He refused to leave the hospital room, not even for a moment.

When he saw his wife wake up, Jamison instinctively reached for Ivy’s hand, his voice gentle as he asked, “How are you feeling? Does it still hurt as much as it did yesterday?”

Ivy shook her head, then quietly slipped her hand from his grasp.

Jamison’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Hmm?”

Softly, Ivy said, “For the time being, I need you to keep your distance. At least for the next six months–until I’m sure I haven’t been infected. Only then can you be close to me again.”

Ever since Emma contracted HIV–and with the threat of retaliation hanging over them–Jamison had made sure Ivy knew all the precautions. She’d listened, and she remembered every word.

The moment she fell from that height yesterday, she knew she’d be at high risk of exposure. After all, falling from that far meant injuries, blood, and the possibility of contact. But at the time, she hadn’t even known if she’d survive, let alone worried about what would come after.

By some miracle, she was still alive.

Now, protecting herself against infection was her top priority for the next six months.

What worried her more than the disease itself, though, was Jamison’s tendency to shower her with affection–hugs and kisses, often without warning.

Hearing her request, Jamison looked caught between laughter and exasperation.

“Ivy, don’t you think you’re being too logical? You just survived a traumatic accident, and the first thing you say after waking up is that you want to keep your distance from me.”

“It’s not just you,” she mumbled, quietly determined. “I need to keep my distance from everyone.”

Jamison had no words for that; he could only sigh.

Ivy understood this wasn’t easy for him. She knew he’d struggle to resist the urge to hold her or kiss her. She’d just have to keep reminding herself to avoid it.

She changed the subject. “What about that little girl from yesterday? Was she hurt?” Ivy couldn’t care less about Emma’s fate, but she couldn’t forget the innocent, sweet child caught up in it all.

Jamison replied, “I had Boyd visit her family yesterday, offered them some support–fifty thousand dollars.”

Maybe they didn’t want money. But this was the only way he knew to express their apology.

Fifty thousand dollars meant nothing to them, but for an ordinary family, it could be years’ worth of hard-earned savings.

“The girl was frightened–she’ll need time to recover,” Jamison continued. He tucked the blanket around Ivy, trying to reassure her. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything. You just focus on getting better.”

Ivy nodded, falling silent for a while before finally asking about Emma. “Is she dead?”

“No,” Jamison said. “Her injuries were even more severe than yours. She’s still in the ICU, barely hanging on.”

Ivy was surprised. “She’s got some luck, I’ll give her that.”

“True. Like they say, misfortune lingers,” Jamison replied dryly. “But honestly, if I wanted her dead, it wouldn’t be hard. Just unplug the ventilator, and she’d be gone in minutes.”

As a doctor, Jamison was usually reserved and stoic, but when it came to saving lives, his principles were ironclad. Even when Emma had caused trouble for Ivy and ended up in his department, showing signs of a miscarriage, he didn’t hesitate to save her.

But this time, he had reached his limit.

He was willing to risk his career, even stain his reputation, if it meant making Emma pay with her life–for Ivy.

All he needed was a word or even a glance from Ivy, and he’d be her executioner.

But Ivy said nothing.

She was silent for a long moment, then asked, “Is she suffering?”

“She is,” Jamison answered.

“Then let her live,” Ivy said with chilling calmness. “Let her stay alive–frustrated, in pain, angry, and resentful. When I’m feeling better, I want to visit her. Show her how concerned I am.”

Her voice was gentle, but the frost beneath her words was unmistakable.

“Alright.” Jamison couldn’t help but take her hand again, giving a small smile. “We’re on the same page. Dying quickly would be too easy for her.”

Emma, for now, had completely lost the ability to cause trouble. She couldn’t even get out of bed, and if someone pulled the plug on her ventilator, she’d be dead within minutes.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Jamison turned, and when he saw who entered, a deep frown appeared between his brows.