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
After investigating, all signs pointed to Remi. She had not given up after failing to achieve her goal at the wedding.But now that she had been caught, Nash was not going to let her get away with it. Remi was brought before him and Nina, bound hand and foot. Her eyes seethed with rage as she glared at Nina, lying in bed with an IV in her arm, wishing she could tear her to pieces."We’ve come this far, and you still haven’t given up," Nina said with a calm smile. "I know your feelings for Nash are real. Otherwise, why would you be so eager to become my son’s stepmother?"Remi had known Nash had a son, and it had not stopped her. She knew about the wedding, and still, she did not back down. If that wasn’t love, what was it?Nina exchanged a glance with Nash, signaling her intentions. However, Nash did not trust Remi enough to leave Nina alone with her.Nina chuckled softly. "She’s all tied up, and you’re right outside the door. Plus, you’ve got your men here. What could she possibl
Remi's gaze seemed to say, "What are you so smug about?"But Nina wasn’t feeling smug at all. She smiled and said, "Remi, you might not know this, but before me, there was another woman named Miranda. She came into Nash’s life even before I did."Miranda had appeared long before Nina and shared a special connection with Nash. She was even his lifesaver. Yet, in the end, it was Nina who ended up with him. Sometimes, fate had its own plans.Remi had never heard of Miranda. All she knew was Nina. Now, hearing Nina speak, she began to reevaluate her relationship with Nash. From the moment she saw Nash, she had been captivated by his stunning looks, his capability, and his air of pride. She had always gotten what she wanted, and the defeat she faced with Nash only fueled her desire to win."Nina, I'm sorry," Remi said, bowing her head in apology.In that moment, she truly understood and came to terms with everything.Nina did not want Remi to be trapped by her obsession, which was w
At the time, Wilfred had already guessed that this had everything to do with Harley and his mentor, Professor Zeller. “You and your so-called association don’t focus on benefiting patients. Instead, you spend all your time trying to monopolize everything. And now you want to turn me into one of you? Keep dreaming.” Wilfred’s tone was filled with disdain, his eyes cold with contempt. The smug smile on Harley’s face slowly faded. With a sneer, Harley’s voice turned bitter. “You know what I despise most about you? That self-righteous, holier-than-thou attitude of yours. I was offering you advice, but if you don’t want to hear it, fine. There’s nothing more to say. After all, if the surgery fails—” Before he could finish the word “fail,” the surgical light outside the operating room flicked off. Clack!The sliding doors parted, and Karina burst through, her face flushed with emotion. She didn’t even notice Harley. Her focus zeroed in on Wilfred. “Wilfred!” Her voice trem
As the surgery approached, Karina worked overtime, meticulously double-checking for any possible oversights. Before stepping into the operating room, she took a deep breath."Karina, you’ve got this!" a nurse beside her encouraged.This surgery was particularly significant, and the assistants and nurses weren’t from her hospital. They were brought in by the project, specifically by Harley’s team. Without a single familiar face around, Karina felt a twinge of anxiety. Opportunities to lead surgeries were already rare for her, let alone under circumstances like this, with no one she could truly rely on.But there was no turning back now. Gritting her teeth, Karina donned her gloves. As she was about to enter the operating room, her peripheral vision caught sight of a figure standing silently in the distance. It was Wilfred. His steady gaze met hers, his eyes carrying something profound she couldn’t quite decipher. When their eyes locked, a faint smile curved his lips.In th
“Ava.”A deep voice cut through the air, and Karina turned to see a man in a black suit, wearing a hat and a mask, striding toward them. But the man’s white eyelashes and distinctive eyes were all Karina needed to recognize him. He was her albino patient, Xavier Jasper!Xavier also didn’t expect to run into both Wilfred and Karina here. “It’s you two,” he exclaimed in surprise.Wilfred’s gaze sharpened as he calmly addressed Xavier. “Keep your sister in line. Apologize.”Before Xavier could respond, Ava stepped forward and, to everyone’s surprise, said, “I’m sorry. I was too impulsive. Please forgive me.” Karina was taken aback by how quickly Ava apologized. Even Xavier, who knew his sister’s arrogant tendencies well, looked stunned.Karina nodded, her tone steady but firm. “I forgive you, but that doesn’t mean everyone else will. You should work on your attitude. Stop acting so entitled everywhere you go.” With that, Karina turned on her heel and walked away. Although Xavie
”Those were her meticulously compiled notes, the result of hours of hard work—and now they were ruined just like that?” Karina thought.“I’ve never wronged you. Why would you do something like this?” she demanded, her voice trembling with indignation. Something about the situation felt off, and Karina’s sharp intuition told her this wasn’t a simple misunderstanding.Under Karina’s intense gaze, the nurse finally broke down, revealing Ava’s role in orchestrating the whole thing. Karina’s anger turned into a mix of rage and incredulous amusement. “Really? Rich people—did they all enjoy throwing money around like this?”All this trouble, just to ruin her hard-earned work over a seat?Her carefully compiled notes were gone, and there wasn’t a second copy. Arguing wouldn’t bring them back, but Ava wasn’t going to let this slide without giving someone a piece of her mind.Finding Ava wasn’t difficult. In fact, Ava didn’t even try to avoid her. She seemed to be waiting, eager to see
Just as Ava was about to cause a scene, the sound of steady footsteps filled the room. Wilfred strode in, his white coat enhancing his composed, almost ethereal aura. Ava shot Karina a glare, silently committing her to memory, then begrudgingly found another seat. Wilfred’s gaze swept across the room, pausing ever so briefly on Karina before moving on. She wasn’t sure if it was real or just her imagination. “Today, we’ll discuss cellular structures. I’ll start with an example from my doctoral thesis,” Wilfred announced, adjusting the projector. To Karina’s surprise, he was an exceptional lecturer—clear, engaging, and far more comprehensible than many university professors. She listened intently, taking meticulous notes. Yvette peeked over at Karina’s notebook, wide-eyed at the densely packed writing. “Karina, when you eventually get promoted, land a big raise, or go for your doctorate, I promise I won’t be jealous. Truly.”Karina chuckled. “If you need these notes, I can len
Karina glanced at the time and quickly gestured for Yvette to sit down as well. However, barely had they taken their seats when a haughty woman marched up to Karina, her sharp gaze fixed on the chair she was sitting on. “You, get up. I want that seat!” Karina frowned, studying the unfamiliar woman. She didn’t recognize her from the hospital, but the designer jewelry around her neck and the branded bag on her arm screamed wealth. She seemed like the kind of entitled socialite who rarely had to fight for anything, let alone a seat.Unsure if the woman was trying to pick a fight or genuinely wanted the chair, Karina pointed to the open seats nearby. “There are plenty of seats over there. Take one of those.”Then, she lowered her head, dismissing the woman entirely.The woman’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Excuse me? I said I want your seat. Get up. Now!” Not content with words alone, she reached out to pull Karina up by force. Karina, now genuinely angry, shook her off. “I was h
Karina looked slightly surprised. She distinctly remembered that Wilfred wasn’t a drinker. “I thought you avoided alcohol?” Wilfred, ever the epitome of control and composure, preferred to steer clear of anything that dulled his sharpness. Back when they worked at the Birkham Central Hospital, she had seen him reject bottles of expensive wine from people trying to curry favor with him. He sipped his tea slowly before replying, “You’ve started at a new hospital. As your former mentor, I haven’t given you a proper congratulatory gift yet.” “This is… for me?” Karina asked, her voice tinged with disbelief. Wilfred’s gaze was steady as he replied, “Don’t like it? If not, I can send it back and we can find something else later.” He raised his hand to call the server over. “Wait! No need. I like it a lot,” Karina interjected hastily, stopping him in his tracks. The idea of going gift shopping with him later felt uncomfortably like a date. And knowing Wilfred’s personality, w
Wilfred’s gaze swept over her without a word, and Karina climbed into the car on her own. When choosing her seat, she instinctively moved toward the back, but before she could get in, Wilfred spoke, “Sit in the front. It’s more convenient.” Karina hesitated briefly. Not wanting to appear overly particular, she complied and took the passenger seat. Although there was a saying that the front seat was reserved for a girlfriend, Wilfred didn’t strike her as someone who cared about such details. She decided to pretend she didn’t know. After buckling her seatbelt, a phone suddenly appeared in front of her. She looked up, her face full of confusion and surprise. Wilfred glanced sideways at her, one hand on the steering wheel, the car still stationary. “I haven’t decided on a restaurant yet. I’ll be driving soon. You pick something.” Karina took the phone. As Wilfred drove, she scrolled through the options, narrowing it down to three restaurants. But her mild indecisivenes
Karina forced a smile. “Really, it’s fine. You all go ahead.”Yvette pouted, her disappointment clear as she relented. “Alright then.”Once the others had left, Karina tried to refocus on work. She pulled out her research materials, determined to get something done. Yet, no matter how hard she tried, her thoughts kept wandering. The cheerful chatter from outside finally snapped her out of it, making her realize just how distracted she had been.Karina gave a wry smile and muttered to herself, “This is why you don’t get ahead of yourself. Seriously, one of life’s biggest delusions.”For a fleeting moment, she had thought Wilfred might feel something for her too. But it was better this way, she told herself—better to wake up now than to fall in too deep later. Romance wasn’t her strong suit; focusing on her career was safer.While others might drown their heartbreak in food or a night out, Karina chose the most grueling outlet: work. It might be exhausting, but it was effective. S