Chapter 1 Olivia Bennett's younger sister had a confrontation with a medical intern. That same night, she brutally assaulted and murdered by a group of twenty homeless men. All the evidence pointed to one person-but not a single attorney in Rivermont was willing to take the case. Because the man protecting the real culprit was none more than Olivia's husband of nine years-Harrison Lowell, Rivermont's wealthiest and most powerful figure. He personally fabricated Emily Ross's alibi. After Olivia once again walked out of the courthouse with nothing, tragedy struck again. Her four-year-old daughter, Lily, missed her critical treatment window when emergency resources were rerouted. The hospital refused to accept her complaint. Why? Because the one abusing the system was, once again, Emily Ross-the same intern with powerful backing. When Harrison learned Lily was in danger, his first reaction wasn't to check on their daughter, but to rush to shield Emily. Then he ordered his men to drag Olivia back home. Lounging lazily on the couch, he pulled her into his arms and said with maddening calm, "Babe, don't make a fuss. Emily meant well-she's young, idealistic, still learning... There were limited resources, and the elderly patient was in critical condition. She made a judgment call." "And Lily still made it into the ER, didn't she? Everything turned out fine. Why escalate this?" "She did mess up a little. She shouldn't have upset the woman I care about most. Once you've cooled off, I'll bring her by to apologize." Olivia trembled with rage. Her eyes locked onto him, burning. "So you're saying-we just let this slide again?" Harrison tightened his grip on her waist. "It's nothing serious. No need to push it further." "Nothing serious?" Olivia's voice shook as she bit into her lip. "When she bullied my sister, you brushed it off as harmless schoolyard drama. Now she's not even licensed, and she's already abusing her authority- stealing critical care and almost killing our daughter. And you're still calling it 'nothing"?" "What exactly would qualify as serious? Her agreeing to sleep with you?" She shoved him away, eyes red with disbelief. It was as if the man in front of her was a stranger. Harrison frowned, his tone hardening. "Her clinical evaluation is a big deal. If she gets flagged for misconduct, her residency's over. I promised her I'd help her succeed. She's going to be the brightest star in Rivermont's medical field." Chapter 1 9.17 He said it like it was nothing. And that shattered Olivia in a way words couldn't fix. This was the man who once loved her deeply, who gave up his inheritance to accompany her on warzone assignments, who shielded her with his own body in combat zones-and now, he thought their daughter's life didn't matter as much as some intern's spotless record? This was the same man who used to cancel billion-dollar deals just to attend Lily's school events? Her heart felt like it had been sawed open with a blunt blade. She stood to leave. "I don't care what you say. I'm not letting this go. I'm still a journalist, and I'll expose all of it." "You won't," Harrison snapped, yanking her back into his arms. "Olivia, don't be stupid. You'll hurt a lot of people with this-people you care about." "You're threatening me?" Olivia's voice cracked with fury. Her whole body shook as her eyes burned red. Harrison wiped her tears with his thumb and nodded toward the pile of documents already sitting on the table. "Sign the non-disclosure and drop the report. Stop digging into Emily, or I'll pull your station's funding. Or stop Lily's medication. Your call." "No one is more important than Emily. That girl has a bright future-no one gets to stand in her way." Olivia stared at him in disbelief. Emily's future mattered more than their daughter's life? "She broke every medical ethic in the book, skipped triage protocol, risked a child's life-and that's your shining star?" "You're willing to do all this-for someone who doesn't even follow basic standards?" Harrison's face darkened. "This isn't a discussion. Sign it, and I'll make sure Lily gets the best treatment money can buy. Your station will stay afloat." "You're still Mrs. Lowell. You should start acting like it. Stop obsessing over that girl. Stop blaming her for your sister's death. I already said-I can prove Emily wasn't there that night. Your sister's death was a tragic accident. And I cleaned up that mess for you." Olivia gave a bitter laugh and finally stopped fighting. She didn't understand. How could someone like Emily Ross twist him into this? He had once stood by her in everything fighting for truth, fighting for justice. Now it all meant nothing. But she still had one last question, trembling on her lips. "Our daughter is lying in the ICU. Our mentor-the man who gave us everything-is being silenced. And Chapter 1 9.17% you're really... choosing her?" Harrison's voice was ice. "You want to gamble? Fine. But you'd better be ready for what comes next." Olivia collapsed. She couldn't risk it. Her daughter was still in critical care. She had never imagined their marriage could be broken by a third party-and such a clueless one at that. Emily Ross was an accelerated med student, ordinary-looking, arrogant, always acting on emotion over logic. She had a self-righteous habit of lecturing everyone around her. Olivia had first seen her in the pediatric wing while visiting her sister. Emily was examining a child with seizures, but the moment she heard a loud cry in the waiting area, she abandoned her post to comfort a kid who'd scraped her knee. When people told her to prioritize the critically ill child, Emily pushed back and scolded Olivia's sister. "You're a parent too, aren't you? Have some empathy! That baby's screaming-of course she needs help first! That boy's not even crying, he must be fine!" Everyone had been stunned by her absurd logic. The seizure patient's family filed a formal complaint, and the hospital suspended Emily on the spot. Two hours later, she was back. Olivia found out later-Harrison had picked her up and intervened. From that moment on, he was hooked. He found her "interesting." Their relationship deepened quickly. With Harrison backing her, Emily's residency path became a smooth ride. No matter how badly she screwed up, he cleaned it up-including framing Olivia's sister's murder. And now he was willing to sacrifice his own daughter for her. Perfect. Just perfect. Olivia closed her eyes. "I'll sign." She picked up the pen like a robot and signed page after page of legally binding betrayal, Harrison gave her a satisfied smile, patted her head like a child, and left. Not long after, Olivia got a call from Lily's nurse. "Mrs. Lowell! Please come quick! Something's wrong!" Chapter 1 9.17% She raced to the ICU. The room was empty. The nurse was panicking. "Everyone's been called away-Dr. Ross said to prioritize a little girl with a cut on her face. She was crying loudly, but the wound was nothing." "But your daughter's getting worse by the minute!" Lily lay pale on the bed, her breathing shallow, barely detectable. Olivia staggered and nearly fell. She slammed the emergency button again and again. "Get another doctor! Anyone! Hurry!" At that moment, Lily slowly opened her eyes. "Don't cry, Mommy. I just miss Aunt Claire... I want to see her." "I saw Daddy kissing another lady. I don't like Daddy anymore. If he won't be good to you, you should leave him." "I'll stay with Aunt Claire in the sky. We'll both watch over you..." "Lily! No! Don't close your eyes-stay with me! We have those Disney tickets-we're going in ten days- don't leave Mommy behind-" Olivia frantically pressed on her daughter's chest, trying to bring her back. "We'll go to Disney, baby... and then we'll leave him together." "Please, Lily... stay with me..."