As soon as Hannah left the firm, she received a message from her client.


    [Ms. Green, I''ve thought about it for a long time, and I''ve decided to drop the case. Thank you so much for all your help.]


    The moment she saw the message, she froze, staring at the words in disbelief. She even closed WhatsApp and reopened it, just to make sure she wasn''t mistaken.


    [Ms. Smith, we''vee so far. We''re so close to seeding. Please, just hold on a little longer!]


    The instant she sent the message, arge red exmation mark appeared,


    searing her eyes.


    Hannah''s breath caught in her throat. A horrifying realization dawned on her, and she turned to look back at thew firm''s imposing sign.


    It was Lionel.


    It had to be him.


    To force her to take Sandra''s case, he had resorted to something so cruel.


    Without a second thought, she got in her car and sped toward the hospital.


    When she arrived, Hannah ran straight to the client''s room and pushed the door open, only to find it empty.


    "Nurse, excuse me," she said, stopping a passing nurse. "The patient in this room? A Ms. Smith. I was just here to see her this morning."


    The nurse thought for a moment. "She was discharged about an hour ago."


    "Discharged?"


    "Yes, discharged," the nurse confirmed before hurrying away.


    Staring at the empty room, Hannah let out a self-deprecatingugh.


    How much must he love Sandra to go to such lengths?


    Feeling as though her soul had left her body, Hannah walked down the hallway. She pulled out her phone, about to call Lionel and confront him, when she heard a happy voice from a nearby room.


    "Is this really from Lionel?"


    She nced over and saw Sandra holding a dazzling ne. Under the light, it shimmered with a brilliant glow.


    Lionel''s assistant, Owen, stood nearby, his expression practically screaming, Mr. Rosenberg only has eyes for you.


    "Of course," he said. "Mr. Rosenberg ordered this ne months ago. The moment it arrived today, he called me and told me to bring it to you immediately."


    "Then I should call Lionel right away to thank him. I''ve never received such a beautiful ne before."


    Sandra reached for her phone, but Owen stopped her.


    "Ms. Woods, Mr. Rosenberg is in a meeting right now. He said that as long as you like it, that''s all that matters." Owen''s tone was fawning. "He also said not to be angry."


    "I''m not angry," Sandra said, then looked up and saw Hannah standing in the doorway.


    Hannah walked into the room, her gaze fixed on the ne in Sandra''s hands, her brow slowly knitting together.


    Owen noticed her staring and stepped in front of Sandra, blocking the view.


    "Mrs. Rosenberg," he said pointedly. "This ne is a gift from Mr. Rosenberg to Ms. Woods."


    "Owen, my ne should have arrived too, right?”


    This was the ne she had admired, the one Lionel had promised her just a few days ago when she signed the agreement.


    She hadn''t cared about it then, especially given Lionel''s reluctant attitude. She wasn''t even sure he had ordered it. But now, seeing it in Sandra''s hands...


    Owen pushed his sses up his


    nose. "I''m sorry, Mrs. Rosenberg, but


    I don''t know what you''re talking about. Mr. Rosenberg only ordered one ne. It arrived today, and he called me immediately to deliver it to Ms. Woods."


    "Only one?" she asked.


    Owen closed his eyes and nodded impatiently.


    "Are you sure?"


    "Mrs. Rosenberg, if you doubt me, you can call Mr. Rosenberg yourself. But I''d advise against it. He''s in a meeting, and if you call now. you only be embarrassing yourself."