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
Dominic could easily find someone to take charge if he really wanted to. Nash was convinced this might all be a trap, but to his surprise, Remi came back.She looked anxious. "Nash, the situation in Salterra is really bad right now. The President called me and asked me to bring you back."I know you want to stay with your wife, but if it weren’t for the President saving you and taking care of you, how would you be standing here safely today?"Her words were not wrong. However, after Nash regained consciousness, he had been consistently helping manage Salterra's affairs. He had even considered giving himself just one final year to wrap things up. However, Nina recognized him and everything started spiraling out of control."Give me a moment," Nash finally said, unable to fully resolve the inner conflict he was feeling.Remi didn’t protest and waited quietly. She knew how strong the bond was between Nash and Nina. If Nash was going to leave, he had to say goodbye to his wife first.
Nash had responsibilities to his country, and to Dominic. Even though Dominic was not his biological father, Nash owed him his life and had to repay that debt.Nina had been upset, frustrated, and angry, but hearing Nash say this only made her heart ache more. She cupped his face in her hands, "I know you have a lot on your shoulders, which is why I want to be by your side this time. Nash, take me with you."I promise I won’t be a burden. If anything happens, I can help by reporting on it. We’re a team. We’re married and we have a child. Whatever comes our way, we should face it together."Nash saw the hope in Nina’s eyes. He remembered the promises he had made to her and the look on her face now. In the end, he could not refuse her.He pulled her close and kissed her, "Alright, you’ll come with me. Stay by my side, and no matter what happens, I’ll protect you."Even if it would cost him his life, he would never let anything happen to her.But before they could head to Salterra
Nash remained silent but his silence spoke volumes.Nina, enraged, punched him in the chest. "Nash, if you dare to keep thinking like this, I’ll kill you myself!"She was truly furious. She had endured agony and heartbreak for five years, holding on only because of their child. Nash had not died, but he had not contacted her either. Sure, at first, he was unconscious, but after that? Not a word. Whenever she thought of it, her anger flared up again. And now, he had the nerve to hold such thoughts!Micah glanced at Nash with a cold expression. "You deserve it! My sister suffered for all these years, and you still want her to suffer more? If you’re a real man, you’ll fix this mess!""I will," Nash replied firmly. He was determined to fulfill all the promises he had made to Nina.Micah gave him one last look. He had said what needed to be said. The rest was up to Nash.And so, Nash and Nina headed to Salterra together. Dominic had expected Nash to return alone but was surpri
"Alright," Dominic responded, watching Nash turn away. Although Nash said he would visit when he could, Dominic knew deep down that this might be the last time they would see each other.But Dominic could not let him leave just like that. He caught up to Nash, and even though Nash had refused earlier, Dominic still shoved the bank card into his hand."It's all in Birkham currency. This isn’t for you, it's for my grandson. I was too hard on him in the past."That was why Orion had not contacted him once since he left."Don't tell me Orion doesn't need it. You better save this money for him!" Dominic insisted firmly.Then, thinking of Nina, Dominic asked, "Can I have a moment alone with Nina? Don’t worry, with the current situation and all these people around, I couldn’t do anything to her even if I wanted to."Nash hesitated but eventually called Nina over to Dominic.Nina approached respectfully. "Father."Dominic, shocked, stared at her in disbelief. "I tried to kill you befor
This was Nina's only hope now. She and Nash longed for their family's acceptance and blessings.Dominic nodded in agreement. "You have my word. Now that we've come this far, I won’t trouble you and Nash anymore."He had once hoped Nash would take over his position and become the next president of Salterra. But Nash had no interest in such a role. He wanted a simple life. Dominic, burdened with guilt over his neglect of Nash's mother and the years of distance between them, could not bear to see his son trapped in a life of suffering."Thank you," Nina said, her gratitude making Dominic feel even more conflicted. Nina and Nash had been married for five years, living together through thick and thin. To them, they were meant to be. Yet Nina was still thanking him for something that should have been a given.The estrangement between him and Nash weighed heavily on Dominic’s heart, filling him with regret.Nash and Nina stayed in Salterra for a while, helping Dominic stabilize the s
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