CEO's Tears Over Pregnancy Test Discovery

The man's smile faded slightly, and he curled his lips. "You're quite protective, aren't you?"

Not wasting words, Wilfred brushed past him and entered the facility, with Karina following closely.

As they passed, the man leaned in toward Karina and murmured in a low voice, "I just wonder if the one being protected is actually worth it."

Karina stopped in her tracks, glancing back at him as they reached the elevator.

He raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised that she turned around.

She met his gaze and said evenly, "Why don't you wait and see?"

Ignoring the sudden spark in the man's eyes, she stepped into the elevator and took a deep breath.

Wilfred glanced at her briefly as she lagged behind but said nothing.

*

The patient's room was clean and minimalistic. Wearing hospital-issued pajamas, the patient moved about within a severely limited range-about five steps from the bed to the washroom, no more than ten or so in total. The room was shockingly cramped, barely enough space to breathe.noveldrama

The furnishings were sparse: a single table, a few chairs, a bedside lamp, and a stack of books on a small cabinet. There was no television or communication equipment.

In each corner of the room, tiny red dots blinked. Surveillance cameras monitored the patient's every move.

As Karina watched the live footage on the monitor, she couldn't help but scoff. "Keeping someone in a room like this? It's a wonder they haven't gone insane yet." Wilfred glanced at the screen, his expression neutral. "It was a group decision."

Even if he had wanted to intervene, he couldn't. Every choice required a group vote, and while he had abstained, the majority had agreed on these conditions.

The reasoning they provided? Concerns that ultraviolet rays from electronic devices might disrupt cellular activity.

The corner of Wilfred's lips curled in a faint, sarcastic smile.

It was hard to believe that such nonsense had come from a so-called authority in the medical field.

"This is absurd! Even for research, you can't just treat someone like this. This isn't curing or saving lives it's illegal detention!" Karina's sense of justice flared, her disgust evident.

For a moment, she entertained the wild thought of breaking the patient out.

But reality quickly grounded her. It wasn't just impossible. It would implicate Wilfred as well.

Sensing Karina's frustration, Wilfred spoke calmly, "If the surgery is successful, he'll be released and return to normal life."

That one sentence reignited Karina's determination.

He was right. There was still a way forward.

Wilfred submitted a request for a closer observation of the patient. It took a long time to get approved, with some friction along the way. When the approval finally came, one of the researchers approached hesitantly. "Dr. Wilfred, I'm sorry, but... Dr. Carter doesn't agree." "Dr. Carter?" Karina asked, confused, but no one answered.

Wilfred glanced at her briefly,

signaling he would explain later, before addressing the researcher. "I'm at the same level as Dr. Carter. Since when do I need his approval to observe a patient?"

The researcher hesitated, clearly reluctant to offend Dr. Carter. "But Dr. Carter is, after all, one of Professor Zeller's protégés..."

Wilfred's expression turned cold, his

sharp eyes cutting like a blade. "When the Tree of Life Project* was established, it was explicitly stated that albparticipants, regardless of background, are to be treated equally as researchers.

"Or has that rule suddenly changed without my knowledge? Did the research institute secretly change its name to Zeller's lab?"