“Nina, do you remember that little girl?” Nash asked her.Nina nodded. Of course, she remembered. It was because of that child’s actions that, in a moment of carelessness, they had nearly lost Gemma. If she could go back, she would not have let her guard down just because of the girl’s age.“I had someone look into her background,” Nash continued. “Her family is struggling. She had two older sisters, two older brothers, and two younger brothers. Her father passed away, so her mother has been doing everything she can to keep them afloat, but their income barely covers basic needs. They’re getting regular financial help from someone.”At this, Nina immediately understood. Most likely, the so-called ‘benefactor’ funding this family was a member of that organization. The support was just a cover for manipulation.Nash went on, “She’s not the only one. There are several children just like her, receiving support but still living locally. None of them have been sent abroad.”“They’re kee
Nina and Nash discussed the plan further, though Nash wasn’t thrilled about bringing her along. “Are you sure he’ll have time for the kids?” he asked, hoping to find another reason for her to stay. “Last time, when we just wanted him to watch them for a weekend, he was too busy. This trip will be even longer. Maybe it’s not such a good idea.”Nina saw right through him and met his gaze with a steady resolve. “Nash, stop looking for reasons to keep me behind. Even if you leave without me, I’ll still find my way to you. I’m not some weak girl. You really think I’d just hold you back?”“That’s not it at all,” Nash replied, pulling her close. He knew she was more than capable. Nina was strong, intelligent, and unflinchingly brave. But as her husband, it was hard to imagine letting her take on a dangerous situation without doing everything he could to shield her from it.“We’re both parents, Nash. We’re in this together, so let’s make decisions together too,” Nina’s voice was soft but
“Sweetheart, why are you standing here alone?” Nina quickly walked over, scooping Orion up in her arms. “Did you need something?”Orion looked up at her. “Mom, Dad, I just wanted to play with you. But if you’re busy, it’s okay. I’ll just watch cartoons by myself.”No matter how late Dad came home, he would always change out of his work clothes and spend time playing with him and his sister. But tonight, Dad had gone straight to the bedroom with Mom, and while Orion wanted to be with them, he was afraid of interrupting.“We’ve finished everything we needed to do, so let’s go.” Nina held him close and headed downstairs, with Nash following close behind. The three of them sat on the couch, laughing and chatting. Gemma, who was passed from one to the other for a cuddle, eventually fell asleep in Orion’s lap. Orion sat as still as possible, afraid even a small movement might wake her up.“Sweetheart, why don’t you let Mommy put your sister down in the bassinet?” Nina gently reached ou
This was their home, and both of them wanted to do everything they could to make it even better.“Let the chef handle this. Why are you cooking yourself?” Micah looked up, hurrying over to help Freya sit down. “Your belly is getting bigger by the day. You should be resting, not standing in the kitchen. I should be the one making soup for you.”As her husband, he felt it was his responsibility to take good care of her, especially with all the burdens of pregnancy falling on her alone. If he didn’t step up to support her now, he would feel ashamed as a husband and a man.Freya, smiling, gently rubbed her belly. “You’re always so busy. I’d never let you take on kitchen duty. I know you care about me, so let’s not waste time arguing about it. Have you thought about names for the baby yet?”Micah hesitated. Of course, he had thought about it, but hadn’t decided on anything. This was their first child, and choosing the right name felt especially important.“I’ve been looking through som
"Have you been in touch with Nina?" Freya asked, trying to help. "Now that they live so close, if anything's up, she’d probably be the first to know."Micah did consider calling, but a quick check of the time and mental calculation of the time zone gave him pause. It was already late evening over there, and Nina and the kids were likely asleep. A call now would definitely disrupt their night."Let’s leave it for now. It’s too late. I'll call her tomorrow around midday. You go get some rest. I’ll be in the study tonight," he said, giving her a kiss.The study desk was piled with files, all urgent work he had to finish tonight. By the time he was done, it would be the early hours, and with Freya’s light sleep since her pregnancy, any attempt to slip into bed would almost certainly wake her. Sleeping in the study just made sense."And what time will you be going to bed?" Freya looked worried. "You have a big meeting tomorrow. Can’t some of this wait?"He shook his head, giving her th
“Freya,” Micah’s voice came out hoarse, laden with pain. Why did this have to happen to them, of all people? They had been looking forward to their baby’s arrival so much, with baby clothes ready, even a name nearly chosen. But life had other plans.“I’m really okay,” Freya tried to reassure him, though her words only deepened the ache in Micah’s heart.He looked down from her face, his gaze lingering until it settled on her abdomen. Once gently rounded, now it was flat. He wrestled with whether to tell her the truth. If he said it, how would she bear such heartbreak? Yet, even if he kept quiet now, she would eventually learn the truth.The words hovered on the tip of his tongue, but Micah could not bring himself to say them.“Micah, don’t look at me like that. I’m fine. There shouldn’t be anything wrong with me, right?” Freya could not help but follow his gaze downward. As her eyes landed on her belly, realization hit her like a blow.She raised her trembling hand, gently feeli
Micah could not find the words, so he just held her tightly until the doctor entered the room.Handing him a report, the doctor said, “The results are in. It seems there’s anemia and malnutrition, likely caused by recent exhaustion.”“Exhaustion?” Micah immediately recalled everything Freya had done to help him. If he had known it would lead to this, he would have stayed up all night himself to finish everything, rather than let her take on even a bit of the burden. Would the baby still be with them if he hadn’t let her help?Micah voiced his question, “Did the miscarriage happen because Freya was too exhausted?”“It could be a factor,” the doctor said, “but it’s never just one cause. The health of both parents plays a role in these things since a pregnancy relies on both. Blaming one person is neither fair nor accurate.”“I understand. Thank you, doctor. Could you prescribe something to help her recover?” Micah’s main focus now was ensuring Freya’s health.But Freya had anothe
Micah looked at her gently and said, “The doctor said it’s a matter of both our health, not just yours. And besides, we can still have a child. Why push me away now?”He understood that Freya was not usually this emotional. It was just the overwhelming sadness clouding her judgment and causing her to act impulsively. But he was patient and ready to stay by her side, supporting her as she regained her strength.“We’ll have a child, Freya. I know it. Trust me. My gut is rarely wrong,” he reassured her over and over, his tone unwavering.Freya still had her doubts. “But what if… what if we can’t?”“Then we can’t, and that’s fine too,” Micah replied, his voice steady. “Nina already has her hands full with her two kids, and they’re family. They’ll be ours to spoil too. And when we’re older, we can just travel together, seeing the world with nothing to hold us back.” He loved kids, but he also saw joy in the idea of a life spent just the two of them, making their own adventures.With hi
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
“I didn’t mean to just now. Besides, you’ve been acting all sneaky lately—so really, who else is to blame?” Seeing Yelena in tears, Liam, who had been furious just moments ago, felt a small pang of guilt. He was never good at expressing emotions. But watching her like this made him a little uncomfortable. “Go get your hand treated. Otherwise, people who don’t know any better might think I’ve been abusing you.” With that, he turned and walked away. Yelena watched his retreating figure, feeling a bit helpless. This wasn’t something she could decide on her own. Installing surveillance? It wasn’t as easy as it sounded. Liam was naturally suspicious. If he caught wind of it, the consequences would be disastrous. But she had no choice. She had a mission to complete, and there was more at stake than just this moment. Letting out a deep sigh, she finally decided to head to a clinic to get her hand treated. *“What happened to you? That’s a serious injury. You
And just like that, the conversation fell into a brief silence. Meanwhile, on the other side, Hunter received a call from Yelena. “What did you just say?” Yelena told him that her hand was broken, and on top of that, Liam seemed to be getting suspicious. She wasn’t sure what to do, so she called Hunter for advice. “I don’t really care what happens to you, but at the very least, take care of yourself.“Otherwise, if something else goes wrong later, I’ll have to step in and clean up the mess. Don’t you think so?” Hearing this, Yelena was a little taken aback. “It’s not just about my injury. The real problem is, I’m scared of what he might do now.” Sure, she had taken the two hundred thousand dollars, but she had to stay alive to spend it. At this rate, she wouldn’t even make it through in one piece. “I already told you—protect yourself. If you need anything else, I’ll try to provide it. But right now, I need you to do something for me.” Hunter had been look