"No major issues," the doctor said.


    After the examination, he asked M a few routine questions and concluded that, aside from being a bit run-down, she was generally healthy. His advice was the usual: don''t let work stress get to you, avoidte nights, try not to get upset, and if you are, don''t bottle it up.


    Everything else was minor-nothing to worry about as long as she took care of herself.


    With the doctor''s warnings echoing in her mind, M went to ask about Julian''s condition. The rmendation was the same as before: continue with medication for now, watch his progress over the next few days, and only consider surgery if there was no improvement.


    Stepping out of the doctor''s office, M finally turned to face Leonard, who had been quietly following her, arms full of medical reports. She pinched the bridge of her nose, letting the doctor''s words settle before she spoke-calmly, but to the point.


    "Are you following me?"


    Since the morning, when she''d gone to Adrian''s school, she''d felt someone watching her. The feeling only faded when she entered the hospital. Knowing the Montgomery family''s usual antics, and now seeing Leonard here, it was hard not to suspect him.


    "Following you?" Leonard frowned, sounding both direct and a little surprised. "If I, or anyone from the Montgomery family, were tailing you, you would never have noticed. Where exactly did you feel it?"


    M pressed her lips together. She understood. This probably had nothing to do with the Montgomery family. Besides, she didn''t think Leonard would lie about something like this. If anything, the Montgomerys were so shameless that, if confronted about stalking, they''d probably admit it outright.


    It wasn''t like they hadn''t done it openly before.


    And truthfully, this sensation of being followed-it was a first for her.


    Could it be... Cossio?


    She hadn''t forgotten their shared enemy. There was no point in beating around the bush, so she told Leonard everything that felt off. He listened, pulled out his phone, and stepped aside to make a few calls—no doubt sending someone to investigate.


    When he finished, Leonard returned. "Chairman Suthend, things aren''t safe right now. You should move back to the old house or stay with the family patriarch for a while."


    "Is Cossio making a move?" M asked, guessing the reason.


    Leonard nodded. "Looks like it."


    So it was happening.


    Even though she''d suspected it, hearing the confirmation made M''s mind go nk for a moment. Her left hand twitched slightly, that familiar phantom ache shooting up her arm and shoulder-the memory of the two bullets Cossio had fired into her.


    The wounds had healed, but she''d never forgotten.


    That man was terrifying.


    She could still feel the panic of life slipping away as blood seeped from the bullet holes, still remember the suffocating helplessness of hanging onto life by a thread in that mansion, like a marite with its strings about to snap... and the man who''d orchestrated it all was on his way.


    Leonard noticed the tremor in her hand and thought she was afraid. He started to say something reassuring, but M balled her fist, looked up, and spoke with perfectposure.


    "I understand. I''ll be careful."


    At this point, fear was pointless. In fact, knowing her enemy was finally on the move was almost a relief—it was better than waiting in the dark, never knowing when or where he might strike.


    Being stalked was unsettling. She just wanted it over with.


    If Cossio was getting restless, that meant... M''s eyes narrowed slightly as she turned to Leonard, her face expressionless. "And what about him?"


    Leonard was silent.


    "Forget it," M said coolly. "Tell him that if he uses hurting children as leverage, he and I are finished."


    This was a debt she intended to settle, sooner orter.


    With that, she brushed past Leonard and walked away.


    "Why didn''t you tell me sooner?!"


    Even before she pushed open the hospital room door, M heard Sophia''s furious shouting. She paused, then stepped inside to find Sophia brandishing a stack of documents at Layton, who looked like a deer caught in headlights.


    Layton was miserable. He wouldn''t dare bring up business while Sophia was in a mood, but the client was pressing, the paperwork couldn''t wait, and they needed Ms.


    Pembroke''s signature. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have set foot in the hospital today. It was rough-but the


    generous sry made it bearable.


    Without that, he''d have quit long ago.


    Thinking of the fat bonuses and steady paycheck, Layton straightened his back just a little. long as he kept quiet and let Ms. Pembroke vent, he''d make it out


    unscathed. He could do this t wasn''t his first time.


    He was used to it by now.


    Ast


    Watching Layton handle Sophia''s outbursts with such practiced resignation, M finally understood why he looked so worn down despite being rtively young.


    Stuck with a boss like this-no wonder.


    But it wasn''t her problem.


    M pretended not to notice, kept her expression neutral, and walked over to the hospital bed. She pulled up a folding chair and sat down, quietly pulling out her phone and tapping away at the screen.


    The room fell abruptly silent.