After everything was arranged, the young couple set off for Savrow.


    On the way, Justin pulled Be into his arms. His thin lips lightly brushed against her soft and red earlobe before pecking at her plump, rosy lips.


    "Be, thank you. How should I thank you properly, hmm?"


    "You''re being so formal." Be wrapped her left arm around his neck while the fingers of her other hand gently traced the bridge of his handsome nose, making his heart flutter. "Then you can cook for me for a month in ce of Wilma."


    "A month? Are you underestimating me?"


    Justin narrowed his starry eyes, filled with adoration. "I''d dly be your cook for a lifetime, mydy."


    Be shook her head repeatedly. "No, thank you, Mr. Salvador. I appreciate the thought. Cooking asionally is romantic, but doing it for a lifetime would be too much."


    Justin was speechless.


    "Actually, I feel quite guilty toward Ralph for doing this," Be said helplessly, pouting. "But pressuring the Solloway family to give up the engagement is the best solution I can think of. As long as the Solloway family backs off, it will give Ryan more time to sort out his family affairs. That way, he and Carrie will have a chance to be together."


    "Be, I have other ways to deal with the Solloway family."


    Be gently shook her head. "I know you are prepared, but you shouldn''t provoke the mayor lightly."This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    His thin lips tightened. "For Carrie and Ryan, I''m not afraid of offending anyone."


    "But right now, you can''t afford to offend Gregory. You can''t give him any reason to think you''re harming or impacting Salvador Corporation''s interests. Won''t that just give him an excuse tosh out?" Be straightened up in his arms, gently soothing him. "Don''t worry. Aunt M is not to be underestimated. She''s been managing some of Wyatt''s business and assets for years. With her stepping in, she can definitely crush the Solloway family''s ambitions."


    Justin''s thin lips curled into an uncontroble smile. Just as he was about to kiss her, her phone rang.


    Seeing it was Steven calling, Be immediately answered, "Steve."


    "Ms. Be, there''s news about Bethany," Steven said urgently. "Our men just reported that Bethany went to the hospital for a check-up. She didn''t look well."


    "Not well? That''s good," Be said in a low voice, her almond eyes shing with a cold light. "Keep a close eye on her. After she leaves the hospital, we must obtain a sample of her blood no matter what." "Yes, Ms. Be!"


    Far across the sea in Meridan, Bethany had been dealing with a persistent low-grade fever that wouldn''t subside for almost a week, even after taking medicine to bring it down.


    At first, she did not bother going to the hospital, as healthcare in Meridan was incredibly expensive, and her tight budget meant she had to be extremely frugal. She could not afford to run to the doctor for every little thing.


    Reflecting on her privileged upbringing as the precious daughter of the Salvador family, even a small prick on her finger would spark amotion and an outpouring of concern.


    Now, her circumstances had dramatically shifted, leaving her profoundly saddened by the stark contrast.


    But in the past couple of days, her


    condition has worsened. She felt weak all over and had developed a persistent cough. Afraid of the consequences, she rushed to the hospitalte at night.


    After undergoing various tests and examinations, Bethany, wrapped in her dirty sweater, copsed onto a bench in the corridor and drifted into a hazy sleep.


    A nurse shook her awake, calling her to see the doctor for her results.


    The doctor hesitated as he looked at


    the test results, then said softly, "Miss, Im sorry to inform you that


    the tests indicate you''ve been


    infected with HIV."


    "H...I...V?" Bethany''s face turned pale, staring nkly at the doctor''s serious expression.


    Though her French was poor, she understood these three letters. She could not believe it and instinctively thought she had misheard.


    Thinking she did not understand French, the doctor repeated it in English. "It means AIDS."


    This time, he spoke each word clearly and deliberately.


    With a loud crash, Bethany fell to the floor with the chair. She trembled uncontrobly, her legs too weak to support her.


    No matter how the doctor tried to help her up, she could not stand.


    At that moment, her mind went nk. She couldn''t hear a word the doctor was saying.


    Or maybe she just did not want to hear anything at all...


    Bethany stumbled forward in a daze, her mind in turmoil. She kept reying in her head how she could have contracted HIV.


    Finally, she remembered that night in the club''s bathroom with that male model.


    He did not use any protection and even ejacted twice, once inside her and once on her chest.


    Could it be that he was the one who infected her?


    She had been staying home all the time, except for that one reckless night! If not him, then who else could it be?!


    "Ahhh!"


    In a dark, deserted alley, Bethany furiously tore up the test results, curled up in a corner, clutching her head, and let out a hysterical scream.


    "Why... Why has ite to this... Why?!"


    Bethany had been cast out of the


    Live


    Salvador family. She lost her life of luxury, and on top of that, she had hearing loss. Now, she had this disgusting, filthy disease!


    Why even live? She might as well die!


    Just as she was drowning in despair, the sound of leather shoes approached, getting closer until they finally stopped in front of her.