Ignoring Mitbahl, the Hag extended her hand, as thin and gnarled as a branch, and grasped Ivana's wrist. Mitbahl was about to shout, but then he saw the Hag inspecting her.
The Hag's cloudy eyes flickered slightly. "It’s the Voodoo insect. Someone has cursed you with it, haven't they?"
Mitbahl quickly responded, "Yes, yes! Elder, do you have any way to save her?"
Seeing that the Hag seemed willing to help, Mitbahl's tone changed to one of respect. But to his surprise, the Hag abruptly released Ivana’s hand.
"Take her outside!" she commanded.
Mitbahl was stunned. "Take her outside?"
"Don't let her die here and dirty my place!"
"Wow, that’s harsh!" Mitbahl exclaimed, jumping up and down. "You hate men, right? Ivana is a woman like you. There's no need to be so hostile."
The Hag's face remained cold. "She is suffering because of her foolish mother. If her mother had taken her and fled, this tragedy wouldn't have happened..."
<"I'm sorry," he said softly, feeling the pain of not being there with her."Why are you apologizing? You haven’t done anything wrong," Diana replied, her tone indulgent. "It's okay. You’ll be back soon, and then I’m going to tie you to the bed and do all the things I’ve been too shy to try.""Like what?" John asked, his voice gentle."Tying you up with your tie, maybe even using your belt... cough, cough, Jacob’s here. I’ll leave the rest to your imagination.""Now I’m looking forward to it," John replied, his voice warm.After chatting for a while, John asked quietly, "Is Jacob still there?""Yes, he is.""Let me speak to him."Diana acknowledged and handed the phone to Jacob.Not long after, John heard Jacob's voice coming from the other end of the phone."John.""How has the little girl been doing lately?""Don't worry, Diana's condition is stable, and the baby is doing well too.""Good," J
Diana removed the tissue from her nose, and after confirming the bleeding had stopped, she shifted her position on the couch.She fixed her gaze on Jacob."I'm fine. Now that John has found that legendary doctor, my condition can be treated. We just need to wait for him to come back safely. Until then..." Diana lifted her gaze slightly, "as long as nothing major happens, there's no need to worry John.""But right now, no one can guarantee that you won't have more issues..." Jacob began."I'm fine at the moment," Diana interrupted, gently placing a hand on her belly. Her eyes softened instantly. "I know my own body better than anyone. Although things have been going downhill lately, it's not life-threatening."Jacob lowered his head, weighing his options. Finally, with great difficulty, he nodded."Alright, we'll do it your way," he said. "But John will need Dr. Myers to provide your recent medical reports...""That's easy. Just forge
“Mind your own business!” Misoup kicked at him, her expression fiery.Kirin quickly released her wrist, catching her ankle with one hand and swiftly tripping her other leg. Misoup, not one to go down easily, grabbed his collar and used the momentum to swing herself up, clinging to Kirin to avoid falling.Kirin, momentarily stunned, instinctively wrapped his arm around her waist to steady her. His hand, however, landed on something soft.For a split second, time seemed to freeze. Misoup’s body went rigid, hanging onto him like a lifeline. Their eyes locked in a moment of mutual shock.Kirin’s eyes darted down to where his hand rested – right on Misoup’s chest.Both of them stared, speechless, at the awkward position.Misoup’s face flushed a deep red as the realization hit her. “What the—”Kirin’s hand trembled as he quickly withdrew it, letting her down gently. Misoup, stunned by the unexpected contact, stood frozen in place, her face
Under the concerned gazes of everyone, Yosef suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed against the edge of the tub."Shit!"Kirin's expression changed, and he kicked open the door. A strong medicinal scent hit them, and they instinctively covered their noses and mouths. The fumes were toxic, and inhaling too much could lead to poisoning.Godber quickly moved over and pulled Yosef, who was drenched, out of the tub. Yosef was wearing only a towel around his waist, his upper body bare. Godber immediately noticed the unnatural heat radiating from Yosef's body and how his face was as pale as death, though his lips were unusually red.Patrick grabbed a robe and hurriedly draped it over Yosef. "Get Mr. Nelson to the bedroom and call Doctor Zhang immediately!"A subordinate nodded and rushed to make the call.Godber carried Yosef swiftly to the bedroom. After laying him on the bed, Patrick knelt beside it, anxiously calling Yosef's name.
OutsideAfter leaving the bedroom, Kirin struck the nearby wall with a clenched fist, frustration etched across his face."I can't believe we're just standing here watching Mr. Nelson walk to his death... and there's nothing I can do about it.""This was Mr. Nelson's choice. We need to respect that," replied Godber, leaning against the wall and rubbing his brow, looking equally weary.Turning his head, Godber glanced at Patrick. "Did you send out the message Mr. Nelson wanted us to release?""Yes, but it needs to be done gradually. Carl is cautious, so we have to lure him out slowly," Patrick said, frowning. "I have no idea where he's hiding now."Mr. Nelson was nearly exhausted and determined to become a Voodoo Lwa. There was no way he could muster the energy to hunt down Carl, the slippery fox. They could only wait for Carl to surface.Kirin calmed down for a moment, then said, "I don't get it. If Mr. Nelson had decided to deal with
“When he dies.” Carl reached out and plucked a jasmine flower, twirling it in his fingers. “Even if my dear cousin is on his last breath, we can’t afford to be careless. The moment he dies, we move.”Then, a thought crossed Carl's mind.“Is there any word from Ivana?” he inquired.“No.” Isolde shook her head slightly. “Recently, John left Cloud City, and we suspect Ivana went with him.”She frowned slightly as she finished speaking.“Ivana was never really one of us. Do you think she might betray us?”A flicker of light passed through Carl's eyes, which then hardened with resolve.“Find out where John went as soon as possible.”John's sudden departure from Cloud City was indeed suspicious. Was there someone else out there who could save Diana?...Deep in the ForestNightfall had draped its inky blanket over the forest, casting an eerie silence.In front of the Hag's cave lay a large clearing, where
"Yes, I have. Nothing serious," John replied, his voice softening slightly. "Thanks for all your hard work."Jacob, feeling a bit guilty, responded, "It’s no trouble... When do you think you’ll be back?""I can't say for certain, but we'll return as soon as possible," John said coolly. "Just get that song translated quickly.""Understood."…Jacob was efficient. Early the next morning, John received the file from Jacob. It contained the translated lyrics of the Hag's song:“Tonight, I wait in vain. Yesterday, you held me close. Now you’re gone, my love. Where are you now, my love? You said you'd be here tomorrow...”As he read the translation on his phone, John's brows furrowed, deep in thought. He scrolled down further, finding the song's origin and explanation.While he was engrossed in reading, there was a sudden commotion near the cave. John turned slightly to see the Hag, carrying a basket and wrapped in a headscarf, totte
But John didn't move.Instead, he stepped forward.“For my wife, I’m willing to give up everything, but that doesn’t mean I’ll make a foolish sacrifice.”His voice was calm and steady. “Just because you were betrayed, you think all men are liars and all love is fake. You hide in this dark cave, but what are you really running from?”A flicker of surprise passed through the Hag's eyes.“I don't know what you're talking about!”John didn't reply.He continued to slowly advance towards her. “Everything I’ve told you is true. For my wife, I’d give up everything, including my life.”He stopped right in front of her, his eyes full of emotion, radiating an irresistible presence.His piercing, unyielding gaze made the Hag freeze for a moment.His eyes were sharp, firm, and fearless.“As long as I see my wife safe with my own eyes, you can take my life if you want it.”The Hag's face darkened.“Why sho