Matthew’s frustration was palpable, his patience wearing thin. Even if Natasha had acted on a whim, there was no way he could simply overlook what she had done. The situation demanded attention, and ignoring it was not an option.
“I understand. I’ll find her,” Matthew said with a helpless sigh, pushing himself to get up and leave once more in search of Adriana. The tension in his voice betrayed his worry. If Adriana didn’t take control of the situation soon, the Jones family wouldn’t just let her slip away without consequences.
Meanwhile, at Haldoria Hospital, Adriana lay motionless on a hospital bed, her body finally succumbing to sleep after a long, restless night. The sterile white walls around her seemed to close in, the faint hum of machines filling the quiet room. Her sleep, however, was far from peaceful.
Adriana was trapped in a nightmare, a haunting replay of her childhood memories. The door to the hospital ward creaked softly, barely audible, as someone slipped inside with silent steps. She hadn’t closed her eyes all night, only drifting into slumber as dawn’s first light crept through the window.
In her dream, she was a little girl again. She saw a couple who had come to adopt her, their faces hopeful and kind. But soon after bringing her home, the wife became pregnant. The moment their own child arrived, Adriana was no longer wanted. She was sent back to the orphanage, discarded like a forgotten possession.
This wasn’t the first time she had been abandoned.
It wasn’t even a rare occurrence.
Her biological parents had given her up at birth. Over the years, different “parents” appeared, each year bringing a new paternity test. Every time, Adriana waited with a fragile hope, longing for the results that might reunite her with her real family. But every year, disappointment crushed her dreams.
By the time she reached college, she had stopped hoping for that reunion.
Then, Matthew entered her life.
“Don’t touch me…” Adriana murmured, her body twitching as she struggled within her sleep.
The figure who had sneaked in approached her bedside, pulling a syringe from their pocket. They aimed it at the IV port on Adriana’s wrist, preparing to inject something sinister.
Someone wanted Adriana dead.
“Every debt has its debtor,” the intruder whispered under their breath, voice cold and bitter. “Don’t blame me for your death. Blame your existence—that it blocks someone else from inheriting the family fortune…” With that, the needle pierced the IV line.
Just as they were about to press the plunger, the door burst open.
“Hey! What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” Joe’s voice rang out sharply as he stormed in, clutching a tray of breakfast.
Startled, the intruder panicked, dropping the syringe onto the bed. They shoved Joe aside and bolted from the ward, disappearing down the corridor in a blur.
Adriana jolted awake, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Her eyes locked on Joe as he gave chase. What had just transpired? Her gaze then dropped to the syringe lying ominously beside her, and a shiver ran down her spine.
Joe’s pursuit was in vain; the attacker vanished before he could catch them. He quickly called the police station to report the attempted murder.
“Are the Joneses out of their minds? This is attempted murder!” Joe fumed as he stormed back into the room, his face flushed with anger.

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