Sean had one thought in his mind which was to protect the Yaren Tribe and Micah. After all, both Micah and the tribe were what his sister had given her life to protect.On the day Sean left, Nina came to see him off. Sean didn’t want money, status, or any material things. The only thing Nina could give him was a protective charm she had personally blessed."Sean, life on the border will be tough. Please take good care of yourself. Even though your sister is gone, we will always be your family, and you’re welcome to come back anytime," Nina said with a gentle smile.Sean smiled back, but deep down, he knew that without his sister, the Yaren Tribe no longer felt like home. Even though Nina offered him such kindness, he understood that Nina and Micah had their own lives. He wasn’t a child anymore, and he was aware of that.With Sean gone, the chapter of Arin’s story closed as well. Nina, worried about Micah’s mental state, stayed in the Yaren Tribe for a while. Outwardly, Micah appe
Micah clutched his head in agony, releasing a pained scream. Seeing him like this was gut-wrenching for Nina, but even more so for Freya, who had been by his side every day.Nina stepped forward, gently placing a hand on his shoulder, her voice soft and soothing."Micah, this isn't your fault. Please don't push yourself like this—""It is my fault! If it weren't for me, she wouldn't have made that sacrifice. I've seen death so many times, but I've never felt like this before. Nina, you don't understand! I watched her die right in front of me..."Micah's voice was hoarse, cutting through Nina's words, each word carrying the weight of his torment. Nina had never seen him so broken, and it left her feeling helpless.Afraid he might lose control, she quickly called their father. Before long, Pharaoh arrived with a team from the lab. Seeing Micah in this state, Pharaoh felt an overwhelming sadness. This was his son, after all.But when Pharaoh examined Micah, he discovered that Micah
Micah gently stroked Freya's head, a smile of understanding forming on his lips. "I'm sorry for making you worry.""Micah, please, you have to get better. You can't leave me behind. We... we still have so many things we haven't done. Everything feels unfinished." Freya hugged him tightly, her voice hoarse and full of emotion. She was truly scared.If Freya had known that Micah was holding onto an idealized memory of someone who had been flawless in every way, it might not have hurt as much. But with Arin, things were different. Setting aside everything else, it was clear that some choices had been offered to Arin, but she hadn’t taken them.Freya didn’t want Micah to spend the rest of his life drowning in guilt.Micah continued to gently caress her head. "I understand everything you're saying. Don’t worry, I’ll do my best to pull myself out of this darkness."Freya had always said she didn’t care about these things, and Micah knew where the real issue lay. He wouldn’t hold it ag
"With your willpower, I believe you can get through this. I’ll be monitoring your progress closely," Wilfred said calmly, and he followed through on his promise.Breaking an addiction was painful, but Micah had plenty of support around him, especially with Freya by his side. After a week, Micah successfully overcame his dependence on the drugs. This was great news for everyone, especially Freya, who was overjoyed. "Micah, let’s visit the grassroots communities. There are still so many people who need our help."Freya’s thinking was straightforward. If she and Micah focused on their work together, it would keep his mind off Arin's death. Recently, Micah had felt guilty about neglecting her, thinking he owed her more attention since they had just gotten married. He had been trying to make up for the time he had neglected her by staying by her side.However, things unexpectedly took a turn for the worse, and instead of improving, Micah ended up in his current troubled state.Holdi
Several people tried reaching Nash, but neither he nor Quincy answered their phones. They were both on a flight, unaware of the chaos unfolding. William, however, had one clear goal in mind. He wanted money and power. The assets he hadn’t secured before, he was determined to claim now.William's actions had caused such an uproar within York Corporation that even Zoe was alerted. She confronted him directly, her voice filled with frustration. "I've already told you everything, and Nash made his stance clear at the wedding. How can you still act like this?""Nash hasn’t been unkind to you, has he?"It was Nash’s competence that had pulled York Corporation back from the brink of collapse, transforming it into the thriving company it was today. And yet, here William was, trying to tear it all down.But William wasn’t interested in listening. "Sure, Nash built York Corporation into what it is today, but the problem is, I can’t let myself end up penniless.""If you didn’t want to end
"Fine, it doesn’t matter if you don’t acknowledge me," William scoffed as he knocked Zoe unconscious and locked her in the attic. "Once I have money and power, anything I want will be just a word away."That evening, Nina and Nash's plane touched down. As they stepped out of the airport, they noticed something unusual. The largest billboard nearby, which used to feature York Corporation's popular beauty products, had been replaced with a food advertisement. The change hadn’t been authorized by Nash, and that wasn’t right.Both of them exchanged a glance, realizing something was wrong in Birkham.Just as Nina was about to speak, Nash’s phone rang. It was Manager Wood from the Planning Department. He was one of the most loyal and long-standing employees at York Corporation."Manager Wood, I was just about to call you. What’s going on with the billboard outside the airport? Why was it changed?""Mr. York, we need to talk. Come to my house immediately. Everyone is here waiting for y
"Don’t bother mocking me, Nash. You came here because you already know I’ve made changes to York Corporation, right? Let me be clear. I’m taking York Corporation, along with the rest of the family's assets," William said, lifting his chin like a defiant kid.Nash took a sip of his drink and asked in a low voice, "Where’s Aunt Zoe?"He wasn’t here to argue about the company. He wanted to know where Zoe was. On the way over, he had already sent people to check her house, and she was nowhere to be found, confirming his suspicions.William’s face froze for a moment before he let out a sinister chuckle. After a long, mocking laugh, he suddenly stopped and said, "If you want to see her, fine. Meet me at the office tomorrow and sign the transfer agreement. Give me back all the shares and rights.""And if I don’t?""Then don’t expect to see Zoe again. But you care about her, don’t you? Of course, you do. I warned her not to side with you. I’m her brother after all. But she didn’t listen,"
Two men entered the villa with ease, and half an hour later, they emerged, supporting Zoe. When Nina saw Zoe at the hospital, her eyes were filled with tears. She held Zoe's hand tightly, unable to let go.Zoe patted her hand and softly reassured her, "I'm fine, really.""It's our fault for not being careful."Zoe shook her head, "It's not your fault. It's just my bad luck, having a brother like him."Turning to Nash, she added, "William has made a mess of the company. You need to fix things quickly before others take advantage. And as for William, don’t hesitate and do whatever needs to be done."Nash nodded. He knew what had to be done, and after everything that had happened, he was clear on how to deal with the situation. While Zoe was in the hospital, the company underwent a thorough purge. The clean-up happened so quickly. Even though William paid off the woman to change her testimony and got out of the police station as fast as he could, it was already too late.All of
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