Page 59 of Billionaire’s Ruin

With Dato’ Hor by my side, we toured the facility as she introduced me to the people who truly ran the place: the administrators, the senior nurses, the head of operations. I was genuinely impressed by how smoothly everything functioned.

The takeover had been rushed and unplanned, giving them no time to prepare, yet everything was in order. For the first time that day, I felt the heavy guilt in my chest start to ease.

Dato’ Hor offered to introduce me to the physicians currently on duty, but I declined. It wasn’t necessary to disturb their rounds. Instead, we made a special trip to the attending physician in charge of Dannie’s case, and I made it clear to the team that they were to assist me in any way I requested.

After that, she excused herself gracefully, joking that she could finally enjoy her well-deserved afternoon tea with her best friends.

Once she was gone, I wasted no time. With the authority she had unofficially given me, I gathered the team and ordered a full panel of tests and scans for him. Not all of them were strictly necessary—but I wanted to be thorough. I needed to know everything. Better to overdo it than risk missing something that could cost him his life.

By the time I finished reviewing the arrangements and finalizing orders, it was late afternoon. I finally allowed myself a breath and walked to his room.

He was sitting up in bed, remote in his hand, flipping through channels. “Hey,” he said with a grin. “They’ve got Netflix here. Can you believe it?”

I shook my head, then nodded as I remembered what Dato’ Hor had told me: every ward—from the cheapest to the most luxurious—had full in-room entertainment and dining service.

“Yes,” I said softly. “Did you find something nice to watch?”

“Nope,” he said, eyes twinkling. “You’re much nicer to look at. And by the way… quite the noise you made today.”

My brows furrowed. “You heard?”

“The nurses were gossiping about you,” he said with mock seriousness. “The young, pretty, American doctor who’s about to take over the hospital.”

“Are you sure?” I tried to smile. “People rarely say anything nice about their bosses.”

But even as I joked, my mind was already spinning through the next dozen things I had to do.

“Honey,” he said quietly, his voice pulling me back. “Did you go through all this trouble for me?”

Awkwardly, I met his gaze. “Was it that obvious?”

He reached beneath his hospital gown and pulled out a small box—tarnished on the edges but unmistakably precious.

“Do you think,” he asked softly, “I still have a chance?”

12

Kai

I had been awake for God knows how long—hours, maybe days.

Time had stopped mattering the moment they chained me to the bed.

The space was dark, padded, and silent except for the faint hum of the ventilation above.

And the fucked-up thing was… this was almost pleasant compared to the last time I was taken.

Back then, it was a filthy little hut. Cracked walls, rotting wood, and a stench that made your eyes water.

Even so, we didn’t have the strength to break the door down.

Funny, isn’t it?

How memory works.

For years, I couldn’t remember any of it—like the whole nightmare had been erased, wiped clean.

But then I dreamed. And when I woke up, the floodgates opened. Everything came rushing back.