Chapter 1819

Hearing Wilfred's suggestion, Karina was stunned for a moment. After some careful thought, she shook her head. "No, I'd rather not." Now it was Wilfred's turn to be caught off guard.

"Switching back and forth isn't a solution. Looking back, I shouldn't have left in the first place. Were those people really capable of doing anything to me? Probably not. I just wanted to avoid trouble," Karina said slowly.

A person's family would have a way of shaping their personality, and Karina's upbringing with the Stone family had left her overly cautious-afraid of causing trouble or confronting conflict.

But now, after everything she'd been through, she wasn't scared anymore. Trouble was just trouble. She could handle it.

"I'll face whatever comes my way," she added. "If it's a challenge, I'll rise to it."

When she shared her thoughts, there was silence on the other end of the line. Worried she might have disappointed him, Karina hesitated. "Did I let you down?"

"No." Wilfred's quiet laugh came through, sounding lighter than before, almost tender. It carried the warmth of a spring breeze, soft and soothing.

"I'm proud of you for thinking this way," he said.

*

With that, the matter of transferring Karina was put to rest, and Wilfred didn't bring it up again.

Soon, Karina completed her exams.

True to his word, Wilfred sent her a recommendation letter the very day of the test-even before her results were released.

When Karina mentioned this to him, astonished, he only replied, "It's not too soon. You'll need it eventually."

She couldn't help but marvel at his confidence, which often surpassed her own.

After her initial surprise subsided, she asked casually, "Have you been busy these days?"

"What makes you ask?"

"Well... you haven't called in a while," Karina admitted after a pause.

They had fallen into a steady rhythm of speaking twice a week. Even though they weren't in the same city, their frequent calls made it feel as though Wilfred was always nearby. She had grown accustomed to it-so much so that when the calls

stopped, she couldn't help but notice the absence.

She had thought about calling him the day before but hesitated, worried she might interrupt.

On the other end, she heard faint voices, as though Wilfred was speaking to someone. Not wanting to intrude, she waited quietly. When his voice returned, it was warm but noncommittal. "I have been a little busy."

"Can you tell me what you're working on?"

"For now, it's a secret," he said with a hint of amusement.

Karina's eyebrows shot up in surprise. If anyone had seen her at that moment, her shock would have been written all over her face.

No matter how much she pressed, Wilfred wouldn't budge. His skill at redirecting conversations was masterful so much so that Karina didn't even realize she had been sidetracked until after they hung up. Frustrated but amused, she muttered to herself, "He did it again."

But it didn't take long for her to figure out what Wilfred had been keeping under wraps.

"Have you heard the news? Dr. Lincoln is being transferred-looks like he's getting a promotion!" Yvette said excitedly one day.

Karina raised an eyebrow. "A promotion? Even as a hospital director?"

Yvette was even more dramatic, her

voice rising noticeably. "Of course they can! Why wouldn't they? Transfering to a bigger city is definitely a promotion-better pay,

better opportunities for growth. Why else do you think directors work themselves so hard?"

"Maybe because they're old and have nothing else to do?" Karina quipped, touching her nose sheepishly.

Yvette shot hera playful but

exasperated look, rolling her eyes

with gusto. "Ugh, you're so out of the loop. You spend all your time buried in those dusty old files. Can't you at least keep up with the news outside your little world?"