"Alright, I promise. Stay home and be good, I’ll be back soon," Nina waved to Orion, then slipped on her sneakers and headed out. She grabbed a car from the garage and quickly drove toward the company.As she passed through a busy intersection, she didn’t notice the car that had started trailing her, maintaining a steady distance. Soon, she pulled up outside the company building. The receptionist recognized her and greeted her warmly, "Hello, Mrs. York.""Hello. You go ahead, don't mind me," Nina replied, quickening her pace. She took the private elevator up to the top-floor conference room and handed the file over to Nash. They didn’t say much to each other in front of everyone, but after all these years, a single glance was all it took to understand one another. It was a little secret between them.As she was leaving, Nina ran into Nash’s new assistant, and they exchanged a quick hello. Not giving it much thought, she headed over to the nearby mall, planning to pick up some fast
"Who sent you?" Nina asked, taking a long look at the five men in front of her, silently assessing their strength. She figured she could probably take them.The station was less than a hundred meters south of the alley. Even if she couldn’t fight them all off, she could make a run for it. The men didn’t know what was going through her mind. They assumed her silence meant she was scared to leave the car. After all, a petite woman like her, faced with five bulky men, should be quaking in her shoes. It was already impressive she hadn’t lost her composure. As for fighting back? That wasn’t even on their radar. There was already a huge gap in strength between men and women, and it was five against one. Even if Nina wanted to fight back, did she really have what it took?“Come on, sweetheart, you don’t need to know who sent us," the leader sneered, eyeing her up and down. "Just get out of the car. Cooperate, and we might be gentle. Otherwise…” He let his voice trail off as he scann
If all three of them teamed up, they should have had no trouble handling one woman, right? But they quickly found out how wrong they were.Nina twisted the leader’s arm into a lock, stepping around him and landing a hard kick to his lower back. He gasped in pain, unable to straighten up as she kept a firm grip on him. He tried to threaten her, “Let me go, or I’ll pump you full of our strongest stuff. You’ll be begging like a dog.”Even in their organization, that drug was rarely used. But Nina paid no mind to his threats. Even if she let them go and tried to play nice, it was obvious they wouldn’t suddenly be friends. These guys were ruthless and had come with a mission to capture her for their twisted experiments. Her only option was to fight with everything she had. Giving in would only lead to something worse than death.She released him with a twist and kicked him hard, sending him stumbling forward into the second guy, who was too focused on Nina to react. His punch, meant
Nina took deliberate steps toward the leader. He pushed himself up with his hands and instinctively scooted back, fear flashing in his eyes. This woman was brutal. She hadn’t held back at all, and he was feeling it, especially his back, which he suspected might actually be fractured.“D-Don’t come any closer,” he stammered, attempting to sound threatening. “If you touch us, the organization behind us won’t let you off.”Nina’s expression was all scorn. “Do you really think I’m that naive? Even if I let you go now, your organization wouldn’t just let me walk away. And besides, do you think you’re that valuable?”She didn’t sugarcoat it. To her, they were just the organization’s lapdogs, only good for carrying out orders. If they succeeded, everyone would be pleased, and their organization would give them their due. But now? They had failed miserably.“Even if I do let you go, do you really think they’ll let you live?” she asked, pressing the point.The leader fell silent, clenc
She stood still, deep in thought. After waiting for a moment, the leader grew impatient. “I can also tell you about a secret treasure,” he said, leaning forward. “Whoever possesses it can be truly wealthy beyond measure. Miss Nina, come a little closer. This is something I’ll only tell you.”The lure of such a fortune was hard to resist, and, just as he had hoped, Nina’s curiosity got the better of her. She took a few steps closer, and at the right moment, he pulled a small syringe from his pocket and lunged forward, aiming it at her arm.Did he really intend to betray the organization? Of course not. No matter how tough Nina seemed, she was just a woman in his eyes, easily manipulated. A mention of treasure, and she had fallen for it. If he managed to inject the serum, it would take effect in less than five minutes, and by then, it wouldn’t be Nina calling the shots. She would be the one on her knees, begging them.As he envisioned his victory, something unexpected happened. Ni
Over at Nash’s office, he had just finished his meeting and decided to call Nina. Judging by the time, she should have been home by now, so he dialed the house number.After a few rings, the call connected, and Orion’s sweet little voice came through the line. “Hi, Daddy!”“Hey, buddy. What are you doing answering the phone? Where’s Mom?” Nash’s tone softened as he spoke to his son.“I don’t know,” Orion replied with a little sigh. “Mom left after she got off the phone with you and still hasn’t come back. I was going to ask you why you kept her so long.”Nash’s brows furrowed instantly. Something didn’t feel right. Nina had left the office a while ago, and even if she had run some errands, she should have been home by now. “Orion, is everything at home okay? Any strange people showing up? Is everything normal?” Nash asked, his voice growing tense.Orion yawned, then wandered into a room, turning on the phone to check the surveillance footage. The yard was empty except for two se
Nash circled the area, calling Nina repeatedly and even asking passersby if they had seen her, but he kept coming up empty-handed. Just as he was on the verge of despair, a familiar voice called out from behind him.“Nash.”It was Nina! He quickly turned around and ran to her, pulling her into a tight embrace. “You scared me to death. I couldn’t find you, and you weren’t answering your phone. I was terrified something had happened to you.” The thought of losing her was unbearable. He knew he couldn’t go on without her, not with Orion and Gemma needing both their parents. They were so young and needed the love and security of a complete family.“I’m so sorry,” Nina murmured, rubbing his back gently. “I was giving my statement to the police, so I put my phone on silent. I’m really okay. See?” She reassured him, showing her arms. “I didn’t get hurt. This blood isn’t mine. It’s from them.”He finally relaxed a bit, though his concern lingered as he looked her over. “But still… ther
She had no intention of arranging a get-together just yet. With the situation around the organization still unresolved, meeting up with Lydia and Quincy could only risk drawing unwanted attention toward them. It would be putting them in harm’s way.“When we get home, I’ll reach out to Quincy. I have a project at the company that I’d like to collaborate on with him,” Nash said. He was considering collaborating with Quincy because he trusted his integrity and knew Quincy would approach the project with commitment, regardless of its scale.“Why don’t you just focus on driving?” Nina suggested. “I’ll reach out to Lydia instead and send a quick text. They’re probably both busy at this hour.” She pulled out her phone, found Lydia in her contacts, and sent a cute emoji. With no immediate reply, she left it at that.As they pulled up to their house, Nina barely had time to step inside with the takeout before Orion came running up to her. He didn’t even notice the bag in her hand as he wrapp
Hunter took a bite of the biscuits and ravioli she had made. The taste was surprisingly good. It wasn’t on the level of a Michelin-starred chef, but it had something even more special—the taste of home. And of course, there was the oatmeal. He took one spoonful after another, finishing the entire bowl. *Meanwhile, Vera still hadn’t found her brother. Disappointment weighed heavily on her as she prepared to leave. But just then, her phone buzzed. An anonymous message. She tapped it open and stared at the image attached. It was a watch. Alone, a watch meant nothing. But this watch was her brother’s. Vera immediately zoomed in on the photo, carefully inspecting the engravings inside. There they were—his initials. No mistake. This was his watch. Below the image, a location pin was attached. The place was nearby. Vera’s eyes filled with determination. If she had found nothing, she would have simply left. But now, she had recei
When Yelena woke up again, she was shocked to find that she wasn’t at the club. She sat up abruptly, looking around in confusion. Then, she got out of bed, slipped on her slippers, and pushed the door open. “Where am I?” “At my place,” Hunter replied casually. He was working in the living room when he saw her wake up. “You slept for a long time. I couldn’t just leave you alone at the club, so I brought you back here.” Seeing the uncertainty on her face, he added, “It’s already late. Just stay here for the night. I’ll take you back tomorrow.” Yelena nodded. There was no other choice now. “There’s food in the fridge. If you’re hungry, heat something up. There are also snacks in the drawer—take whatever you want.” “Alright.” She really was hungry. She opened the drawer, grabbed a few small bread rolls, ate them quickly, and then went back to her room to rest. *The next morning, Yelena woke up early. Thinking about everything Hunter had done—treatin
Yelena quickly lowered her arm, letting her sleeve fall over the mark to cover it. “It’s nothing. Here’s your cocktail. Please enjoy.” “Yelena.” Hunter grabbed her wrist without warning. He pulled up her sleeve, revealing the deep, ugly scars on her arm. His brows knitted together instantly. “Who did this to you?” The force behind it was brutal—downright inhuman. Yelena remained silent. Who else could have done this besides Liam? But she had agreed to this. She had willingly accepted Hunter’s request and entered Liam’s world. She had no right to complain. Her silence gave Hunter all the confirmation he needed. “Liam did this to you, didn’t he?” Yelena nodded. “It’s nothing. The wounds have already started healing. They look worse than they feel. Give it some time, and they’ll fade.” “Wait here.” Hunter stood abruptly and walked away. Yelena had no idea what he was doing, but since he told her to wait, she didn’t argue. A few minu
Then again, it made sense. How could a normal person possibly empathize with a lunatic? If Yelena could understand Liam, that would make her just as twisted. *For the next few days, Yelena stayed home to recover. During that time, Liam came back a few times, bringing her flowers and food. Like a child showing off a treasure, he placed the food in front of her. “Yelena, these are your favorite honey crullers. I got them fresh from the bakery. Try them and see if you like them.” “I’m not really hungry.” She didn’t want to eat anything he gave her. She couldn’t even stand looking at him. But she had made a promise. So, she had to force herself to stay. Liam’s expression darkened. “Are you really not hungry, or do you just not want to eat what I give you?” For someone like him, once he had lost his temper once, the second time would only come faster and smoother. With a heavy thud, he slammed the honey crullers onto the table. “Yes, I hit y
If Liam had been a normal person, Hunter never would have sent her here in the first place. But of course, Yelena could only think that. She wasn’t suicidal enough to say it out loud. Instead, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. “I was really just messaging an old classmate. If you don’t believe me, go ahead—check my phone.” She wasn’t worried. Whenever she contacted Hunter, she deleted each message immediately. She had even forged an entire fake conversation just in case Liam ever got suspicious. So, no matter how thoroughly he checked, there would be nothing for him to find. Liam narrowed his eyes. “Is that so? Then why do I still feel like you’re lying? Women like you—nothing but liars, every last one of you.” Then, he struck her again. Yelena screamed. The pain was relentless, merciless. She had no idea how long it lasted—only that by the time he finally stopped, she was barely breathing. Her body slumped against the floor
Suddenly, footsteps sounded behind Yelena. She spun around, her heart hammering in her chest. Liam was walking toward her, a faint smile on his lips—but the coldness in his eyes told a different story. Memories of his past cruelty flashed through her mind, sending a shudder down her spine. She forced herself to stay calm. “Who are you messaging?” He was getting closer. So close that when he finally stopped, they were nearly pressed against each other. Then, without warning, his fingers clamped around her chin, gripping tighter and tighter. Pain shot through her jaw, and Yelena winced. “No one. Just an old classmate. I ran into her a few days ago while I was out.” “Oh? Is that so?” Liam’s voice softened, almost gentle. To anyone watching, he might have seemed like a kind, easygoing man. But Yelena knew better. He would never let her off that easily. And sure enough— In the next second, he grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her hea
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.“Haven’t I been just fine lately?“Or do you think my hand isn’t injured enough? If that’s the case, go ahead—do it yourself. “You already know I wouldn’t fight back no matter what.” Without warning, Yelena stretched out her injured hand, an act that instantly enraged Liam. “What the hell is wrong with you?” He snapped. “I was just making a casual remark. Is that really what you think of me? I already told you—I’m not going to lay a hand on you.“It wasn’t intentional before, and you know it. We both do. Stop acting like you’re above all this when we both know who sent you here.” Yelena felt a pang of sadness. They had spent so much time together, yet this was how he treated her—always choosing to hurt her. “I know—I wasn’t someone you chose, and none of this was intentional. But after all this time we've spent together...“I thought maybe I was a little different to you. But I guess I was wrong. Nothing has changed at all.
“Why do you even care about what happens to other people? Haven’t I made myself clear enough already?“Whose card is this—yours or mine?” His assistant immediately apologized upon hearing Caleb’s tone. “I hope you won’t hold this against me. I really wasn’t thinking clearly at the time—I should have considered this more carefully.” Caleb didn’t bother responding. After hanging up, he focused entirely on investigating Vera’s brother. *Meanwhile, Vera was deeply worried. If things had been somewhat under control before, now they were completely off track. The situation on both sides was far more complicated than she had anticipated. “Don’t worry. That’s exactly how it is. If you don’t want to go in person, I can go for you—but it won’t be cheap,” the private investigator said.Since Caleb had warned her about the private investigator, Vera started testing him, probing for inconsistencies. And sure enough, his story had too many holes. “Why are you so sure my b
As Caleb spoke, he looked at Vera with a hint of helplessness. After all, her hand had been injured because of Luna. “Don’t feel guilty about this. Honestly, it’s nothing to me.“And I’m not the type to carry burdens over things like this.“Besides, it’s been so long. If this had happened back then, I might have cared. But now? I just don’t think it matters anymore.” Vera’s voice was steady and sincere. But Caleb’s expression darkened. “Why would you say that? Why do you think it doesn’t matter? Do you really see me as just the same as everyone else?” For some reason, at this moment, Caleb took it personally. Vera couldn’t help but laugh. “Of course not. You’re different from the rest—so obviously, I wouldn’t see it the same way.“You’ve helped me so much. The least I can do is acknowledge that, instead of stubbornly nitpicking about what’s right or wrong, don’t you think?“Besides, whatever happened between you and Luna, that’s none of my business. It’s in