Ch. 311..320

Chapter 311 He Is Married

Gizem calmly questioned, “Where did such crazy people come from?”

“Who are you calling crazy?” Joanna scowled.

“You guys, of course. You randomly accused me of wearing your dress. If it were yours, why would it be hanging here?”

“I asked the shop assistant to reserve it for me!” Joanna pushed the staff member forward and snapped, “Tell her!”

The shop assistant started stammering as she did not know what to say.

She knew she could not afford to offend either party.

Gizem remarked, “Speak the truth will do. What are you afraid of?”

“That’s right. You’d better speak the truth.” Joanna glared at the shop assistant as if she was going to devour the latter.

The shop assistant was stuck in a dilemma.

“Well, to be honest…” She hesitated before continuing, “When Ms. Hurst left, she did not ask me to reserve the dress.”

Joanna glowered at the staff. “What did you just say? How dare you lie? Get me the manager!”

Feeling aggrieved, the shop assistant replied, “You definitely did not ask me to reserve it. Also, just so you’re aware, we have surveillance cameras here.”

“I bet you are only siding with her because you’ve received her money!” Flustered and exasperated, Joanna fumed, “Get me the manager! I’ll have you fired!”

The shop assistant was speechless.

This woman definitely did not ask me to reserve it!

When Levi came back and saw the confrontation, he frowned.

“What happened?” he asked in a calm tone.

“These two are accusing me of wearing their dress,” Gizem explained frigidly. “They are also demanding to speak to the manager.”

Levi’s aquamarine eyes narrowed. “Then, let’s just get the manager.”

As soon as Joanna saw Levi, her eyes shone in amazement.

Levi had the enchanting facial features of a supermodel. His body was nothing but perfect as it looked like the type that would look lean in clothes yet muscular when bare.

The man was undoubtedly the type to look majestic when he was stern.

“Go get the manager.” Levi gazed at the shop assistant calmly.

The shop assistant went to the counter to make a phone call.

“Are you her boyfriend?” Joanna asked curiously.

Levi smirked. “That’s none of your business.”

Joanna was stunned speechless.

After a moment, a woman came over in a hurry.

When she saw Levi, her expression changed drastically. “Mr. Levi!”

Levi stated blandly, “I don’t want to waste my breath, so I’ll get to the point. This dress was picked out by my woman first. Yet, this woman says it’s hers and is making a scene here.”

Gizem knitted her brows. Who’s his woman again?

The manager turned toward the shop assistant. “What’s going on?”

“Ms. Cromwell, Ms. Hurst insists that she had asked me to reserve this dress for her, but I am very sure she never said such a thing. We have surveillance cameras at the reception counter, so you will know I’m not lying after checking the footage,” the shop assistant explained nervously.

“You are indeed lying!” Joanna was practically seething.

“Since there are surveillance cameras, let’s just check the footage,” Levi remarked nonchalantly. “If there is proof that they are lying, get them to compensate for their mistake as an apology.”

The manager quickly nodded. “Of course.”

Joanna started to get nervous.

She, in fact, did not ask the shop assistant to reserve the dress.

Judging by the way the staff treated Levi, she knew that the man must be someone influential.

The shop assistant immediately went to retrieve the surveillance footage as this was the perfect opportunity to clear her name.

Joanna frostily uttered, “I’ll have you know I’m Samuel Macari’s girlfriend!”

She was sure that Samuel’s name would be enough to scare them into submission.

The manager frowned. She’s Samuel Macari’s girlfriend?

Levi asked in a distant voice, “Samuel has a girlfriend?”

“Of course! He simply doesn’t want to make our relationship public!” Joanna huffed.

“Ha!” Levi scoffed. “What a coincidence. It just so happens that I know him, so why don’t we get him to drop by for a moment?”

As he spoke, he fished out his phone.

Joanna bit her lip as her nerves were starting to show.

It was at that moment that the shop assistant exclaimed, “I found the footage!”

“Play it,” Levi responded.

The shop assistant played the footage.

Soon, voices could be heard coming from the computer.

“Would you like me to ring this dress up for you, Ms. Hurst?” It was the shop assistant’s voice.

“This dress is ridiculously expensive! I’ll think about it for now,” came Joanna’s grumbling.

“I see,” the shop assistant replied in annoyance.

“What do you mean by that? I’ll have you know that I can afford it easily. I merely don’t know if Samuel would like me in it.” Joanna scowled.

As soon as she finished, she turned and left.

Levi eyed Joanna coolly. “If you aren’t hard of hearing, I’m sure you’ve heard what you said.”

The woman looked incredibly ill at ease.

Levi’s cold gaze fixated on her. “Now, apologize to her.”

She bit her lip tightly. Apologize, my foot! If I apologize now, I won’t be able to recover from this!

Seeing the turn of events, Carrie dragged her daughter away, wanting to leave.

Levi turned toward the manager impassively. “Make sure that woman can never shop here again. If you ever serve her in the future, I’ll ensure your CEO fires all of you.”

The manager and shop assistant dared not to say anything to that.

They knew that since Levi was a prominent person, he was sure to know their CEO personally.

Levi then grinned at Gizem. “You look amazing in that color.”

“Mm.” Gizem did not refute.

She pulled out a black card from her purse and gave it to the shop assistant.

The latter was shocked. I can’t believe she’s also a person who owns a black card.

Levi commented with displeasure, “Why don’t you just spend my money? Wouldn’t that be better?”

“Why would I spend your money when I have my own?” Gizem looked as placid as ever.

He chuckled at that.

After processing the transaction, the shop assistant handed the black card back to Gizem.

As Gizem put on her jacket, she said, “Let’s go.”

“Sure.” Levi nodded in response.

After leaving the mall together, they headed straight to the hotel where the banquet was held.

Once they reached the venue, Gizem left her jacket and purse at the front desk.

She then put her arm around Levi’s before walking in.

“Oh, right. Who are you here for?” she inquired.

“Caleb Lewis.” Levi explained, “He’s Chanaea’s largest supplier of medicinal herbs. We’d like some support from the locals for our factory here.”

Gizem nodded lightly.

Levi spotted Caleb in a single glance among the crowd.

With Gizem by his side, he went over to Caleb and greeted, “Mr. Lewis, long time no see.”

Caleb turned when he heard Levi and looked at them, seemingly aloof yet handsome at the same time. “Mr. Levi, it’s been a while.”

As he finished speaking, his gaze fell on Gizem before looking elsewhere, his expression unchanging the entire time.

Levi smiled gently. “This is Gizem Zabinski. She’s one of my business partners.”

“So she’s your company’s chief pharmacist?” Caleb asked indifferently.

Levi nodded.

Looking unimpressed, Caleb thought that the woman seemed ordinary.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Lewis.” Gizem stretched out a hand.

Caleb furrowed his brows a little before shaking hands with her.

Gizem’s hand felt slender and soft.

Slightly stunned, Caleb loosened his grip. He sized her up and greeted, “Nice to meet you too.”

Gizem was not very fond of Caleb’s gaze on her, so she retracted her hand.

Levi asked smilingly, “Mr. Lewis, what do you think about the suggestion I made before?”

“Are you really that generous as to let me make a profit?” Caleb questioned meaningfully.

“Of course. I’m a very credible businessman.” With a half-smile, Levi continued, “But we’ll be using Ms. Gizem’s patent, so the patent fee is a must.”

Caleb narrowed his eyes slightly. “That’s for sure.”

He raised his glass to take a sip of wine, his ring incredibly striking.

Gizem was slightly surprised. Oh, he’s married.

Chapter 312

She Looks Down On You

“Mr. Levi, since you’re this sincere, there’s no need for me to beat around the bush, then.” Putting down his glass, Caleb said, “Why don’t you come over to my office tomorrow and get the papers signed?”

“That’d be great!” Levi did not expect that things would go so smoothly.

Looking at Gizem, he praised, “You are undoubtedly my Lady Luck!”

Gizem could not respond to that. I’m pretty sure I did nothing, though.

“How’s the factory’s location selection, Mr. Levi?” Caleb asked curiously.

“I have yet to come to an agreement with the other party regarding this,” Levi answered helplessly.

“Is the other party Samuel Macari?”

Levi nodded in acknowledgment.

Caleb scoffed, “Mr. Levi, you might not be aware of this, but my late wife was Samuel’s ex-wife. Hence, we can be said to be nemeses.”

Levi’s expression changed at once. “Are you being serious?”

“Of course. However, he removed everything about his ex-wife on the internet four years ago. Nobody knows the reason for this, and such information is still unreleased. Moreover, no one in the city dares to mention it, so it’s only natural that you guys don’t know about it.”

Levi frowned.

“So what you’re saying is that if we acquire land from Samuel, you won’t work with us anymore?” Gizem voiced her inquiry indifferently.

“That’s right.” Caleb remained aloof.

“Based on what I know, we’ll still need Samuel’s help after we start our factory to transport our machinery here from overseas. Are you saying that you don’t want us to work with him completely?” she asked apathetically.

“Yes.” Caleb narrowed his eyes as he spoke.

“Mr. Lewis, you should know that we don’t want to offend any of you. Don’t you think you are crossing the line a little here?” Gizem’s bright eyes looked icy.

Levi also thought that Caleb was going overboard with that request.

This was clearly making them choose sides.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Levi. I’ll find you a suitable location.” Caleb earnestly continued, “I’ll make sure to help you solve whatever worries you might have. That way, you won’t need to work with Samuel at all.”

Levi gave it some thought. That sounds reasonable. I think I should agree to it.

Yet, Gizem chimed in, “If that’s the case, we’ll consider it. Please excuse us.”

She then led Levi away.

“Levi, you need to be careful.” Gizem sounded serious as she advised, “Caleb and Samuel have personal grudges. I don’t think we should get involved.”

“But if we don’t take up on his offer, we can’t start our factory.” Levi was visibly concerned.

“You don’t have to worry about that. Before I came here, Master mentioned that we could seek help from Chanaea’s upper echelon. The medicine we develop will bring benefits to the country. To make sure that we are willing to stay, they will surely help us solve our issues.” Gizem emphasized, “However, it is important that we don’t get involved in things we shouldn’t.”

Levi nodded in agreement.

Standing not too far from them, Caleb narrowed his eyes as he scrutinized Gizem.

I see. That woman is crucial in this. Levi’s family and the mysterious Windwell Corporation are related. Moreover, I’ve discovered that Kathleen’s disappearance all those years ago had something to do with that organization. I did some digging on Levi but found nothing. But now, I have a lead, starting with this woman.

Levi gazed at Gizem. “What should we do next?”

Suddenly feeling a sharp gaze on her back, Gizem turned to look behind her but found nothing out of the ordinary.

With her brows scrunched up, she answered, “We’ll put things on hold for now. I’ll contact the higher-ups.”

Levi agreed with a nod. “Then, let’s do that. I’ll go talk to Samuel in the meantime.”

“Sounds good.”

“Go get yourself some food. I’ll be back,” he suggested.

“Mm.”

Levi soon strode toward Samuel, who was the center of attention at the moment.

Gizem felt that the strange gaze she sensed a moment ago came from where Samuel was.

Nonetheless, she could not confirm that.

Anything business related was not something she needed to worry about.

She would only get involved in anything that was too tricky for Levi to handle.

If there weren’t any issues, she would never interfere with Levi’s decisions.

While Levi went to do his work, she went to get some food.

Strawberry cake was one of her favorites, so she got herself a slice.

All of a sudden, her back felt cold.

It was then she heard a sarcastic voice saying, “Oh, my. Sorry about that. I didn’t see you there. I can’t believe I accidentally ruined your dress.”

Gizem turned around instinctively.

Lo and behold, Joanna was there with a wine glass in hand.

Accidentally? She clearly did it on purpose.

Gizem picked up a glass of wine next to her and flung the contents toward Joanna without hesitation.

Slamming the wine glass back down, she uttered, “Oh, I’m so sorry. That was an accident too.”

Looking like a drowned rat, Joanna clenched her fists. “How dare you dump wine on me!”

“Right back at you,” Gizem retorted.

“You little wench!” Joanna had planned to present herself elegantly in front of Samuel, but even her makeup was wholly ruined by Gizem now.

Gizem was never one to stand down. It was clear that holding back was something she would never do.

Currently, Levi was conversing with Samuel.

Hearing the commotion, he turned toward its direction.

“Mr. Macari, is that woman your girlfriend?” Levi asked as soon as he spotted Joanna.

Samuel replied impassively, “Who are you referring to?”

“That woman in the black dress.” Levi frowned. “She and my girlfriend had a bit of a dispute this afternoon in a store.”

Girlfriend?

Samuel’s icy-cold eyes were on the man. “Gizem is your girlfriend?”

Levi replied with a nod.

Strangely, Samuel felt uncomfortable upon hearing that.

Levi had already reached Gizem’s side before he took off his coat and draped it on her.

Since her dress was the figure-hugging kind, the outline of her lingerie could clearly be seen after being drenched in red wine.

“Thanks.” Gizem appreciated the gesture.

“No worries; I’ll back you up.” Levi swiveled around. “You crazy woman, have you lost it? Did you not create enough of a ruckus this afternoon in the store? You were the one who couldn’t afford the dress, yet you were adamant that the dress was yours! Do you think you’re that great of a deal just because you are Samuel’s girlfriend?”

The onlookers were in shock. Soon, whispers sounded in the room.

“Samuel’s girlfriend? Has Samuel finally decided to date someone?”

“That can’t be! Everyone knows he said he would never marry again because of his late wife!”

“Men are only ever good at one thing, and that’s lying to women! As soon as they meet a young and beautiful woman, they’ll have their fun even if they don’t marry her. All that stuff about true love is all a lie!”

“If Joanna really is Samuel’s girlfriend, then it’s going to get chaotic soon.”

“That’s true. Yareli has been after Samuel for a long time. She might not be better in terms of looks and background compared to Joanna, but if Joanna becomes Samuel’s official girlfriend and not her, she’ll definitely be the butt of the joke!”

“She’s not my girlfriend.” Samuel walked over with a gloomy expression and a cold air around him.

Joanna was embarrassed in an instant. As she looked at Samuel cautiously, she mumbled, “Mr. Macari, can’t you help me out this time for my father’s sake? It was that woman who picked on me first.”

The man coldly responded, “Why should I do a liar a favor?”

She bit her lower lip. “But when I said I was your girlfriend, she didn’t even back down. So doesn’t that mean she looks down on you?”

Chapter 313

Staying At The Macari Residence

Gizem looked at Joanna, the sower of discord, indifferently. This woman must have a screw loose.

“If Mr. Macari has an issue with Gizem over this, then that has got to be a freaking joke!” Levi mocked.

If Samuel’s really siding with Joanna, I’m certainly not putting up with it!

“First of all, I have nothing to do with you,” Samuel started in a low and flat tone. “Secondly, you cooked up a story, pretending to be my fiancée. Lastly, you caused the trouble on your own. So why should I help you?”

Those words stumped Joanna, who felt utterly awkward.

“Mr. Macari’s right. He hasn’t even dealt with you for claiming to be his fiancée yet!” Levi ridiculed. “Everyone knows that Mr. Macari still loves his ex-wife wholeheartedly.”

Joanna’s face turned pale as she sported a grim expression.

Gizem remained aloof. “Joanna Hurst, you deliberately splashed red wine on me, and I returned the favor. That makes us even. If you keep this up, I will make the Hurst family vanish from the face of Jadeborough.”

“Who do you think you are?” Joanna expressed disbelief.

“Try me!” Gizem sneered.

Joanna bit her lip. “Just you wait!”

With that, she walked away in a huff.

The crowd dispersed after the commotion had ended.

Levi frowned as he turned to Gizem. “Follow me. Let’s get you a change of clothes.”

“No need.” She shook her head. “I’m heading back.”

“I’ll take you home, then.” Worried, Levi didn’t want her to travel alone.

She nodded.

As Samuel watched on with a dark gaze, his phone rang.

He accepted the call and said with a frown, “Mm, got it.”

He then strode toward Gizem. “Desi fainted. She’s being taken to the hospital.”

Gizem returned the jacket to Levi and responded to Samuel, “Let’s go.”

She was Desi’s doctor, so she had to head over there.

“I’ll go with you guys,” Levi chimed in.

“Levi, I haven’t tidied my house. Other stuff will be delivered later. Please take them in for me.” In other words, Gizem didn’t want him to tag along.

He replied worriedly, “All right.”

She turned and left, following Samuel out of the hotel and into his car.

The man started the car and drove them both to the hospital.

When they arrived, Desi had already come out of the emergency room.

Gizem stepped forward and asked the doctor, “How is she?”

“Nothing major. She says her heart feels unwell,” the doctor replied softly. “Dr. Zabinski, shall we perform a CT scan?”

“Let’s observe her overnight. We’ll talk about it tomorrow,” Gizem answered after going through Desi’s medical report.

“All right.” The doctor nodded.

Gizem passed the report to the doctor, then went to check on Desi in the ward.

Samuel had already gone there earlier.

When Gizem arrived, she saw an aloof little kid standing at the ward’s entrance.

“Are you the new doctor?” Eil stared at Gizem’s face.

She nodded before stepping into the ward.

The boy watched her go. Somehow, she seemed familiar.

Nonetheless, he was sure that this was their first encounter.

“Daddy, I’m feeling a lot better now,” Desi said meekly. “I’m sorry for making you worry.”

Samuel stroked her head with his large hand gently. “It’s all right, as long as you’re fine.”

Kathleen wasn’t around anymore.

Hence, he had to take good care of their kids and raise them well.

That way, he would be at peace when he reunited with her in the afterlife.

Wynnie piped up worriedly, “Desi hasn’t been feeling well at night lately. Why don’t we admit her into the hospital?”

She was at the hospital because she was the one who brought Desi here.

“I don’t want to stay here! No way!” Desi protested.

Samuel consoled the girl softly in a low voice, “Mm, we won’t.”

At last, Desi stopped making a fuss.

Samuel looked at his daughter with concern. I can’t let anything bad happen to her.

He rose to his feet and approached Gizem, his towering figure looming over the latter.

She looked up and gazed into the man’s deep, dark eyes.

“Desi’s condition hasn’t been stable lately,” Samuel stated coolly.

“I’ll run some checks as soon as possible,” Gizem offered, frowning.

When Desi left earlier that day, Gizem was absolutely sure that there wouldn’t be any problems.

However, there could always be exceptions.

“Desi suddenly didn’t feel well tonight. We’re missing a relevant member in the household, so we were at a loss,” Samuel muttered coldly.

“What do you mean by that, Mr. Macari?”

“From today onward, you’ll stay at the Macari residence after work,” he instructed coolly.

Everyone was stunned.

Wynnie and Eil exchanged glances.

Desi, feeling rather gleeful, rubbed her tiny hands together.

“Mr. Macari, I—” Gizem began.

“Consider it your night shift. I can pay you an extra million a month,” Samuel proposed a generous offer. “I only have one request. You shall stay with Desi every day after work to prevent any misfortune from befalling her.”

Gizem didn’t expect that Samuel would be so domineering, but she was a person with a strong sense of responsibility as well.

She, too, didn’t want anything bad to happen to Desi.

“All right,” she agreed. “I’m going out to make a phone call.”

Samuel nodded.

Gizem then turned and left.

Meanwhile, Wynnie fixed her gaze on her son. “Samuel, you…”

“Mom, what matters is Desi’s health.” Samuel gazed lovingly at his daughter.

Wynnie understood what he meant.

Eil peered at Desi. A moment ago, when they were playing, she had been fine. Yet, all of a sudden, her heart throbbed in pain.

Something’s definitely up!

Gizem came to the office.

In there, she had placed a set of spare clothes.

She took them out and got changed, then called her master on the phone.

“Giz, I don’t care if you stay up late, but it’s noon over here! Can’t you let me take a nap?” the old man grumbled.

“Master, I’ll be staying at the Macari residence,” she reported flatly.

“Oh?” The old man paused, narrowing his eyes. “Was it your suggestion?”

“No, Desi’s heart suddenly ached. Samuel’s worried that no one’s taking care of her at night. He wants me to stay with her in case something happens again.”

“He really loves his daughter, huh.” The old man’s expression shifted. “Do what he says, then.”

Gizem nodded, asking curiously, “Master, why do you want me to stay at the Macari residence?”

“You need not know that now,” he responded, deliberately keeping her in suspense.

She pursed her lips. “Fine.”

“Giz, you have to remember—Samuel is a very dangerous man. You must deal with him carefully. Don’t slip up. Do you understand?” he warned. “Especially because he has been investigating our organization.”

“Don’t worry, Master,” Gizem reassured him coolly.

The old man went on, half-smiling, “By the way, how’s your face?”

“This hyper-realistic mask is wonderful. No problems so far.”

“That’s good.” He nodded. “Make sure Samuel doesn’t find out.”

“Of course. I know what to do.”

Chapter 314

Still Alive Gizem finished changing and stepped out of the office. She headed to the ward to check on Desi. The girl would be staying in the hospital that night, so Gizem herself would have to work overtime. When she arrived at the ward, Wynnie and Eil were not there anymore, likely having headed home. Samuel was the only one accompanying Desi. The man was truly a loving father. The love he had for Desi was very genuine. “Daddy, I want ice cream,” Desi begged coyly.

“Some other time. We’ll have to wait till you get better.” Samuel caressed her cheek. The little girl looked a lot like Kathleen, especially her pair of eyes. Samuel’s heart would often throb in pain when he looked at Desi. If it hadn’t been for him, perhaps Eil and Desi wouldn’t have lost their mother’s love. He owed his two children far too much. “But I really want to have some,” Desi pleaded. “Little glutton.” Samuel chuckled dotingly. “Tomorrow, then. The convenience store downstairs is closed now.” The girl pouted. “I don’t believe that you can’t even get me some ice cream, Daddy. You are Samuel Macari, aren’t you?” Samuel couldn’t refute that. Meanwhile, Gizem found it rather hilarious. Samuel heard her chuckle and turned around to throw her a sharp sideways glance. For a moment, Gizem froze. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. I came to refill her IV drip.” True to her word, she was carrying a bag of IV drip. Samuel nodded. Gizem walked over to Desi and replaced the nearly empty bag with the new one. “Ms. Zabinski, can I have some ice cream?” Desi tugged on Gizem’s white coat. “Yes, you can.” Gizem’s red lips curved upward. “If you intend to revisit the emergency room tonight, you can do that.” Hearing that, Desi pouted again.

“No way! I don’t want ice cream anymore!” Gizem smiled faintly. As expected, children are so predictable. Samuel came to tuck Desi in. “Since you’re not having ice cream anymore, sleep early, then.” Desi yawned. “Ms. Zabinski, can you tell me a story?” Gizem froze. “Let me do it.” Samuel furrowed his brows. In the past, Desi used to pester him all the time. It made him feel needed. “I got bored of your croaky voice, Daddy,” the girl grumbled. “I want to hear Ms.

Zabinski’s gentle voice.” As she said that, she turned to Gizem. “Can you, please?” Gizem glanced at Samuel, who said nothing. Thus, she nodded at the girl. “Sure.” Desi was elated. She shifted from her spot on the bed to give Gizem some space. When Gizem sat down, Desi quickly wrapped her arms around the woman’s slim waist and buried her face in Gizem’s embrace. “Ms. Zabinski, you smell like herbs.” Gizem stiffened. Desi closed her eyes. That’s clearly how Mommy smelled like. Gizem didn’t think that this kid would like her that much. Samuel’s gaze darkened. “I’m going out.” Gizem nodded. With Desi in her lap, she began to narrate a story. Since she had barely read any fairy tales herself, she racked her brain and made one up on the spot. Desi listened attentively in fascination. Soon, she fell asleep. Gizem, who had gone through an exhausting day, closed her eyes too, her arms wrapping around Desi. Outside, Samuel was on the phone. “Samuel, my subordinates have been tracking Charles for three years but haven’t found Kathleen’s grave,” Leonard reported. “Do you want us to continue?” “Not even once?” Samuel’s gaze was dark and solemn. “Not even once,” Leonard answered firmly. “Do you suppose that Kathleen wasn’t buried?” “Impossible,” Samuel said in a hoarse voice. “Charles would definitely give her a proper burial.” “For three years, Charles hasn’t visited the cemetery once. Does that mean Kathleen is still alive, then?” Leonard surmised. At that point, Samuel suddenly burst into a coughing fit. His body had never been in good shape. On any given day, his internal organs would protest. He was well aware of his physical condition. He just wanted to hold on until Desi turned eighteen. He wanted to see Desi undergo surgery before he could die in peace. If Kathleen were alive, he would surely tell her that he had raised their children well. If she wanted, she could take the kids with her anytime. He would not force her to stay by his side anymore. However, if she weren’t, by the time Desi completed the surgery, Eil would have grown up too, and Samuel could finally leave peacefully. Would Kathleen be waiting for me on the other side? Or would she have moved on because she didn’t want to see me again? “Samuel, you ought to take care of yourself,” Leonard said concernedly.

“I’m fine,” Samuel replied in a hoarse voice. “Charles is a recluse and prefers to lay low. He may not have anyone to care for him, but five years ago, he had to bury Kate. He couldn’t possibly do it on his own.” “I understand,” Leonard said solemnly. “If no one had been there to help him, then that means Kathleen isn’t dead.” “Or he could have hidden her body,” Samuel croaked. “I’ll think of a way to get Charles here. When that happens, get your people to search his place.” “Got it.” Leonard nodded. Samuel hung up the phone. He gazed at the moon outside the window and recalled Kathleen’s smile. He had been too immature back then. If he could turn back time, he would surely not pester her anymore. He just wanted her to live. That would be good enough. As long as he knew that she was living somewhere on the planet, that would suffice. If he missed her too much, he could check on her secretly instead of being separated by heaven and Earth like this. Samuel’s hands were shaking again. He missed her. He took some time to recollect himself outside the ward, only stepping in when he was ready. He wouldn’t show his vulnerable side in front of Desi. After all, Desi needed her father’s support. When he got to the bedside, he found that Gizem had fallen asleep with Desi in her arms. Both adult and child held on to each other tightly like a mother-daughter duo. He didn’t plan to wake Gizem. If she woke up, Desi would be disturbed too. Hence, he headed to the couch, sat down, and shut his eyes to get some rest. Gizem woke up a while later and saw Samuel lying face up on the couch. An indescribable sense of loneliness emanated from him. She observed the man quietly. It seemed that she didn’t feel any sort of warmth coming from him. He was simply too austere. Carefully, she rose to her feet. She spotted a blanket nearby, picked it up, and walked closer to Samuel, planning to cover him with it. However, Samuel had always been a light sleeper. He was woken up when he heard movements. Gizem froze when he stirred. “I…” He said flatly, “Pass that to me.” She handed the blanket to him, then turned and got ready to leave.

Unexpectedly, she slipped and found herself falling toward Samuel. The man managed to catch her. The scent of medicinal herbs on her immediately lifted his spirits. This smell! Gizem wanted to get up, but Samuel had a hand tightly wrapped around her waist. “Where did you get this scent?” he asked. Kathleen smelled just like that. She liked to make perfumes using some of her favorite scents. Thus, only Kathleen could have made this. The fragrance was rather faint. One could only pick up on it if they got close enough. This was the first time that Samuel had come into such close contact with Gizem.

Chapter 315

Time To Grow Up Gizem furrowed her brows. “Can you let go of me first? Desi might see us.” Samuel did her bidding, flashing her a stern look. Gizem leaped up and kept a distance from him. “It’s the smell of my very own perfume,” was her explanation. Her words only made Samuel shoot her a dubious leer. Gizem went on and elucidated her claim, “You can also find this scent on ancient books, Mr. Macari. It originated from a female physician and has a sedative effect.

I heard that your ex-wife was also a traditional medicine practitioner. I guess she must’ve followed the same ancient prescription.” A coincidence? Suspicion rose within Samuel as he fixed his ice-cold gaze on Gizem. Could it be that she’s trying to bluff it out because of some ulterior motives? Never in a million years did Gizem expect Samuel to be so vigilant over a measly fragrance. “You’re a traditional medicine practitioner, too, you say?” His tone was as cold as the winter. “Yes.” Gizem nodded. “I learned traditional medicine before diving into modern medicine.” “All right. You may leave,” ordered Samuel with an impassive countenance. “Okay.” With that, Gizem wheeled around and stepped out. Samuel heaved a sigh at that. My mind must’ve gone haywire. Why did I mistake her for Kathleen? Gizem got back to the office, only to hear her phone ringing non-stop. She finally picked up the call. Immediately, Levi’s yawn was heard coming from the other end of the line. “Why aren’t you back yet, Babe? I almost wanted to crash out, you know.” “Sorry, I’m not going back tonight. I’m going to stay overnight at the hospital,” stated Gizem. “Oh… I’ll help you tidy up the house, then,” Levi stated helplessly. With an indifferent tone, Gizem declined his offer.

“There’s no need for that. I’ve given Samuel my word to move into the Macari residence just so it’ll be easier for me to look after Desi.” Levi blinked his eyes in disbelief. “What? But why? You were so unbending when I invited you to stay at my house back then!” “Levi, I rejected you because I didn’t want you to misunderstand the relationship between us.” Gizem sounded rather nonchalant. “As for the reason I moved in to stay with the Macaris, like I said, it’s because of Desi.” It’s also to follow my master’s instruction. “I don’t care! Do you not love me anymore?” Grievance washed over Levi’s heart as he spoke. Gizem was stumped for words. “I’ve never ever loved you before.” “You mean love would one day dissipate, correct?” said Levi in defeat. Gizem took out a bag of coffee, preparing to pull an all-nighter. “Hey, Levi. Love would never go away, okay? It’s just that I’ve never had a thing for you, so there was no love from me to you, to begin with.” Levi then uttered in an icy tone, “So… I’ll send your baggage over tomorrow. Will that be okay?” “Yes, thank you. I’ll be here at the hospital to receive it,” replied Gizem calmly. “Got it.” A tinge of indignant rose within Levi. “Worse comes to worst; I’ll also move into the Macari residence.” Gizem was bereft of speech on that note. “Don’t wear yourself out, you hear? I’ll bring you breakfast as well.” Levi was still so sweet toward her. “Mm. Thanks.” Gizem nodded. Breathing out a long sigh, Levi hung up the phone. Finally, Gizem made herself a cup of coffee as she sat in front of the computer to continue her dissertation paper.

The next morning, Gizem sprawled on the desk and fell asleep. It was the knocking sound on the door that awoke her from her slumber. Rubbing her eyes, she answered, “Come in.” It was Levi. “Babe! Here comes your breakfast made with love!” He entered her office with a spring in his step. Gizem was at a loss for words. As Levi placed the breakfast right in front of her, he added, “Please check and accept the donuts and milk.” “Thank you.” Gizem appeared to be listless. Wearing a skin-deep grin, Levi stared blankly at her. At that moment, Gizem seemed to have recalled something. “Aren’t you obsessed with good looks, Levi?” The latter bobbed his head in approval. Witnessing that, Gizem became all the more curious. “I’m very much average-looking, at best. What makes you fall for me?” Prior to that, Levi had been in a relationship. Gizem, too, had seen his photo with his girlfriend. The latter was a blonde girl with blue eyes. Having a voluptuous figure, she was extremely stunning, so much so that she could easily be the world’s most gorgeous woman. “Some of us would only focus on the outside, while the others would need to consider their partner’s inner beauty.” Levi’s smile reached his eyes as he gazed into Gizem’s sparkling eyes. “My inner beauty never needs makeup, though. Would you reconsider?” Levi was only inches away from Gizem at that point in time.

The latter wanted to shove him away. Right then, Samuel pushed open the door to Gizem’s office and marched in. At first glance, he assumed that that duo was locking lips with each other. He froze momentarily before blurting out, “Sorry.” Embarrassed, Gizem quickly voiced out, “Why are you apologizing? We’re not doing anything here, okay? Are you looking for me?” “My mom made breakfast, and she prepared you a share as well. I’m here to deliver it to you.” As Samuel spoke, he put down the thermal lunchbox on her desk. “Excuse me.” With that said, he left. For some inexplicable reason, Samuel was rather displeased with what he had just seen. After Samuel walked out of the office, Gizem turned to glare at Levi. “Thanks to you, there’s a misunderstanding now.” “Why do you care?” Levi frowned. “Well, I don’t, but it’d be very inconvenient for me if any confusion or dispute were to arise in the future.” Gizem then opened the lunchbox brought over by Samuel, only to find some mashed potato, greens, and mushroom soup. “Wow. This is not too shabby…” Levi arched a brow at that. “If there’s nothing else, Levi, leave me,” suggested Gizem placidly. “All right.” Having no choice, Levi spun on his heels. Bah! She’s always chasing me away. At long last, Gizem could dig in peacefully upon Levi’s departure. After finishing it, she cleaned the lunchbox before handing it back to Samuel. When she arrived at Samuel’s ward, she only found him lying on the couch alone. Hearing the noise, Samuel opened his eyes. “Where’s Desi?” came Gizem’s question as she put down the empty lunchbox. “My mom took her out for some activities.” Samuel’s cool gaze landed on Gizem. “Oh, right.

What’s the relationship between you and Levi? Are you guys seeing each other?” “No.” Gizem shook her head. “We’re only business partners.” Business partners? It’s as clear as day that he’s not portraying a business-like attitude toward her! “Is there anything else, Mr. Macari? If not, I shall get going.” Gizem was already making her way to the exit. “Does Windwell Corporation ring any bell for you?” Samuel’s tone reeked of naught but coldness. Startled, Gizem queried, “What’s that?” “Oh? You don’t know?” Samuel had his eyes fixated on her. Gizem shook her head ever so leisurely and concurred with his opinion. “I have absolutely no idea. You might have to enlighten me.” Rising to his feet, Samuel explained with a straight face, “This organization has always been researching medicine, and they only put their product on sale on the black market. But, they suddenly changed their business nature in the past year or two. I’ve got wind that even their core members have changed.” “I’ve never heard of them at all. Sorry,” were Gizem’s words, her demeanor as calm as a toad in the sun. Even after what she said, Samuel still hurled a sharp look at her. Unflustered, Gizem continued, “Are you thinking that I’m lying to you, Mr. Macari?” Samuel kept his lips buttoned. “Since you don’t trust me, run a background check on me. See if I’m in any way related to that organization.” Gizem was unwavering. “That I will do,” proclaimed Samuel in his deep voice. “I’ll take my leave, then.” Just when Gizem was about to leave, Samuel added, “I’ll go through Desi’s discharge procedures in a moment. Follow us to Florinia Manor later.” “All right.” Gizem nodded and left right away. Taking his seat, Samuel squeezed his glabella with his slender fingers. There’s something off about Gizem… An hour later, Gizem followed Samuel and reached Florinia Manor. “A question for you, Mr. Macari,” Gizem piped up flatly. “Ask away.” Samuel’s reply was icy as usual. “I heard that you all have been staying at the Macari residence, so why did you bring me here?” Gizem felt perplexed.

“I’ll only send the kids there during working hours because I’ll be away from home,” Samuel was emotionless when he said that. “Today’s my off day, so the kids will be staying here. My mom and grandma pampered the children too much already. I don’t want them to be spoiled.” I don’t have much time left… I’ve got to educate them to stand on their own two feet before anything happens.

Chapter 316

Is Mommy Still Alive Gizem did not expect Samuel would be so strict with his children’s education. “I see…” “You’re not a parent. You won’t know what I’m feeling,” Samuel stated emotionlessly. She gave no comments to that. “Your room is upstairs, next to Desi’s room,” he continued in a cold voice. Gizem nodded in reply before taking her luggage with her as she went up the stairs. Florinia Manor was huge. The second floor alone had several rooms. That did not include the living room, kitchen, and other rooms in the manor. It, in fact, looked more like a castle. “What are you looking for?”

A handsome-looking Eil stood behind Gizem, wearing a gray hoodie and blue denim jeans. She answered, “My room.” “This way.” He looked at her. “I’ll show you.” “Thanks.” After thanking him, she flashed him a faint smile, causing the boy to blush. A thought appeared in his mind. Even though she’s not pretty and doesn’t seem to be a friendly person, she looks gentle when she smiles. When Eil led her to her bedroom, she thanked him once more before pushing open the door. Her room was not spacious, but it had everything she needed. Eil was not in a hurry to leave. “I ate the meatballs you made last time.” Gizem turned around to look at him, blinking in confusion. “Do you know how to make other stuff?” he asked out of curiosity. “I do.” She nodded. “Can you cook for me, then?” After a pause, he added, “Well, it doesn’t have to be now.”

“No problem, but let me unpack my stuff first.” He nodded. “Okay.” When the boy was about to leave, he swiveled around again. “My room is next to yours as well. If you need anything, you can look for me. I’ll help you.” Gizem responded with a tight-lipped smile, “All right.” Eil pursed his lips for a while before explaining, “I’m not treating you like a housekeeper.

I just think your culinary skills are good.” The woman was stunned for a second. “It’s fine. I can make some food once in a while. I’m glad you like it.” Eil’s face flushed once again as he walked off. Noticing his red cheeks, Gizem smiled faintly. What a cute little guy. After unpacking her luggage for a while, she went downstairs to cook. The housekeeper saw her enter the kitchen and asked, “Dr. Zabinski, do you need anything?” “Eil wants to eat the food I prepare,” Gizem explained. The housekeeper was taken aback. “Oh, really?” Gizem nodded. “My goodness!” The housekeeper was even more surprised. “What’s the matter?” Gizem looked at the woman in bewilderment. “Mr. Eil has always been a picky eater. Actually, he’s not that picky, but he usually doesn’t like to eat food prepared by other people.

He’s only not picky with the food prepared by Mr. Macari.” Is that so? “Let me have a try, then,” Gizem stated dispassionately. “All right.” The housekeeper nodded, stepping aside. With that, Gizem started preparing dinner. Her movements were fluid and natural. One could see that she was someone who often cooked. Samuel was initially in the study but wanted to get himself a glass of water, so he went downstairs to the kitchen. Upon seeing Gizem in there, he furrowed his brows slightly. “Why are you here?” he asked coldly. The housekeeper turned around and answered, “Mr. Eil wants to eat the food prepared by Dr. Zabinski.” Hearing that, Samuel frowned deeply, as Eil had never asked anybody else to cook except for his father. What’s so special about Gizem’s cooking? Even Desi was the same. When she caught a whiff of the meatballs made by Gizem previously, the little girl didn’t even want to leave. Gizem turned off the stove and explained, “I’m just making ordinary home-cooked dishes.” Samuel did not utter a word in reply. She then went on, “Mr. Macari, will you please ask them to come downstairs?” The man gave a nod and went to call his children down. After that, as he stood on the second floor, he wondered why he was so obedient to Gizem.

When Desi and Eil came down the stairs, the boy asked, “Daddy, what’s the matter?” Samuel looked at him meaningfully. “Did you ask Dr. Zabinski to cook?” Eil admitted it, feeling a bit guilty. “Yes.” “Ms. Zabinski is cooking?” Desi’s big round eyes glimmered. Samuel nodded. “Awesome!” She tugged at her father’s hand. “Daddy, you need to try it. Ms. Zabinski’s cooking tastes like Mommy’s cooking!” Samuel patted her on the head. “You go on ahead. I have something to say to your brother.” “Okay.” The little girl trotted down the stairs. Samuel solemnly stared at his son. “Do you also think that her cooking tastes like Mommy’s?” Eil shook his head. Samuel added in a deep voice, “I’m not blaming you, but when your mommy comes back in the future, how would she feel when she sees Desi being so emotionally attached to Ms. Zabinski?” Taken aback, Eil questioned, “Daddy, is Mommy still alive?” “There are some clues, but I can’t say for sure.” Samuel had no intentions of keeping this from his son. Since Eil was Samuel’s heir, the boy ought to experience things like this as early as possible so that he could support the whole family after Samuel left. Samuel carried Eil in his arms and fixed the latter’s collar. “Eil, I know this might be unfair to you, but you’re my son. I’ll pass this family to you in the future. Your sister, grandparents, and great-grandmother need you.” Eil hugged his father’s neck. “Daddy, don’t leave Desi and me.” Samuel stroked the boy’s hair affectionately.

“I won’t.” With that, he brought the boy down the stairs and put him down on the floor. “Eil, hurry!” Desi rushed over to pull Eil. Samuel followed after them to the dining hall. There were five dishes, including a bowl of soup, on the table. As Gizem had said, they were all ordinary home-cooked dishes. After they sat down together, Desi immediately picked up her fork and placed a meatball on Samuel’s plate. “Daddy, try this.” Previously, Samuel did not taste the meatball. If he eats it, he’ll definitely discover that taste! “Thank you.” He ruffled Desi’s hair, smiling. Delighted, the little girl grinned from ear to ear. Gizem realized although Samuel was aloof toward outsiders, he was especially gentle to his family. Blinking her large eyes nervously, Desi stared at her father in anticipation. Samuel could not stand the girl’s intense gaze, so he tasted the food. After taking a bite, he was stunned for a moment. This taste… “Daddy, is it delicious?” Desi asked. He nodded in response, not showing any emotions. Eil also took a drumstick and bit into it. It’s exceptionally nice. Indeed, it does taste like Mommy’s cooking. Seeing that the two little ones were satisfied, Gizem felt relieved and contented. Her effort was worth it. Once they finished eating, Desi and Eil returned to their rooms. “Mr. Macari, are you feeling unwell? You seem to eat very slowly,” Gizem asked out of curiosity as she noticed Samuel was a slow eater. He answered impassively, “My digestion is not good.” “If you don’t mind, can I check on you?” He paused for a moment before replying, “Okay. Thanks.” As he stretched out his right hand, she sat at his side and placed her hand on his wrist. Samuel stared at her slim, soft hand. Her hand is beautiful, and it seems familiar.

Chapter 317

You Are Hurting Me Perhaps, a person’s appearance and voice could be changed, but what about a person’s hand? Especially when it’s the hand of a loved one. Samuel grabbed her hand abruptly. “Who exactly are you?” Gizem was startled. “Mr. Macari, are you okay?” “I asked, who are you?” His grip tightened unthinkingly. She frowned. “You’re hurting me.” Upon hearing that, he instantaneously let go of her.

“Mr. Macari, I’m just a doctor. I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Gizem was getting infuriated. “Your cooking tastes like my wife’s,” he said frigidly. His wife? Kathleen Johnson? “I heard of what happened between you and your wife, but I only heard about it because I have to come here to treat your daughter.” Gizem was displeased. “I have no idea why our cooking tastes the same.” Samuel remained silent. After taking a deep breath, she added, “Mr. Macari, you might not like what I’ll say next, but your health condition is not great. I’m afraid it’s going to be difficult for you to recuperate. You should have more doctors to check on you. Otherwise…” “Otherwise what?” he asked indifferently. “Otherwise, you’ll have less than three years to live.” With that, she turned on her heel and left. Samuel’s frown deepened. Three years? That short? Desi and Eil will only be eight years old three years later. I still want to be with them longer, but I guess fate is not giving me more time. That’s why I need to find Kathleen back. At least I’ll die in peace.

Unbeknownst to Samuel, Desi and Eil were hiding in the corner. Desi wanted to speak, but Eil signaled her not to talk first. Hand in hand, the two siblings went back to their rooms. Eil rested his chin on his hand, saying, “Even Daddy said that Dr. Zabinski’s cooking tastes similar to Mommy’s.” “Eil, you think so too, right?” Desi said excitedly, “She’s Mommy! She must be Mommy!” Glancing at his overexcited sister, Eil said dispassionately, “What if she’s a swindler?” “Ms. Zabinski is not a swindler.” She pouted in displeasure. “Have you ever seen such a diligent swindler?” “Of course.” The handsome little boy’s expression remained indifferent. “Think about our daddy’s identity. Many women want to be our stepmother.” Desi fell silent. “Besides, if Mommy is still alive, would you choose Mommy or her?” he continued. “Mommy, of course.” Desi blinked. “But she is Mommy.” Eil sighed, realizing he could not convince his sister otherwise. “Eil, you did great last time when you discovered her curriculum vitae was fake. Can you please investigate again?” She tugged at his arm. He stared at Desi and asked seriously, “Desi, if I find out that she’s not Mommy, will you genuinely give up on that thought?” The girl nodded. “Yes, as long as it’s proven that she’s not Mommy, I won’t hold onto that misunderstanding.”

“Okay. Remember what you said.” Eil patted her head. “You can’t go back on your words.” “What if she’s Mommy, then?” “If she is, then our family can finally be reunited.” “Actually, there’s a really simple way.” Desi smirked. “What is it?” Eil frowned. “A DNA maternity test.” Desi crossed her arms and raised her chin smugly. “Aren’t I a genius?” Eil was taken aback by that answer. “Why didn’t I think of that?” Indeed, that was a very straightforward method. “Now that Ms. Zabinski is living in our house, it’s easy for us to take strands of her hair.” Desi was getting worked up. “But it needs to have hair follicles, or else it won’t work,” Eil reminded. “Oh.” She nodded. “All right. You should go to bed now.” “Got it! But I worry that I can’t sleep.” She was still jazzed. “Even if you can’t fall asleep, you have to go to bed so that your body can recover. Understand?” “Okay.” She nodded. “I’ll go to sleep.” “Go.” Eil watched her retreating figure as she went out of the room. Once she was gone, he switched on his computer and searched for Gizem’s biodata again. The result was the same as what he had found before. His attractive eyes dimmed. I’ll have to search for people who are related to Gizem then. If something is fishy, that’s where I can get clues. Meanwhile, Gizem sat on the bed, checking her wristwatch.

Is Samuel already suspecting my identity? Just because of my cooking? Is my cooking really that similar to his wife’s? For some reason, a strange feeling was gnawing at her. After pondering for a while, she decided to call her master. The old man picked up the phone. “Oh my. You never call at a decent hour.” Gizem smiled awkwardly. “Something came up.” “What is it?” He frowned. “Samuel ate the food I prepared today and said my cooking’s similar to his wife’s.” The old man narrowed his eyes. “Then?” “After that, he questioned who I was.” Gizem sighed, feeling dejected. “Master, did I ruin the plan?” “Don’t you think this is good?” he asked with a sardonic smile. “How is it a good thing?” She heaved a sigh again. “Master, should I get ready to escape?” The old man chuckled. “No, no. As long as he doesn’t discover Windwell Corporation, just let him be.” Gizem uttered slowly, “Are you not afraid he might kill me?” “He won’t,” her master replied firmly. “As long as you can save his daughter, he won’t kill you.” “Master, there’s one more thing,” she said in a serious tone. “What is it?” “There’s a scar on my abdomen, and you’ve never told me how I got it,” Gizem remarked meaningfully. “With your knowledge and expertise, can’t you tell what it is?” he answered impassively, not appearing to be infuriated by her obscure accusation. She pressed her lips into a thin line before saying, “It’s a scar of a cesarean delivery.” After a short moment, her master responded, “Giz, I didn’t want to hide anything from you, but your past was so horrific that I don’t want you to think about it again.” “Master, is my child still alive?” “No…” The old man sighed. “The baby died right after birth. At that time, you were suffering from severe poisoning, so…” Gizem understood her master didn’t tell her the truth for her sake. “Giz, carry out your mission well. When you return, I’ll bring you to visit the grave of that man and the child. Well, if you want to.” “Yes, I do!” She nodded. “All right. I’ll bring you there when the time comes.”

With that, her master hung up the phone. Putting down her phone, Gizem let out a breath. It seems like everything is just like what I’ve guessed. Many things happened during the year when I was unconscious. It turns out I also had a man I loved and had a child with him, but they are no longer alive. The longer she thought of it, the more frustrated she felt. Thus, she changed her clothes and went jogging outside, not expecting to bump into Samuel. He was smoking as he stood by an artificial lake. She initially wanted to jog past him, but the man stopped her.

Chapter 318

I Will Not Remarry “Stop right there.” Samuel’s voice was low and husky. Gizem halted her footsteps and asked indifferently, “How may I help you, Mr. Macari?” The man shot an emotionless glance at her. “It was my bad earlier.” She paused for a moment before striding toward him. “I never thought you’d apologize.” “I took a peek earlier. Perhaps, you and my wife are both experts in traditional medicine, so you both like to add some medicinal herbs to the dishes, hence why they tasted rather familiar.

” His gaze never left her as he spoke. “Perhaps,” stated Gizem quietly. “I have two kids. I have to be cautious,” he stated, his tone aloof. “I understand.” “You’re able to understand where I’m coming from?” Evidently, the man was quite surprised to hear that. “I, too, had… a child.” Gizem explained, “However, I’ve never met him because he passed away shortly after birth. If he were still alive, I would likely react the same way you did.” “You were married before?” “I don’t know either, but I know both my child and his father have passed away.” A deep crease formed between Samuel’s eyebrows. He couldn’t help but query, “You don’t know if you’ve been married before?” “I lost my memories, so there are plenty of things I can’t remember,” she elucidated. Samuel nodded slowly upon hearing about the woman’s past. “Mr. Macari, I don’t harbor any evil intentions toward you and your children. I’m here solely because you pay well, and I’m here to earn money,” Gizem clarified. Not a single word came out of Samuel’s mouth, but his expression looked rather grim. Truth be told, he didn’t exactly believe her explanation. Saying that adding medicinal herbs to her cooking made her bear some resemblance to Kathleen earlier was all for the sake of calming her down.

Something was indeed wrong with this woman standing before him, but it wasn’t time to expose her just yet. He still needed a little bit of evidence. “It’s getting late, so I’ll head back now,” remarked Gizem. After seeing the man nod in response, she turned around and left. Samuel’s eyes fell on the tranquil lake after he retracted his gaze. That woman’s cooking tasted exactly like Kathleen’s. Does that mean she knows Kathleen, or perhaps, they have her? The following morning, the incessant ringing of a doorbell echoed throughout the manor. Maria hurried to the door and opened it. What followed next was Charles bursting into the residence, his sudden arrival taking the housekeeper by surprise. “Mr. Johnson?” “Where’s Desi?” he asked, his tone laced with urgency. “Ms. Desi is—” Before Maria could form a complete sentence, Desi was already running down the stairs. “Uncle Charles!” “Desi!” Charles strode toward her, squatted down, and pulled the little girl into a warm embrace. Desi wrapped her arms around her uncle’s neck, her voice crisp as she asked, “Uncle Charles, why are you here?” “Your daddy said you’re unwell, so I came over.

How are you feeling now?” he asked concernedly. “I feel fine.” Charles put the girl down and scanned her from head to toe. “Are you really fine?” Desi nodded in response, but that only made Charles’ expression dim. I’ve definitely been set up. Just then, Samuel came downstairs. Shooting a fierce glare at the man descending the stairs, Charles thundered, “Samuel Macari, you *ssh*le! You used Desi to deceive me!” “She’s indeed feeling unwell and was discharged from the hospital yesterday. Fortunately, it wasn’t something serious. I wanted to let you know there’s no need to come yesterday, but I forgot.” Samuel’s calm and aloof tone rendered Charles speechless. The former then shot a look at his daughter, who promptly understood the signal and began, “Uncle Charles, I missed you, so, so much!” Desi was an adorable little girl and extremely skilled at winning hearts. No one would be able to resist her charm. “I miss you too,” said Charles as he hugged her. “If you’re not feeling well next time, remember to let me know. Don’t let a certain somebody… relay any false information,” he reminded. Desi nodded obediently, and at that moment, Eil had also come downstairs. “Uncle Charles.” Charles nodded in acknowledgment of the boy’s greeting. He couldn’t help noticing the resemblance between the father and son. Eil looks more like Samuel with every passing moment. It almost seems like they were carved out of the same mold! Just as they were speaking, Gizem arrived downstairs as well. Her appearance caused Charles’ expression to darken. “There’s a woman in your home?” D*mn it! Samuel said he wouldn’t remarry. As expected, men are all liars! “You’ve misunderstood. I’m a doctor,” Gizem explained. “After Desi felt unwell yesterday, Mr. Macari asked me to be their family doctor.”

Doctor? Charles furrowed his brows. At that, Desi quickly chimed in, “Uncle Charles, it’s true. Ms. Zabinski really is a doctor.” The little girl’s explanation appeared to have appeased him, for he let out a snort after hearing her. “Mr. Macari, I received a notice from the hospital. They received a group of patients, so they need me over there,” said Gizem. Samuel nodded, allowing her to leave. “All right. Go ahead.” Just as she was about to take off, Charles’ cold voice sounded. “I’ll take you there.” The woman was momentarily stunned but quickly recomposed herself and declined, “It’s all right. I’ll get a taxi.” It was rather obvious Charles was perturbed by her. Since he wasn’t fond of her, Gizem didn’t feel the need to appease the man or get on his good side. “It won’t be easy to get a taxi at this hour. I’ll take you there,” Charles insisted. Gizem frowned at that. Yet another difficult fellow to deal with! The two walked out of the manor, and Gizem knew there was no avoiding it this time. Well, I didn’t do anything wrong, so I needn’t be afraid. She got into his car, and the man drove her to the hospital. On their way there, Charles was exuding a strong air of hostility, causing Gizem to furrow her brows deeply. After finally arriving at the hospital, Gizem was about to alight when Charles locked the car door. “What are you up to?” he asked in an ice-cold tone.

“I’m up to nothing. I just want to treat my patients.” Charles grabbed her by the wrist. “I’m warning you. I don’t care if you have any feelings for Samuel, but keep your distance from the children. Do you understand?” “Mr. Johnson, if I keep my distance from Desi, who’s going to treat her?” Gizem’s tone was indifferent and laced with a hint of sarcasm as she continued, “You don’t think I’m capable of treating someone through a wall, do you?” Charles continued to emit a chilly aura but did not respond. Seeing that, she pulled her wrist out of the man’s grasp and said, “I hope you’ll stop insulting me, Mr. Johnson. I’m not interested in men.” As soon as the words left her lips, she pushed open the door and alighted from the car. Charles watched as the woman’s figure slowly disappeared from his line of sight, his expression solemn. I have to find Kathleen as soon as possible. Perhaps, she can save Desi… After dropping the children off at the Macari residence, Samuel went to work. He had just arrived at the office when Tyson walked in. “Mr. Macari, Mr. Lewis is here,” the latter informed. Caleb? “Let him in.” “Understood.” Tyson made his way out, and following that, Caleb walked in. The latter headed straight for the couch and plopped down on it. “I didn’t expect you to be so impatient, Mr. Macari. It has only been a few days, yet you’ve already brought her home.”

A cold look flitted across Samuel’s handsome and stunning countenance. “Are you here to spout nonsense?” he retorted. “Did I hit the nail on the head?” Caleb scoffed. Samuel’s gaze was dark and frosty. Just then, Caleb crossed his legs and asked, “Charles is back?” Samuel didn’t respond to that. Thus, Caleb took it a step further and deliberately provoked the man. “Come to think of it, I’ve not seen that brother-in-law of mine for a long time now.” “I must remind you, Caleb, you and Kathleen never got around to registering your marriage. Strictly speaking, you are in no way related to the Johnson family at all.” “Who are you to say all that? Do you think Kathleen would’ve agreed with what you have just said? Back then, if it weren’t for you, we would’ve headed to City Hall after our wedding ceremony.” “This shows how you two are not fated to be together,” Samuel retorted. It was apparent his words had ruffled Caleb’s feathers as the latter’s expression immediately dimmed. “Listen, Samuel Macari, if you want to remarry, then hand the kids over to me. I won’t ever remarry.”

Chapter 319

Rescue Me Samuel said indifferently, “I suggest you see a doctor if something is wrong with your brain.” Caleb walked up to the man and slammed his hands on the desk. “Samuel Macari, Kathleen disappeared all of a sudden in the past, and Charles had been extremely secretive about her matters. I want to ask you—what if Kathleen comes back one day, and Eil and Desi already formed an inseparable bond with that woman?” Samuel’s expressionless eyes gleamed faintly.

“Do not underestimate the significance of blood relation.” Caleb was furious. “Don’t tell me you really plan on letting that woman continue staying in your house? I did a background check on her. Her identity may appear ordinary, but she’s actually a very problematic individual. Aren’t you afraid she will harm the kids if you let her stay?” They are Kathleen’s children! Even if Eil and Desi were not related by blood to Caleb, he would not stand by and do nothing. Although he did not raise them by his side, Caleb regarded them as his own children. Samuel wore a frosty look. “I am better informed about her identity than you are.” His words further baffled Caleb. “Why did you let her stay in your house if you already know she has issues? Are you out of your mind?” “I am. I’m disease-ridden and will not live more than three years,” Samuel stated coldly. Caleb was stumped. “Just you wait, Samuel Macari!” He then left angrily. Samuel continued wearing a poker face. His dark eyes radiated a chilly aura. What do you know? Caleb was incredibly worried about Eil and Desi. He knew Charles had returned, so he phoned the latter. “You’ve been avoiding me for five years.

Don’t you think it’s about time we meet?” Caleb said in displeasure. Charles replied emotionlessly, “Is that necessary?” “Samuel caused your sister to be in such a miserable state, yet you willingly gave him those kids. My feelings toward Kathleen are genuine.” Caleb was exasperated. “Forget about Kate, Caleb. I know she doesn’t love you. She only married you because she was trying to stop Samuel from pestering her.” “If it weren’t for the fiasco caused by Samuel during the wedding ceremony, Kathleen and I would’ve been a married couple. Anyway, just come out and meet with me. Samuel brought a strange woman home, and she’s no ordinary lady!” “I’ve already seen the woman you’re talking about.” “You’ve seen her?” Caleb was surprised. “There’s a great chance this woman is supported by an extremely powerful organization. You’ll startle them with the way you’re reacting now,” Charles reminded. Caleb frowned. “You guys only care about whether your actions will startle those people. Meanwhile, I only care about Eil and Desi’s safety.” “Caleb, I can understand your sentiment of caring for Kathleen’s children because of your affection toward her.” Charles hesitated briefly before continuing, “However, I hope that you will move on.” “My sister has passed away a few years now. Are you telling me that you’ve moved on as well?” Caleb questioned back.

“I have not,” Charles replied tersely. At the mention of Vivian, both of them grew silent. At the hospital, Gizem had just finished a consultation and was about to get some rest. Right then, a few bodyguards dressed in black outfits entered. She snapped, “Who allowed you all to come in without knocking on the door? Get out!” Yet, those men in black did not move. Then, a man wearing a sinister smile walked in. “Are you the doctor who recently found a cure for women who face difficulty in getting pregnant?” Gizem glanced sideways at him. “Do you know me?” She had published the article and experimental results anonymously. “My name is Finn Morris,” Finn said with a half-smile. “My wife has been unable to get pregnant for many years, so I would like to invite you over to check on her condition.” “I’m not free,” she refused. Finn took out a gun and placed it on the table. “Why don’t you reconsider if you have the time to spare?” Gizem sneered. She opened her drawer and revealed the gun kept inside. “What do you think?” Finn narrowed his eyes at her. This woman is indeed no ordinary person. “Ha! Dr. Zabinski, I am very sincere in inviting you over.” “Sincere?” She gazed at the few men who entered the room alongside Finn. The smile on Finn’s face did not waver. “Mr. Morris, I should tell you that Samuel Macari hired me to care for his daughter’s illness. Even if I am on duty today, I will only treat patients with cardiovascular diseases. I suggest you seek another doctor’s assistance to address your wife’s infertility issue.” Finn uttered coldly, “I can pay you if money is what you want.” Money? Gizem had the urge to toss her bank card to the man’s face and let him take a good look at the balance in her bank account. “You should keep that money and use it to look for another doctor to treat your wife’s condition. Also, you may want to let the physician check on your health status as well instead of only trying to find fault with your wife,” she suggested sarcastically. His face darkened. “Do you know where this is? How dare an insignificant doctor like you, who has just arrived here, dare to provoke me?” “I’m just an insignificant doctor, so I doubt I have the abilities to diagnose your diseases. You should really find others for medical consultation.” Gizem was not courteous toward him at all.

From the moment she lay her eyes on Finn, anger surged in her chest. Inexplicably, she had the intense urge to rip him into numerous pieces. Finn was more livid than before. He picked up the gun on the table and aimed it at Gizem. “It seems to me you’re tired of living!” She did not show a hint of fear on her face. “Shoot me if you’re so capable. Killing me will be no different from ending Samuel’s daughter’s life. Just you wait and see if he will ever let you off the hook.” Finn did not anticipate Gizem to be so tough and stubborn. “Do it!” he ordered. The few men surrounded Gizem. Still, she remained unfazed. One of the men took out a bottle of medicated water and sprayed it in her face. Gizem was ready to block the mist with her hand, but she had still inhaled some of it. Her consciousness began to fade, but she had yet to pass out completely. Just as Finn instructed his subordinates to make their move, Gizem used her phone to send Samuel a message. The text consisted of only two words: Rescue me. Then, she tossed her phone under the table. Finn failed to notice her actions. He told his men to carry Gizem. They brought her out of the office and left the hospital. Samuel furrowed his brows slightly when he saw Gizem’s message. Rescue her? What happened to her? At that moment, he was in the middle of a meeting. He said calmly, “Tyson, you’ll take over.” “All right.” Tyson continued to host the meeting. Samuel dialed Gizem’s number as he walked, but no one answered the phone. For some reason, he felt a little worried. Gizem is a talented and accomplished woman. Those elites from Jadeborough will undoubtedly target her and force her to do their biddings. He called Leonard.

“Find out at once if Gizem is at the hospital. If she isn’t, find out where she went.” “Okay.” Leonard proceeded with the investigation immediately. Samuel arrived at the underground parking. He got into the car and left the parking lot, driving in the direction of the hospital. Halfway through the journey, Leonard contacted him. “Samuel, I’ve found out the information you need. Finn brought Gizem away, seemingly wanting her to check on Tracy’s condition. She’s at the Morris residence now. I’ll send some men over to support you,” Leonard said solemnly. “That’s not needed. There’s nothing to be worried about. It’s just the Morris family,” Samuel uttered coolly.

Chapter 320

Change A Partner Gizem completely regained her senses. She did not pass out completely all along. It was not because of the medication’s inferior quality. Instead, the reason for the sedative’s ineffectiveness was her special physique. A common sedative would not be efficacious to her. She would only be weakened but not rendered utterly insensible. After Finn brought her to the Morris residence, he placed her on a bed inside a room. A woman entered just as she sat up on the bed. “You’re awake. Are you hurt?” Emily smiled faintly at Gizem. The latter shook her head.

She knew Emily meant no harm to her. “I saw Finn’s men bring you in here, and I thought something bad happened to you. I’m glad that you’re fine,” Emily said gently. “Where is this?” Gizem asked. “This is the Morris residence,” Emily explained. The Morris residence? I knew it. “Don’t worry. You’re not going to get hurt. Actually, Finn just wants you to check on Tracy’s condition.” Emily beamed at Gizem. Gizem said nonchalantly, “I’m afraid he doesn’t understand what’s the definition of forcing others into doing his bidding.” Emily paused briefly before saying, “You can just do a casual health check on her to prevent him from constantly troubling you.” Gizem glanced at Emily and nodded. Emily grinned slightly and brought her to meet Tracy. Tracy, somewhat corpulent, was sitting on the bed. The smile on her face was laced with a hint of bitterness. An inexplicable sense of familiarity rose within her when she first glanced at Gizem.

If she had not known about Kathleen’s death, she would have thought Kathleen had been resurrected. Although Gizem did not share Kathleen’s appearance, her eyes and temperament were very similar to the latter’s. Kathleen… At the thought of her, Tracy shuddered. If Finn had not arrived in time previously, Tracy was afraid her purity would have been tainted. She knew very well that incident happened because Samuel and Caleb were trying to avenge Vivian. Therefore, Tracy had been lying low for the past few years. “This is Gizem Zabinski,” Emily introduced. Tracy gazed at Gizem. “Thank you, and sorry for the trouble.” Gizem replied, “I did not wish to meddle in this matter, but your husband kidnapped me here.” Tracy felt embarrassed. “Give me your hand,” Gizem demanded. Tracy stretched out her right arm for Gizem to check her pulse. One minute later, Gizem placed Tracy’s hand back down. “There’s nothing wrong with your body.” “In that case, why can’t I get pregnant all this while?” Tracy furrowed her brows. “I’ve visited many doctors and tried various medications, but none of them worked.” Gizem crossed her arm. “Why are you so certain that the problem lies with you instead of your husband?” Tracy was stunned. “Do you still not understand the problem? The one suffering from infertility is your husband and not you,” Gizem announced with a clear voice. “That’s not possible.” Tracy shook her head. “Ha. If you’re reluctant to accept that he is the problematic one, then there’s nothing I can do to address this issue. There’s no way for me to help. I’m sorry.” With that, Gizem was about to leave. “Hold on!” Tracy halted her. “Dr. Zabinski, I’ve checked your records, and I know you’re highly capable. You’ve assisted a few families in bearing their own children.

I beg you. I just want to have a child. Just one will be sufficient.” Gizem said coolly, “Actually, there is a way.” “Please, tell me! I’m willing to pay any amount necessary!” Tracy responded solemnly. “It’s not a monetary issue. You just need to change a partner.” Tracy fell silent. Gizem shook off her hand. “That’s all I have to say.” She strode off afterward. Emily hastily chased after Gizem after glancing at Tracy’s ashen face. “Dr. Zabinski, wait for a moment!” Emily called after her. Gizem stopped in her tracks. “What’s the matter?” Emily hesitated for a few moments before asking, “Can you please check on my son?” Son? “My son’s name is Christopher. Five years ago, he went to Smealand and was met with a car accident. He’s been in a coma since then. I hope you can help me by looking at his condition.” Christopher? Car accident? Gizem wore an unfathomable expression. “Sure.” Emily was overjoyed. She held Gizem’s hand and dragged her toward the third floor. They arrived at a room. The room had been modified into the design of a ward. An emaciated man was lying on the bed. Gizem moved forward. “He’s Christopher?” Emily nodded.

Her eyes were slightly reddened. “Dr. Zabinski, I’ve consulted many doctors, but all of them said there’s nothing they could do.” A gloomy silence descended on Gizem as she took his pulse. Gizem remained quiet for approximately three minutes. Emily knitted her brows. “How is my son, Dr. Zabinski?” “Can you tell me more about the incident involving your son’s car accident?” Gizem put Christopher’s hand down and proceeded to examine his body. Emily took a walk down memory lane. “A little over five years ago, my son went to Smealand. We received the tragic news of his car accident a month after his departure. However, we did not find him at the accident scene then. One week later, we realized he was saved by someone else and was sent to a hospital. We found him in this state when we reached the hospital. The doctor mentioned he would regain consciousness soon, but… he never woke up since.” She wiped her tears while recounting the story. “He did not sustain any injuries to his head,” Gizem said monotonously. Emily nodded. “That’s right. After we returned to the country, we visited a doctor and did an X-ray examination on him. The doctor also mentioned there is nothing wrong with his brain. However, he’s simply not waking up.” Gizem pursed her lips. “Pardon me for being straightforward, but he’s not in a coma because of the car accident.” Emily was astonished. “What did you say? What other reason could it be if not for the car accident?” “He’s poisoned,” Gizem replied. Poisoned? Emily was in utter disbelief. She grabbed Gizem’s hand. “Are you sure? Can you save him?” “Ma’am, I do not have absolute confidence either. Can you give me some time?” Gizem asked. Emily nodded firmly. “Of course! I’ve waited five years, so I don’t mind waiting a little longer.

Do you know how many physicians we have consulted, but none of them managed to diagnose his condition? You’re the first person who has a different view. At the very least, you’ve provided us with a direction.” Gizem consoled her, “In that case, I’ll come here tomorrow to take some of his blood samples. Is that all right?” “Sure,” Emit agreed. At that moment, the door to the room was pushed open. Finn entered, seemingly in rage. He grasped Gizem’s collar. “I think you’re a quack doctor!” What the f*ck! Gizem raised her leg and booted him in the crotch with her high heels. Finn, who did not expect her to retaliate, loosened his grip on her clothes in pain. Gizem stepped forward and kicked him forcefully in his abdomen, sending him rolling backward on the floor. “F*ck you! No one has ever dared to treat me like that! Who do you think you are? How dare a piece of filth like you dare to touch me!” Gizem was livid. Emily was taken aback because Gizem was acting entirely different from before. She was deeply impressed by Gizem’s reaction and reckoned Gizem must have undergone combat training. Otherwise, her movements would not be so smooth. “If I tell you you’re the problem, then you’re the problem. You can do nothing even if you’re unhappy about my judgment!” Gizem bellowed. Emily, standing aside, had the urge to clap her hands. Ever since Christopher became comatose, Finn had been jeering at them all the time. However, Finn had also failed to be blessed with a child all those years. Emily felt elated, watching Gizem teach him a memorable lesson this time.

Chapter 321

Disgusting Sight “You!” Finn gritted his teeth and pulled out a gun. “Finn, stop!” Emily’s face fell. “Have you lost your mind?” With an arrogant expression, Gizem yelled, “Go on! Shoot me if you dare!” Finn narrowed his eyes. Bang! The sound of a gunshot rang out. Emily had subconsciously stood in front of Christopher to protect him. Snapping back to her senses, Emily quickly turned to look at Gizem and realized the latter was fine. Instead, it was Finn who was howling in pain. Samuel marched in with a gun in his hand. “Finn, how dare you attack my acquaintance?”

Finn’s face turned pale. Tracy hurried down the stairs immediately after hearing the sound of the gunshot. When she saw Finn injured, she dashed over. “Darling, are you okay?” “I’m fine,” said Finn, raising his hand. Samuel showed mercy. He only shot at Finn’s gun, which injured Finn’s hand. Samuel turned to Gizem and asked coldly, “Are you injured?” Gizem shook her head. “No.” She walked over to Finn and looked down at him, saying, “Tracy’s body is perfectly fine. She’s not the problem that you two can’t bear a child. You’re the problem. Haven’t you seen your eyes? They’re cloudy and yellow. Clearly, you have unhealthy kidneys. Still, you want children? What a joke.” Unhealthy kidneys? Finn paled at the thought of their misfortunes over the years. “If you really love your wife, you should try to solve your problem instead of torturing her,” Gizem scoffed. “If it’s really your wife’s problem, I bet you’d have filed for divorce long ago. But you didn’t. You placed the blame on Tracy so you could cover the fact about your incapability.” “You!” Finn was enraged. He got up and charged toward Gizem. However, Gizem merely watched the man charge at her like a mad dog. She then lifted her leg, preparing to give him another kick. Bang!

To her surprise, Samuel used a simple yet violent method by shooting at the ground beside Finn’s foot. A hole was instantly formed the second the bullet hit the ground. Finn immediately stopped in his tracks, not daring to take another step. “You better stop pestering her. Otherwise, don’t blame me for whatever happens later,” Samuel said coldly. Finn gritted his teeth. Right then, Tracy hurried over and held Finn’s arm, supporting him. “Don’t do this, Finn. Let’s just all calm down, okay? Why don’t we let Gizem examine you?” “I’m not sick!” Finn hollered. Gizem snorted at his response. Tracy smiled ruefully. “Finn, it’s been five years. I’m tired. Please, just get checked, okay? I’m begging you.” Finn pushed her away and insisted sternly, “I said I’m not sick!” Tracy stood there and sobbed. “But I’m not sick, either. Why can’t I get pregnant, then?” Samuel said icily, “Maybe that’s your retribution.” Finn and Tracy were too stunned to react. Samuel looked daggers at them. “Have you two forgotten how you’ve made someone end their own life?” His words made Finn and Tracy’s expressions change drastically. Gizem frowned.

“Mr. Macari, what’s the meaning of this?” “You don’t know about this since you’re new to Jadeborough. Caleb had a sister. She was Finn’s lover in the past. At that time, Finn was still the disgraceful, illegitimate child of the family. To secure his position, he drove that woman crazy by using filthy tricks. In the end, the woman lost her mind. When she finally returned to her senses, she killed herself because she couldn’t accept the truth,” Samuel explained. Samuel’s expression was vicious. Finn will never get a child. He’s not worthy! The only thing he’s worthy of is this punishment. After listening to the entire story, a hostile gaze filled Gizem’s eyes. “What a scumbag! He’s not worthy of receiving my treatment!” Gizem cast Finn a cold stare. “I swear I won’t be so lenient toward you if you come looking for me again the next time.” Finn was baffled. Was she ever lenient? “Let’s go.” Samuel left with Gizem.

As they descended the stairs, a woman walked in from the outside. Her expression stiffened when she bumped into them. “Mr. Macari, it’s been a long time since you last came to the Morris residence,” Astrid said softly. Alas, Samuel ignored her. Noticing someone else standing beside him, Astrid turned to look and was stunned by Gizem’s face. It’s her! Why is she here? Gizem stopped in her tracks and stared calmly at Astrid. “You look familiar.” Astrid froze. “Really? It’s my first time meeting you, though.” Gizem responded flatly, “I must’ve mistaken you for someone else, then. Sorry.” “It’s okay.” Softly, Astrid asked, “Are you Mr. Macari’s new girlfriend?” Gizem retained her cold expression.

“I’m just his daughter’s doctor.” “You don’t have to waste your time talking to people like her,” Samuel remarked and left. He disliked talking to any member of the Morris family. With that, Gizem trailed behind him. Astrid’s face was pale as she watched them leave. After some time, she turned around to head upstairs. “Mrs. Morris,” greeted Astrid while fixing her eyes on Emily. “I’m here to see Christopher.” Emily did not want Astrid to touch Christopher. “Ms. Holloway, didn’t I tell you to stop coming here to see Christopher? He’s been unconscious for five years now. Even the doctor doesn’t know when he will wake hip. So, please stop pestering him. Don’t waste your time and start a new life.” “Mrs. Morris, I really like Christopher. I’ll never get married in this lifetime. It’s fine if he doesn’t wake up. I can take care of him for the rest of my life.” Astrid looked aggrieved. Emily thought for a moment before saying, “I’m sorry, Ms. Holloway. I can’t let you take care of him.” Astrid was dumbfounded. “I’ve already thought about it, and I want to find a wife for my son. Please stop coming to our house,” Emily said coldly.

“What? Mrs. Morris, did you say you want to find Christopher a wife?” Astrid’s eyes widened in shock. Emily responded curtly, “That’s right. With his current state, the fortune-teller says I should get him a wife to bring him good fortune.” “Mrs. Morris, I can play the role too,” Astrid offered. Emily rejected her directly, “You can’t. Please forgive me for being direct, but the fortune-teller has specified that the wife must be a virgin. Are you one?” Astrid froze. Emily scoffed, “As expected, you aren’t. So, why should I let you marry my son? You’ll be more of a jinx rather than a wife who will bring good fortune.” Astrid put on a pitiful expression while gazing at Emily. “Mrs. Morris, we’re living in modern times. Why are you still believing in things like this?” Emily scoffed. “Since when are you in the position to lecture me? Do you have a child? Do you understand the heart of a mother who wants her son to wake up?” Astrid fell silent; she did not dare to argue. “Get out!” Emily exploded, annoyed by Astrid’s presence.

“Stop putting on an act in front of me. It’s really disgusting!” Astrid paused briefly before walking out with her head lowered. I’ll never let someone else take care of Christopher! What if he wakes up one day without me knowing about it? I’ll be doomed if he wakes up and exposes everything that happened. No way! I won’t let that happen! Gizem sat quietly beside Samuel while he drove. Samuel’s handsome face had a cool and indifferent expression. “Don’t get involved in Finn’s matters. Caleb will never let him off. In fact, you’ll face the same fate if you get involved.” Gizem side-eyed him. “Mr. Macari, are you concerned about me?” “I just don’t want anything to happen to my daughter. There’s no one to treat her once you’re dead,” Samuel said. Gizem asked placidly, “So, does that mean Finn’s infertility is Caleb’s doing?”

Chapter 322

I Am His Girlfriend Now Samuel gave her a vague answer, “Who knows?” He could not care less about Finn’s issue at that moment. His main priority was to ensure that Gizem would stay alive. For him, it served as a kind of insurance policy. He hoped that if something were to happen to him, Gizem would remember his goodwill and continue to treat Desi’s illness.

“I should thank you nonetheless, Mr. Macari,” Gizem insisted. She felt incredibly appreciative of Samuel. Samuel wore an indifferent expression. “As you should.” “Mr. Macari, you’ve been continuously reminding me of your kindness. Is this your method of bribing me to take good care of Desi?” Gizem inquired, her gaze locked on Samuel. Much to her surprise, Samuel gave her a straightforward reply, “Yes. You’re right.” He did not mind her knowing his intentions. “I didn’t expect you to be calculative, Mr. Macari,” Gizem remarked casually. Nonchalantly, Samuel retorted, “You could always opt to betray my kindness.” “I won’t,” Gizem firmly proclaimed. “I’ve decided to take on the responsibility of caring for Desi, and I have no intention of quitting. Unless you want the caregiver changed, or else, I won’t slack off on my work until Desi turns eighteen and eventually gets her surgery done.” In a cold tone, Samuel said, “I hope you keep to your promise, Dr. Zabinski.” Samuel’s evident lack of sincerity was audible to Gizem throughout his speech. She stated, casting him a sidelong glance, “Don’t worry. I never turn back on my promises.” Instead of responding, Samuel kept his attention on the road as he sent Gizem back to the hospital. He was not the type to spare his attention on people other than his two children. Gizem was just about to thank Samuel when she got out of the car. However, the latter drove away instantly. Gizem was rendered speechless. Forget it. She then turned around and walked toward her office.

The phone on the office desk rang just as she walked in. “Master?” Gizem murmured as she answered the phone. “I’ve heard you were held captive by Finn,” Theodore questioned playfully. “Yeah,” Gizem replied while nodding. “He wanted me to treat his wife, but it turns out that he’s the one who’s sick.” “What’s wrong with him?” Theodore inquired, intrigued. “Probably something to do with his kidney,” Gizem said monotonously. “Does this mean that you’ve run a checkup on him?” Theodore asked again. “No. I merely took a look at him,” Gizem answered. “Traditional medicine requires the practitioner to listen, ask, and observe, yet you were able to tell what his problem was just by a mere glance. You’re indeed amazing,” Theodore exclaimed with a laugh. Gizem said in exasperation, “That’s not a big deal, but I honestly had no idea that guys like him existed! How dare he hold me hostage?” Damn it! “I’ve heard you’ve taught him a lesson, didn’t you?” Theodore questioned. Furrowing her brows, Gizem asked, “How did you know, Master? Did the news spread that quickly?” Theodore was at a loss for words. Regaining his composure, he said, “I have my connections in Jadeborough.” Gizem, on the other hand, was skeptical of his words.

“Then why didn’t you send your people to help me, Master?” “Umm…” Theodore muttered, clearly taken aback by Gizem’s question. “I’m the disciple capable of making the most money for you!” Gizem ranted. “That’s because I know how capable you are. I know Finn won’t be able to harm you,” Theodore explained. Yet, Gizem remained skeptical. “I’m hanging up if there’s nothing else, Master.” “Take good care of yourself,” Theodore reminded. “Got it.” With that, Gizem ended the call with a frown etched on her face. Somehow, she had a weird feeling about her conversation with Theodore. However, a knock on the door soon snapped her out of her thoughts. Gizem turned around at the sound. “You are?” “Hi, I’m Gemma. I was previously Dr. Zimmer’s nurse. The management informed me that you’ll need a nurse.

That’s why I’m here,” Gemma said with a small smile. Gizem nodded. “Nice to meet you, Gemma.” “I’ve been working in this hospital for many years. Thus, I’m very familiar with everything around here. Do let me know if you need anything,” Gemma said as she entered the office. “I will,” Gizem replied. She stared at Gemma and asked, “Are you Richard’s girlfriend?” A blush crept up Gemma’s cheeks as she stuttered, “N-No. I’m not…” “I saw a picture of you in Richard’s wallet. I noticed it when he treated us to coffee during our hospital meeting,” Gizem explained. Gemma only pursed her lips shyly and remained silent upon hearing Gizem’s words. “Are you free during the afternoon?” Gizem asked curiously. “Yeah, I am. Do you need anything?” Gemma inquired. “I want to get a car,” Gizem replied. “I see. I’ll go with you,” Gemma said with a chuckle. “All right,” Gizem responded, wearing her doctor’s coat. “Could you please let the patients in?” Gemma nodded in response. Immediately after work, Gizem and Gemma headed to a car dealership shop. In a hushed tone, Gemma inquired, “Are you sure this shop is where you want to purchase your car? They’re all rather pricey.” Gizem nodded. “Yeah, I’ve been driving cars like these during my time in Moranta.” “Wow! You’re loaded, Dr. Zabinski!” Gemma exclaimed in shock.

The cars from this shop cost about four to five million. However, the price would quickly rise to a whopping six million when all external charges were included. Gizem became aware of the problem as she hurriedly explained, “I’m not trying to show off my wealth.” “You don’t have to get so tense, Dr. Zabinski,” Gemma reassured with a laugh. “Let’s just take a look at the cars,” Gizem muttered. Previously, Gizem did not care about others’ opinion on her. But when she heard Gemma’s words, she felt the need to explain herself right away. After some browsing, Gizem finally settled on the car that she bought during her time in Moranta. The only difference was that the one in the shop was the latest version. It was black in color and had a sleek design. “I’ll get this one please,” Gizem stated softly. The shop assistant was overjoyed. “Of course. Would you want to pay in installments or in full?” “Full payment, please,” Gizem responded, pulling out her black card.

The shop assistant’s eyes widened upon seeing Gizem’s black card. After all, not everyone owned a black card as such. Most importantly, these cards were not given out to anyone at random. However, just as the shop assistant was going to accept the card in Gizem’s hand, it was grabbed away by someone else. It was Yareli. She questioned, her tone dripping with mockery, “Don’t you feel ashamed spending someone else’s money, Dr. Zabinski?” Gizem shot her a sideways glance as she asked icily, “Someone else’s money?” “You heard me right. I reckon this card belongs to Samuel.” Yareli’s eyes remained steely as she continued, “Samuel would not simply hand over his black card to anyone. Admit it; you stole the card, didn’t you?” Gizem gripped Yareli’s wrist and snatched the black card back. “Is there only one black card in the entire world?” “Anyway, it’s impossible that a mere doctor like you owns one! You must have stolen Samuel’s black card and came here to act like you’re loaded!” Yareli exclaimed. Gizem chose to ignore Yareli. She turned to the shop assistant and handed him the card. “I’d like to get the car immediately after the transaction.” The shop assistant was at a loss for words. Hesitantly, he replied, “All right.” “I’m telling you, you’ll be committing theft if you dare swipe the card!” Yareli screamed at the shop assistant.

The shop assistant stopped in his tracks, clearly at a loss for what to do. Meanwhile, Gemma had just returned from the restroom. She immediately strode toward Gizem after seeing Yareli putting Gizem in a tight spot. Angrily, she yelled, “Are you out of your mind, Yareli?” “Oh. It’s you,” Yareli sneered. “What about me?” Gemma asked, displeased by Yareli’s tone. “I’m not like you; I don’t brazenly pester a man who doesn’t love me. Hell, you even want to become the stepmother to his children! Not to mention, the children’s mother is your cousin.” Everyone was looking at Yareli with odd gazes upon hearing Gemma’s words. Yareli bit her lip. “What nonsense are you spouting! Kathleen has been dead for years. It’s not like it’s illegal for me to like Samuel!” “It’s not illegal, of course. But does Samuel even like you?” Gemma pressed on. Yareli fumed, “At least I’m his girlfriend now!”

Chapter 323

Do You Have Proof Gemma scoffed. “I dare you to call Samuel and repeat that to him.” Yareli exclaimed furiously, “That’s not the point now! The point is that this woman stole Samuel’s card and is planning to use it to buy herself a car.” Gemma turned to look at Gizem. Gizem stole Samuel’s card? How is that possible? “You’ve been blabbering about me stealing his card. Do you even have any proof to support your accusation?” Gizem questioned. Yareli pursed her lips.

“That card over there is the proof!” “I demand you to apologize to me if this card is proven not to be Samuel’s,” Gizem stated, her gaze cold. Yareli’s eyes were burning with contempt as she retorted, “Pfft. There has to be a problem. How could a regular doctor like you, who barely makes that much in a year, afford to buy a fancy car whenever you wanted?” Yareli was aware that Gizem had moved into Florinia Manor. She, however, had never stepped foot into that place even after five years. Yet, Gizem managed to move in as soon as she appeared. Yareli was sure of one thing, and it was that Gizem was a woman with many tricks up her sleeves. Gizem was clearly average looking. Thus, even after wrecking her brain, Yareli could not come up with an appropriate reason why Samuel had allowed Gizem to move into the manor. With an icy expression, Gizem said to the shop assistant, “Please check the account name of this card and inform this lady over here.” Yes, Miss,” the shop assistant replied before carrying out the request right away. Yareli felt slightly uneasy.

However, she had her own deductions. If this card does not belong to Samuel, it must belong to other men. As long as she could prove that Gizem had monetary exchanges with other men, she could then find a way to kick Gizem out of Florinia Manor. After a while, the shop assistant was back. “This card belongs to Ms. Gizem,” he said, his eyes shining with admiration. “Heard that?” Gizem inquired as she gave Yareli a glare. “This is impossible!” Yareli shrieked. “She’s a mere doctor! How is it possible that she owns a black card?” The shop assistant gave Yareli a dirty glare. “You seem to be unaware that she is not only a doctor but also a car designer. She personally designed this model.” Everyone was shocked. Gemma, too, was stunned. Gizem’s the designer of the car. That’s why she chose to come here and chose this particular car. “I’ve just received a call from the headquarters, Ms. Gizem. You can drive this car away free of charge,” the shop assistant informed as he handed Gizem the keys. Gizem took the keys and stared at Yareli impassively. At that moment, Yareli’s mouth was agape due to the shock she was experiencing.

“I strongly suggest you read more to broaden your knowledge. Talking to people like you makes me feel like I’m squandering my intelligence,” Gizem snidely said. “You!” Yareli squeaked; her lips were twitching from the fury. Gizem, however, ignored her and jumped inside the car as she said to Gemma, “Get in. I’ll take you for a drive.” “Sure thing,” Gemma squealed in delight as she climbed into the car. Gizem then drove the car away. Yareli gritted her teeth. She peered at the car that was slowly vanishing from her line of sight, a bitter glare building in her eyes. During their drive, Gemma was delighted as she commented, “This car’s functionality is amazing.” Gizem smiled at that. She stopped the car when they passed a cake shop. “What’s the matter?” Gemma asked curiously. “I kind of want to have some cake,” Gizem replied. “My treat. To thank you for driving me around,” Gemma stated as she got out of the car.

“I want a strawberry-flavored one,” Gizem informed. Gemma froze in her steps before smiling lightly. “Sure.” Meanwhile, Gizem was waiting for Gemma in the car. She enjoyed herself as she listened to the music playing from her stereo. After some time, Gemma reappeared, holding a box of cake. She opened the box, revealing a variety of cakes within it. Gizem took out the piece topped with strawberries. With the tiny plastic fork in her hand, she pierced the strawberry and ate it first. Gemma was taken aback momentarily by Gizem’s actions. “Do you always start with the strawberries?” “Yeah,” Gizem replied. “Shouldn’t we always eat delicious things first? It’s somewhat like love, I think. It’s sort of like those relationships that we know are bound to hurt us— Somehow, we manage to remember all the good parts of it instead of the bad parts.” Gemma froze. Kathleen had said the exact same words in the past. “What’s the matter?” Gizem looked at her in bewilderment. “Nothing. I just thought of a friend of mine,” Gemma explained as she took a bite of the blueberry cake. “She likes strawberry cake too. And similarly, she likes eating the strawberries first and even said the same things you did.” “You could always meet her if you miss her,” Gizem suggested. “She… passed away,” Gemma said. After a slight pause, she continued, “I heard that she had complications during labor and lost too much blood.” Shocked, Gizem asked, “What about her children?”

“They’re still alive. You’ve met them,” Gemma said quietly. It then dawned on Gizem. “You mean Eil and Desi’s mother?” Gemma nodded. “My friend was really kind and responsible. To be honest, I think she’d probably still be alive if it weren’t for difficult labor.” “But maybe it was worth it for her. Sacrificing herself for the sake of her two children, I mean,” said Gizem as she stopped forking her cake. Gemma merely stared at her quietly. “I’d also nearly became a mother, but I lost my child in the end,” Gizem continued lightly. Gemma was baffled. “You’re already married, Dr. Zabinski?” “Nope. He was just my boyfriend at the time,” Gizem explained. “He passed away when I was pregnant. I didn’t expect the child to go with him. The miscarriage was due to a car accident. Similarly, I lost too much blood, and paired with the impact of the crash— I ended up losing my memories as well.” Gemma was shaken to the core as she breathed, “Your experience is too traumatic.” “Yeah. The past was too painful. My heart aches each time I try to think of my boyfriend at the time. I believe he’s trying to stop me from thinking about him, so I’ve stopped. But life has been good this way— I no longer live in pain. Although I can’t remember the past, it hasn’t really affected me in any way,” Gizem muttered. Gemma nodded understandingly. “You’re right. It’s better not to think about the past if it’s that painful.” The two of them then chatted away amicably. “Dr. Zabinski, would you be interested in taking part in a charity event?” Gemma asked. Gizem was interested. “What is the event about?”

“It’s an event about caring for the autistic. We have an activity in two days and we kind of have a shortage of staff. Do you want to join?” Gemma explained. “Sure.” Gizem nodded in agreement. “Great! I’m sure this event will be even better with your participation,” Gemma exclaimed happily. After talking a little more, Gizem sent Gemma home and drove back to the manor. Meanwhile, at Florinia Manor, Samuel had just managed to get Desi to sleep. His phone rang as he walked into his study. With furrowed brows, he answered, “Hello?” “It’s me, Samuel. Why didn’t you pick up when I called you using my phone?” Yareli said anxiously. Yareli had borrowed another person’s phone. The current number was someone else’s. “What is it?” Samuel asked impassively. “You have to get Gizem out of Florinia Manor, Samuel!” Yareli exclaimed. Warily, she continued, “That woman is bad news. She’s got herself mixed up with several different men. I can send you pictures as proof.” Samuel remained unfazed.

“Do you have too much time on your hands?” Why should he care about how many men Gizem had dated in the past? “You’ll understand after seeing the pictures, Samuel. The woman is a bad influence for Desi,” Yareli insisted.

Chapter 324

I Have To Find Her Samuel hung up the phone, his expression ice-cold. Yareli then sent him the photos. After glancing at them, Samuel noticed that the photos documented intimate moments of Gizem with other men. However, that was not all. Samuel even knew the identities of some of the men in the photos. Hmph. I really underestimated her.

Just then, he heard footsteps coming from outside. He put his phone down and turned to head outside. Gizem was just about to return to her room when she saw Samuel exiting his study. “Mr. Macari,” she greeted him. “I have something to speak to you about,” Samuel responded coldly. Gizem paused for a moment before she turned and walked into his study. “What’s wrong, Mr. Macari?” Gizem asked with a frown. Samuel remained cold as he spoke. “I heard that you purchased a car at a car dealership today.” “Did Yareli tell you this?” Gizem questioned. Samuel nodded.

“Yes, indeed.” Gizem then asked seriously, “Mr. Macari, there isn’t anything wrong with me buying a car, is there?” “Fancy cars complement a beautiful woman like you. Of course, I won’t get in the way of you making friends. It’s just that…” Samuel’s tone suddenly changed. “I hope that you can be aware of your influence. After all, my daughter is still young.” “What do you mean by that?” Gizem furrowed her brows deeply. Samuel then switched on his phone. “Take a look at this yourself.” After Gizem skimmed through the photos on his phone, her expression changed drastically. “Who gave you these?” “Is this you?” Samuel questioned coldly. “I’ve studied them and found that there were no traces of photoshopping.” Gizem clenched her fists tightly. “It is me.” Samuel’s gaze darkened after he heard her response. Although Gizem seemed ordinary, she didn’t look like someone who had no dignity. Never would he expect that he would be wrong about her. “All these happened a long time ago,” Gizem continued as she returned the phone to him. Samuel sat down as an icy glint crossed his eyes. “I hope that you can understand my concerns. If you continue doing such things, I’ll consider removing you from your position.

After all, my daughter’s health is of utmost importance and so is her education.” “Don’t worry, Mr. Macari. I won’t let her know about this.” With that, Gizem turned around and made her leave. Samuel’s gaze darkened. His expression remained cold as he looked at the photos on his phone. For some reason, the woman in the photos had eyes full of ambition. However, that was not the case with Gizem. Gizem’s eyes were clear and innocent without any trace of impurities. However, she had said that those things happened years ago. Perhaps, she had genuinely changed. After Gizem returned to her room, she dialed a number on her phone. Soon, the call was answered. “Master, it’s me.” Gizem spoke in a cold voice. Theodore was slightly taken aback upon hearing her tone. ”Oh. Who got on your nerves?”

“Master, where’s Lauren?” Gizem asked furiously. “She went to help me handle some stuff. What’s the matter?” Theodore frowned. “If she’s out on a mission, then so be it. But why does she have to use the same face as me?” There was a flicker of irritation in Gizem’s voice. “Now Samuel is doubting my identity, and it’s making things so difficult for me!” “Calm down. Isn’t this normal? It is only then that you can confuse Samuel and prevent him from questioning your identity,” Theodore replied with a slight smile. “I just looked through the photos that Samuel received. The latest one was from three days ago. I was in Jadeborough then. How could I have appeared in Lusterg? Tell her to stop this immediately. If not, I’ll tear off this hyper-realistic mask!” Gizem fumed. Theodore could tell that Gizem was genuinely enraged and tried to comfort her, “All right. All right. I’ll talk to her about it. Calm down.” “Master, you know what my temper is like. This is the one thing that I cannot tolerate! This isn’t the first time. If she does it again, I’ll immediately go back and teach her a good lesson!” Gizem snapped. With that, she ended the call. Theodore grinned as he looked at his phone. “What a temper.” He then gave Lauren a call. “Yes, leader?” Lauren’s tone was exceptionally respectful. “You went way overboard. Don’t let this happen again,” Theodore said icily.

At this, Lauren responded nonchalantly, “Master, I’m only doing this so that Samuel won’t suspect that she has other agendas. By trying to establish a flirtatious image for her, Samuel won’t be interested in her.” “Lauren, I have to remind you. If you enrage her this time, I won’t hold her back again,” Theodore warned. “I understand,” replied Lauren sheepishly. Theodore then hung up. “What an annoying old man!” Lauren snorted at the phone. After ending the call, Gizem still felt enraged. Lauren is just too ridiculous! She then picked up the phone and called her subordinate. “Freeze all the cards that Lauren has this instant.” “Understood.” The subordinate immediately did as he was told. An icy expression formed on Gizem’s face. Lauren loves to splurge. I’ll see how she’s going to go insane without money! In the deep of the night, Samuel was done with his work. He got up and prepared to head back to his room for a rest. When he picked up his phone, he saw that it was still on the page where he showed Gizem the photos. He was just about to exit the page when all of a sudden, he noticed that there was a digital clock in the background of one of the photos. The date was displayed on the digital clock. However, it showed that the photo was taken three days ago, and Gizem was still in Jadeborough then. How could she have suddenly gone to Lusterg? Besides, Samuel was certain that the photo had not been doctored. Unless, there were two Gizems, and the one in the photo was a Gizem that he didn’t know of. If it wasn’t her, then why did she admit it? Could it be that the woman is her twin sister? Samuel recalled the expression on Gizem’s face a while ago. She seemed furious and was desperately trying to hold back her emotions. Initially, Samuel thought that she was angry because he exposed her. But now, that didn’t seem to be the case. There were too many mysteries surrounding her.

As he thought about this, Samuel immediately called Leonard. “How are your investigations going?” Samuel asked coldly. Leonard replied, “There’s something strange, Samuel. You said that Kathleen passed away, but why isn’t there a single funeral portrait of her in Charles’ home?” “There isn’t?” Samuel’s voice was hoarse. “Then what about other stuff?” “I have indeed found some traces of Kathleen’s life.” Leonard paused for a while before continuing, “But they are very strange.” “How so?” Samuel asked. Leonard explained, “Here’s the thing, Samuel. I found that five years ago, Charles hired a caregiver. However, no one knew about this. I only found out about this after discovering a document on Charles’ desk. On the document, it wrote that he was providing thrice the salary for a caregiver to take care of an unconscious patient.” “Can you find this caregiver?” Samuel asked coldly. “The caregiver is from Pandera. I guess I have to get the people over there to help me out,” Leonard replied. “Get it done as soon as possible.” Samuel’s gaze darkened. “Did you discover anything else?” “Nope,” Leonard answered. “Do a check on Gizem for me as well.

I suspect that there are two Gizems.” “Two?” Leonard was stunned. “Do you want me to ask Richard about this?” Samuel replied coldly, “I’ve tried to call Richard, but the call didn’t get through. You can investigate this first.” “All right.” Leonard nodded. Samuel’s eyes turned dark. No matter where Kathleen was, he had to find her.

Chapter 325

Adults Are All Liars The next day, Gizem received a phone call from Lauren. “What is the meaning of all this?” Lauren was fuming. Gizem set her phone aside and put the call on speaker. “Nothing.” Lauren replied huffily, “I’m out of money.” “So?” Gizem’s tone was ice cold. “I’m not your parent. Am I supposed to give you an allowance?” “Gizem, what’s your problem?” Lauren was upset. “Just because I spent some of your money, you think you can act so high and mighty?”

“Don’t spend my money then. Every time you run out of money, you come crawling back to me,” mocked Gizem. “You!” Lauren gritted her teeth. “What the h*ll is wrong with you?” “Lauren, if you ever mess around using my face again, I won’t let you get away with it.” Gizem’s tone was flat. “It’s not your real face anyway. What’s the big fuss?” Lauren sneered. “Anyhow, once you’re done with your mission, your face and name will disappear.” “That might be so, but I am still using them now. In the meantime, you better act smarter!” Gizem retorted coolly. “Gizem, I am your senior.” Lauren was infuriated. Gizem said indifferently, “Senior? I would still scold you the same way even if you were my master.” With that, she hung up the phone. Lauren was boiling with rage. She set down her phone as she clenched her jaw. Stupid Gizem! She decided to make a call to Theodore. “Are you here to tattle on Gizem?” said Theodore half-jokingly. “Master, she’s nothing but a pawn. Why are you so nice to her?” Lauren couldn’t accept this. “Oh, what do you know? Do you have any idea who her mentor is?” he asked sternly. “Of course. Her mentor is one of your seniors. So what? She’s still foolishly toyed by us,” uttered Lauren with contempt.

“Lauren, for the past five years, everything we have, we owe to her. She’s smart, and she’s useful to us,” reminded Theodore solemnly. Lauren snorted. “We are too hung up on the past. Kathleen knows how to break through to the future. She is the reason we’ve gotten to where we are today,” he praised. “Fine. I’ll bear with her a little longer,” Lauren said icily. “By the way, any news on Nicolette’s whereabouts?” asked Theodore. “No,” Lauren answered. The whole purpose of her trip this time was to look for Nicolette. She also wanted to relax while she was at it. However, Gizem was putting a damper on her plans. Five years ago, Nicolette had taken the chaos as an opportunity to escape. Although Theodore had told Lauren that Nicolette was no longer someone that mattered, Lauren still could not let go of the matter. That was why she was out searching for Nicolette. Lauren had no idea where she could be hiding. There was no sign of her at all. The only thing Lauren could do was set this matter aside for the time being. Her priority right now was the issue in Jadeborough. The next day, Desi knew that Gizem was going to attend a charity event and insisted on tagging along. Gizem knew that Samuel disliked it when Desi tagged along with her. This was because he was worried Gizem would be a bad influence on Desi. Although this upset Gizem, she did not want to stir up any trouble. “Desi, I’m sorry, but I’m really busy today. I won’t have the time to look after you,” she explained. “Ms. Zabinski, you hate me, don’t you?” said Desi sadly. Although Desi had discussed this with Eil before, she still adored Gizem. “Of course not. I’ll bring you next time, okay?” Gizem replied helplessly. “You adults are all liars.” Desi pouted. Just as Gizem was in a dilemma, Samuel came downstairs. When he saw his daughter’s reddened eyes, his heart ached. “What’s going on?” “Daddy, I want to follow Ms. Zabinski to the event.” Desi tugged at Samuel’s pants. “Daddy, I want to go.” “Desi, you’re not supposed to go to places with too many people.” Samuel’s tone was soft. Gizem stared at the elegant, handsome man before her.

It was as though he had given all his tenderness to his daughter. Even though he seemed cold on the outside, he was surprisingly a very loving father. Desi’s puppy dog face aroused pity within them. Due to the little girl’s condition, Samuel rarely brought her out to play. He was afraid that something might happen to her. Desi was very obedient as well. She had never once rebelled against her father’s words. When Samuel first woke up and saw the scrawny state she was in, his heart almost tore into two. The doctor said that since Desi was so tiny, it meant her mother’s pregnancy probably wasn’t a great one. When Samuel heard that, he hugged Desi and cried. Kathleen had sacrificed her life to give birth to Desi and Eil. How could his heart not ache? In a cold voice, he said, “Can you promise me that you won’t run around or get too excited? If anything happens, you must tell Dr. Zabinski at once. Do you understand?”

“Does that mean I can go?” Desi was overwhelmed with excitement. Samuel nodded. “However, I will go pick you up in the afternoon.” “Okay!” Desi was over the moon. She went over to Gizem. “Ms. Zabinski, I can go.” Gizem nodded. “Go get changed. I’ll wait for you.” “Okay, don’t leave without me,” Desi reminded. “I won’t,” replied Gizem with a smile. Immediately, Desi turned around to go upstairs. Gizem raised her head to look at Samuel. “Mr. Macari…” “I know. My men will protect her from afar. Plus, I’ll pick her up in the afternoon,” Samuel assured. “Don’t worry, Mr. Macari. I’ll take good care of her,” promised Gizem. His expression remained indifferent as he hummed in agreement. When she saw how cold his reaction was, Gizem felt a little insulted. Does he not trust me? Just then, Desi came back downstairs. She was wearing a beautiful pale yellow princess dress, looking very adorable. When Gizem saw the little girl, her heart almost melted. A lot of colleagues in Gizem’s department often criticized her for being too cold and unfriendly. Honestly, she saw herself as a distant person as well. However, that all changed after she met Desi. Now, she realized she wasn’t as emotionless as before. At least when it came to Desi, she had feelings. “Let’s go.” Gizem grabbed Desi’s hand. Desi was feeling very joyful. She said goodbye to Samuel before following Gizem out. Gizem drove her new car to take Desi to the event. Half an hour later, they finally reached the event venue. Gizem helped Desi out of the car as Gemma came out to welcome them. Gemma was surprised when she saw Desi. “Wow. Samuel let you bring his little princess out?” Gizem shrugged. “Why not?” “Hi, Ms. Young,” Desi greeted sweetly. Gemma picked her up. Desi was Kathleen’s daughter. In terms of looks, she was the spitting image of her mother. Gemma had seen Kathleen as a child. Thus, she adored Desi even more. However, Samuel hardly allowed Desi out of the house. When Gemma missed Desi, she would always visit Samuel’s place. It was very unexpected to be able to see Desi outside this time. “Come on. I’ll take you to go meet the others.

The host of this event is called Federick. He has a daughter who suffers from autism. With his years of effort, her condition has improved somewhat,” explained Gemma.

Chapter 326

Go To Hell As they spoke, they reached a stall. Federick was taking his daughter, Madeline, around and giving out his books. He was as elegant and dignified as always. Madeline was eleven years old. She was a beautiful child. Her eyes were big and bright, but she was rather reserved. For the most part, she kept quiet. “Federick, hey. Look who’s here.” Gemma carried Desi over.

“Desi?” Federick was shocked. “I thought Samuel isn’t free today?” “Hello, Mr. Evans,” said Desi adorably. Federick patted her on the head. “Long time no see, Desi.” “Ms. Young, put me down,” said Desi. Gemma let her down gently. After getting down, Desi went over to Madeline’s side. She grabbed her hand. “Hi, Madeline.” Madeline looked at her and nodded. Federick glanced at the two girls. Until now, Madeline was still not great at taking the initiative to socialize with others. However, Desi seemed to possess some kind of charm which made Madeline willing to socialize with her. As expected of Kathleen’s daughter. “Mr. Evans, let me introduce you to Gizem. She is Desi’s doctor.

She is the one who brought Desi here today,” said Gemma. Federick was taken aback. “You brought Desi here?” Gizem nodded. Federick was in disbelief. “Gizem, this is Federick Evans. He’s the one who published all these picture books. The contents are related to children with autism,” stated Gemma slowly. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Evans.” Gizem extended her hand. Federick followed suit and shook her hand while sizing her up at the same time. In his opinion, Gizem wasn’t particularly pretty. She looked to be an average woman. However, her eyes were extraordinarily bright. It instantly reminded him of Kathleen.

“Pleasure to meet you.” Federick’s expression was neutral. Kathleen and Gizem’s eyes were identical. This caused Federick to worry. What if Samuel misses Kathleen too much and starts a relationship with Gizem? Nevertheless, at the same time, he knew that Samuel was not that stupid. The moment Madeline saw Gizem, she was stunned. She let go of Desi’s hand and ran over to Gizem, hugging her. This shocked everyone around. “Hello!” Madeline was very emotional. Gizem was quite confused. Federick went over immediately. “Madeline, let go of her please.” Madeline shook her head. She tightened her grip around Gizem’s waist. “It’s Ms. Johnson!” “I’m so sorry.” Federick looked at Gizem awkwardly. In response, Gizem shook her head. “It’s fine. Just let her hug me.” “My daughter isn’t usually like this.

The only person she acts this way around is Kathleen,” stated Federick meaningfully. Gizem furrowed her eyebrows. “You mean Mr. Macari’s wife?” “That’s right.” Federick took hold of Desi’s hand. “My daughter has autism. Previously, she never interacted with anyone. Her condition only improved after she met Kathleen. When Kathleen passed away five years ago, my daughter was devastated for quite some time. It’s only recently that she’s been doing better.” This showed how much Madeline adored Kathleen. Gizem replied politely, “I see. But, I’m not Kathleen.” “I know, but maybe you guys are the same kind of person,” answered Federick. That was why Madeline took such a liking to Gizem. “No, it’s her!” Madeline shook her head vigorously. “She’s Ms. Johnson.” She remembered Kathleen’s eyes. “Be good, Madeline. Let’s finish giving out the books to the other children first, okay?” Federick tugged at Madeline’s hand. However, the girl shrugged her father’s hand away. Federick was put in a very awkward position. “Dr. Zabinski, please take good care of Madeline. Federick, let me help you out,” said Gemma. “Mr. Evans, I can help too,” said Desi. “Thank you.”

Federick caressed Desi’s head. This was the first time Gizem was faced with such a situation. None of them seemed to want to help her out as well. “Madeline, can you let go of me for a minute? I won’t run away. Please?” pleaded Gizem. Fortunately, Madeline was very obedient. She instantly let go of Gizem. Gizem breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you for liking me. However, I am not Ms. Johnson. My name is Gizem. It’s nice to meet you.” She reached her hand out. Madeline shook her hand whilst shaking her head hard. “No. You are Ms. Johnson.” In a resigned tone, Gizem said, “You can treat me as her if you’d like.” “You are her!” Madeline was overjoyed. She grabbed Gizem’s hand and went over to give out books along with everyone else. “Madeline, do you like Ms. Zabinski too?” asked Desi cheerfully. Madeline nodded. Desi smiled. “Me too. Let me tell you something. She smells like Mommy.” Madeline pondered for a while before nodding seriously. “Yes. She smells like Ms. Johnson.” Federick gazed meaningfully at Madeline, his thin lips curling into a smile. One hour later, they were done giving out all the books. Since this was a charity event, there wasn’t much profit to be earned. Regardless, everyone felt very fulfilled.

“I need to go to the washroom,” said Desi. Madeline grabbed her hand and led her toward the washroom. Even though she was a child with autism, she understood that as the older one, it was her responsibility to take care of Desi. “I’ll keep an eye on them.” Gizem followed the two girls. She couldn’t let Desi out of her sight. After the two girls headed into the washroom, Gizem waited outside. Just then, a woman came up to her. “Can I borrow a lighter?” “I don’t smoke,” replied Gizem flatly. The woman suddenly raised her head. There was a gleam in her eyes. “Then, go to hell!” With that, she pulled out a knife and aimed it at Gizem’s stomach. Fortunately, Gizem reacted quickly. She swiftly grabbed hold of the woman’s wrist. Coincidentally, Madeline and Desi came out of the washroom. “Go back inside!” yelled Gizem. The two children were frightened and too stunned to move. The woman turned around and shouted behind her, “Don’t just stand there!” Following her order, four men came rushing in. D*mn it! The four men headed straight toward Madeline and Desi. Just as the two girls were prepared to scream, the men sprayed some sort of chemical on their faces and knocked them out. Then, the men picked up the two children and headed out. Meanwhile, Gizem was still holding onto the woman’s wrist. She twisted the woman’s arm to the side, then raised her leg to kick the woman in the stomach. The woman heard a crack as her bones broke. Immediately after, she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen. The pain caused her to collapse to the floor. Gizem quickly ran out to catch up to the men and grabbed one of them by the shoulder. The man turned and swung his fist at her face.

Gizem was still holding the knife that the woman used earlier. Using the knife, she sliced the man’s wrist as hard as she could. The man cried out miserably, knowing that his tendon had been cut through. His screams attracted a lot of attention around them. One of the men who was carrying Madeline flung her to the floor and headed over in Gizem’s direction. At this point, Gizem already knew that they were most likely targeting Desi. The two men that were carrying Desi had already gone much further ahead. At that moment, Federick suddenly came running over. “What are you guys doing?” he roared.

The man immediately turned his focus toward Federick’s yell. Gizem let Federick deal with the man and went to rescue Desi. Please don’t let anything happen to Desi!

Chapter 327

Why Cry Gizem caught up to the two people. They had already opened the car door and got Desi into the car. One of the men gave way for another to get into the car first. Gizem’s eyes flashed with a cold glint as she flung the dagger in her hand out. The dagger landed gingerly on the eye of the man who was about to take Desi away. The man let out a sharp wail.

The other man dashed over in Gizem’s direction, the one who was the strongest among the group of four. However, Gizem did not seem at all intimidated. The man took out a blade, and Gizem’s eyes narrowed as he aimed the blade right at her. She turned sideways and managed to dodge the blade unscathed, save for a few slashed strands of hair. Her eyes darkened as she snapped, “You have a death wish!” The man let out a cold snicker. “A mere wench and you dare challenge me?” Then, he hurled another blade in her direction, to which she managed to dodge yet again. The man who had gotten hurt pulled out the dagger in his eye and aimed it right at Desi. “If you keep up with this fight, I will kill her!”

Just as Gizem was stumped, the blade managed to land itself on her shoulders. Her khaki windbreaker was soon stained with fresh blood. The man who was clutching yet another blade beamed smugly. “Aren’t you really good at fighting?” the man snickered. “You’ve hurt four of my men. I’m going to avenge them now!” Then, he held the blade high up in the air. Gizem pursed her lips and reached into her pocket. Bang! The sound of a gunfire shot filled the air.

The man holding the blade fell to the ground as he suffered a shot to the back of his head. Another man glanced over to his side. Gizem grasped the opportunity and dashed over to kick the man aside, trying hard to hold in her pain. The man fell to the ground, and the dagger that he was clutching was sent flying. He reached out and tried to grab it. Before he could, someone who was wearing a pair of shiny leather shoes stepped on the man’s hand and hissed, “You have a death wish!” Then, the sound of another gunfire shot rang out. The man was dead. After confirming that Desi was all right, Gizem turned to look at the man who saved her. Oddly, she found the man’s slender figure blurry. The pain in her shoulders was making her drift in and out of consciousness. In a semi-conscious state, she thought she saw Samuel. She mumbled softly, ”Samuel… Samuel…” Samuel approached and supported her.

Only then did he realize that she was bleeding profusely. His blood-stained hand held Gizem’s face as he urged, “Wake up!” Gizem looked at the man and mumbled softly, “Samuel, you’re all right. Samuel, I won’t let you die.” Then, she fainted. Samuel was stumped as he held her in his embrace. For some unknown reason, he felt a numbing pain in his chest. Then, he rushed Gizem to the hospital and waited outside the operating room. His sleeves, shirt, chest, and hands were all stained with blood. He stood frozen, still as a statue. Gemma approached him and reported, “Mr. Macari, Desi and Madeline are all right, but they’re on sedatives and will only regain consciousness after some time.” Samuel nodded. “Luckily Gizem has managed to stall them,” Gemma said and pursed her lips. “I hope she’s all right.”

“She’s going to be all right,” Samuel said coolly. Gemma paused for a moment before she said, “Mr. Macari, do you think⁠—” She had wanted to say something when the door of the operating room was pushed open. A doctor made his way out of the room. Samuel stepped forward and asked, “Doctor, is she going to be all right?” “Her shoulders are injured. Luckily, her bones are not affected. Nonetheless, she had received ten stitches and lost a lot of blood. She’s going to need ample rest to recuperate,” the doctor elucidated. Samuel nodded. “Yes, I understand.” The doctor then turned around to leave. Gizem was pushed out of the operating room and sent to the ward immediately. “Mr. Macari, you may want to go take a look at Desi. I will take care of Gizem.” “Okay. I will head there later.” “Sure.” Gemma nodded. Samuel turned around to leave while Gemma headed for Gizem’s ward. Gemma took care of Gizem, while both Madeline and Desi had people to take care of them as well. After some time, Gizem started to mutter a string of slurred sentences. “Samuel, please don’t… Don’t die. Samuel, why… are you doing this? Why? Samuel, I just hope you are alive…” Gemma could not clearly discern what she said. However, she did notice that Gizem had repeatedly mentioned Samuel’s name. She gave a long sigh. Samuel entered the ward right then. “How is she doing?”

Samuel asked, his brows knitted. “She’s sleep-talking,” Gemma answered hesitantly. Sleep-talking? Samuel approached Gizem’s bedside and bent over to listen to her. However, she had already stopped sleep-talking. Samuel cast a sideways glance at Gemma and asked, “What did she say just now?” “Nothing much. I can’t hear her clearly.” Gemma thought it was best to not tell Samuel about it. Things could potentially get really awkward, considering that Gizem still had to treat Desi. Given Gizem’s personality, Gemma reckoned that she would want to keep her feelings to herself. I don’t think that she will ever want to let Samuel know. Hence, Gemma thought it was best to bite her tongue. Samuel furrowed his brows. “Is she going to be all right?” “She’s going to be fine.” Gemma paused. “Mr. Macari, do you think we should inform Gizem’s family about her condition?” Samuel shook his head. “She’s an orphan.” An orphan? Gemma was surprised to hear that as she had no idea Gizem was an orphan. “I see… But, her injury…”

Samuel appeared quite impassive. “I will be responsible for that. After all, she was hurt for saving Desi…” “Mr. Macari, let me take care of her on your behalf,” Gemma said. Samuel trained his eyes on her. “It’s more convenient for me to take care of her as a woman,” Gemma explained. Besides, she did not wish to let Samuel overhear what she just heard Gizem utter. Samuel nodded in agreement. “Thank you.” “Well, I am a nurse,” Gemma stated plainly. “Do let me know when she’s awake,” Samuel said. “Sure.” Samuel then eyed Gizem before turning around to leave. Gemma sighed with relief. She looked at Gizem and said helplessly, “Gizem, you really shouldn’t have fallen for Samuel. Your feelings are futile and irrelevant.” Samuel headed out of the ward and leaned against the wall by the corridor. He heard every word that Gizem had uttered clearly before she fainted. Why did she say that? Who is she? Could it be that… No, that’s impossible! Unless someone’s changed her face and voice completely, otherwise… He pinched himself between his brows and reckoned that he must be overthinking the matter. How is it possible that Gizem is Kathleen? That’s impossible. A dark look crept up his face when he marched away.

The next day, Gizem finally woke up. She looked at the white ceilings atop her and instantly deduced that she was at the hospital. Gizem started to recollect her thoughts. She sat up and stared blankly out the window at the gloomy sky, contemplating her dream about Samuel. In the dream, she had a crush on Samuel. When he did not reciprocate her feelings, her heart ached. Gizem touched her face and realized that she had been crying. What’s happening? It was just a dream. Why did I cry? Have I really fallen for Samuel? How is that possible?

Chapter 328

I Am A Doctor “You’re awake.” Samuel’s voice came from the doorway. Gizem stilled before her gaze flew in his direction. “Yeah.” He strode in with an inscrutable expression. “Thank you for saving Desi and Madeline.” “Don’t mention it. It’s what I should do,” she returned. The intensity of his stare made her uneasy. She asked, “Are they hurt?” “No,” he replied flatly.

“Glad to hear that.” She breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh, right, what about the guys? Did you find out who sent them?” “The police are still interrogating them.” His stare never wavered from her, sending the hairs on her neck stand on end. “Do you have a question for me, Mr. Macari?” she asked uneasily. Samuel pulled out his phone and placed it in front of her. “This was taken in a casino in Lusterg about a week ago. Can you explain it?” Gizem lowered her head to look at the photo. It was Lauren impersonating her and getting caught on camera. I knew this would happen. “That woman isn’t me, Mr. Macari. She looks like me because I have plain features,” she clarified. “Don’t you think your explanation is a little far-fetched?” His expression remained emotionless. “Since that’s what you think, Mr. Macari, there’s nothing more I can say,” she said. “I guess we’ll have to do this the hard way.” His finger glided across the phone screen. “Take a look at these photos. They were the same person taken at the same time in different places, and they all work for Windwell Corporation.” She wrung her hands. “I don’t know anything about that.” “

If I find out you’re associated with that corporation, you’re doomed.” His expression turned flinty. Gizem could sense his wrath lining the words, and she felt an inexplicable pressure building in her chest. “Mr. Macari, even if I was associated with that corporation, I would never do you or Desi any harm. I’m a doctor,” she shot back. “Do I need to list out every heinous act they have committed to you?” Samuel snorted. Of course she was aware of what Windwell Corporation was capable of, but she wasn’t the kingpin and didn’t know the ins and outs. She only knew to keep her head down and mind her own business. He pocketed the phone and turned on his heels. “I’ll never forget how you saved Desi. And I’ll forever thank you for that.” Then, he left with long strides, his expression grim. Gizem felt as if the ground had fallen away beneath her. How dare he accuse me like that? I’ve never harmed anyone. Someone entered the room at that moment, and she glanced sideways at the door. It was Gemma.

“You’re awake, Dr. Zabinski.” Joy laced her tone as she spoke. “Yeah.” Gizem nodded. Gemma stepped further into the room. “Though you didn’t break any bones, you’re still severely injured. You might be unable to perform surgeries if we don’t treat your hand properly.” “I know.” She knew a thing or two about her own injury. “Would you like to contact your family members and tell them about your condition, Dr. Zabinski?” Gemma asked. “I don’t have any,” she answered. No family? “Are you an orphan?” Gemma asked, to which Gizem nodded. “What about your friends?” Gemma sounded sympathetic. Friends? No, I don’t think so. Gizem gave it a thought. She didn’t get along with her coworkers. They all treated her as though she were an alien. “I don’t have any either,” she replied monotonously. Gemma was frazzled. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.” “It’s all right.” Gizem shook her head lightly. Levi entered the room with a huge bouquet as soon as she finished speaking. “Hey, babe.” He was his usual annoying self. “Cut it out.” Gizem rubbed her temples. Gemma observed their exchange and took the hint.

“Well, I won’t interrupt you both.” She left with a smile. “I left you alone for a few days, and you managed to injure yourself. You should take better care of yourself.” He placed the flowers in Gizem’s arms. “Beautiful flowers for a beautiful woman,” he complimented. “I’m a plain Jane. You don’t have to force yourself to flatter me.” She gazed at the bouquet in her arms. “But thank you for the flowers. I like it.” Levi smiled faintly. “I knew you’d like it. See how well I know you?” Gizem was lost for words. “Babe, you should move in with me when you’re discharged.” His voice turned tender. “I’ll take care of you until you’ve fully recovered.” He was being serious. “Severe injuries will take a long time to heal, but mine are only flesh wounds. I don’t need anyone looking after me.” She declined.

Levi had nothing to do with her. She would never ask him to look after her. “Do you no longer love me?” His face fell in disappointment. Gizem said nothing. I never loved you in the first place. When a knock sounded on the door, she called out, “Come in.” Desi breezed through the door. “Are you feeling better, Ms. Zabinski?” Desi wasn’t alone; Madeline and Federick trailed behind her. Samuel was mercifully nowhere to be seen, or he could have misunderstood if he saw Levi with her. Her brows furrowed at that thought. Why should I care if he misconstrues the situation? “I’m fine.” Gizem gave a smile. “What about you guys?” “Madeline and I are fine. Does your boo-boo hurt? Should I give it a kiss?” Desi responded. “No, thank you. I’m fine now, really.” Gizem laughed. Madeline fixed her gaze on Gizem. “Thank you.” “Don’t mention it,” replied Gizem with a smile. Federick’s gaze swept over Levi from head to toe, and Levi did the same to him. “This is Levi. Levi, that’s Federick Evans. He’s the organizer for the charity event.” Gizem made the introductions. “Ah, so you’re Mr. Evans.” Levi approached him and extended his hand for a handshake. “I’ve heard a lot about you.” “Pleased to meet you, Mr. Levi,” Federick acknowledged.

“I’ve always heard your name on the news.” “You mean the gossip rags?” Gizem quipped, catching Federick off guard. Levi retaliated, “No way! I’m saving myself just for you.” Gizem shot him a wordless look that said she was only teasing him. “Ah, got it…” He smiled conspiratorially. Gizem froze and tried to explain, “No, this isn’t what you think. We’re not together.” “Why not, babe?” Levi made a face. “You even accepted my flowers.” She was speechless. “Mr. Levi, you can’t be with Ms. Zabinski.” Desi clung to Gizem’s arm protectively. “Why?” He frowned. “Because she’s my mommy!” she declared earnestly. Levi guffawed. “She’s your mommy? Oh, please. You want her to be your stepmother, but have you asked your daddy?”

“I don’t have to ask! She’s my mommy!” Desi exclaimed indignantly. “She’s not. Her name is Gizem Zabinski, and she’s not your mommy.” Levi leveled his gaze on her. “She is! She is!” Desi persisted. “No, she isn’t. She isn’t.” Levi denied. Desi was on the verge of tears at this point. “Have you had enough, Levi?” Gizem told him off. Does he think it’s fun to pick on a child?

Chapter 329

Severing All Ties If You Do Not Apologize Federick, too, thought Levi was being foolish, but he concluded that Levi must really like Gizem to thwart her from becoming Desi’s stepmother. Desi’s eyes rimmed with tears. “You are my mommy!” Gizem stroked her head without saying anything, and Madeline nodded from where she stood as Federick narrowed his eyes. “Levi, you had better apologize to her,” Gizem ordered. “No.” He turned his head away in refusal. “We’ll sever all ties if you don’t apologize to her.” She issued an ultimatum. He whipped his head back and mumbled an apology, “I’m sorry, Ms. Macari.” Desi grunted and held onto Gizem more tightly, burrowing her head deeper into Gizem’s embrace. Jealousy consumed Levi as he looked at both of them. Samuel strode into the room at that moment, not realizing that there was another person in the room, and Gizem could feel the beginnings of a headache.

Levi glanced at Samuel and smiled. “Mr. Macari, your daughter is pestering my girlfriend to be her stepmother.” He was hinting at Samuel to do something about Desi’s behavior. Federick snickered at Levi. He’s a grown man, but he’s actually snitching on a kid. Samuel walked over to Desi, who pouted piteously, “Daddy.” He knew she wanted a mommy, but Gizem wasn’t her mommy. “Come here, Desi.” Samuel lifted her in his arms and shot Levi a cold look. “I apologize for my daughter’s misbehavior. I’ll talk to her about it.” Desi looped her arms around Samuel’s neck, buried her face in his neck, and sobbed quietly.

Levi sneered. Gizem saw Desi crying and fastened a disapproving look on Levi. He gave her a sheepish smile upon noticing her vexation. “Let’s go,” Federick suggested. He took Madeline’s hand and smiled gently. ”Shall we let Ms. Zabinski rest and visit her tomorrow?” “Sure.” Madeline nodded meekly and waved goodbye to Gizem. “See you.” Gizem bade her goodbye. “We should leave too,” Samuel said to Desi. The little girl gave a sorrowful nod and glanced at Gizem. “I’ll come to see you again tomorrow, Ms. Zabinski.”

“Okay.” Gizem flashed her a smile. Desi reached out to tug on Gizem’s oversized hospital gown. “Don’t forget that you’ll still be staying in our house after you’re discharged.” Gizem hesitated, her eyes darting to Samuel, who looked as impassive as ever. He wasn’t looking at her; instead, his attention was fully focused on Desi. “We’ll see about that.” Gizem pursed her lips. “You have to promise me, or I won’t leave.” Desi refused to budge as if she was afraid Gizem wouldn’t stay at her house anymore. Embarrassment swamped Gizem. She wasn’t sure if Samuel would let her continue staying at Florinia Manor.

“Be good, Desi. Dr. Zabinski is your doctor. She wouldn’t go anywhere,” Samuel cajoled. Desi was the most important person in his life. If she asked for a star in the sky, he would personally reach up and pluck one down for her. “Did you hear what my daddy said, Ms. Zabinski?” Her mood improved immediately. “Yeah,” Gizem acknowledged. Desi shot a smug look at Levi and huffed, leaving him speechless. Samuel carried Desi and left the room. Gizem slanted a look at Levi. “Why would you pick a fight with a little girl?” “I don’t like it when she hounds you.” He took a seat on the bed. “It’s inconvenient for you to stay at the Macari residence. Why don’t you come and live with me?” “We don’t have that kind of relationship, Levi. I’m not going to bother you. I know you like me, but until I regain my memories and identity, I won’t like anyone else,” she explained. He said sadly, “But will you consider being with me after you’ve recovered your memories?” Gizem chose not to answer his question. “You won’t because you’re in love with another man. Even your master warned me to be mentally prepared if I want to pursue you.” His voice was hoarse with emotions. “You talked to Master about this?” She was bewildered. He stated solemnly, “Of course. He’s the closest to you. Who else would I talk to about this if not him?” Gizem heaved a sigh. “Gizem, you…” Levi hesitated. “Levi, do you know that Gizem isn’t my real name? It’s just a code name.” He nodded.

“That doesn’t bother me. Gizem, I still like you, no matter what your name is.” She pressed on. “You don’t even care about the person I used to be?” “Does that matter? I like you regardless of who you are,” he said meaningfully. “Thank you, Levi.” She flashed a rueful smile. “I don’t want you to thank me,” he said somewhat agitatedly, instantly realizing he shouldn’t be talking to her in this manner and regretting his attitude. “Think about what I said, Gizem, okay? Don’t reject me so quickly,” he pleaded. “All right,” she agreed wryly. Levi beamed. “I’ll stay here tonight to look after you.” “No need. That’s inappropriate,” Gizem promptly dismissed his suggestion. “What do you mean?” He feigned innocence. Gizem was utterly at a loss for words. Samuel and Federick were getting ready to take the children back home. Samuel got into the driver’s seat, while Federick secured Madeline in the backseat before turning to Samuel, “I have something to say to you.” “Say it,” Samuel said brusquely. “Are you sure Kate is still alive?”

he asked. Samuel’s expression was blank. “I… I’m not sure.” “It’s obvious Desi wants a mother,” Federick continued in a low voice. “Did you—” “I’ll never remarry.” Samuel cut him off. Federick chuckled. “That’s not what I wanted to say. I was just wondering if you had noticed how Madeline and Desi reacted similarly.” A frown creased Samuel’s forehead. “Do you think Gizem’s eyes look similar to Kathleen’s?” Federick’s eyes glinted. “I’m not saying she is Kathleen, but I think you should look into it. I doubt there’s another person in this world with whom Madeline would voluntarily have a conversation.” “I’ll look into her background,” Samuel replied expressionlessly. Anything for Desi’s safety. He would never let anyone shady be around his daughter. Federick cracked a half-smile. “Fine.” Then, he slid into the car. Wordlessly, Samuel got into the car as well. When Samuel returned home, he left Desi with Wynnie, who inquired, “How is Dr. Zabinski?”

“She needs to stay in the hospital for further observation. Mom, I’m leaving Eil and Desi with you for a few days,” he uttered. She nodded. “Okay. Would someone be preparing meals for her?” “I’ve ordered a hotel restaurant to send meals to her daily,” he answered. “She saved Desi, and meals from a hotel restaurant are perfunctory, to say the least, and frankly, appalling. Send this to her.” Wynnie held up a thermal lunchbox.

Chapter 330

A Pitiful Act A frown marred Samuel’s countenance. “Why are you zoning out?” Wynnie urged him, “Go now! It’s almost dinner time already.” “Okay, okay.” With that, Samuel made a trip to the hospital once more. On the way, Samuel received a call. It was Tyson. “Those savages have owned up, Mr. Macari.” Tyson fell silent for a bit before going on, “They said it’s Dr. Zabinski who commanded them. It’s her ploy to fish for sympathy.” Wearing an indifferent visage, Samuel gave out an order. “Oh? Take them to Florinia Manor tonight. I’ll question them myself.” After a brief pause, Tyson asked, “Do you not believe their words, Mr. Macari?” “Yeah.” Samuel sounded impassive at that. “Noted. I’ll make the arrangement now.” With that, Tyson hung up the phone. Putting on a darkened face, Samuel arrived at the hospital.

He made a beeline for the ward, carrying with him the thermal lunchbox along the way. At that moment, Gizem was standing by the window, staring at the view outside. Hearing footsteps nearing, she slowly wheeled around. “Mr. Macari?” Why is he back again? Never did she anticipate seeing him that many times in a day. “My mom asked me to bring you this,” was Samuel’s reasoning as he put down the lunchbox. “Please relay my thanks to Mrs. Macari.” Gizem was composed as she spoke. Samuel, in turn, stated nonchalantly, “The interrogation session went pretty well with the nefarious horde.”

“Seriously?” Gizem’s eyebrows bunched up into a tight knot as she queried, “Who’s the mastermind?” “You!” Samuel glared daggers at her. Me? “Is this a joke? Tell me, then. Why would I endanger myself?” Gizem shot him a grave look as anger inundated her fair face. “They said it was an act to arouse pity,” replied Samuel. “An act to what?” Gizem sneered, “You’ve got to be kidding me! Do you even understand how important hands are to a doctor? It could’ve cost me my entire career!” “No guts, no glory.” Samuel was emotionless. “It’ll only be convincing enough once you lay your own career on the line, isn’t that so?” Flying off the handle, Gizem hollered, “No! This has nothing to do with me! Don’t you malign me!” The whole time, Samuel was staring deep into her eyes. Indeed, her eyes bore so much resemblance to that of Kathleen.

Because of that, Samuel became all the more infuriated. How dare they make use of Kathleen to play me for a fool! “That person behind your back is rather smart if I must say,” commented Samuel coldly. “He didn’t arrange for someone who’s totally alike to Kathleen but you with that pair of identical eyes. He even made you copy her culinary skills and wear her scent. All that just to entice me!” Gizem was trembling with rage. “Entice you? With these average-looking facial features of mine?” Samuel placed his palm on her delicate face. He then ran his fingers gradually toward her neck. Gizem was startled by his move. All of a sudden, Samuel’s fingers seemed to have felt something odd. “Why are you disguising yourself as someone else?”

came Samuel’s question in a heartbeat. As expected, this is the only logical explanation. Connecting the dots, Samuel finally understood how she could make an appearance in different places concurrently. Shock overwhelmed Gizem straight away. Her hyper-realistic face mask was worth a fortune. No common folks could have noticed it that easily, even if they had the chance to touch her face. Yet, Samuel had managed to discover her secret in seconds just by touching her face. What a terrifying person! “Hands off me!” Gizem shoved Samuel’s hand away there and then as she took a step back. Samuel let out a snort. “If you don’t tell me your true identity in this instance, I’ll never let you off the hook.” This woman is way too mysterious. Her existence alone is a threat! Gizem bit her lip. “Hehe… I’m merely an orphan, a nobody. I relied on my own to get into the university. That’s it.” One step at a time, Samuel approached her. All Gizem could do was step back. Soon enough, her back hit the wall behind her, and her heart skipped a beat at that. The wall was ice-cold. Lifting his hand, Samuel pinched her chin.

He then moved his fingers toward her neck, all ready to tear down her hyper-realistic mask. Gizem became a nervous wreck, screaming, “No!” Alas, Samuel had already had his fingers on the seam. Exerting his might, he tore Gizem’s hyper-realistic mask apart. Immediately, Gizem covered her face with both hands. Samuel grabbed hold of her hands and pried them away little by little. Astonishment was written all over his face once he caught sight of Gizem’s look. “What…” Samuel gaped at her with utter disbelief. Scars were seen everywhere on Gizem’s cheeks. It was hideous and horrifying to witness. “Can you quit staring?” Gizem was all choked up. Still, Samuel stared her in the eyes and asked, “What happened to your face?”

“Just some burn scars.” Gizem retracted her hands on that note. “I had been in a coma, and unfortunately, I was caught in the fire at the hospital during that period. I was nearly cremated alive. They saved my life but couldn’t save my face. My master then let me wear this so that I won’t get drowned in self-abasement.” Hearing her story, Samuel was astounded to the core. No wonder… Gizem reached out and demanded, “Please give that back.” Samuel obediently handed the hyper-realistic face mask to her. Hanging her head low, she uttered, “Leave me.” Samuel cast one last gaze at Gizem before turning around to walk away. “Mr. Macari, it wasn’t me who had hired that group of people,” added Gizem placidly. “If there’s a need, I can always confront them.” “Okay, then. Come with me to Florinia Manor later.

They’re already there.” Samuel was expressionless when he spoke. “All right.” Gizem nodded. “Come outside when you’re ready. I’ll be waiting.” With that, Samuel spun on his heels. Immediately afterward, Gizem rushed into the bathroom. She heaved a sigh of relief. How terrifying! I was so close to getting exposed. Luckily, I was prepared and wore two layers of masks. Otherwise, Samuel would have really unveiled her true identity. Ten minutes later, Gizem exited the ward in a fresh set of casual attire. Casting a meaningful peek at her, Samuel prompted, “Let’s go.” Gizem followed him downstairs and hopped into his car that had been parked outside the hospital. Following that, they departed for Florinia Manor. Moments later, they reached their destination, only to be greeted by Yareli’s presence at the front door. Samuel and Gizem then got out of the car. The second Yareli took notice of Gizem, a tinge of disdain washed over the former’s face. Never in a million years would she expect Gizem to be there, much less be in the same ride with Samuel. She thought that Samuel had heard the testament from the kidnappers and had gotten rid of Gizem. “Samuel, I heard Desi has gotten into some kind of mishap. Is she all right?”

Yareli feigned a worried expression as she asked that. “She’s fine. What brings you here?” questioned Samuel in an icy tone instead. “I wanted to visit Desi,” replied Yareli casually. She then went on, “Goodness gracious! Who on earth would target an innocent kid like our poor Desi? What a crazy monster!” Samuel merely dropped a calm remark as he walked past her. “This doesn’t concern you actually. You may go.” “Hey, wait up, Samuel! There’s something I need to tell you.” Yareli caught up with Samuel right away. Meanwhile, Gizem was trailing behind them quietly. Sparing a sidelong glance at Gizem, Yareli gnashed her teeth. “Think about it, Samuel. Desi has always been fine. Ever since somebody came into her life out of nowhere, she instantly got into such a misfortune. This couldn’t just be a coincidence!”

Of course, Gizem knew what Yareli was insinuating. Sporting a deadpan mien, the former piped up at once, “Are you referring to me?” “Ah, I’m glad that you still have self-awareness,” scoffed Yareli. “Yes! You’re the one who had arranged for Desi’s kidnap. This must be your tactic to gain pity!”