The pharmacy was empty at around five in the morning. Serena Sterling only turned on a wall lamp in the resting area, then took off her clothes. Bruised and bitten, bloodstained wounds marred the girl’s fair and delicate skin. Serena took out a bottle of antiseptic and began tending to her wounds with a cotton swab. Her clear, white eyes were pained to the point of redness. Just then, the door to the resting area was suddenly pushed open, and a handsome, indifferent figure appeared at the doorway. Serena hadn’t expected anyone to come in at this hour; her pupils contracted, and almost immediately, she reached for her clothes to cover herself. Serena turned her head and saw the man who liked to sleep in the pharmacy. She had actually forgotten about this elusive person. The man at the door also seemed surprised that it was her. The girl wore a veil, and her pair of dark, intelligent eyes looked at him warily, with traces of tears still lingering from the earlier pain. Her delicate and stunning beauty was so captivating that it was hard to look away. The man glanced at her, then closed the door and retreated without saying a word. Serena let out a sigh of relief. From her observations, the man who liked to sleep here seemed to have integrity and wouldn’t peek, but she still felt uneasy, so she quickly tended to her wounds. She didn’t have any medicine; these wounds still needed ointment. Serena thought that once the pharmacist started work, she would buy a good ointment to apply. That’s the only way the wounds would heal quickly. Serena opened the door to the resting area and walked out, but she soon halted because she saw a small bottle of ointment on the table by the door. The small ointment bottle, made of white ceramic, looked very precious. Where did this come from? Was it from that man who liked to sleep here? Check latest chapters at novel✦fire.net Serena really needed the ointment now, so after thinking for a moment, she accepted it and returned to the resting area to apply it on herself. The once-burning wounds immediately felt a cool sensation, and the pain quickly dissipated. This ointment was truly magical. Serena took out a pen and wrote a line on a note, placing it on the table of the man who liked to sleep here. It was still very early, and dark shadows of fatigue underlined Serena’s pale eyes, so she lay down fully clothed on the small bed in the resting area and quickly fell asleep. At this time, the man returned to his seat and quickly noticed the note with a line of neat writing: "You’ve helped me twice now, with instant noodles last time and the ointment this time. I hope I can repay you in the future." The man placed the note inside a book, then opened a medical text and began to read idly... When Shania arrived, Serena was already up. She was in the secretariat’s library. "Serena, it’s so early, why are you here studying medical books? Even the top students work this hard; how can we slackers survive?" Serena had been going through several medical books. Hayden Crawford’s condition was very tricky, and she had to develop a pill. However, there was one ingredient she was unsure about and needed to find a medical book. "Shania, I’m looking for a book." "Which book? I’ll help you find it." Serena thought for a moment, "I actually don’t know what book I need or what medicine to use. I’m still in the thinking phase, so you don’t need to help me, Shania. I’ll stay here for a few days to figure it out, but if I need your help, I won’t hesitate to ask. Go take care of your plants." Shania felt that Serena seemed a little mysterious, a true top student with a unique way of doing things. The secretariat’s library was as vast as a hall, and every time she came here, she felt like sleeping. At that moment, Shania’s sharp eyes noticed something and pointed at Serena’s neck, "Serena, what’s on your neck? Who bit you so hard?" To hide the marks, Serena wore a turtleneck today, covering herself tightly, but unfortunately, Shania’s eyes were too sharp and spotted it. Serena quickly covered her collar with her hand, denying, "Shania, don’t speak nonsense. I was just... bitten by a mosquito last night!" Shania pulled Serena into a secluded corner and whispered, "Serena, I heard you married that ghostly husband at Orchid Court. Be honest with me, isn’t that ghost husband mentally disturbed? These aren’t mosquito bites; someone bit you, and they bit deep into your flesh, wanting to suck blood." Serena curled her red lips and placed the medical book back on the shelf, "Sucking blood? It’s not like he’s a vampire, Shania, don’t scare me!" "Serena, I’m serious; are you listening? People like them aren’t normal, and they have mental issues that can’t be cured, especially not psychological ones!" "I had a brother-in-law who was very nice, very caring and attentive to my cousin, but he had a quirk, he liked to engage in domestic violence." "When my brother-in-law had an episode, he’d tie my cousin to the bed and abuse her. The more she suffered, the happier he got. He even liked biting, thirsting for blood, getting excited by the smell of it, turning crazy and terrifying." "My cousin loved my brother-in-law very much, wanting to grit her teeth and endure, but then she got pregnant, and he beat the child out of her. Even if she had given birth, would it be right for a child to grow up in the shadow of domestic violence?" "Serena, what I’m saying is, you’re still young, so talented, with such a bright future ahead. You should think of a way to divorce that ghost husband at Orchid Court and get out of it. There are many excellent men out there; you’ll meet someone better than him." Serena’s long lashes lowered. After a few seconds, she held Shania’s small hand, "Shania, thank you for sharing so much with me. I know what I want, so don’t worry about me." "That’s good. Serena, if you have any difficulties, just let me know. You look quite pale. I’ll go to the kitchen now and have them make you a soup for lunch to replenish you." "Shania, you’re quite familiar with the kitchen staff?" Shania gave an embarrassed smile and ran off, "I’m a foodie, after all~" After Shania left, Serena leaned against the wall and slowly sat on the soft carpet. Her eyes were vacant for a moment as she took out her phone, wondering if Mr. Crawford was awake yet... On the bed, Hayden Crawford slowly opened his eyes. The brilliant dawn had already filtered through the layers of curtains, and it was the first time he had woken up so late. His eyes were tinged with sleepy laziness as he turned to embrace the girl beside him, wanting to sleep a bit longer. He had no intention of getting up. But, the space next to him was empty.
Substitute Bride: Utterly Pampered by Her Billionaire Husband - Chapter 93
Updated: Oct 28, 2025 8:13 AM
