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
Dominic could not believe that after everything, they were turning the blame on him."You say you weren’t wrong about us? But your heart was never with us. If you had ever given us a second glance or trusted us even a little, we wouldn’t be in this situation now!""You’ve always been stubborn. Nash isn’t interested in being president, so you decided we weren’t good enough and started looking for someone else, didn’t you? You wanted to groom a puppet who would follow your orders."Listening to his sons’ accusations, Dominic's expression darkened. He kicked both of them to the ground, his anger boiling over."Is your brain made of mush? If I wasn’t looking out for you, with the way you’ve been acting, you would have been finished long ago. Do you even realize that?"Dominic’s rage grew as he spoke, but no one could interfere in how he disciplined his own children.Nina gave Nash a look, and he took her hand, quietly leaving the room.Once they were outside, Nina turned to him, "Th
Freya was stunned. "Even if it was me who caused this, you wouldn’t blame me?"Was Micah suddenly softening, or had she finally touched his heart, enough for him to allow her a permanent place in his life?"Yes," he answered without hesitation.Freya still could not believe it. "You... why? Does this mean you’re willing to marry me?"Micah clasped her hand. "You’ve been by my side all this time. I’ve seen how you’ve treated me. You’d make a good wife. Now that everyone knows about us, it wouldn’t be fair to you if I didn’t marry you."He thought about how Freya always tried to handle everything on her own, and for a woman to shoulder so much was too cruel.Tears welled up in Freya’s eyes. "I never imagined you’d agree to marry me. But if you still don’t want to, you don’t need to feel any obligation toward me."I’m doing this because I want to." Her voice grew hoarse with emotion. Even if she ended up heartbroken, it was a choice she willingly made."Don’t say that. I understan
"What Freya said made sense, but after working so hard for so long to win over Micah, shouldn’t she protect what she fought so hard for?" the woman wondered.Seeing Freya’s seemingly nonchalant attitude, the woman could not believe her. "And if I do win him over, you’re saying you won’t lose your mind over it?"Freya’s smile did not waver. "Why would I? If you can make Micah fall in love with you, then that’s your skill. I should congratulate you both."Her persistence with Micah came largely because there had been no other women around him. If someone else had come along, Freya would have simply wished them well, just as she was doing now.The woman’s expression turned cold. "Don’t try to confuse me with your words. You think I can’t compete with you, don’t you? Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you see what I’m capable of!"Freya understood. "So this is your declaration of war."She was not afraid.The woman hurried over to Micah without hesitation. He gave her a quick glance before
Hearing Micah’s words, Arin had a few things she wanted to say.However, before she could, Micah continued, "I’ve already made a promise to Freya. A man of his word must see it through. Besides, I don’t dislike her."Arin’s breath caught in her throat.Micah had kept women at a distance because of his sense of duty. But Freya was different. He did not mind having her close, and she had always been by his side. The sayings, "familiarity breeds closeness" and "time reveals true character," couldn’t have been truer.Arin's heart ached intensely. She was just a commoner, and her status was worlds apart from Freya's. Micah needed a partner who could stand by his side as his equal, someone strong and capable, not someone like her, a nobody from the slums. No matter how hard she had worked all these years, the vast difference in their social standing had never changed."Teacher Micah, if she’s the one you care about, then I wish you happiness. I hope you’ll always be happy," Arin fin
Micah's status was noble, yet he was willing to humble himself for the future of the Yaren tribe. He taught the villagers how to identify herbs, plant crops, and even educated the children. During that time, he would bring gifts for the children, and sometimes, he would also bring a little something for Arin. But that was just how Micah was. If he disliked someone, no matter what they did, they could never win his heart. If she went along with this plan, she would only ruin the image she had built in Micah's mind.That would mean Micah would despise her forever, making it impossible for her to spend her life with him.Still, Arin knew she had to play along for now.Arin smiled and asked, "Out of all the women who like Micah, why did you choose me? I'm just a nobody with no background.""Precisely because you're a nobody," the man replied. "No one would suspect you. Don't you want to keep Micah by your side forever? He's exceptional, and your child with him would have the best g
Micah understood the situation clearly and called Joker over. "Take Arin to the lab for an examination."These people would stop at nothing to achieve their goals. Arin was brave and she had risked everything to deliver vital information.Arin took a shaky breath. "Teacher Micah, you don’t need to worry about me. I don’t need treatment right now.""Even if they find out, your safety is the top priority right now," Micah said sternly.Arin felt a warmth spread through her. Although Teacher Micah’s concern was likely just out of basic decency, she could not help but take comfort in it. After all, wasn't this a sign that he cared for her, even in some small way?Joker escorted Arin to the lab. After running tests, the scientists all shook their heads."This is a powerful poison. It’s an enhanced version of what Seth once developed. Now... there’s no cure."Micah’s expression darkened. "I thought Seth’s poisons were all eradicated?"As Seth was turned into a human swine and Phara
Arin had taken Micah away from her using the same tactics she herself had used. If Arin had better methods, Freya would have accepted it, but this hurt deeply.Freya watched from a distance as Micah tenderly cared for Arin, patiently feeding her medicine and staying by her side until she fell asleep. It wasn’t until then that Micah finally left, only to lock eyes with Freya the moment he turned around.Micah pressed his lips together and said quietly, "Why are you here?"Freya glanced past him at Arin, lying on the bed. "It's not exactly a secret anymore."Rumors had spread across the Yaren Tribe about how Arin had risked her life to deliver crucial information to Micah. Some said Micah was so grateful he planned to cancel their wedding and marry Arin instead. Freya had come because those rumors made her feel like her world was crumbling.Micah could read all of this in her eyes. "She brought me the message, and I don't want her to die," he explained.That was Micah’s stance. Bey
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