The janitor in a hazmat suit wheeled the biohazard bin past, and everyone instinctively stepped back.

Victoria Windsor's face turned deathly pale.

Her eyes locked onto the bright red biohazard symbol on the bin.

Her legs trembled so violently she could barely stand.

"Is it... that disease?" Her voice shook uncontrollably.

The janitor bent to inspect the bin without looking up. "The seal's intact. But you should get a blood test."

The crowd scattered instantly.

The hallway fell into eerie silence.

Suddenly, Victoria lunged at Natalie Sullivan like a madwoman.

She seized Natalie's wrist and sank her teeth in.

"Ah!" Tears sprang to Natalie's eyes from the pain.

Alexander Valentine rushed forward to pull them apart.

But Victoria clung like a rabid dog, refusing to release her grip.

Victor Sullivan grabbed Victoria from behind by the waist.

The tug only made Natalie's arm hurt worse.

Thinking fast, Alexander pinched Victoria's nose shut.

Oxygen deprivation finally forced her to let go.

Before she could catch her breath, Alexander kicked her three meters away.

Victoria crashed to the floor with a thud.

Groaning in pain, she reached for Theodore Valentine. "Darling..."

Theodore took two steps back. "Just... stay down for now."

The rejection shattered Victoria completely.

Her husband of twenty years now dared not even touch her.

In the end, their oblivious driver helped her to the infectious disease ward.

Meanwhile, Alexander insisted on accompanying Natalie for testing.

"What if you get infected—"

"I don't care." He gently wiped her tears away.

Natalie stared at the bleeding bite mark on her wrist.

Suddenly she clung to Alexander and sobbed. "I've never even been in love..."

He patted her back. "You'll be fine. I promise."

While waiting, Natalie took a call from Sophia Laurent.

"I'm fine! Totally fine!" She forced cheerfulness into her voice.

The moment she hung up, fresh tears fell.

In the hospital room, Sophia felt an inexplicable dread.

Her hand drifted to her flat stomach.

Where a tiny life had once grown.

Now only emptiness remained.

When Ethan Sullivan entered with a thermos, he found his wife frozen like an ice sculpture.

Even the teardrops on her lashes seemed crystallized.

"Some soup," he said softly.

Sophia opened her eyes. "Let's file for divorce tomorrow."

The words stabbed Ethan's heart like a blade.

He'd have preferred her screaming at him.

But her calmness was the most final goodbye of all.