"I think we could be even more ruthless. Since a transfer agreement was enough to make Ethan faint, why don't we announce a wedding date? I want to see if he’ll drop dead of anger."

Clara frowned, a flash of disgust crossing her eyes. Julian was a sinister and ruthless man. The Moore family had coveted the Miller assets for a long time; if she hadn't been driven to a dead end, she would never have chosen to cooperate with him. Now that her goal was achieved and the Barker family assets had been reclaimed, she had no interest in playing his childish games.

With a quick motion, she blocked and deleted Julian’s contact information, severing their connection entirely.

Putting her phone down, Clara stared at the ceiling, but she felt no sense of triumph. She used to think that seeing Ethan fall so low would bring her relief and joy. But now that the moment was here, she felt nothing but a vast emptiness.

It turned out that when you truly stop loving someone, it no longer matters if they are at their peak or in the gutter; they simply cannot move your emotions anymore. To the current Clara, Ethan was no different from a stranger.

Her alarm went off. Clara reached for the crutches by the bed, wanting to go to the ward next door to accompany her grandmother for physical therapy. But as she stood up, she stumbled, her body falling forward.

Just as she thought she would hit the floor, a pair of warm, strong hands caught her by the waist:

"Careful!"

Clara turned and saw Dr. Felix Sullivan’s eyes looking at her with deep concern.

"Dr. Sullivan? Why are you here?" she asked, surprised.

Felix carefully helped her sit back on the bed, his voice gentle:

"It’s time for your grandmother’s therapy. I thought I’d come by to walk over with you and... see how you’re recovering."

"It looks like you haven't mastered those crutches yet. Wait for me."

He stepped out and borrowed a wheelchair from a nurse, pushing it to the bedside.

"Your leg isn't fully healed. Next time you want to move, send me a message and I’ll come push you. Don't be so stubborn."

Felix spoke naturally, as if they were old friends. In truth, they hadn't seen each other in many years. During their senior year of high school, Felix had transferred in and become her desk-mate. Both were "workaholics" determined to get into top universities, and they hit it off immediately. They would study together from 5:00 AM until the dorm lights went out at 10:00 PM, quizzing each other on vocabulary even during meals. They were the most compatible of "comrades."

Two weeks ago, when Ethan’s men tried to forcibly take Grandmother from the hospital, Felix had discovered and stopped them during his rounds. Seeing Clara’s name in the "next of kin" section of the chart, he had reached out to her. That was how they reconnected.

Having already owed him such a large favor, Clara felt awkward about bothering him further:

"It’s okay. You’re busy with work; I shouldn't disturb you. I can manage."

Felix leaned down so his eyes were level with Clara’s in the wheelchair, a hint of a smile in his gaze:

"Comrade Clara, I am your attending physician now. You have to listen to me."

The title "Comrade"—a term she hadn't heard in years—instantly triggered Clara’s memories. He used to call her that all the time, especially when she was sleepy and trying to hide a yawn while studying. Clara couldn't help but smile, a faint light dancing in her eyes.

She was about to tease him for being unprofessional despite being a doctor, but in the next second, her smile froze on her face.

Chapter 15

From a distance, Clara clearly saw two figures at the end of the hallway. Assistant Zhang was carefully supporting a pale Ethan as they pushed open ward doors one by one, searching for something.

Assistant Zhang’s voice was weary:

"Mr. Miller, let’s just go back."

"We’ve asked at every hospital in the city. The mistress really isn't here. Besides, you’re injured yourself."

"No." Ethan shook his head, his eyes stubborn to the point of obsession. He pulled his hand away from Assistant Zhang and leaned against the wall to peer into a ward. "I feel that Clara is still in the city. The accident was so severe; she must be in a hospital somewhere. I don't believe I can't find her!"

Clara quickly turned the wheelchair around, her back to him.

"Dr. Sullivan, I don't want to see him. Can you help me? Don't let him find me or Grandmother."

Felix understood immediately. He used his body to shield Clara from view, his tone steady: "Alright, don't panic. I’ll take you to my office to hide first, then I’ll come back for Grandmother."

Since both she and Grandmother had mobility issues, trying to move both at once would only draw suspicion. She nodded: "Thank you. I’m sorry for the trouble."

Felix pushed the wheelchair quickly to his office. After watching her lock the door from the inside, he turned back toward Grandmother’s ward. But as he reached the corner, he saw a crowd gathered outside her door.

Felix squeezed through and saw Grandmother Miller raising her cane, striking a man whose head was wrapped in bandages. Her chest heaved with rage.

"Ethan Miller! You have the nerve to show your face here? When you begged to marry Clara, what did you promise me? You said you’d treat her well for a lifetime and never let her suffer!"

"And now? Five years into the marriage, and you let others bully and torture her. How dare you treat her like garbage?!"

The metal cane landed on Ethan over and over, but he didn't dodge. Grandmother panted heavily:

"Get out! I never want to see you again!"

Felix rushed forward, gently holding Grandmother’s arm to steady her:

"Grandmother, please don't get worked up. Take a deep breath; don't let your anger hurt your health."

Ethan tried to step forward to help her, but Felix blocked him unobtrusively.

"Sir, the elderly lady is very emotional right now and should not see you. You should leave. If something happens to her, how will you answer to the family?"

From Clara’s reaction, Felix knew she must know this man. But for now, he could only stop him in his capacity as a doctor.

Ethan’s body swayed. Looking at Grandmother’s angry and disappointed eyes, he fell to his knees with a heavy thud.

"Grandmother, I was a bastard. I failed Clara."

"But I truly know my mistakes now. Can you just tell me where she is? I just want to know if she is safe."

His voice was choked with emotion, his forehead pressed against the cold floor. Grandmother waited a long time before letting out a cold snort:

"You don't need to look for her. Since leaving you, she is doing wonderfully—a thousand times, ten thousand times better than when she was with you!"

Thinking of the granddaughter she had raised with her own hands being treated so poorly broke her heart. She had known for a long time that her son and daughter-in-law disliked Clara. Back then, she thought they just wanted a boy and tried to persuade them that a girl was just as good. But her daughter-in-law had snapped at her, telling her to mind her own business and threatening to send her back to the countryside if she kept protecting Clara.

She was old and lacked the strength to fight her daughter-in-law. She could only secretly collect cardboard every day to save up money to give to Clara. Until the day after the college entrance exams, when Clara told her with red eyes that she was leaving home—Grandmother knew the child’s heart had been completely broken. She gave Clara all her life savings, hoping she would have a better life.

It wasn't until the Moore family came looking that she realized her son and daughter-in-law had swapped the children for the sake of their own biological daughter. Over the years, Clara had called her every month, saying she had a boyfriend who treated her incredibly well. Grandmother was truly happy for her, thinking the child who had suffered so much had finally found happiness.

She never imagined that, in the end, it was because of her own biological granddaughter that Clara was made to suffer so much. The Barker family owed Clara far too much. At the thought, Grandmother couldn't help but shed tears.

But Ethan, having finally found Grandmother after searching for so long, was not about to give up easily. He stood up and, ignoring the gazes of everyone around, shouted toward the hallway:

"Clara! I know you’re here! Please, come out and see me! If you don't come out, I won't leave!"

"Grandmother needs peace and quiet; you wouldn't want me to keep disturbing her, would you? Come out!"