Chapter 190

Bianca Quinn pushed the bank card across the table with an impassive expression. "The matter with the design drafts ends here."

Yvonne Young slammed her hands on the table and stood abruptly. "Have you lost your mind?! You agreed to this when we signed the contract!"

"That was because you deceived me." Bianca's voice remained calm. "You used my mother's illness to threaten me."

Yvonne scoffed, her crimson nails tapping against the card. "Two hundred thousand? How many design drafts did you have to sell to scrape this together?"

Bianca rose to her feet, her black trench coat sweeping behind her in a sharp arc.

"The money is yours. The termination notice has been sent to your email."

Yvonne suddenly grabbed her wrist. "Wait! My cousin is your mother's attending physician. Do you really think I won't have him halt all treatment tomorrow?"

Bianca wrenched her hand free, her gaze icy.

"Don't bother. We've already transferred hospitals."

Stepping out of the café, Bianca took a deep breath. The early spring wind carried a chill, but it was still warmer than Yvonne's fake smile.

In the VIP ward of First Hospital, Bianca's mother, Mrs. Quinn, was frantically packing her belongings.

"Mom!" Bianca rushed to stop her. "What are you doing?"

"Do you know how much this room costs per day?" Mrs. Quinn fretted, wringing her hands. "I can stay in a regular ward. Go cancel this right now!"

Bianca pulled out a contract from her bag.

"It's an advance from the company—a formal loan agreement. Look, they'll deduct five thousand from my salary each month."

Mrs. Quinn flipped through the contract skeptically before lowering her voice. "Your boss... didn't make any unreasonable demands, did they?"

"It's a female boss." Bianca couldn't help but smile. "I start work tomorrow. I've arranged for a caregiver to look after you."

"No caregiver!" Mrs. Quinn waved her hands dismissively. "I'm feeling much better now. I can—"

A violent coughing fit cut her off. Bianca steadied her frail shoulders, realizing just how thin her mother had become beneath the hospital gown—her bones protruding sharply.

"The caregiver is non-negotiable." Bianca's voice tightened. "If you don't cooperate with treatment, I'll quit my job and stay by your side every day."

Mrs. Quinn finally relented with a sigh. As she stroked her daughter's soft hair, she noticed new black strands growing at the tips.

"Bianca... did you dye your hair?"

Bianca hesitated before forcing a smile. "Yes. Just wanted a change."

She didn't tell her mother that those were white hairs from three sleepless months of designing for others. But now, those days of toiling in the shadows were finally over.

Outside the window, magnolia buds peeked through the branches. Bianca tightened her grip on the employee badge in her pocket—finally bearing her own name.