Chapter 8 Vincent dragged her into the ward

Katherine's face momentarily showed a flicker of shock.

Before she could say a word, Vincent grabbed her wrist and pulled her back into his hospital room.

The door shut behind them, and Katherine found herself pressed against the cold surface of the door by Vincent.

His hand brushed past her slender waist as he locked the door with a decisive click.

"Were you following Katelyn?" he asked, his deep eyes fixed on Katherine's flustered face. Their faces were so close that she could feel his breath.

"I wasn't-"

Her denial was cut short by his kiss.

Vincent's kiss burned with intensity.

Katherine tried to struggle, but both her hands were pinned against the door by him.

Before long, she was gasping for air. Vincent scooped her up and placed her on the hospital bed.

Leaning over her, he resumed kissing her.

His hands roamed over her body, and Katherine suddenly realized what he intended to do. She quickly pressed her hands against his chest, trying to push him away.

Just then, the sound of the doorknob turning broke through the tension.

"Huh? Why won't it open?" Katelyn's puzzled voice came from outside.

This was followed by a knock on the door.

"Vincent? Vincent, are you in there? You're supposed to go for your check-up."

Interrupted in the heat of the moment, Vincent was visibly annoyed. He buried his face in the crook of Katherine's neck, taking a few deep breaths before finally pulling away from her.

"If you don't want Katelyn to find out you were following her, then hide, " he said, his voice low and firm.

With that, Vincent turned and walked away.

Katherine, unable to refute him, could only stand there with a flushed face and hide behind the door.

Vincent opened the door and stepped out, not allowing Katelyn to enter.

Leaning against the cold wall, Katherine felt the flames of desire Vincent had kindled within her gradually fade away.

She glanced at her watch and waited five minutes before hurriedly leaving Vincent's hospital room.

Thankfully, she made it to the large conference room just in time and didn't miss the pre-surgery meeting held by the multidisciplinary team of doctors.

The meeting lasted fifty minutes before Katherine left the conference room.

This time, she didn't take the shortcut but instead walked around the medical department building to return to the rehabilitation department.

Back in Nolan's hospital room, she briefly relayed the meeting's key points to Emily and Nolan.

If the surgery was successful, there was a high chance Nolan would be able to walk again. Both Emily and Nolan were overjoyed at the news.

But soon after, Emily began to worry about the cost.

"Mom, you don't need to worry about the money, " Katherine reassured her.

Emily frowned. "Where are you getting that kind of money?"

"The company gave me a generous year-end bonus. Don't worry, " Katherine replied with a smile, lying effortlessly while bitterness churned within her.

Of course, she didn't have that kind of money. But she was Vincent's mistress.

Vincent was generous with her, not only giving her a supplementary credit card but also depositing a sum of money into her account every month.

That money was more than enough to cover Nolan's surgery expenses.

Katherine lingered only briefly in the hospital room before quietly slipping away.

She didn't mention to Emily that Katelyn had come to Sacford.

Emily had endured blow after blow-her husband's infidelity followed by her son's car accident had left her emotionally shattered.

Especially during the years before Katherine turned eighteen, Emily had suffered from depression accompanied by manic episodes.

At one point, she had even contemplated taking Katherine and Nolan with her to end their lives in a desperate act of vengeance against the husband who betrayed her and Katelyn's mother and daughter.

It was Katherine who had held their broken family together.

In recent years, Emily had mostly recovered and no longer needed medication, but the doctors had warned that any severe emotional shock could trigger a relapse or even worsen her condition.

Leaving the rehabilitation department, Katherine was heading toward the hospital's main entrance when she spotted two familiar figures.

It was Vincent and Katelyn again-they still hadn't left.

Katherine hadn't expected to run into them so soon.

Katelyn noticed her first.

Her smile froze for a moment before she quickly replaced it with an even brighter one, clinging affectionately to Vincent's arm.

Katherine stood a short distance away, watching coldly as Katelyn said a few words to Vincent.

Vincent turned to glance at Katherine, his gaze indifferent. He looked at her for only a moment before turning away, as if she were a stranger.

Katherine's breath caught, her slender frame trembling slightly, as though a gust of wind might topple her.

She watched as Katelyn, still holding onto Vincent's arm, descended the steps. The two of them walked toward a waiting car without looking back.

The car hadn't even driven out of Katherine's sight when her phone buzzed with a text notification.

She opened the message immediately.

It was from an unknown number, but the content made it clear it was from Katelyn.

"Who would've thought we'd run into each other at the hospital?

What a coincidence. I had just asked Vincent to drop you off, but he was too eager to take me home to rest, so we left first.

I'm sorry for saying something earlier that upset you.

I'd like to invite you and your mom to dinner sometime. Would that be okay?"

After reading the so-called explanation and apology, Katherine immediately recognized the thinly veiled gloating and hollow pretense of concern in the message. Her expression remained indifferent as she turned off her phone screen without replying.

She continued walking toward the hospital's main entrance.

Suddenly, a voice called out from behind her. "Katherine, wait!"