Feeling a bit embarrassed by Nina's words, Freya looked down shyly. Micah's deep voice broke the silence. "Since we’ve run into each other and it's about time for dinner, why don't we eat together?"Nina immediately jumped in. "We’ve booked a stay at a nearby guesthouse. Follow me."Leading the way, they soon arrived at a cozy guesthouse. Nash called a server, and with Nina and Nash being regulars, they recommended the house specialties to Freya and Micah.The meal was ordered with variety in mind. There were about a dozen dishes to give their guests a true taste of the local cuisine, though in small portions. When Freya reached for shrimp, Micah, ever the gentleman, peeled them for her without hesitation. Meanwhile, Nash was not about to be outdone in serving his wife, making sure she was equally pampered.As they enjoyed their meal, Nina poured Freya a drink. "There are plenty of sights to see around here. Since we’ve bumped into each other, how about we explore together?"
It was partly his fault. When Nina booked the room, he had not been clear enough with her, leading her to believe that they had reached the stage of sharing a bed. Suppressing the frustration rising within him, Micah said softly, "You take the bed, I’ll sleep on the floor."After all, he had survived the harsh conditions in the northern regions of their homeland. This was nothing in comparison. But Freya, who loved him deeply, could never let him sleep on the floor.In a hoarse voice, Freya said, "Micah, you take the bed, I’ll sleep on the floor instead. Or maybe…"Before she could finish her sentence, Micah interrupted sternly, "Did you not hear? It's peak tourist season. If you go out now, there’s no guarantee you’ll find another room. And you wandering off alone? How does that even make sense?"Freya lowered her head, as she always did when she was around Micah. She never dared to raise her voice, always presenting the gentlest, best version of herself for him. But to Micah,
Pharaoh gently patted Orion's head. "We’ve eaten. Orion, why don’t you ask your mom and dad if they’ve eaten too?""Okay." Orion’s speech was slow, but every word was sincere. He then repeated Pharaoh's words to Nina, which made her very happy. It was the most complete sentence Orion had spoken in a while.Nina responded, "Mom and Dad have eaten. And guess what? We ran into your uncle while we were here. Orion, would you like to come join us for some fun?"As she asked this, Nina glanced over at Nash beside her. If Orion said yes, they could easily bring him over, since they had the means to do so.Nash smiled warmly at Orion. "What do you think, buddy? Do you want to come?"Orion shook his head and looked up at Pharaoh before responding, "Orion... wants to stay... Grandpa is... helping Orion get better...""Alright then. Stay with your grandpa, and make sure to listen to him. When we come back, we’ll bring you a present. And once you’re feeling better, we’ll take you out to pl
Unexpectedly, in just a moment, Micah and Freya had lost track of Nina and the others. Freya thought about trying to find them, but Micah suggested, "We're all adults with phones. There's GPS and we won't get lost. Let's take a walk over there instead."Freya considered it and realized he had a point. She followed him in the opposite direction. After a few steps, they came across a little girl selling flowers. She looked about seven or eight, with a thin frame and worn-out clothes."Miss," the little girl approached Freya, holding up a bundle of flowers. "You're so beautiful. Would you like to buy some flowers?"Before Freya could respond, the girl continued, "I picked these flowers this morning. They're really cheap, and if you buy one, I'll throw in another for free."She was starving and desperately wanted something to eat. But she had not sold a single flower all day, and her sick mother and baby sister were at home waiting for her. If she did not make any money, what would t
The Yaren Tribe had been through war, and with Freya's determination to follow Micah, her combat skills had reached an elite level. The thug struggled to shake her off, but Freya pinned him down effortlessly. "Still not giving up?" she taunted. "I’ll take you straight to the police!"She was not interested in arguing with him.The moment he heard the word "police," the thug panicked and began pleading, "I'll give the money back! I'll double it! Just let me go, and please, don’t take me to the police!""Spit out the money first," Freya demanded.He did not dare refuse. Freya only took back the little girl’s share, refusing the double offer. With one hand firmly gripping the thug, she used the other to call the police. She knew that without dealing with him thoroughly, he would just cause more trouble later.The thug was unlucky to have crossed paths with her.After the police arrived and took him away, Freya handed the girl some extra money. "Little one, this is all I can do to
Just thinking about these things made Freya feel incredibly happy."What are you daydreaming about, grinning like that?" Micah frowned, snapping her back to reality.There was no way she could let Micah know what she had been imagining. She quickly shook her head. "Nothing. Let’s pick up the pace."......Meanwhile, Nina was not too worried about getting separated from Micah and Freya. She knew they would not really lose track of each other and figured they probably needed some space. She and Nash strolled along, pausing to take pictures now and then.In the distance, she spotted a film crew shooting a movie, which made her think of Nelly. Shen had gone on to become a famous director, and Penelope was now a well-known actress. In the beginning, they would send her messages frequently, but as everyone got busier, those messages became less frequent, though the friendship remained.After this honeymoon, there were some things she needed to address."If you want to break into the e
In no time at all, Freya and Micah had taken down the group of thugs, swiftly and efficiently. Even in the middle of the scuffle, they managed to call the police. With the crowd growing around them, Freya seized the moment, raising her voice deliberately, "I just turned this guy over to the police not long ago, and less than an hour later, he's out here again with more people trying to pick a fight with us. What's going on? Is this a local crime syndicate?"Her words drew the attention of even more onlookers, forcing the authorities to respond."We reprimanded him, had him write an apology and a statement of guarantee, but it seems he’s back at it, gathering people to cause trouble. Rest assured, we will eliminate any criminal forces and give everyone a proper explanation!" an officer declared.To ensure the issue was fully addressed, Micah revealed his identity to the local authorities, making it clear that this would not be swept under the rug.Freya felt a bit embarrassed. "I
Micah still did not give her an immediate answer. "It's too early to decide. When the time comes, you might regret it.""If there's no country, there’s no home. I’ve known you for a long time, and I understand your responsibilities. Micah, I’m ready to accept everything about you with no conditions. If I’m lying, may I never have peace!" Freya even raised her hand, ready to make an oath, desperate for him to believe her.Micah gently grabbed her hand, stopping her. "Don't make such vows lightly. I believe you. I know your heart is with me, and you're a good woman. But I'm not an ordinary man. My life belongs to the Yaren Tribe.""But you can’t give your whole life to the tribe. Even your father got married and had children. You can’t live your life alone. I can…"Before she could finish, Freya wrapped her arms around Micah. People passed by, but in that moment, all she could see was him. She only wanted Micah."I know. Let me think about it.""Okay." Freya beamed, feeling like sh
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