THE DISABLED HEIRESS, MY EX-HUSBAND WOULD PAY DEARLY.

Then he paused. His tone darkened.

"You try to double-cross me again, I will find you. You try to run, I will still find you. And when I do, I'll break your legs myself. Slowly. One after the other. And I'll make sure you never stand again. You understand me?"

James, barely able to breathe from fear and exhaustion, nodded weakly.

***

At that moment, Cora stood in front of Oliver's house. The cool breeze brushed against her cheeks, but her heart was beating fast, not because of the weather, but because of the weight of what she was about to do.

She slowly lifted her hand and knocked the first time, tap!!...tap!!.

She waited, no answer.

She knocked a second time, tap tap.

This time, the door creaked open.

Oliver stood at the entrance, blinking in surprise. His face was pale with worry, his brows drawn together. "Cora?" he asked, stunned. "What… what are you doing here?"

Immediately he glanced down at her shoes, then back at her face. "Aren't you supposed to be in the hospital? Resting? You just had a serious breakdown, what are you doing walking around like this? Why are you so negligent about your health?"

His voice was rising not out of anger, but from sheer concern. He didn't even notice his hand still clutching the edge of the doorframe tightly, as though trying to hold himself back from pulling her inside and making her sit down.

But before he could finish his sentence, Cora took a step forward and wrapped her arms around him tightly. She didn't say anything for a moment, her face buried into his chest, her hands clinging to the back of his shirt like she was afraid he might disappear if she let go.

Immediately Oliver froze.

The anger in him, the confusion, the frustration, it all disappeared for a second. He could feel her trembling slightly against him. His heart skipped.

Then her voice broke the silence, soft but full of guilt. "I'm… I'm really, really sorry," she whispered. "I didn't know how badly I hurt you until now. I didn't think clearly when I called you, but… I never imagined you'd risk your life just to save me."

She pulled back slowly, her eyes searching his. "Oliver… do you even understand what that means? Do you even realize what that risk could have done to you? Why would you do something like that for me?"

Tears were already welling in her eyes.

At that moment, Oliver then shake his head slightly and look at Cora with a warm but firm expression. "You talk too much," he said, trying to lighten the moment, even though his tone held a deep sense of sincerity. "Why would you even say something like that, Cora? Why are you looking down on yourself like this?"

Cora blinked, slightly stunned by his reaction, as Oliver continued speaking with more seriousness.

"What are friends for?" he said, softly but with weight. "You and I… we've been friends for a very long time. You know this. I've told you many times before, if you're ever in danger, I'll come running. No questions asked. I didn't just say it to sound good. I meant every single word. And I'm glad... glad that I could finally prove it to you."

Oliver's word's made Cora felt a lump form in her throat. His words touched something inside her, something she had buried beneath all the pain and pressure. She didn't expect Oliver to say that. She didn't even expect him to come, but he had. Without thinking, without hesitation. And now, here he was, standing in front of her safe.

She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him even more tightly, burying her face in his shoulder. She didn't care about how strong she appeared anymore. In that moment, all that mattered was gratitude.

"Thank you, Oliver," she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. "I don't know what would have happened to me if you weren't there. I really don't. And… I wouldn't even forgive myself if something had happened to you because of me. I really wouldn't."

At that moment, Oliver gave a calm, reassuring smile and placed his hand lightly on Cora's shoulder.

"Well, as you can see," he said, his voice warm and steady, "you're okay. And I, myself… I'm also okay."

He took a small step back and slowly turned around in place, gesturing at his body with both hands.

"Look at me," he continued, half-laughing to lighten the mood, "no broken bones, no injuries, not even a scar. I'm still standing, aren't I? Perfectly fine."

Cora looked at him closely, her eyes still filled with worry, but there was relief in them too. She slowly nodded her head, as if she was trying to convince herself that everything truly was okay now.

"I just… I was scared," she whispered, her voice trembling slightly. "I didn't know if you were—"

Before she could finish her sentence, the soft sound of a door creaking open interrupted the moment.

From inside Oliver's apartment, a young woman stepped out.

She was dressed in a fitted black blouse and a pair of cream-colored trousers, holding a brown folder in her hands. Her heels clicked lightly on the wooden floor as she walked forward with quiet confidence.

"The documents are ready," the lady said simply, handing the folder over to Oliver.

Oliver glanced at the folder, nodded, and took it with one hand. "Thanks." he said casually.

But in that instant, Cora's attention had shifted completely.

Her eyes narrowed slightly, and her brows pulled together in quiet confusion. She stared at the lady, scanning her face, her clothes, her expression everything. This was not someone she had seen before. Not at his office. Not around town. And certainly not around him.

There was something too… settled about the way the woman carried herself. Too familiar. The way she came out from the hallway as if she lived there. As if she belonged there.

Cora's heart skipped. Her stomach turned with an emotion she didn't want to name.

And before she could stop herself, the question slipped out of her mouth, quiet but loaded.

"…Who is she?"