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
However, Micah was indifferent and did not call these people out on it.He did not expect that Freya would brush him off and face them alone. Watching her sit in the wheelchair, firmly standing her ground, something stirred in him. He quickly strode over to her.The people who had been loud and aggressive moments earlier suddenly went silent, their faces paling as they noticed his presence. Micah's lips curled into a cold sneer. "Why did you stop? Need me to remind you what you were saying?""Mr. Micah, we're sorry, we were just gossiping. We didn’t spread any rumors intentionally. Please forgive us..." "Please, forgive us!"......The group immediately dropped to their knees. Despite Micah's status as the leader of the Yaren Tribe, the people still called him "Mr. Micah" out of habit, and he had not bothered to correct them.With a cold gaze, Micah looked them over. "If you realize your mistake, then stay on your knees and give yourselves two hundred slaps. Maybe that will h
The men’s ring had a smaller diamond than the women’s, but it was slightly larger in size and had a beautiful row of small diamonds around it. The most significant part for Freya was that it allowed for engraving.Freya looked at Micah and asked, "Can we have our names engraved on them? After a month, you can give me your ring. I’ll cover the cost."She was worried that Micah might refuse, so she tried to make the situation as easy as possible for him. Although Micah was not one to be difficult, he also could not let her pay for something like this."If you want to engrave names, go ahead. I’ll take care of the payment," Micah replied quietly.He gave the salesperson a nod, signaling to process the payment. "Charge it and—"Before he could finish saying "package it," Freya interrupted, "No need to package them. Let’s wear them right away."Her eyes sparkled with hope, joy, and excitement as she eagerly extended her hand.Micah did not refuse. As he slipped the ring onto Freya’
Hunter took a bite of the biscuits and ravioli she had made. The taste was surprisingly good. It wasn’t on the level of a Michelin-starred chef, but it had something even more special—the taste of home. And of course, there was the oatmeal. He took one spoonful after another, finishing the entire bowl. *Meanwhile, Vera still hadn’t found her brother. Disappointment weighed heavily on her as she prepared to leave. But just then, her phone buzzed. An anonymous message. She tapped it open and stared at the image attached. It was a watch. Alone, a watch meant nothing. But this watch was her brother’s. Vera immediately zoomed in on the photo, carefully inspecting the engravings inside. There they were—his initials. No mistake. This was his watch. Below the image, a location pin was attached. The place was nearby. Vera’s eyes filled with determination. If she had found nothing, she would have simply left. But now, she had recei
When Yelena woke up again, she was shocked to find that she wasn’t at the club. She sat up abruptly, looking around in confusion. Then, she got out of bed, slipped on her slippers, and pushed the door open. “Where am I?” “At my place,” Hunter replied casually. He was working in the living room when he saw her wake up. “You slept for a long time. I couldn’t just leave you alone at the club, so I brought you back here.” Seeing the uncertainty on her face, he added, “It’s already late. Just stay here for the night. I’ll take you back tomorrow.” Yelena nodded. There was no other choice now. “There’s food in the fridge. If you’re hungry, heat something up. There are also snacks in the drawer—take whatever you want.” “Alright.” She really was hungry. She opened the drawer, grabbed a few small bread rolls, ate them quickly, and then went back to her room to rest. *The next morning, Yelena woke up early. Thinking about everything Hunter had done—treatin
Yelena quickly lowered her arm, letting her sleeve fall over the mark to cover it. “It’s nothing. Here’s your cocktail. Please enjoy.” “Yelena.” Hunter grabbed her wrist without warning. He pulled up her sleeve, revealing the deep, ugly scars on her arm. His brows knitted together instantly. “Who did this to you?” The force behind it was brutal—downright inhuman. Yelena remained silent. Who else could have done this besides Liam? But she had agreed to this. She had willingly accepted Hunter’s request and entered Liam’s world. She had no right to complain. Her silence gave Hunter all the confirmation he needed. “Liam did this to you, didn’t he?” Yelena nodded. “It’s nothing. The wounds have already started healing. They look worse than they feel. Give it some time, and they’ll fade.” “Wait here.” Hunter stood abruptly and walked away. Yelena had no idea what he was doing, but since he told her to wait, she didn’t argue. A few minu
Then again, it made sense. How could a normal person possibly empathize with a lunatic? If Yelena could understand Liam, that would make her just as twisted. *For the next few days, Yelena stayed home to recover. During that time, Liam came back a few times, bringing her flowers and food. Like a child showing off a treasure, he placed the food in front of her. “Yelena, these are your favorite honey crullers. I got them fresh from the bakery. Try them and see if you like them.” “I’m not really hungry.” She didn’t want to eat anything he gave her. She couldn’t even stand looking at him. But she had made a promise. So, she had to force herself to stay. Liam’s expression darkened. “Are you really not hungry, or do you just not want to eat what I give you?” For someone like him, once he had lost his temper once, the second time would only come faster and smoother. With a heavy thud, he slammed the honey crullers onto the table. “Yes, I hit y
If Liam had been a normal person, Hunter never would have sent her here in the first place. But of course, Yelena could only think that. She wasn’t suicidal enough to say it out loud. Instead, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. “I was really just messaging an old classmate. If you don’t believe me, go ahead—check my phone.” She wasn’t worried. Whenever she contacted Hunter, she deleted each message immediately. She had even forged an entire fake conversation just in case Liam ever got suspicious. So, no matter how thoroughly he checked, there would be nothing for him to find. Liam narrowed his eyes. “Is that so? Then why do I still feel like you’re lying? Women like you—nothing but liars, every last one of you.” Then, he struck her again. Yelena screamed. The pain was relentless, merciless. She had no idea how long it lasted—only that by the time he finally stopped, she was barely breathing. Her body slumped against the floor
Suddenly, footsteps sounded behind Yelena. She spun around, her heart hammering in her chest. Liam was walking toward her, a faint smile on his lips—but the coldness in his eyes told a different story. Memories of his past cruelty flashed through her mind, sending a shudder down her spine. She forced herself to stay calm. “Who are you messaging?” He was getting closer. So close that when he finally stopped, they were nearly pressed against each other. Then, without warning, his fingers clamped around her chin, gripping tighter and tighter. Pain shot through her jaw, and Yelena winced. “No one. Just an old classmate. I ran into her a few days ago while I was out.” “Oh? Is that so?” Liam’s voice softened, almost gentle. To anyone watching, he might have seemed like a kind, easygoing man. But Yelena knew better. He would never let her off that easily. And sure enough— In the next second, he grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her hea
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.“Haven’t I been just fine lately?“Or do you think my hand isn’t injured enough? If that’s the case, go ahead—do it yourself. “You already know I wouldn’t fight back no matter what.” Without warning, Yelena stretched out her injured hand, an act that instantly enraged Liam. “What the hell is wrong with you?” He snapped. “I was just making a casual remark. Is that really what you think of me? I already told you—I’m not going to lay a hand on you.“It wasn’t intentional before, and you know it. We both do. Stop acting like you’re above all this when we both know who sent you here.” Yelena felt a pang of sadness. They had spent so much time together, yet this was how he treated her—always choosing to hurt her. “I know—I wasn’t someone you chose, and none of this was intentional. But after all this time we've spent together...“I thought maybe I was a little different to you. But I guess I was wrong. Nothing has changed at all.
“Why do you even care about what happens to other people? Haven’t I made myself clear enough already?“Whose card is this—yours or mine?” His assistant immediately apologized upon hearing Caleb’s tone. “I hope you won’t hold this against me. I really wasn’t thinking clearly at the time—I should have considered this more carefully.” Caleb didn’t bother responding. After hanging up, he focused entirely on investigating Vera’s brother. *Meanwhile, Vera was deeply worried. If things had been somewhat under control before, now they were completely off track. The situation on both sides was far more complicated than she had anticipated. “Don’t worry. That’s exactly how it is. If you don’t want to go in person, I can go for you—but it won’t be cheap,” the private investigator said.Since Caleb had warned her about the private investigator, Vera started testing him, probing for inconsistencies. And sure enough, his story had too many holes. “Why are you so sure my b
As Caleb spoke, he looked at Vera with a hint of helplessness. After all, her hand had been injured because of Luna. “Don’t feel guilty about this. Honestly, it’s nothing to me.“And I’m not the type to carry burdens over things like this.“Besides, it’s been so long. If this had happened back then, I might have cared. But now? I just don’t think it matters anymore.” Vera’s voice was steady and sincere. But Caleb’s expression darkened. “Why would you say that? Why do you think it doesn’t matter? Do you really see me as just the same as everyone else?” For some reason, at this moment, Caleb took it personally. Vera couldn’t help but laugh. “Of course not. You’re different from the rest—so obviously, I wouldn’t see it the same way.“You’ve helped me so much. The least I can do is acknowledge that, instead of stubbornly nitpicking about what’s right or wrong, don’t you think?“Besides, whatever happened between you and Luna, that’s none of my business. It’s in