Chapter 3

Clara's POV

I'd been determined to study medicine since I was eighteen. Three years ago, I nearly died under that blade. The memories churned violently in my chest.

The patient's family member suddenly attacking, the blade cutting through air, blood everywhere... it was all staged by Frederic?

I'd spent six months recovering, hiding in the house he bought, doing psychological rehabilitation day and night.

He was the one who pulled me out of that psychological shadow. He was the one who coaxed me to sleep every night, saying "I'll protect you from now on."

He even brought my mother from the suburbs into the city center.

He even brought my mother from the suburbs into the city center. He spent a fortune arranging for her to stay at a top tier nursing facility under the family corporation.

My mother had bad legs.

He, a billionaire, personally knelt on the floor to change her bandages and wash her feet.

My mother would hold his hand and laugh until she cried. "Frederic, I think of you as my own son. With Clara in your hands, I can close my eyes peacefully one day."

He would grip her hand back, eyes utterly sincere. "You'll recover. I'll protect Clara with my life."

In my final university year, he proposed to me for the first time, kneeling at the end of the emergency department corridor, saying "I love you."

Every time I saw the knife scar on his palm, I'd cry from heartache. I'd made him the only light in my life!

It was all fake. No crazed patient's family, no salvation. Just a cruel calculation to obtain quality bone marrow.

After a long silence, the hallway went quiet.

Frederic pushed open the study door, glanced at the warm milk on the desk, picked it up and took a sip, then turned and left.

It wasn't until the study door closed completely that I realized tears had been streaming down my face.

An uncontrollable nausea rose in my stomach. I stumbled into the study's attached bathroom, kneeling over the toilet and dry heaving violently.

But only mouthfuls of acidic water came up.

Trembling, I pulled out my phone and dialed the number at the very bottom of my contacts.

My university advisor, now serving as medical team leader in a remote city.

The phone rang for a long time before someone answered.

"Professor, I'm sorry to bother you so late." I pinched my thigh hard, suppressing the sob in my throat.

"Clara? What happened? Your voice sounds wrong." My advisor was clearly startled on the other end.

I covered my mouth, shaking my head frantically as tears splashed onto the floor. "Professor, I've just made up my mind. I want to apply to join your remote mountain medical team. Is it still possible to sign up?"

"Really? Clara, it would be wonderful if you could come! We're desperately short-staffed here. I heard you ranked first in your residency evaluation... When can you leave?"

"One week." I bit down hard, swallowing the bloody taste in my mouth. "Once I handle things here, I'll definitely come."

After hanging up, I braced myself against the sink and stood up, forcefully wiping the tears from my face.

I stared at the red-eyed woman in the mirror and let out an extremely soft, cold laugh.

How stupid, Clara.

As a doctor who'd seen death and betrayal countless times, how could I give my heart to a businessman and expect salvation?

I returned to the bedroom, opened my laptop, and without any hesitation bought a one-way ticket to the remote mountains for one week later.

Then I dragged my suitcase out from under the bed and began mechanically stuffing in medical books and notes.

From the corner of my eye, I caught sight of the long row of foreign labeled "premium nutritional supplements" on the nightstand, ones Frederic had specially air shipped from abroad every week, claiming they were to restore my health after years of night shifts.

Every single day, like an extremely responsible husband, he'd personally pour warm water and watch me swallow them.

Now it seemed they were nothing but catalysts to mature my bone marrow.

I stared at the pill bottle in my hand, feeling a dull, cutting pain in my heart.

The door lock clicked softly.

"Why didn't you take your supplements today?"

A warm chest suddenly pressed against me from behind. Frederic pushed through the door, his arm naturally circling my waist, chin resting on my shoulder.

His tone carried its usual teasing affection, his breath carrying the mint scent I used to crave most.