Summer sat on the edge of her bed, staring out of the window as the early morning light filtered through the curtains. She briefly considered Tristan's tense reaction to the phone call earlier but decided to put her concern for him aside. There were more pressing matters at hand. She grabbed her phone and called Wayne.
Wayne answered, his tone filled with concern "You alright?"
Summer replied with a small smile. "I'm fine. Just… a strange morning."
Wayne gave a soft 'hmm' but didn't seem entirely convinced. "I handled the guy from last night. You don't need to worry about him anymore."
"Tell me everything you've found about the person behind that man," she said, her tone sharp and businesslike.
Wayne didn't hesitate. "It's Maria Belmont!…just as you suspected."
A flash of anger crossed Summer's face. "Of course, she was." Her fists clenched involuntarily, but she quickly forced herself to relax. "She's going to regret that."
"You want me to handle her?" Wayne asked, his tone casual, but there was a dangerous edge to his offer.
"No," Summer replied, shaking her head. "This one's personal. I'll deal with Maria myself."
Wayne didn't argue. He knew better than to interfere when Summer made up her mind. "Alright. But if you need backup—"
"I know where to find you," Summer finished for him. Her eyes glint with ruthlessness. That spoiled, manipulative woman had crossed a line. Her voice dropped to a chilling calm. "Find out where she is right now."
There was a brief pause as Wayne checked. "She'll be at the mall until 1."
Summer's lips curled into a smirk. Perfect. "I'll take care of her myself."
Ending the call, she wasted no time. After quickly getting dressed, she made a detour to the hospital. As she sat in the doctor's office, she maintained her usual polite demeanor, but her mind was focused elsewhere. The doctor examined her arm and told her the good news: her injury was fully healed. However, she still needed to avoid putting too much pressure on it.
"Thank you, doctor," Summer said, standing up and offering a firm handshake. Her mind was already on her next move. Leaving the hospital, she slid into her car, pulled out her phone, and traced Maria's location to the mall. Her lips pressed together in determination. This was personal now.
Meanwhile, in his suite, Tristan sat by the window, fuming. His fingers drummed restlessly against the table as he stared at the skyline. The name "Dr. Lifeath" had been ringing in his mind since the phone call earlier. His rival, Summer Carter, had once again managed to one-up him. This time, she'd done the impossible—she had involved Dr. Lifeath.
"Summer Carter… this damned witch!" he muttered under his breath, torn between admiration and frustration. The woman had somehow managed to convince the mysterious and almost mythical Dr. Lifeath to collaborate with her.
Dr. Lifeath was not just any doctor. She was a legend. World-renowned, elusive, and nearly untraceable, her treatments had a reputation for working miracles where others had failed. No one knew her gender, age, or even what she looked like. Despite all of Tristan's vast connections, he had never been able to contact or even find her. It was as though Dr. Lifeath didn't exist in any conventional way.
Even the dark web had been fruitless—bounties, sums of money, nothing worked. People had been trying to hire her for years, but she had always remained beyond reach, only choosing cases she deemed worthy. Her mentor, the only other who had skills to match her, had passed away a year ago, leaving her as the sole heir to that legendary expertise.
Tristan's admiration for Dr. Lifeath was genuine. But the fact that Summer Carter, of all people, had managed to convince this enigma to work with her? That stung. His chest tightened with both jealousy and admiration.
"Alex," he called into his phone, "reach out to Wayne Malik. Offer him something he can't refuse. I need to meet Dr. Lifeath."
The urgency in Tristan's voice was clear. He couldn't afford to lose to Summer Carter. Not now. Not when the stakes were this high. His rival's brilliance both frustrated and intrigued him. He was starting to realize that Summer wasn't just any competitor—she was someone who might just match him in every way. But Dr. Lifeath? That was a game-changer.
At the mall, Summer stalked her way toward the washroom, her sharp eyes catching sight of Maria heading inside. Her lips curled into a ruthless smirk as she activated a quick hack to disable the cameras in the area, covering her tracks flawlessly. No one would see what was about to happen.
She entered the washroom with quiet steps, locking the door behind her. Maria, standing by the mirror, was too busy touching up her makeup to notice Summer's presence at first. But when she did, it was too late.
Summer didn't say a word. She walked up to Maria and, without hesitation, slapped her across the face.
Maria gasped in shock, her hand flying to her cheek as she spun around in disbelief. "What the hell do you think you're—"
The second slap came just as swiftly, cutting Maria off mid-sentence. Summer's eyes were cold, her expression calm and detached, but her voice carried an undercurrent of icy rage.
"Don't ever cross my path again," Summer warned. "And if you even think about pulling any of your little tactics against me again, this will be nothing compared to what's coming."
Maria's shock quickly turned to rage. With a snarl, she attempted to slap Summer back, but Summer was faster. She grabbed Maria by the hair, pulling her down and slapping her several more times in quick succession. Maria's face turned red, blood trickling from her split lip as her fear began to overtake her anger.
Satisfied with Maria's trembling state, Summer released her, letting her fall to the floor. Maria, disheveled and humiliated, looked up at Summer with a mix of fear and hatred as the latter casually walked out of the washroom without a second glance.
The ladies who came into the washroom after Summer's departure were greeted with the sight of Maria, her face swollen and her clothes in disarray. They gasped, whispering among themselves in shock as Maria stumbled out, her humiliation only feeding her growing contempt for Summer—no, Alma. She would make her pay for this. But not now. Not yet.
Back in her car, Summer's phone rang. She answered it without looking at the screen.
"Wayne?" she asked, her voice steady as she turned the ignition.
"Yes, boss. Tristan wants to meet Dr. Lifeath."
Summer froze, her hand tightening around the steering wheel. "What?" she asked, her voice filled with shock.