Chapter 198

Marvin reached out and hugged her in the hotel room. Olive sat on the sofa, pushing the long needle into her veins. After her previous experience, she believed her body was now accustomed to the mandala flower's effects, and the pain wouldn't be as severe. Instead, the pain was far more excruciating.

Medically, the poison had built a degree of immunity in her blood, weakening its defenses and making the poison more potent. Olive’s face became pale, sweat beading on her forehead. She felt as if her bones were shattering.

Despite the agonizing pain, she quickly picked up a pen and wrote down several important medical equations. One crucial equation, however, remained elusive. She felt victory was within reach—she had almost developed an antidote—but that missing equation held her back.

She tried to think critically, but her strength failed her. She fell from the chair onto the tiled floor, her nose bleeding. Blood stained her mask as she reached for the needle, but a sharp whistle pierced her ears, her head spinning. Darkness enveloped her.

Falling like a deflated ball, she groped on the ground. "Where's the needle?" she cried inwardly. Her vision blurred, and she was about to faint when the room door burst open.

"Olive, Olive! Open your eyes, don't sleep! The mandala flower will damage your brain!"

She heard her name and fought to open her eyes. Marvin was there! Or so she thought. It was Elvis. Marvin's face had shifted to Elvis's. She weakly smiled, murmuring, "Mr. Augustine, you're here."

Marvin understood the mandala flower's effects—the ensuing confusion. "Don't move, I'll remove the poison now." He used a sharp medical knife to make a shallow cut on her fingertip.

Olive felt the pain ease and then disappear, but she remained unconscious. "Take a rest, you'll be fine soon. There's blood on your face. I'll get you a towel." He started to rise, but two arms encircled his waist. Olive clung to him.

"Mr. Augustine, hug me. I'm so cold," she murmured softly. Marvin felt her frigid body; the cold was a stark warning. He gently removed her hands.

"Olive, you're mistaken, I'm not Mr. Augustine."

Her brain still clouded, the dizziness threatening to overwhelm her, she held on tighter. "Mr. Augustine, are you still angry? Let's reconcile. I'm so cold, I need your hug."

Marvin stiffened, ceasing his efforts to pull away. "Olive, do you like Elvis that much? You risked your life to save him." His eyes fell on the paper, the equations—she had almost solved them. Unfortunately, she had fallen short.

He looked at her face. "Olive, your ordeal is over. It's a shame you couldn't save Elvis, even after ruining your own blood."

She couldn't hear him. He saw the blood on her mask and gently removed it, revealing her small face. He had imagined her countless times, but seeing her pale beauty firsthand mesmerized him.

He wiped the blood from her nose with his sleeve, ignoring his usual aversion to uncleanliness. Feeling his gentleness, Olive hugged him again. He returned the embrace, desperate to alleviate her chill.

"Olive, divorce him," he whispered.

Outside, Pamela called Elvis. He answered.

"Hello."

"Mr. Augustine, come to Starzeal immediately. Olive's in a hotel room with Marvin. They've been there a while."

A pause. "Mr. Augustine, I think there's something wrong with Olive. She had her blood tested at the research institute. Do you know about this?"

Elvis inhaled deeply. "What room is she in?"