Filed to story: The Daughter in the Shadows (Yunice) Book by Una Norris
As if remembering something, Gill added, “By the way, when Owen was hospitalized, I saw the director of the Saunders Hospital come looking for him. His face looked terrible. I don’t know if something else has gone wrong.”
Yunice replied flatly, “Quinton canceled all cooperation with the Saunders Hospital. They’re bound to face public backlash for deceiving consumers. Do you think Owen wouldn’t be anxious? Besides, business at the hospital has already been declining for years. Add to that the repeated medical scandals… The public’s trust in the Saunders Hospital is practically at rock bottom.”
Gill let out a sigh. “Back when Mr. Will was alive, the Saunders Hospital had great doctors and reasonable prices. Who would’ve thought that in just a few short years, they’d be ousted by the Silverburgh hospital?”
Yunice’s voice was calm. “And that’s not all. I heard they’re planning to build a new hospital in the northern part of the city, with brand-new facilities and state-of-the-art equipment. When that happens, the Saunders Hospital won’t even have a place to stand.”
Gill finally understood. “No wonder Owen is losing his mind, trying to force Elsie into marrying rich as soon as possible.”
But then, looking at Yunice’s calm and collected expression, she could not help but feel surprised. The Saunders Hospital had been Mr. Will’s life’s work. Was Yunice really willing to watch it crumble like this?
Yunice smiled faintly. “You do what you can with what you have. As long as I can protect myself, that’s enough.”
Gill was startled but slowly realized the truth in those words. You could not swallow a fat piece of meat in one bite. She had been too impatient. She had always thought Yunice was too young, too inexperienced. She was even worried that she would not be able to outplay Owen or Elsie. But seeing how clear-headed Yunice was now, she finally felt at ease.
Later that afternoon, Joe came by again to pick up the improved version of Alphasirox pills that Yunice had refined. He said the higher-ups had approved the clinical trial for this new batch of medicine. When Gill returned after wandering outside, Joe had already left.
Cill sneaked over like she was about to share some juicy gossip. “Ms. Saunders, guess who I just saw?”
Yunice rested her chin on one hand, twirling her pen idly.
Gill whispered mysteriously, “I saw Elsie and Paul, clinging to each other like glue, practically eating each other alive. In broad daylight, no less! Shameless.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she suddenly clapped her hand over it, sneaking a glance at Yunice. But Yunice just calmly filled in an answer on her paper and drawled, “It’s not like this is news to me. Nothing worth caring about.”
After all, even if she and Paul had once been lovers, if she still could not move on now, then she would only be humiliating herself. But even if Yunice was not bothered, Gill was still fuming. “Paul’s still sitting in a wheelchair! And Elsie… other than being good at seducing men, what else can she even…”
Halfway through her rant, Gill’s eyes widened, her thoughts instantly becoming not so pure. Yunice lifted her gaze and met her knowing look. Both of them immediately understood.
Yunce kept her head down, continuing to answer her test paper.
That night, just as Vince was getting ready to sleep, the phone Elsie had given her suddenly buzzed. She glanced at the Noreet. It was Paul’s… (Message cut off)
His message was short and commanding: “Add me on WhatsApp.” Vince could recognize his number backward, but she had no intention of replying. A few minutes later, the phone buzzed again. Several more messages came through from Paul:
“What we did to stay was wrong.” “Owen is still your second brother. Don’t forget your roots. You should convince Wyatt to apologize to your brother and…” (Message cut off)
Yannice read through them and could not help but laugh in disbelief. Paul had always been bossy since childhood. He loved giving orders and loved lecturing people. As his fianc?e back then, she had been the most convenient target for his demands. And now? He still thought he could teach her how to behave.
After thinking for a moment, Yunice replied with a single message: “Von and Elsie were caught on camera in the hallway?”
Paul’s reply came back almost instantly: “You were following me??”
Yunice replied coldly, “Someone sent me the video. And your kissing scene was so intense it left a trail of spit. It’s become the latest joke for everyone to laugh at. Having an ex like you really makes me lose face in front of my friends.”
After sending that, Yunice blocked him without hesitation. In the other end, Paul’s expression froze. He made a mental note: Next time, I really needed to control myself around Elsie.
Yunice did not just block him; worried about his further disturbances, she directly shut off her phone. Exhausted from the day, she soon drifted into sleep. In the sleeplessness of her dreams, everything became frighteningly real again. She found herself back in that terrifying… (Narrative cut off)
As Yunice walked over, the lunatics scattered in shrieking laughter, revealing Lauren’s lifeless body sprawled on the ground. Half of Lauren’s face had been crushed, a sticky mess clinging to the cold floor. Her wide, unblinking eyes stared straight at Yunice, filled with unwillingness, hatred, and death.
Yunice’s breath hitched. Her eyes flew open. But instead of waking up, the scene before her made her doubt whether she had left the nightmare at all. Because she saw Wyatt.
Wyatt was lying beside her, on the same bed. His head rested on her arm. God knows how long he had been pressing down on it. Yunice could not feel her arm anymore; it was numb to the point of nonexistence.
What made it worse was that Wyatt was actually awake. He lay there on his side, eyes half-lidded, lazily tracing every detail of her face. His warm and calloused fingertips brushed over her cheek. His low voice followed, “Your scar looks like it’s fading.”
This wasn’t a dream! Yunice snapped back to reality in an instant. She yanked her arm back. Wyatt lifted his head slightly, watching as she cradled her arm protectively in her chest, as if guarding it from being used as a pillow ever again.
This man, this big grown man, actually let someone hold him to sleep? Ridiculous. Yunice and Wyatt were hardly close. She darted her eyes around the room and found that Gill was gone. Sunlight spilled in through the gaps in the curtains. Morning had come.
Wyatt’s gaze was still on her, steady, unrelenting, making her scalp tingle. Did this man not have a home of his own? Why was he always ending up in my bed?
Yunice could not help but recall Gill’s teasing from the night before… Men think with the lower half. And Wyatt had indeed expressed his interest in her more than once. Now, lying together like this, Yunice’s mind spiraled. Wyatt’s legs are not well, but if one day the mood struck him, did that mean she would have to… take the initiative?
Yunice frowned deeply. She would rather die. As if sensing her thoughts, Wyatt reached for her arm again. Yunice was instantly on high alert. Already! Now! Stop pulling! I don’t want to sleep with any man! Should I just cripple him completely? It was only a shot away, anyway.
He was calm. “Give me your arm. Fin-going back to sleep.”
What was this? Forget it. Let him do whatever. Yunice lay there stiffly. Her arm was slender, so even under his neck, it did not feel particularly uncomfortable. The ward was quiet. No one would come to disturb them.
Yet, just as the peace settled in, Wyatt’s low voice cut through the air. “What are you mumbling about?” He wasn’t asleep?
Yunice replied, “Russian.” She had been practicing her Russian pronunciation, rolling her tongue, muttering softly. He would probably feel the vibrations through her arm.
Wyatt closed his eyes again. “That’s probably useless.”
Yunice countered without thinking, “Knowledge is power.”
Wyatt snorted. “Are brains more useful than fists? Let’s see you say that when someone’s insulting you in Russian and you don’t understand a word.”
Yunice gave up on her practice. Silence returned. Staring up at the ceiling, Yunice suddenly remembered that Wyatt had never gone to school. From what she knew, Wyatt had left the Powell family’s little courtyard when he was around thirteen or fourteen. Before that, he had not studied a single day.
She had heard the maids gossip when she was younger that Jackson had always intended to cripple Wyatt from the start. Otherwise, if this wild child grew up properly, he would eventually overturn the Powell family itself.
After fourteen, Wyatt shot up and grew tall and lean. The tiny courtyard could not hold him anymore. He would climb the walls, get into fights, and cause trouble everywhere. Every time, Jackson would have him dragged back, beaten bloody, and thrown into the ancestral hall.
Later, after Wyatt’s mother died, he disappeared for years. No one knew where he went. But Yunice was certain that it was not school. He probably fought his way through life with his fists. No wonder he disdained learning. Because he had never benefitted from it.
But Yunice was not like him. Her fists were soft. Her brain was her only weapon. Still, turning knowledge into money was slow work. She had already asked Kingsley to help her find a Chinese medicine shop that was looking to sell. She should hear back in the next couple of days.
Wyatt slept for another two hours. When he woke, he straightened his wrinkled shirt and handed Yunice a bank card. Inside was a $41,000 deposit for the Alphasirox pills. “Keep the card. Any future payments can go here too?” Business. Clear-cut, money for goods.
Yunice thought this was perfect. She did not want to become too entangled with him. She suggested using the Alphasirox pills as a remedy, and Wyatt handed her 41,000 dollars on the spot. Madam Johnson’s consultation fee was 140,000 dollars. And now, with the advance payment for the improved formula, Yunice had a total of 222,000 dollars in her hands.
Over the next two days, Kingsley helped her contact a traditional medicine shop that was looking to sell its entire operation. The location was a bit remote, near the northern part of the city. Yunice went to inspect the shop. The interior was decorated in classic redwood style, traditional and understated. The herbs stocked were not low-grade either. Most importantly, the price was very reasonable: 95,000 dollars. It was just within her budget.
Without hesitation, Yunice used her new ID to sign the contract. But she also contacted a renovation team to add a special feature: a tall folding screen in the center of the shop to shield her face and upper body. In the middle of the screen was a fan-shaped opening, just wide enough to extend a hand through. The shop was ready. Now all she needed was customers.
Luckily, she had plenty of time. The Saunders family did not bother with her, and the Powell family did not have time to spare. So Yunice stayed in the shop every day, studying quietly while waiting for customers to trickle in. The shop’s location was not ideal; business was slow. That was exactly why the previous owner was willing to sell. In three days, only two or three nearby residents had dropped by, all with minor ailments like headaches or colds.
But Yunice was not the least bit anxious. Gill helped her mind the shop, growing so bored she dozed off with her head propped on the counter. Just then, the sound of a car door closing rang out from outside. The engine cut off. Startled awake, Gill perked up immediately-a customer! She hastily hooked her mask over her ears and rushed to the door. But the moment she caught sight of the people outside, she froze and instinctively retreated several steps.
From behind the folding screen, Yunice watched curiously through the carved patterns in the wood. Gill pointed outside, panic written all over her face, trying to mouth words to Yunice, but the more anxious she became, the more her tongue twisted. In the end, not a single useful word came out. By then, the people outside had already entered. Gill quickly turned her back, raising a hand to shield her face, as though terrified of being recognized. And Yunice, peering through the screen, finally saw who it was: Paul.
No wonder Gill was so shocked. To avoid trouble, Yunice had always treated patients without showing her face. That was the whole point of the folding screen.
Standing beside him was an elegant, well-dressed middle-aged woman and a beautiful young girl with a pained expression. The girl, dressed in luxury, clutched her wrist, her face pale from pain. But the pain was too much to bear. She sat down on a stool, gritting her teeth. “No, it hurts too much… I can’t wait any longer…”
Paul had no choice. His face darkened as he addressed Gill’s back: “Can you treat a sprain!” Gill glanced nervously at Yunice, unsure whether to send them away. Yunice gave her a small nod. Immediately, Gill replied, “Yes, we can treat that.” Paul cast her an odd look. He had never seen such a skittish shop assistant before.
Just then, his phone rang. Glancing at the screen, he said to the girl, “I’ll take this call outside. You go ahead and get treated.” Then, Paul left the shop. The elegant woman complained under her breath, “Honestly… what kind of call could be so urgent? He doesn’t care about you at all.” But the girl was too busy enduring the pain to respond. Gill quickly led her to the folding screen.
Yunice’s calm voice floated out from behind it. “Place your hand on the table.” As soon as the words fell, a pair of hands emerged from the fan-shaped opening. They were slender, delicate hands. Her wrists were so thin they seemed fragile, as though they might break with a touch. Strangely enough, the hands were covered in pristine white lace gloves, hiding every inch of skin, even up to the forearms.
The elegant woman frowned. This place was getting stranger by the second. Doctor and assistant alike are acting so bizarre. But before she could speak, Yunice’s fingers had already grasped the girl’s arm. With a deft twist, the joint popped back into place. The girl blinked. The pain was gone! She flexed her wrist, her face lighting up with relief. “Mom, I’m fine now.”
Yunice’s cool voice came through the screen. “You’ve had a recurring dislocation, haven’t you?” The girl replied, “I dislocated it once as a kid… after that, it’s happened often.” Yunice said, “If you don’t mind the trouble, I can prepare some medicinal patches for you. They’ll help prevent future dislocations.” The girl glanced outside at Paul, who was still on his call. Figuring there was no rush to leave, she answered casually, “Sure, go ahead.”
Behind the folding screen, Yunice rose quietly to prepare the medicine. Outside, a well-dressed noblewoman leaned close to whisper to the girl beside her. “Doesn’t it seem like Paul isn’t that into you? Could it be… he’s seeing someone else?”
The girl froze, her eyes widening in shock. Gill, nearby, silently tiptoed behind the screen, her face practically spelling out ‘hot gossip’ as she threw Yunice a conspiratorial look. Yunice’s expression remained indifferent. She glanced sideways through a carved gap in the screen, casting a brief look at the girl.