Chapter 1809

Just minutes earlier, Wilfred had watched this person leave with his own eyes.

Answering the call, his tone was cold. "Why are you calling?"

Xavier's voice came through, calm but pointed. "Dr. Wilfred, I just wanted to thank you and offer a bit of advice. Not everyone can endure your aloofness and indifference. Sometimes, it wouldn't hurt to take the initiative."

Wilfred's grip on the phone tightened, his brows drawing together sharply. "What are you trying to say?"

He was already considering hanging up.

It was as if Xavier could read his thoughts. "Have you ever considered that maybe the other person isn't unwilling?"

The words struck Wilfred like a bolt.

Wilfred could sense Karina's feelings for him.

But his past and his self-awareness painted a starkly different picture of himself dull, detached, like a withered tree. Others might look at him and think he could bloom again with the arrival of spring, but Wilfred knew better. He had long since withered, lifeless at the core. Karina, however, was nothing like him. She was vibrant, alive, and full of potential. They were fundamentally different, walking paths that would never truly align.

And so, he made a choice-one-sided and resolute. He pretended not to understand her feelings, using his coldness and detachment to push her away. He kept himself in denial, feigning indifference as if nothing had ever happened.

But now, Xavier's words had pierced through that carefully maintained facade.

Wilfred was left with no choice but to confront the truth he had been avoiding for so long.

"If you really want something, you have to make an effort. Someone as good as Dr. Norman? She won't stay single forever. You might wake up one day and find someone else has already swept her off her feet."

With that, Xavier hung up decisively, leaving Wilfred staring at the phone, his thoughts spinning.

Leaning back against the car seat, he sat in silence, Xavier's words echoing in his mind.

Few people knew about the history between Wilfred and Xavier. They weren't close, but they shared enough mutual respect for Xavier's words to carry weight. It was clear his advice came from a place of sineerity.

*

Wilfred's eyes darkened, his thoughts growing heavier as he mulled over the implications.

The next day, news of Karina's successful surgery spread like wildfire through the hospital.

The buzz was palpable. The director was so pleased he immediately approved a raise for her.

Even Yvette rushed over, excitement lighting up her face. "Karina, you're a star now! Guess whose name is trending at the top of the association's forum?" Karina froze. "It's not... me, is it?"

Yvette rolled her eyes. "Why do you sound so reluctant? Be confident-it's definitely you!"

Karina sighed at the confirmation, her expression tinged with discomfort rather than joy. She had never wanted her work to be thrust into the spotlight.

"You should be thrilled!" Yvette said,

puzzled. "You're planning to apply for grad school, right? Being

well-known will make it so much et

easier to find a top-tier mentor They come to you instead of the other way around!"

Karina nodded, slightly reassured. After all, Yvette had a point. Graduate programs in medicine heavily relied on having a good mentor.

A strong mentor didn't just provide guidance. They opened doors to practical experience, valuable networks, and, most importantly, ensured successful publication of research papers.

Hearing that, Karina felt a bit

reassured but still couldn't shake her

unease She said, "Let me borrow

your phone for a second. I want to

check the post myself. I couldn't find the association's forum."

The truth was, she wasn't part of the association at all.

After all, someone like her, a relative nobody, would never have the opportunity to join.