The Unlucky Turn by Mark Twain 112

Milford’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard, his voice low. “You aren’t happy that I broke off the engagement with her?”

“Why would I be happy about you using me as a shield?”

Was Milford out of his mind?

“Since you can’t stand up to your parents, just be good to Tamara. Don’t use me as your excuse anymore,” Leilani said with a cold sneer

Milford froze. “What do

you mean?”

I

“You know exactly what I mean.” Leilani looked him straight in the eye. “If you wanted to call off it, you should have told them directly, instead of letting them think I was the one causing trouble.”

Milford’s expression shifted slightly. “I didn’t…”

“It doesn’t matter anymore.” Leilani raised her hand to hail a passing taxi and pulled door open. “I just hope that from now on, you keep me out of whatever mess is going on between the Sherwoods and the Sloans.”

With that, she got into the car without looking back.

Milford stood frozen in place, watching the taxi drive away until it vanished into the night. He clenched his fists, a suffocating weight pressing down on his chest. His intention had been to protect her.

Back at Celestial Heights, Leilani took a hot shower, but the tightness in her chest didn’t go away. She dried her hair and sat down at her computer, habitually logging into the dark web.

The moment she entered, an encrypted message popped up.

[Dr. L, Arnold has been poisoned in Zamora. The situation is critical. Can we hire you to treat him again once we transfer him back? Don’t worry, the payment will be the same as last time. We won’t shortchange you.]

Arnold was poisoned? But hadn’t he been fine before she returned to the country? As long as he followed her recovery plan, he should have been back to normal eventually. How could he be poisoned again so suddenly?

It seemed the situation surrounding this mysterious VIP was complicated.

Leilani narrowed her eyes in thought, her fingers flying across the keyboard: [When did this happen?]

18:41

Chapter

The reply came quickly: [Today. He was recovering well, but then he suddenly fell into a coma. The local doctors say it’s poison. And the toxin seems different from last time. Arnold is in very bad shape. I’m moving him back home now.]

Leilani pursed her lips. According to her rules, she usually didn’t take the same client twice in a row. But Arnold was her patient; she couldn’t just leave him to die. Besides, this mysterious employer had always been generous and paid on time.

Leilani wasn’t one to hesitate. She agreed swiftly.

[Accepted. Contact me as soon as the patient arrives in the country.]

[Many thanks.]

The other party sent an encrypted contact number, and then their avatar went gray.

Leilani closed the chat window and leaned back in her chair, her mind racing through the possibilities. She squinted slightly; something about this didn’t feel simple.

Late night, Zamora.

The hallway of the private hospital was empty and silent, save for the eerie green glow of the emergency exit signs. A man stood outside the ICU, looking through the glass at the unconscious Arnold. His eyes were dark and grim.

The moment he heard Arnold was in trouble, Callahan had taken a private jet straight to

Zamora.

“Boss, the plane is ready. We can take off anytime,” a bodyguard in a black suit reported in

a low voice behind him.

Callahan nodded slightly, his voice cold. “Is everything handled here at the hospital?”

“Everything is taken care of. There won’t be any records left.”

“Good.” Callahan took one last look at Arnold before turning to leave. “We move immediately.”

He had his assistant arrange the transport. Zamora wasn’t his territory; it wasn’t safe. It would be easier to monitor Arnold’s condition back in the states.

18:41

Cedella

Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.