Nina sat on the couch, lost in her thoughts, until Nash finally woke up. He had not expected to fall asleep, let alone sleep so deeply that he felt as though his body had been taken apart and reassembled. As he sat up, he noticed Nina sitting quietly on the couch nearby. The room was dimly lit, with just the soft glow of an amber-colored lamp on the nightstand.Nash could immediately sense that something was off with Nina. "What's wrong?" he asked.Nina turned to look at him, her gaze meeting his in the warm glow of the light. Yet, despite the cozy lighting, she suddenly felt a strange sense of distance between them.She did not beat around the bush. "When I came back, you were asleep. But I heard you calling out for Miranda."For a moment, Nash did not respond, and silence settled over the room. Nina did not know how to process her feelings. It had been five years, and despite everything Miranda had done, Nash still had her in his thoughts.But then, Nash quickly moved towa
Freya had not seen any signs that Micah was interested in anyone else either. She bit her lip, her heart aching. "You’re not dating anyone. Is it because of your responsibilities?"Otherwise, how could she explain why there was not even a hint of a woman around Micah?"That’s my business," Micah replied coldly. In an instant, his features seemed to freeze over, and his entire demeanor became dark and unapproachable.Freya understood that this was Micah’s way of trying to make her give up. But she was not going to. Shaking her head firmly, she said, "I won’t give up. I just want to be with you. You don’t have to worry. I won’t get in the way of your responsibilities. Can’t you just…""Don’t you get it?" Micah interrupted, his tone icy. "You’re not my type. And your recent actions have made me dislike you even more. I’m not going to be with someone I can’t stand."He was trying to make Freya lose all hope, and she understood that. But she refused to accept it. She was utterly devote
Micah instinctively looked at Freya. Her clear eyes radiated determination. He knew she did not have the capability to orchestrate something like this, and he had already confirmed with Mr. Joker that it was just a local gang causing trouble. Pressing his lips together, Micah spoke softly, "I believe you, but I don’t have feelings for you."Freya’s expression remained resolute, undeterred by his words. "You keep saying that, Micah. I’ve already told you what I want."A month was not a long time. But before Micah could respond, Freya gave a light laugh and spoke first, "Micah, I was willing to risk my life for you, and this is all you can offer in return?""You don’t need to use reverse psychology on me. The answer is still no."Pretending to be her boyfriend for a month would mean the whole tribe would believe they were together. Breaking up later would only invite gossip and speculation. Something neither of them needed. It was better not to start at all.Freya felt as if her
Being a perfect servant would require one to serve without personal attachment or feelings. Freya truly loved Micah to the point where she was willing to become someone devoid of her own emotions just to be by his side. But for Micah, that was precisely the reason he had hesitated to start anything with her. If he did, he would be fully committed, never just for the sake of it."Freya, you need to have your own identity. Your life is yours to live, not someone else's. Even without me, you'll find that there are other people out there worth loving."Micah's words hit like a heavy weight in Freya's throat. Even now, he was trying to guide her, to make her see reason."I'm not that bad! I've laid it all out for you, and you still won't budge. I don't want you to feel responsible for me. Just give me this one month, and you don’t have to think about anything else. Or do you really want to see me die right in front of you?"Freya’s voice cracked with desperation, and she seemed on t
"That makes sense," Micah responded, his lips barely moving as he spoke. "But maybe I just don't have it in me. Anyway, Freya is waiting for her meal, so I'll head back." He clearly did not want to continue discussing matters of the heart. He was not interested, and talking about it only tired him out.Nina could not help but tease him, "See? You said Freya's waiting for her meal, yet you claim you're not interested. People always say women are the ones who say one thing and mean another, but I think men are just the same."Micah tried to maintain a serious tone. "Is Orion feeling better? Shouldn't you be taking care of him instead of worrying about me?"Nina laughed. "He's still recovering, but I can talk to you and take care of him at the same time.""Go take care of your Orion," Micah said, carrying the chicken broth as he walked away.Nina watched his retreating figure, a smile playing on her lips. He was so easy to tease. It was obvious he had feelings for Freya. But of c
Micah decided to give Freya some space and did not monitor her conversation. As for Pharaoh, he stood by, waiting for Freya to speak. She hesitated for a moment before saying quietly, "I want to recover quickly. I don't want to be bedridden any longer. Pharaoh, is there any special medicine I can take?"Healing from such an injury typically takes a long time, and she could not bear the thought of wasting the precious time she had fought so hard to get. She wanted to make the most of it."There’s no miracle cure. The bullet went through your chest, and you’re still recovering. Rest is what you need. Besides, you don’t have any urgent tasks to carry out," Pharaoh replied. He stood with his hands behind his back, his expression indifferent.Freya kept her head lowered. How could she not have something important to do? To her, Micah was the mission she was determined to complete. This was the perfect opportunity to get closer to him and an opportunity she could not afford to miss.
With Nina saying this, Pharaoh knew he could not convince her to stay any longer. He repeated his earlier words, "Use what I've given you. Don't feel embarrassed. Besides that, I have nothing else to offer you."He wanted to give her companionship, fatherly love, but after so many years apart, even though she had accepted him, they could not have a typical father-daughter relationship. Instead, he thought it better to offer her financial support, so she could get whatever she needed."I understand. I've never blamed you. I'll visit when I can, and you're welcome to come to Birkham too," Nina replied with a smile.Between them, there was never any blame. It was just that when Nina first discovered he was her father, the initial shock and the harsh reality hit her hard. But those feelings had passed.Hope flickered in Pharaoh’s eyes. "Really?"His only wish now was to have a genuine relationship with Nina, to be a normal father and daughter. If she allowed him to visit Birkham, it w
He did not want her health to suffer, and in time, Micah would naturally start to hold her in a special place in his heart."I was just thinking out loud. If you don’t want me to go, then I won’t. Wherever you are, that’s where I’ll be," Freya said softly, though a smile played on her lips. Micah pressed his lips together, about to say something when Freya looked up at him with hopeful eyes. "Can I at least go out and buy a few things? Maybe a pair of couple rings? Don’t worry, I won’t put it under your name." She was willing to spend her own money, as long as Micah agreed.Micah did not respond immediately, staring at her in surprise. "Since when do women pay for men?""Aren’t we different? If you’re okay with it… it’s just a keepsake. It doesn’t matter who pays for it," Freya said, understanding the situation clearly. She knew Micah was not going to buy her anything, so if he was not going to do it, why shouldn’t she?"Let’s not think about that right now. I can take you out
But instead of feeling touched, Vera’s first reaction was nausea. A wave of discomfort surged up from her stomach, and Vera’s face paled. She bolted for the bathroom. Caleb followed quickly. “Are you feeling sick?” “I don’t think so. I’ve been eating normally—nothing too heavy or weird lately.” Vera clutched her stomach, just as confused as he was. Then, a possibility flashed through her mind. Caleb clearly had the same thought. Without a word, he turned and walked into their bedroom, returning moments later with a pregnancy test. Vera looked at him, stunned. “When did you buy that?” He responded matter-of-factly, “Better safe than sorry.” Vera was momentarily speechless. Five minutes later, she stepped out of the bathroom, her hand instinctively resting on her stomach, her expression a mix of shock and disbelief. It was positive. They had only been married for three months. How did this happen so fast?Caleb, on the other hand, remained composed—at le
Of course, Vera wasn’t about to dump all her responsibilities on her assistant. That would be exploitation. She called her assistant into her office. “You’re twenty-five this year, right?” Her assistant blinked, confused. Wasn’t her age common knowledge? Why was Vera suddenly bringing it up? A thought struck her. Was this an arranged marriage situation? Her face immediately filled with silent refusal. “Miss Vera, I’m still young. I’m not thinking about marriage anytime soon.” Vera tapped her pen against the desk. “I’m not telling you to get married.” “Oh.” “I just want to offload some of the smaller daily tasks to you. You don’t have to run every minor document by me.”Her assistant instantly understood. A raise. After confirming she was on board, Vera gave her a salary bump and had her hire a few more assistants to distribute the workload. “If I don’t have time to handle everything, you guys will take care of it. If something’s too complicated, jus
Vera could sense danger the moment the conversation turned in this direction. Her father had never questioned her about married life, and she was lucky enough to avoid nosy relatives. But just because she hadn’t experienced it firsthand didn’t mean she hadn’t seen it happen to others. Without hesitation, she abandoned the half-folded pastry in her hands. “I... uh, need to use the restroom.” Before she could escape, Mrs. Smith caught her wrist. “You and Caleb aren’t getting any younger,” she said matter-of-factly. “You should start thinking about kids—make sure you’re putting in the effort, hmm?” Vera left the kitchen visibly drained. Mrs. Smith was a wonderful mother-in-law, the kind who treated Vera like her own daughter. Despite knowing Vera came from a well-off family, she had still gifted them a house as a wedding present. Of course, Caleb already owned a place, but his mother had insisted. “That’s your house. This is the home I’m giving you as a weddi
That undeniable possessiveness flickered in Caleb’s gaze—subtle yet impossible to ignore. It was the kind of look a powerful man might give his beloved in an old Hollywood film. And right now, the photographer felt like the unlucky bystander who had accidentally stumbled upon an intimate scene. His voice wavered slightly, caught up in his own imagination. “Mr. Smith, lift your eyes toward the camera.” Caleb’s sharp gaze flickered over, intense and commanding. The photographer instinctively pressed the shutter. They continued with several more poses, reviewing the shots as they went. Vera loved them all, but her favorite was still the vintage-inspired one. “How long until we get the final prints?” she asked. “Two to three days at most,” the photographer replied. “I’ll have them shipped directly to you.” Then, after a slight pause, he hesitated before making a request. “I actually have a personal favor to ask—would you both be open to letting us displa
Vera was tempted. They had already taken plenty of wedding photos—several sets at the island, more at the wedding itself. But this wasn’t just any photo studio. It was privately booked and known for being one of the most prestigious studios in the city. Appointments here were nearly impossible to get. The fact that Caleb had managed to secure a session meant he had gone to great lengths to make it happen. If they were just going to take ordinary wedding pictures, it would be a waste of an opportunity. Still, she wasn’t sure what kind of shoot she wanted. The photographer, understanding her hesitation, pulled out a sample album. “You can take a look at our past work. These are some of the styles we’ve done.” Flipping through the pages, Vera saw an array of stunning concepts—each picture more breathtaking than the last. Then, one particular set caught her eye. A Golden Age Hollywood theme.It was classic, nostalgic, and beautifully atmospheric. “Ca
After the wedding, Vera considered taking some time off for a honeymoon. But the thought quickly faded when she realized Caleb had been practically living at the hospital. With a sigh, she dismissed the idea. She was used to it, but to say she wasn’t disappointed would be a lie. Her assistant picked up on it. “Mrs. Smith, don’t you want to go on a honeymoon?” she asked one day. “One of my friends just got married, and she’s been obsessively researching destinations. “She even said a marriage without a honeymoon is already half a failure.” Vera froze mid-page, suddenly losing interest in the documents she had been reviewing. Her assistant hesitated, then offered a suggestion. “Why don’t you go visit Dr. Smith at work?“You seem… distracted. Maybe seeing him will help.” Vera snapped out of her daze, suddenly aware of how preoccupied she had been lately. It was embarrassing to admit, but she had been zoning out far too often—especially after coming hom
Whenever they did this in the past, Caleb always maintained some restraint. But tonight—he didn’t hold back at all. He took her from the bedroom to the bathroom, then back to the bed, his searing kisses trailing every inch of her skin. The next morning, even as she woke up, Vera could still feel the lingering traces of last night’s intoxicating pleasure. As expected, she ended up taking the day off. It wasn’t until two days later that she finally returned to work. *Everyone at the company had already prepared for this. The moment Vera walked into the office, she was greeted with knowing smiles and teasing remarks. “Congratulations, Mrs. Smith!” “Newlywed bliss, huh?” “Three whole days off? Someone had a good time.” It didn’t take a genius to figure out what she had been up to. Obviously, her married life was going exceptionally well—so well that she had completely abandoned work for it. Under the weight of their mischievous stares, Vera barely k
Yelena still hadn’t accepted Hunter, but he wasn’t giving up either and was relentlessly closing in on her. Knowing Yelena’s soft heart, Vera figured it was only a matter of time before she gave in. She let out a sigh. Her friend’s love life wasn’t something she could interfere with. Besides, Caleb had already given her a little inside scoop. “She came to the hospital for a follow-up a few days ago,” he had mentioned casually. “Hunter was the one who brought her.” Vera had clicked her tongue at the news. Yelena always seemed quiet and reserved, but apparently, she was full of surprises.*Time flew by in the blink of an eye.By mid-month, Caleb had rented out an entire vineyard and spent several days transforming it into the perfect wedding venue.When the day arrived, the celebration took place right there.The vineyard was sprawling and elegant, every bit as grand as any luxury hotel—if not better. Even the wine cellar remained untouched, stocked with years-
“Did you plan this from the start?” Vera narrowed her eyes, feeling like she had just walked into a carefully laid trap. “Mm.” Caleb smiled, then leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. Because yes—he had always been planning this. The biggest change in Vera’s life after the island proposal was the ring now sitting on her finger. It wasn’t just any ring. It was custom-made, something Caleb had specially ordered. She only found out by accident when she glanced at his phone one day and saw the purchase record. It had been ordered two months ago. Vera did the math and was stunned. He had been preparing for this long before she even started getting impatient. Her heart swelled with emotion. And as soon as Caleb’s parents heard that their son had finally proposed, they wasted no time pushing them to get the marriage license. *One day, Vera overheard Caleb’s mother lecturing him. “Your dad and I weren’t expecting much from you. With how much ti