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
Nina stayed silent, but her mind was racing through the memories.Then Nash added, "Regarding that white car, we found out that it was Mr. Frank who drove it away after checking the surveillance footage.""Mr. Frank?" Nina was stunned. Wasn’t he Lily’s father? It was Lily’s birthday too today. In addition, they were in Birkham, where no one would dare cross Nash with his business connections. It didn’t make any sense for Mr. Frank to do something so reckless and ruin his own future.Nash gently pulled Nina closer. "You’re due soon, and I don’t want you stressing over this. But I promised to keep you informed, and I will."It seems Mr. Frank was taken too," he continued. "It was his enemies. They were trying to extort money from him. They didn’t expect to end up with our Orion."He sighed deeply.Nina felt a deep ache in her chest. All they wanted was to live a simple life and have their children grow up healthy and safe. How had things gone so wrong?She looked at Nash wit
The moment Mr. Frank saw Nash, he practically saw a savior. "Mr. York! I’m so sorry, this is all my fault. Your son got caught up in my mess. The kids kept asking to use the bathroom, and we lost them at a rest area."His enemies, a rival company, believed he was blocking their business, so they took this desperate step.Nash’s eyes turned cold. “Which rest area?”“It was the Grande Rest Area…” Mr. Frank racked his brain and finally remembered.Nash turned to his right-hand man, Quincy, and ordered coldly, “Round up those people and bring them back.”Not to the police, but back home where the methods of punishment would be far more severe. He wanted to make an example of them, to show everyone that messing with his family came at a steep cost.Meanwhile, Orion and Lily were hiding in the back of a truck transporting hay. The truck was only half-full, leaving just enough room for them to hide. They didn’t dare poke their heads out.Eventually, highway patrol officers spotted the
The Frank family was deeply grateful to Nash. Mr. and Mrs. Frank almost got down on their knees in front of him. "Mr. York, we owe you everything. If it weren’t for you, I really don’t know what we would’ve done!”“There’s no need to thank me,” Nash replied, dismissing their gratitude as just a small favor.He wouldn't have intervened in someone else's business if Orion hadn't been caught up in the situation. But Mr. and Mrs. Frank saw this as a golden opportunity. With Lily’s close relationship with Orion, they were determined to solidify their connection with Nash. They believed that not only could the Frank family make a comeback, but their daughter would also have a privileged, worry-free life.Although Nash wasn’t interested in getting too entangled with them, he didn’t say anything when Orion was around. Over time, business dealings between the Frank and York families began to develop. Lily eventually became Orion’s closest friend, like a sister growing up by his side.
If it weren’t for Nina’s reluctance to endure both the pain of labor and the recovery from a C-section, Nash would have insisted on going that route. After understanding the reasons behind it all, he was frustrated.He even tried to persuade her, “Even though there’s an epidural option, this constant pain is exhausting. How about we go through it just once and be done with it? If you’re worried about scars, I’ll get the best cosmetic team to take care of it. What do you think?”The daily contractions at night and occasional pain during the day were taking a toll. If Nina didn’t get enough rest, she wouldn’t have the energy to deliver the baby. It was a never-ending cycle of discomfort.But Nina was firm. “No, I want a natural birth. The baby is just taking its time. It’s not like it’s not coming out at all, and all my check-ups have been fine, haven’t they?“Natural birth recovery is much quicker. I don’t want to be bedridden for seven days after a C-section, unable to move.” She h