Inside a private lounge at the Jackson Group, Kaylee scrolled through her phone with predatory glee, a smug smile widening as she read the wave of mean comments directed at Olivia.

However, buried deep within the torrent of hate, a few discordant voices of suspicion regarding Kaylee's own story began to surface.

"Kaylee looks far too healthy to be terminally ill."

"I've spent twenty years in medicine, and I can tell you for a fact she doesn't exhibit a single symptom of a dying patient!"

Kaylee's heart momentarily stalled, but she breathed a sigh of relief as the doubts were swiftly buried by a fresh surge of insults aimed at Olivia.

She hurled her phone aside and delivered a stinging slap to her assistant's face. "You useless idiot! Go to a hospice and study the dying. If your 'sickly' makeup fails again, I will stop paying for your mother's hospital care."

The assistant's cheek bloomed into a painful red welt, yet she remained silent, keeping her gaze fixed on the floor in submission.

To the assistant, Kaylee was a clinical sociopath, a terrifying departure from the fragile, angelic persona she wore for the cameras.

The tension was broken by a sudden, firm knock echoing through the room.

Kaylee shot her assistant a murderous glare, silently commanding her to answer the door.

The moment Callum stepped inside, Kaylee's features melted into a mask of softness. Her eyes welled with practiced adoration as she offered a fragile smile.

"Callum," she breathed.

Callum's resolve crumbled at her sight. "The temperature is dropping. You need to be more careful and dress in layers."

Kaylee seized the moment, tucking herself into his embrace and locking her arms tightly around his waist.

A glint of smug satisfaction flashed in her eyes. In her mind, it was only a matter of time before everyone recognized that she and Callum were the real love story—and that Olivia, with all her plotting, was nothing more than a conniving, home-wrecking opportunist who had it coming.

She was hell-bent on stripping Olivia of every last scrap of her dignity and life.

Her ultimate trump card was the anonymous drug formula she had mysteriously acquired weeks ago.

She was the sole keeper of the secret. After finding no trace of the sender, she assumed the original creator had died during the drug's dangerous development.

In her mind, it was the perfect crime; the brilliant fruits of that research now belonged entirely to her.

...

Meanwhile, after twenty-four hours of observation, Olivia was finally cleared for discharge following Michael's medical approval.

Upon leaving the hospital, she proceeded directly to the research institute.

Peter's efficiency had been remarkable; the Beacon Project had officially re-launched, and a significant portion of the original research team had been successfully reconvened.

As the archival seals were broken and the research logs were unsealed, Olivia encountered a video of her parents weeping with joy following a major breakthrough. Overwhelmed by the footage, she found herself unable to contain her grief, and tears began to fall.

Peter's own expression softened with emotion as he offered a comforting pat on her shoulder. "Olivia, perhaps you should delay your start. You're still young, and there is no need to rush into this."

"No, I am ready," Olivia insisted, her voice wavering but her pale features set with a newfound, iron-clad resolve.

Fueled by her unwavering determination, the final preparations for the project's commencement proceeded without delay.

Over the following days, she remained entirely sequestered within the laboratory.

Michael, concerned by her relentless work ethic, eventually insisted that she at least take a break for a proper meal.

He secured a reservation at a local restaurant, and Olivia, unable to find a reason to decline his kindness, accepted the invitation.

As Michael was delayed, the waiter escorted Olivia to their reserved table ahead of his arrival.

Almost immediately after sitting down, she recognized a familiar voice emanating from the adjacent booth. Olivia stiffened, her gaze drawn instinctively toward the sound.

Through the partially translucent pattern of a decorative screen, she observed Callum and Kaylee seated closely together.

Callum, who typically maintained a distant and noble air, was behaving with uncharacteristic tenderness. His tailored suit jacket was draped over Kaylee's shoulders, and with his sleeves rolled back, he was carefully peeling shrimp for her with practiced ease.

For a man of his background, who had never concerned himself with domestic tasks, such a gesture was a visceral confirmation of his deep affection for Kaylee.

Olivia felt a sharp, agonizing sensation in her chest, as if she were suffering a physical wound.

Amidst her shock, her gaze eventually locked with Kaylee's.

Kaylee hesitated for a split second before a look of unmistakable triumph flickered across her features.

With a coy, flirtatious gesture, she turned toward Callum, opening her mouth to allow him to feed her.

The scene served as a bitter reminder for Olivia of the brief, joyous period immediately following her own marriage to Callum.

She recalled a time she had pleaded with Callum to join her at a seaside restaurant for dinner and the view; she had waited alone for over two hours before he finally decided to appear after his shift.

Despite the wait, she had been overcome with joy. With the timid enthusiasm of a newlywed, she had prepared a piece of lobster to feed him, only to be met with a gaze that remained detached and frigid.

"Stop behaving so childishly, Olivia," he had remarked coldly, refusing the gesture.

Now, as if needing visual confirmation of her own displacement, she watched him in a daze.

Callum hesitated for only a fraction of a second before personally offering the shrimp to Kaylee.

The intimacy of the gesture felt like a physical blow to Olivia's pride.

Her eyes clouded with bitterness, and a self-deprecating smirk touched her lips.

At that moment, Callum took note of Kaylee's distracted gaze and turned to see what had caught her attention.

Upon recognizing Olivia's silhouette, his brow furrowed in immediate irritation.

Given that she seldom ventured out, he had not anticipated encountering her at such a late hour.

The immediate suspicion that she had been tracking his movements crossed his mind.

Callum's brow knitted slightly, convinced this proved his theory. Olivia was merely playing games to get his attention.

Recalling her cold attitude from the other day, he looked away as if he hadn't noticed her at all and went back to gently placing peeled shrimp onto Kaylee's plate.

A wave of bitterness washed over Olivia, so sharp and intense that it felt as though it might completely overwhelm her senses.

She had simply intended to enjoy a quiet meal, but after stumbling into this painful scene, she had no desire to remain there as an unwanted observer.

She rose to depart, but was halted by a soft, masculine voice calling her from behind. "Hey, Olivia..."

Olivia turned around to find a tall figure hurrying through the restaurant toward her.

It was Michael.

He reached her side with his handsome face slightly flushed from the haste. "I'm so sorry," he said. "I promised I'd treat you to dinner, but I've managed to run late."

With a warm smile, he moved toward her table.

Caught in an impossible position, Olivia felt she couldn't just walk away now, so she followed his lead and sat back down.

Across the room at the other table, a momentary flicker of genuine surprise crossed Callum's eyes.

So, Olivia had actually come here on an invitation? The realization that she hadn't been following him after all sat uncomfortably with his previous assumptions.

Callum studied the man more closely and recognized him as Michael, the youngest and most renowned hematology expert in the medical field.

Olivia had brought up his name a few times in the past, but Callum had never bothered to pay any attention to it.

Seeing the two of them together now was strangely jarring for Callum.

It appeared that their relationship was far more intimate than he had realized.

Callum's thin lips pressed into a hard line as a sudden, inexplicable wave of irritation began to wash over him.

Sitting beside him, Kaylee immediately sensed Callum's souring mood. As she followed his gaze, a flash of deep, hidden malice momentarily crossed her eyes.

Almost instantly, her expression shifted back into a sweet smile. "Oh, it's Olivia! What a surprise that she's also dining here! I should go over and say hello."

She was already on her feet before Callum could offer a response. Noticing Michael, she feigned shock and covered her mouth. "But why is there a man with her? The two of them seem so remarkably close."

While she spoke, the corners of her eyes began to flush a deep red.

"It's all my fault. Is she upset with me, which is why she's deliberately dining with another man? But no matter the reason, she shouldn't lower herself like this. You're still in the waiting period, after all…"

Her voice, tinged with a carefully placed sob and raised just enough to carry, drifted straight to Olivia and Michael's table—along with half the restaurant—earning them a chorus of curious, judgmental glances.

Michael finally realized who was sitting nearby. A rare flicker of fury crossed his face as he moved to stand, but Olivia stayed him with a firm hand on his wrist.

Indifferent to the rumors about herself, she simply didn't want to pull Michael into the middle of her drama.

Standing up, Olivia met Kaylee's and Callum's gazes without flinching. "If you're so mindful that we haven't actually divorced, why are you here with my husband? How do you explain your own behavior? Talk about hypocritical."

She glanced pointedly at Callum's jacket around Kaylee's shoulders and the neatly peeled shrimp sitting on the woman's plate.

Kaylee turned white. "No, I'm just so weak right now," she stammered. "Callum was only worried and came to keep me company. Please, don't misunderstand..."

Observing the forced act, Olivia felt nothing but pure, unadulterated contempt.

"I understand perfectly, Miss Taylor. Because you're dying, my husband—still legally married to me right now—feels compelled to linger by your side."

Her blunt words caused a visible shift in the crowd's attitude.

Humiliated and pale, Kaylee wobbled as tears flooded her eyes. "Olivia..." she whimpered.

Her helpless display made her look so pitiful that onlookers would naturally assume Olivia was the aggressor.

Callum caught Kaylee to steady her, his voice snapping. "Olivia! Kaylee is sick. How can you be so cruel to her?"

He targeted Olivia with icy blame while openly showing a soft, protective tenderness toward Kaylee.

It was sickening how he obsessed over Kaylee's supposed frailty while remaining totally blind to Olivia's actual condition.

This was the man she married. The irony was absolutely stifling.

Olivia managed a sharp, bitter smile. "Did I miss something? Isn't she terminal? After all, you're the one who told me so."

Weary from the relentless work of the past few days and drained by the emotional strain, Olivia suddenly staggered. Dark spots flickered across her vision, and a sharp, metallic taste of blood rose in her throat.

Michael saw her failing and lunged to catch her, sensing that every ounce of her energy had completely vanished.

Aware that Olivia wanted her illness kept secret, he pulled her close against his side. Though it looked like an embrace, he was purely holding her upright.

Callum's gaze sharpened into a dangerous glare as he watched them standing so close together.

"Olivia," he mocked, "do you honestly believe these pathetic games will change the outcome? The divorce is still happening."

Olivia looked ghostly pale. She opened her mouth to reply but stayed silent, fearing that speaking would cause her to choke on the blood in her throat.

Given the dire circumstances, she simply couldn't handle any further drama or mess.

Feeling her limp in his arms, Michael pulled her tighter and directed a freezing look at Callum.

"Is that right?" he countered on her behalf. "Don't worry, man. Olivia is far too busy for your games. You want out? Fine. Just try not to regret this later, Mr. Jackson."

He then led the staggering Olivia out of the building, leaving Callum to watch them go with a look that grew more murderous by the moment.

Noticing his dark mood, Kaylee's eyes welled up with even more tears.

"Callum, I'm the one to blame for this," she said between sobs. "Maybe it's better if you just leave me alone."

She made a move to flee, but collapsed after a single step, clutching at her chest as she sank to the floor.

"The pain... It hurts so much," she wheezed.

"Kaylee!" Callum cried, bolting to her side. "Stop talking like that. I'm getting you to the emergency room immediately."

He gathered her into his arms and rushed out of the restaurant.