Chapter 413

So, after Vilma got kicked out that day, she went straight to Ophelia's place and made a scene at Nathaniel's office. But in the end, it was all for nothing.

In this messed-up love triangle, Nathaniel ended up choosing Ophelia.

Nathaniel wasn't hesitant to leave Ophelia, nor did he care about the gossip. If he could pull off such a shady move, those things didn't even cross his mind. To be blunt, it was all about the perks; Nathaniel wasn't about to give up the money and status.

Once everything settled down, Ophelia invited Nina out for dinner.

This time, Ophelia looked radiant, though you could still see some tiredness in her eyes. She was on cloud nine because she had won.

Ophelia said, "I knew Nathaniel wouldn't pick her. The adult world is brutal; it's all about money and women, such practical choices. When she decided to mess around with Nathaniel, wasn't it because of his power and money? If we go back a few decades, when Nathaniel was just a poor kid who came to Lakina with his family's hopes, would Vilma have even looked at him?"

Nina just listened as Ophelia went on and on.

Having gotten her revenge and seeing Vilma leave empty-handed, Ophelia felt thrilled but also kind of empty.

When Ophelia finally stopped talking, Nina asked, "Are you happy?"

Ophelia was taken aback. She looked at Nina, and in that moment, all her bravado crumbled.

"Nina, you see right through me!" Ophelia said, then she grabbed the glass of whiskey on the table and downed it in one go.

She asked the bartender for three more drinks, like she was trying to numb herself, and drank them all in one go.

When Ophelia tried to keep drinking, Nina reached out to stop her and said to the bartender, "Can we get a glass of water, please? Thanks."

Ophelia's eyes were a bit red. She chuckled lightly and said, "You're right. I won, but I don't feel happy at all. In fact, I feel exhausted and disgusted. Why do I have to deal with such awful people in this world, such morally bankrupt scum?"

Nina lowered her eyes, took the glass of water from the bartender, and pushed it in front of Ophelia, speaking softly, "If you're not happy, you can always choose again."

Ophelia shook her head, gripping the glass tightly. "Nina, I can't get a divorce. Everything Nathaniel has is because of me; he owes it all to my parents. If I divorce him now, I'll be the one who loses. The tree I planted, am I supposed to just hand it over to someone else when it's finally bearing fruit? I can't do it!"

Nina sighed. "But now, you might never go back to the way things were; even if you have to face resentment for the rest of your life, will you still stick with this marriage?"

Ophelia nodded, a hint of stubbornness in her eyes. "Even if I die, I'll drag Nathaniel down with me. I absolutely won't let anyone take away the fruits of my hard work!"

Nina wanted to persuade her.

Even without Vilma, there would be other women for Nathaniel. The real problem wasn't Vilma; it was Nathaniel. If things kept going like this, Ophelia would only suffer more in the future.

Seeing Ophelia's current state, Nina figured her friend probably wouldn't listen to any advice right now, so she decided to just wait and see.

Silvercrest.

Isabella woke up from a nap and found herself in a completely white room.

Everything was white-the walls, the ceiling, the bed, even the sheets.

Isabella had just woken up, but her head felt like it was about to explode, especially her temples.

She pushed herself up with her arms, struggling to sit up. On the opposite wall, a mirror was perfectly aligned with her. As she sat up, she saw her reflection and realized she was wearing a white hospital gown.

Looking around, Isabella saw she was in a sterile room, lying on a hospital bed with heavy medical equipment beside it, separated by a curtain.

The equipment was making noises, but weirdly, none of it was connected to her.

Isabella's eyes followed the lines from the machines, tracing them to where they extended beyond the curtain.

Suddenly, she had a flash of insight. She leaned over, grabbed the corner of the curtain, and slowly lifted it.

Another hospital bed came into view, with the bedding slightly bulging. Looking further up, Isabella saw a frail wrist, skeletal and thin, with numerous tubes inserted. Even the fingers were bound with various devices.

When the curtain was fully lifted, Isabella could see the person lying on the bed clearly. Rather than calling it a person, it looked more like a pitiful skeleton!

Its face was emaciated beyond recognition, with sunken cheeks and eye sockets. The person had no hair, but from the facial features, Isabella could vaguely tell it was a woman!

Isabella's eyes widened in shock; a name instinctively came out of her mouth, "Lova?"

Lova didn't respond, only half-opening her eyes, looking at her like a dried-up corpse.

If it weren't for the real-time display of Lova's heartbeat and other vital signs on the nearby equipment, Isabella would have thought Lova was already dead!

At that moment, the door swung open, and a group of people in white lab coats and masks, fully equipped, entered the room. Some were carrying medical trays; others had white medical boxes. They looked like those scientists doing biochemical experiments in TV shows.

Isabella instinctively backed away, but two people grabbed her from both sides and pressed her down on the bed.

She reacted a beat too late and started to struggle. "Let go of me!"

The next second, a needle pricked Isabella's neck, bringing a sharp pain and numbness. Soon, her arms and body lost all sensation.

Isabella was forced be lifted onto the bed by those people . They opened the medical box and took out blood-drawing tools. They tied her arm with a rubber band, pierced her skin with a needle, and started drawing blood.

The whole process lasted about five minutes, and they drew over a dozen tubes of blood before they were satisfied and let her go.

Just as quickly as they had arrived, they left, carrying their medical kits with them.