?<strong>Chapter 439:</strong>


    “No,” Katherine answered firmly. She convinced herself that any difort she felt would just be her ego ring up.


    Can acted swiftly. By the following day, he had identified the culprits who had caused distress to Joelle—those gossiping colleagues at her workce. The intern was the first to be called out.


    At the hospital, Can consulted Adrian on how to proceed. Adrian gazed at Joelle with a calmness that seemed almost mechanical, devoid of emotion.


    “Take them to the highest bungee tower in Illerith. They could use some excitement.”


    Can was taken aback. The tower in Illerith soared to XXX feet. The mere sight of it instilled fear in most people, let alone the prospect of jumping from it. Yet, Can quickly grasped Adrian’s intent. He wanted them to experience the terror of being forced to jump from such a height.


    That evening, the bungee tower was closed to the public, yet the valley echoed with screams. Each person was forced to jump once. After everyone had taken their turn, Can contacted Adrian.


    “Mr. Miller, should we continue?”


    Behind him, the intern sobbed, “I can’t jump again! I’m too scared! I’ll never do it again!”


    Adrian responded coldly, “Keep going. They need to be desensitized.”


    By the break of dawn, some were nearly sick with fear. But Adrian remained indifferent. He simply held Joelle’s cool hand.


    She had endured severe online harassment that had pushed her to the verge of suicide. Although she had survived, the ordeal had left her physically and emotionally damaged.


    Adrian believed that no amount of fear inflicted on others could everpensate for the suffering Joelle had endured. Even if the culprits died, it wouldn’t restore Joelle to her former health.


    After her rescue, Joelle slipped into a deepa. Adrian remained by her side for seven continuous days and nights, yet Joelle showed no signs of awakening. Her body was extremely fragile. Despite her life being saved, she was like a delicate porcin doll, vulnerable to the slightest disturbance.


    She couldn’t eat and survived only on basic glucose infusions. Within days, her face had visibly thinned. Adrian often wished he could trade ces with her, wondering why it had to be Joelle who suffered.


    Half a monthter, the truth became too much to conceal from Aurora. Exhausted, Adrian copsed at Joelle’s bedside. When he woke up, he found Aurora crying beside him.


    “What happened to Mommy?” she asked through her tears.


    Aurora was a sensitive child. After not seeing Joelle or Adrian for several days, she had grown suspicious. She had identally overheard Leah discussing Joelle’s severe injuries over the phone. Even at her young age, she sensed the whispers at kindergarten. But with Dunn absent, she had no one to confide in.


    So, she discreetly asked her friends at kindergarten and soon discovered that Joelle had jumped from a building. She understood the gravity of what that meant.


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