Lucian finally came back to his senses, glaring at Hope with a mix of resentment and irritation.

“She did it on purpose. She twisted my ankle,” he accused.

With the accusation coming straight from him, the deputy director turned to Hope for an explanation.

“Deputy Director, I swear I didn’t! He—he asked me to apply medicine for him, then insisted I massage it in.”

Hope secretly pinched her palm, forcing her eyes to tear up.

“It’s no use explaining. Maybe I should just pay for it,” she said softly, pulling out a bank card before anyone could react. “Everything I have is in here. Please—just let me go, okay?”

“If...