen and got up to answer the call.

Upon his leaving, Tiffany felt a huge surge of relief.

Chapter 4

Tiffany didn't dare dwell on what Howard had almost blurted out for fear of touching that invisible boundary.

Especially since he had now said he would be home every day. The thought made her insides ache with pain.

It was worse than being sick.

Out in the corridor, Howard took the call. It was from Charles Gunter. "Howard, how's it going with Tiffany?" Charles asked.

Charles was Howard's subordinate. The night before when he had to leave, Howard had explained he couldn't find Tiffany and that she hadn't come home. The news had worried Charles, and he had decided to follow up on what happened.

"Things are fine now," Howard replied.

Satisfied, Charles reported about military matters. There were important matters to arrange that day.

After Charles finished his report, Howard said, "We'll revisit it when I'm back."

"Okay, I'll let you get back to business."

After hanging up, Howard didn't hurry back to the room. Instead, he called Julia.

"How's it going with Tiff?" she asked.

"She just woke up. Her fever is gone."

"Okay, then. Tiff isn't a very strong girl. Plus, the weather at North City is different from Angelwall's. She usually struggles to adapt.

"If you're free, please help us by taking care of her. After all, she's your brother-in-law's only daughter." Julia sounded a little helpless. "Plus, she's just had some relationship troubles…"

Howard paused. "She has a boyfriend?"

"Yeah, she's had a boyfriend for a few years. Your brother-in-law and I have met him. It's a boy from the Jensen family, and he's three years older than her. He's pretty nice. I don't know why they suddenly broke up. I was afraid that Tiff might get upset if I asked too much about it, so I avoided questioning her."

"What's her boyfriend's name?" Howard asked.

"Kevin Jensen."

"Got it."

As Howard reentered the room, uneasiness gripped Tiffany again. He pulled a chair out and sat beside the bed. "Are you hungry?"

"No, I'm not." Tiffany still couldn't look at Howard, her voice quiet. Her stomach was still uncomfortable, and she didn't feel like eating. Instead she asked, "How much is my medical fee? I'll transfer you the money."

It was a private room, so there was no way it would be cheap. Tiffany didn't want to owe him. It was best if they kept their finances separate and clear-cut.

"That's not necessary."

"No, I have to pay you," Tiffany insisted.

"Do you have to keep score of all the things between us?"

"No, it's just that things aren't that easy for you either," Tiffany explained. "You shouldn't have to pay for me."

"I can afford it. Just focus on getting better."

"I have a salary…"

"Do interns have a high salary?"

That certainly wasn't the case. Since she started college Tiffany had never asked for money from her family. Instead, she had worked part-time jobs to earn money. As long as she was thrifty, it wouldn't be a problem.

Tiffany didn't say how much she was paid, and Howard didn't press her for an answer.

Seeing he had no intention of leaving, Tiffany looked at the time and said, "I'm feeling much better. Just get back to work if you're busy. You don't have to take care of me."

Howard seemed to have seen through her thoughts, his gaze penetrating. "You really want me to ignore you."

Tiffany shook her head but didn't explain. He was right.

But the thing she feared came nonetheless.

"Since you're here, you must follow my arrangements," Howard said bluntly. "Otherwise, you shouldn't have come to North City."

-

Tiffany didn't say a word all the way back from the hospital to Rose Garden. Howard was more solemn. He did not even make a sound while walking. He grabbed the keys and went inside. Tiffany followed him in, at a loss for what to do and standing there, still feeling dizzy. Howard asked her to go upstairs to lie down, and she obeyed.

Not long after she had gone to lie down, Howard came upstairs with a plate of pasta. He knocked on the door and then entered.

Before, Tiffany had hesitated, wondering if she should lock the door. But that was Howard's house, and after hesitating, she had decided against it.

"Eat something. Don't starve yourself."

Tiffany hadn't felt very safe before, so she had stayed fully dressed when she lay down. She sat up and pushed the blanket away to get out of bed.

"Just eat in bed. You don't have to get up."

Tiffany obediently lay down and accepted the cutlery from him. She was very careful to not touch his hands. "Thank you."

It was already after four in the afternoon, but it was still bright out. Tiffany had been wearing a black slim-fit sweater the day before, and it showed off her figure.

In the past, Aurora had joked that Tiffany had a good figure with curves in the right places. It was a waste of her natural gifts that she wasn't a lingerie model. With such a good figure, she shouldn't hide it while she was young, but boldly show it off.

Tiffany didn't think she had a good figure, however. Aurora's teasing remarks popped into her head, and she lowered her head, feeling embarrassed.

Howard watched her for a moment as she ate, then glanced away, his eyes darkening.

After she had finished, Howard took away the dishes and brought her medicine and a glass of water. "Take the pills and go to sleep."

Tiffany obediently did as she was told. She took the pills from his callused palm. She knew they were from his military training. Her hand appeared more delicate and flawless in contrast. After taking the pills, she gulped down the glass of water.

She raised her head, her sweater stretching over her curves.

"Thank you, Uncle Howard."

Howard frowned in displeasure, but he said nothing because she was unwell. He got up to leave, turning off the lamps and closing the door behind him. His footsteps grew quieter as he headed downstairs. When it was silent, Tiffany lay down again and closed her eyes to sleep.

In the kitchen, Howard did the dishes and put them away in the cabinets. But he didn't leave. He sat on the sofa and smoked while calling his friend in Angelwall.

"Flint, it's me."

"What's up, Ward?"

Flint Doyle was Howard's childhood friend. They had grown up together in the same compound and were very close.

"Help me investigate Kevin Jensen."

Chapter 5

"Kevin Jensen? Isn't he the son of the Jensen family?"

Howard had been away from Angelwall for a few years and was unfamiliar with the situation there. He didn't even know much about Tiffany. He had always assumed that she was too young to fall in love. Only now did he realize that she had grown up and was not the child she used to be.

"Mm, the Jensen family."

"Why do you suddenly want to investigate him?" Flint was curious. The families had no contact or conflicts of interest. Howard had no reason to investigate Kevin's affairs.

"Tiffany dated him."

At the mention of Tiffany, Flint understood. "Roger that. Now that you've mentioned it, is Tiffany in North City?"

"Mm."

"Then, you…"

Flint knew Tiffany because of Howard. At the time, Howard had always brought Tiffany everywhere he went, so all his friends knew her. He would claim that she was his teacher's daughter.

"What about me?" Howard asked.

Flint became hesitant. "Nothing. That little girl has grown up. I'll go to North City to see her when I'm free."

"For what? Don't come and trouble us." Howard hung up on Flint.

-

Early the next morning, Tiffany insisted on going to work, even though she wasn't fully recovered.

When she came downstairs, Howard had prepared breakfast. It was all Angelwall food, including oatmeal, cheesy baked prawns, and pudding.

Howard was wearing a gray sweater coupled with long black trousers. He wasn't as aloof as the day before and was gentler. Even his expression had softened. But Tiffany had become more uneasy given what Howard had said in the hospital last night.

"Uncle Howard," Tiffany greeted him.

"Come have breakfast."

Tiffany hesitated briefly, then walked over. She pulled a chair out and sat down. It was the first time she had sat down to breakfast with him seriously. She couldn't tell if it was because she was sick or because he was around, but she felt very uncomfortable.

Howard sat across from her. Although the dining table was large, his large frame and long limbs made it impossible not to notice him.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Mm." Tiffany nodded and kept her head lowered over her oatmeal.

Suddenly, she felt a disturbance in the air. The next second, Howard's hand was against her forehead. His palm was warm, and she didn't dare move. She couldn't even dodge given his previous warning. Luckily, he did nothing except to check her temperature.

"Your fever is gone. Remember to take the pills."

"Okay."

Howard had noticed her eating only the oatmeal. He reached out and put some prawns and pudding on her plate. She whispered a thank you that he managed to hear.

However, she only ate the oatmeal before putting her spoon down.

"Leave it there," Howard said. "A helper will come and clean it up later."

Tiffany bit her lip. "Thank you, Uncle Howard. I'll go to the hospital now."

"Let me give you a ride."

"It's okay. It's very near. I can get there in a few minutes."

"I'm going to your hospital to get something done anyway."

Tiffany could find no reason to refuse him.

Howard looked at her. "Don't move."

Tiffany's eyes widened as she watched him reach towards her. He wiped her lips with his thumb. At the warm touch, Tiffany stiffened again. Coldness engulfed her limbs as she shot up out of her chair, the feet screeching against the floor.

Caught off guard, she met Howard's eyes, anger shining in them.

"Do you hate me so much?" Howard demanded.

Anxiety gripped Tiffany, and her heartbeat quickened. "No."

"You were dating someone."

Tiffany thought about it shortly and nodded.

After a short silence, Howard asked, "So, you broke up and came to North City to heal your broken heart?"

Tiffany did not hesitate to answer, "Yes."

Chapter 6

Tiffany went to the hospital in a trance. When she admitted that she came to North City to heal her broken heart, Howard's expression was twisted, and there was fury in his eyes. But in the end he had said nothing and went about his own business.

After going to her office and changing into her work clothes, Tiffany was stopped by Lucy for a gossip.

"Tiffany, you moved out to stay with your boyfriend instead of staying at your relatives' house, right?"

"No." Tiffany was alarmed.

"Stop trying to lie to me," Lucy said. "I just saw you come to the hospital with a very handsome guy."

"Do you mean my uncle?"

"He's your uncle?"

"Mm."

"I'm sorry. I thought he was your boyfriend. He's very handsome."

It was true that Howard was charming, tough, and tall. When Tiffany was very young, she had thought he was very good-looking.

But now all she felt for him was fearful respect.

Lucy became interested. "Your uncle is so young. Is he married?"

Tiffany answered calmly. "Not yet. But he's got a girlfriend."

"Why do all handsome men have girlfriends? Of course handsome men are never single. I never get a chance."

Tiffany remained silent.

Soon it was time to make the morning rounds of the wards. The interns were asked questions in turn. Nolan Lynch, their mentor, was there too. The questions he asked were very difficult, especially when it came to Tiffany.

Luckily, Tiffany was prepared. She was able to answer everything, despite some difficulties.

The others did not do as well as Tiffany, however.

Nolan's expression wasn't positive. Although he made no comment, everyone could tell they hadn't done well from his expression.

-

In the afternoon, Lucy had to unexpectedly leave to attend to something, and asked Tiffany to keep an eye on her patient, leaving before Tiffany had agreed to help.

Tiffany was busy when a nurse called her over. The patient's relative was demanding explanations. Tiffany inquired about the situation and learned that the patient's condition was normal. He had just had surgery under anaesthesia, and the wound would be sore.

The patient's relative didn't believe her, however, and grabbed onto her to prevent her from leaving. In the struggle, someone pushed Tiffany. She fell, her head striking the railing at the end of the bed, almost knocking her out. The nurse called over a senior doctor to resolve the commotion.

Later, Darren Smith, her senior, heard the news and came over. Tiffany had just finished her check-up. Her forehead was swollen, but she was fine.

"Just leave when you encounter this kind of situation again. Ask the senior doctor to handle it. Don't just stand there and do nothing."

"Okay, Darren."

Tiffany had been frightened. The patient's relative had been a burly and powerful man who was six feet tall. It was the first time Tiffany had been in that kind of situation, and she had been too stunned to react.

"Forget it," Darren said. "Go home early and put an ice pack on it. And go to bed early."

"Okay."

Darren left to go do his work. When Lucy returned, she pretended to be innocent. "It's because of me. I asked you to help watch over that patient. I didn't expect that their relative would do something like that. If I had known he would do that, I wouldn't have asked you for help."

Tiffany knew that there was nothing she could say.

-

When she was about to leave for the day, her phone rang. It was a call from Howard.

She exited the office before picking it up. "Hello."

"Are you off work?"

"Yeah, I just left the office."

Howard's voice was deep as he asked, "What would you like to eat at night? I'll ask the helper to make it."

"Anything will do."

"Mm."

Tiffany became anxious and asked, "Are you coming back tonight?"

"Do you want me to come back?" Howard coldly asked in response.

Tiffany made no answer.

After a while, Howard said, "I have something on at the base tonight."

Tiffany breathed a sigh of relief. "Go back to work. I won't disturb you."

Then, she hung up.

When she was back at Rose Garden, the helper exited the kitchen. "You're Ms. Quinton, aren't you? Mr. Specter hired me. I'm Judy White, you can call me Judy."

Tiffany behaved naturally as long as she did not have to face Howard. "Hello, Judy."

"Go and wash your hands. Dinner's almost ready."

"Okay, thank you."

After dinner, Judy cleaned up the kitchen and left. Aurora had sent her some WhatsApp messages, so Tiffany replied, telling her that she had been sick the day before.

Chapter 7

After sending the text, a call came through from Asher.

"Are you free, Tiff?"

"Yeah, what's up?"

Asher hesitated before continuing. "Ugh, Kevin wants to talk to you. I'll let him talk."

Kevin was on the phone before Tiffany could answer. "Hello, Tiffany."

"Mm."

"What do you mean?"

Tiffany said nothing.

"What kind of tantrum is this?" Kevin demanded. "Did you go missing as a joke? You didn't even tell me that you were going to North City, and you blocked me. What do you mean by that?"

"I sent you a WhatsApp message about the breakup. Didn't you see it?" Tiffany asked calmly.

"Why do you want to break up for no reason?"

"A few months ago, on your birthday, I heard what you said to your friend at the door of the private room."

Kevin immediately fell silent. He seemed to be recalling what he had said that day. After a while, he asked, "You're taking that joke seriously?"

Tiffany felt sick. She couldn't understand why he could light-heartedly claim that it was a joke.

"Tiffany, I'll be in North City in a few days. Let's meet up and talk."

"That's unnecessary. I won't see you. Plus, I'm very busy. I'm sorry. Don't contact me again."

Tiffany hung up on him. In the past, she had always waited for him to hang up.

-

Kevin had never expected the usually good-tempered and obedient Tiffany would break up with him. She had dumped him. It was the first time in twenty-eight years that he'd been dumped. If word got out about this, his reputation would suffer.

Asher could guess what had happened from Kevin's reaction. He retrieved his phone and said, "Yes, Tiff looks delicate and is easy to talk to. But people can't change her mind once she's made it up. You'd better part with her on good terms."

He knew Tiffany the best. He hadn't been optimistic when Tiffany started dating Kevin because of his bad reputation.

Now, he was worried about Tiffany. He had heard Kevin's claim that he would go to North City. After Kevin left, Asher sent Howard a WhatsApp message.

-

Just as Howard received Asher's text and read it, he received a call from Flint with the results of his investigations.

"I didn't find out why they broke up, but Kevin has a bad reputation. He enjoyed a rather wild life in private, but he restrained himself a lot when he started dating Tiffany. Many people assumed that he had come to his senses. But he's started hooking up with Jessica Kinsman, his ex-girlfriend just recently.

"Jessica is the illegitimate daughter of the Kinsman family. They've been entangled with each other for a long time." At first, Flint wanted to talk about the Kinsman family but decided against it after some thought.

Howard frowned and said, "Yes," with a heavy nasal sound.

"Now that we're talking about this, when are you coming back? You've been in North City for a long time. Didn't your family ask you to come home?"

Howard ignored Flint's questions and asked, "What stage did they reach in their relationship?"

"They've met each other's parents. It was said that they would get engaged after Tiffany graduated from college. But it looks like the engagement fell through."

-

Tiffany didn't believe that Kevin would really come to North City.

The next day Darren was still scolding Tiffany when a nurse came and told Tiffany that someone was looking for her. Darren waved his hand, frustrated. It was time to clock out of work. Besides, Tiffany had hurt her forehead the day before. Darren couldn't bear to keep on scolding her, and let her get off work.

Tiffany hadn't been herself lately. She was stressed, and Howard had been putting pressure on her too. She hadn't been able to sleep all night. Deep circles had appeared underneath her eyes.

After asking the nurse, she was told that the person was at the consultation desk. She headed over.

It was after seven at night. There were still a lot of people in the inpatient department.

People came and left. Tiffany watched for a while before she saw a familiar figure. It was Kevin.