e shiver down Eleanor's spine. She hugged her arms tightly acros

nt of surprise or triumph. She turned slightly, grabbing a sterile wh

He was fully captivated by her cold indifference. Women usually threw themselv

et. He pulled out a sleek, black leather

name at the bottom of a blank check. He

e was offering her unlimited funds, a to

at the piece of paper in his hand. Then, she looked Axel dea

the money w

her rejection. In fact, her lack of greed made the b

into his pocket. He leaned in, his lips

little doctor," Axel whispered,

armed bodyguards fell into step behind him instantly. Axel walked out of the ward, t

t the medical equipment. She threw her arms aroun

accustomed to genuine physical affection. But as Helene's tears soaked into

. "Thank you," she choked out. "Thank y

he soft, crying daughter vanished, replaced by

Eleanor, who were still st

shly, pointing at the door. "

ked at Isabel, and a sudden, cold fear gripped his stomach. He swall

Please, follow me, Isabel. We need to

lene out of the ward, walking through the winding,

massive room lined with antique books, dark mah

mported black tea. Her posture was rigidly straight, resembling a military operative rather than a standard assistant, and a

t on the deep leather chesterfie

d the cup down on the saucer, and calmly stated, "My standa

ple monetary fee is an insult to the

She pulled out a thick, leather-bound legal fo

x legal jargon. Her fingers paused on the edge of the

voice softening with pity and anger. "I know the Cooper family fr

u will have the absolute protection of the Vanderbilt

so a potential chain. Yet, looking into Helene's eyes, she saw no hidden agendas, no manipulative calculations-only genuine gratitude. For some

picked up the heavy gold pen provided by Ms.

washing over her face. "Welco

faded. Her expression

a wealthy heir. He has deep, terrifying military ties. He is an apex predator who