Chapter 2
Janelle opened the message. The front desk had informed her that Adrian and Catherine had asked to see the miracle doctor, Taylor Presley, and even handwritten twitations.
Janelle had barely brought them up, and now here they were, trying to get help from her other identity.
The groveling flattery in the invitation drained the warmth from her eyes. Her lips curled into a faint smirk as she sneered.
How convenient.
Adrian and Catherine had handed her the opportunity. She’d be rude not to take full advantage.
It was almost noon when two familiar visitors arrived at the hospital–Catherine and Adrian. The sarne pair who, five years ago, had worked tirelessly to Jall Janelle.
“Send them in,” Janelle said.
She hung up the front desk call and stepped behind the folding screen.
Sunlight streamed in just right, casting a soft glow around her slender frame through the screen. Her long hair spilled loosely over her shoulders, and even in silhouette, it was obvious that whoever stood there was breathtaking
The moment Adrian stepped inside, the sight before him stole his breath.
He’d known Taylor’s assistant was a woman, but her silhouette was unreal, like something from a dream. And just like that, Adrian was hooked. Even Catherine faltered for a second, her focus wavering. But the moment she caught Adrian still staring, her face hardened.
“Adrian, focus,” she mattered through gritted teeth.
Snapping out of it, Adrian let out a dry laugh. “Right, right. We’re here to convince the miracle doctor to save Uncle Benedict’s son. I remember
The Fletcher family wielded enormous influence, ranking among the most powerful forces in all of Hestovia.
Benedict Fletcher, the family head, was a cold and calculating man who had commanded fear from the moment he took control.
Yet, even this formidable figure had one weakness–his son, Murphy Fletcher. Murphy had been withdrawn since childhood, struggling with severe mental illness.
Adrian and Catherine hadn’t wasted any time when they learned that Taylor had returned to the country just days earlier. They’d gone straight to arrange a meeting.
Taylor was the heir to a family of traditional medicine practitioners and had gained quite a reputation overseas in recent years. Yet, he loept such a low profile that nobody knew what he actually looked like
Now that Taylor was back in the country, Adrian saw his opportunity
His bad investments had already wiped out a small fortune. But if he could convince Taylor to cure Murphy, Benedict’s influence as the family head would be more than enough to bail him out.
Adrian kept his tone polite, “Hi, you must be Amber Hilton, Dr. Presley’s assistant, right? We were hoping to speak with him. Any chance you could help set that up?
of juice, her movements slow and deliberate
Behind the folding screen, Janelle poured herself a glass of juice,
When she finally answered, her voice was flat. “Getting in to see him isn’t tough, but he does have one condition.”
Catherine’s lips pressed into a thin line, a mix of nerves and anticipation tightening in her chest. “What does he need?” “On your knees!”
The demand lelt Adrian and Catherine stunned into silence.
They needed to get on their knees simply to meet Taylor?
Catherine was the first to recover. Her jaw clenched, her expression darkening. “We ca
is humiliating, don’t you think?”
came here in good faith, asking for Dr. Presley’s help. But this? This
Besides, the voice sounded oddly familiar, but Catherine couldn’t pin down where she’d heard it before.
Before she could dwell further on it, Janelle’s icy voice came from behind the screen again, “Kneeling is Dr. Presley’s rule. Su? Do you still want to see him or not?
Her tone made it obvious they were about to get thrown out. Adrian panicked instantly.
“We do! Of course we do!” He turned on Catherine, snapping, you deal? This is Dr. Presley’s rule. If we want in, we play along. So kneel!”
Catherine ground her tooth. Becoming Adrian’s wife meant a life of wealth, and that was worth swallowing her parade. So together, they knelt before the
screen.
Janolle watched with a cold, subtle smile. “Perfect. Stay right there. Don’t move.
Her hand slid out from behind the screen, gripping a phone pointed right at them as her melodious voice rang out. The camera flashed, bright and sudden Adrian’s fare burned with embarrassment. He flung an arm up to shield himself, “What are you doing?”
Janelle scowled at the blurry photo. Her voice was edged with irritation when she said, “I told you to kneel properly and stay still. If Dr. Presley doesn’t see it, what’s the point of you two kneeling?”
Adrian and Catherine shared a look, then gave a reluctant nod
No wonder Amber had been Taylor’s assistant for so long. She was always two steps ahead.
“Let’s take that again,” they said,
Adrian’s and Catherine’s legs were numb from luneeling by the time Janelle was done with the photos.
“So, we knelt. Would Dr. Presley-
Janelle tucked her phone away and eut Adrian off languidly, “What’s the rush? One of you still owes the other 20 slaps. You two can sort out who’s doing the hitting.”
Adrian and Catherine froze. Suddenly, they understood why getting an appointment with Taylor had been nearly impossible.
First, he made them kneel. Now, one of them had to slap the other 20 times? What kind of sick obsession was this?
“Adrian._” Catherine mumbled.
Her eyes welled up as she looked at him, her expression so heartbreaking that it could soften even the toughest person. But letting Adrian take the beating instead was out of the question.
He cleared his throat and brushed his thumb across her cheek. “Just hang in there a little longer, Cat. I’ll go easy on you, okay?”
Her stomach twisted, but she could only nod meekly. “I’d do anything for you, Adrian.”
Adrian slapped Catherine across the face
“Harder!” Janelle demanded.
He hit her again and again until her mouth wa
was bleeding and her head throbbed.
After the 18th slap, the office door suddenly swung
gopen. A woman’s voice, mid–conversation on the phone, cut the
through the room.
“Yeah, this is Amber Hilton, Dr. Presley’s assistant. Oh, sorry, but Dr. Presley doesn’t take patients from Solandria. Stop calling and find someone else.”
The words froze Adrian and Catherine in place, with Adrian’s hand hanging in the air.
Catherine’s vision swam with spots as she turned toward the door. She froze, stunned to see Aumber enter wearing a white lab coat.
She was Taylor’s assistant? Then, who the hell was behind the screen?
Tury twisted Catherine’s face as she shot to her feet. She snarled at the screen “You’re not Dr. Presley’s assistant! Who are you?” Adrian’s expression darkened.
Janelle stood up slowly from behind the screen, meeting their furious, disbelieving glares as she stepped forward.
