Awoken from her nightmare, Yvonne sat dazed for a long time before she crawled off the bed. She then huddled in the corner, crying softly.Worried that Yvonne might not be adjusting well on her first night, Nina went upstairs to check on her. Hearing the sound of crying from inside the room, she immediately opened the door.When she turned on the light and saw Yvonne curled up, Nina was startled. She gently wrapped her arms around her. "Did you have a bad dream?"Yvonne nodded.Nina, out of habit, rubbed Yvonne’s forehead. Yvonne paused, confused."Did we know each other before?" Yvonne asked softly.Nina nodded. "Yes, we did. We were very close friends."Yvonne tilted her head, trying to remember. "We were friends, and you used to rub my forehead like this?"Pointing to her forehead, she looked at Nina with innocent curiosity.Nina forced a smile and nodded, tears almost spilling from her eyes. Back when Yvonne was upset, Nina would comfort her this way. Now, Yvonne couldn’t
Pharaoh sighed, "That explains it. Medically speaking, it’s complicated. The point is, she shouldn’t be staying here any longer, even if she doesn’t know why herself."Nina glanced back at Yvonne, her heart aching. "Then I’ll leave it to you to take care of her, Father."Pharaoh didn’t see this as too difficult. As long as Yvonne was willing to go with him, once they reached the tribe, things would be much easier to handle.After learning about Yvonne’s condition, Pharaoh set up a separate place, designed like a small garden, just for her. Besides regular room cleaning and three daily meals, there would only be one attendant to take care of her. This peaceful environment would help Yvonne find some tranquility.They arrived at the tribe around dusk. Yvonne seemed uneasy, almost fearful of the darkness, and her overall state wasn’t good.Sensing this, Pharaoh had the attendant take her to her quarters. While she was getting settled, he made sure food was delivered to her room.Whe
Hannah handed her the storybook, pointing at the illustration. "Here it is, the blue sun. I think the little girl did a beautiful job."Yvonne repeated softly, "The blue sun, it’s beautiful."She kept repeating the words until she drifted off to sleep.The next morning, Hannah woke up and, not seeing Yvonne, started to search for her. She finally found her in a corner of the courtyard, drawing on the ground with a stick. The drawing was abstract and hard to interpret, but Hannah didn't interrupt her. Instead, she quietly informed Pharaoh and arranged for some art supplies to be brought over.She figured that since Yvonne used to be an artist, reconnecting with something she once loved could help her heal.Days passed, and Yvonne became engrossed in painting. The walls of her room on the second floor were soon covered with her drawings. Hannah had them framed and displayed throughout the other rooms on the second floor.Back in Birkham, Nina heard about Yvonne’s progress and fel
Orion nodded and, while the adults were distracted, quickly tore open the gift box. Inside was just a piece of paper with a single sentence written on it.The little girl read it aloud, “If you want more presents, come to the front gate.”She pouted and huffed, “It’s a trick! We shouldn’t believe it. My mom says if someone wants to give a gift, they should do it openly. Playing games like this means they’re not sincere.”But the other kids weren’t so sure. They teased Orion, saying he was too scared to go to the gate.Frustrated, Orion turned to the girl. “Lily, do you want to come with me? If we find anything, you can pick whatever you want. It’ll all be yours.”Before Lily Frank could answer, another kid chimed in with a laugh, “Girls are always scared. I bet Lily wouldn’t dare go with you.”Neither of them could back down from a dare, so Lily immediately grabbed Orion’s hand and they headed outside.It was quiet by the front gate. Other than the parked cars of the guests, the
Inside the hotel room, the place was a mess. Nina Walker woke up, her entire body sore and achy. She rubbed her temples, preparing to rise, and glanced at the tall figure lying next to her. His strikingly handsome face boasted sharply defined features and deep-set eyes. He remained sound asleep, showing no signs of waking.Nina sat up, the sheets slipping off, revealing faint marks on her fair, sensual shoulders. She got out of bed, bloodstains clearly visible on the sheets.Glancing at the time, realizing she was almost late for work, she grabbed her scattered professional attire from the floor and changed into it. Her stockings were already torn by him. She balled them up and tossed them into the trash, slipping on her high heels. There was a knock at the door. Nina was already neatly dressed, back in her role as an efficient secretary, holding her purse as she headed out. Entering was a pure-looking beauty. Nina had called her. The type that Nash York liked. Nina said, "You ju
Upon hearing the voice, Nina's face jolted with surprise, nearly stumbling.With her balance faltering, her body leaned towards him. Nash felt her body tilting and reached out to steady her by the waist. The scorching warmth instantly reminded her of the scene from last night when he ravaged her recklessly.Nina composed herself, lifting her head to meet his deep gaze. His eyes were too serious, containing both questioning and doubt, as if trying to see through her with just one look. Nina's heart raced rapidly. She dared not hold his gaze for another second, instinctively lowering her head.When he assumed it was the woman from earlier, he flew into a rage. If he were to discover it was her, her fate wouldn't be any better. Yet, she couldn't accept it. If Nash knew it was her, could their marriage last a little longer? She dared not meet his eyes. "Why would you ask such a thing?" Only she knew she was hoping for it.However, Nash chuckled lightly. "You don't have the courage."
She looked up to see Miranda wearing an apron, holding a ladle. Upon seeing Nina, her smile faltered for a moment, then she warmly greeted, "Are you Sally’s guest? I just made some extra soup. Come in and have a seat." Her demeanor was composed, entirely that of the lady of the house. It was as if Nina was the guest from afar. Indeed, before long, she would become an outsider.Nina frowned, feeling deeply repelled. When she married Nash, Miranda even sent a congratulatory letter. It was impossible for her not to know Nina was Nash's wife. Seeing her standing motionless at the door, Miranda quickly came over and took her hand, "A guest is a guest, don't be shy, come in." As she approached, a faint jasmine scent filled the air, the exact same fragrance of the perfume Nash gave her on her birthday last year. She felt her throat ache, and her breathing became heavy, as if there were a thousand pounds on her feet, making it difficult to move. Sally noticed Nina standing there m
"Nina seems to be in a bad mood today. She didn't want to come to deliver the documents, so I had to come instead," Miranda placed her scalded hand in front of him. "Nash, don't blame Nina. I don't think she did it on purpose. I hope it didn't delay you."It was the first time Nina had done something like this with the company's documents in someone else's hands. Nash's expression was grim, but he restrained himself in front of Miranda. He just adjusted his tie and replied calmly, "It's okay." Changing the subject, he added, "Since you're here, stay for a while."Hearing him say this, Miranda felt a sense of relief. At least he accepted her and didn't dislike her. "Aren't you supposed to have a meeting? Will I disturb you?" Nash made a call, "The meeting is postponed for half an hour." Miranda smiled faintly. Before coming, she had wondered if her departure without notice would make him resentful. It didn't seem as bad as she had imagined. Lost time could be made up for. Sitting