Nina was so certain and she was completely unaware that she might have disappeared for an entire summer. This made Nash a bit suspicious. That missing summer seemed unusual.Not noticing anything wrong, Nina looked ahead and said, "I’m almost home. You can drop me off here."Quincy hit the brakes, stopping smoothly at the intersection. Nina got out of the car."Thank you for the ride. You should head home early too," she said politely to Nash.Nash was still puzzled, unsure where things had gone wrong. Nina saw he was deep in thought and did not wait for him, walking into her apartment complex.Nash watched her go, not getting out of the car. He was caught in a loop, unable to find an explanation."Did we miss anything in Nina's records?" Nash asked.Quincy had handled this matter, spending a lot of time trying to find Zac. "No, we didn’t miss anything. If it’s something known, it should be correct. Maybe she just forgot because it was so long ago?""Do you remember things from
Mentioning Nash brought a big question to Nina's mind. She hesitated for a long time, her hand hovering over the screen.She finally decided to ask and typed, "Mom, was there a summer during high school when I wasn't home?"Since Nash had this doubt, she wanted to clear it up as well. Julia took a while to respond, making Nina feel uneasy. They had been chatting just fine, but now there was silence.After ten minutes, Julia finally replied, "Who told you that?"Nina was not sure how to respond. "No one, I was just asking.""There’s no such thing," Julia said firmly. "You've been always at home from childhood through adulthood, except when you were working. Our family has strict rules. There's no way you would be away for an entire summer. Don’t overthink it, and don't listen to what others say!"Nina thought that made sense. All their relatives lived locally. Even visiting them would not account for disappearing for a month. Besides, while their family was not highly academic, th
After a long pause, Principal Wallace turned his gaze to Nash, his shock giving way to confusion. He did not understand why Nash was so concerned about this matter. "Why are you suddenly so interested? Even if the kidnapped girl wasn’t Nina, why does it matter to you?"Principal Wallace’s questions seemed genuine, not an attempt to hide anything or with any ill intent.Nash’s sharp gaze relaxed slightly, and he spoke in a calm tone. "I'm investigating something and came across this. I thought you could help clarify. The girl who was kidnapped wasn’t Nina, but she believes it was her and even shares the same name. If there was no intentional effort to hide the truth, how could she have these memories?"Principal Wallace’s expression kept changing."Principal Wallace, this happened at the school you managed. Can you provide an explanation?" Nash wanted a reasonable answer, suspecting there might be a larger conspiracy.Principal Wallace sighed deeply and sat up straight, ready to
Principal Wallace was taken aback, not expecting things to be like this. "I only just found out today. If I said anything inappropriate in the past, please don’t take it to heart."He had not forgotten his past attempts to matchmake Nina with Scott, including considering his own daughter."You're overthinking it, Principal Wallace," Nash said. "It's late, so I'll take my leave."Principal Wallace, being a cordial person, personally saw them out.---It was already early morning. Nina lay in bed, feeling her stomach growl with hunger. Lately, she had been getting hungry more often. Her cravings had intensified, with a particular fondness for salty and spicy foods. She could handle spicy food much better now.But she was also very tired and did not want to get up. She tried to sleep through it, curling up under the covers. Suddenly, she heard a noise, waking her up fully. It was the sound of knocking.She got up to answer the door. Opening it, she found Nash standing there, his ta
Hearing this, Nina instinctively clenched her fists and avoided his gaze. She was afraid she was being too self-centered. "You only want to change because you care. Why do you care so much?"Nash looked at her. "You’re my wife."Nina pursed her lips slightly and poked the tacos with her fork without eating. "Haven’t we already agreed to divorce? Just being your wife isn’t enough of a reason. You never tried to change for me before, so why now?"Nash simply watched her, seemingly deep in thought, without saying anything more.Feeling his gaze on her and seeing that he was not speaking, Nina stopped waiting and began to eat, keeping her head down."I think I’m falling for you.""Cough, cough, cough..."The light comment caught Nina off guard, causing her to choke on the spicy tacos. It burned her throat and made her feel awful.Seeing her struggle, Nash quickly poured her some water. "Are you okay? Drink some water!"Tears welled up in Nina’s eyes, blurring her vision, and she w
She sat on the bed, her gaze drifting toward the door, knowing that Nash was just outside. She could not fall asleep, her mind unable to calm down. She kept thinking about what Nash had said. When it came to this matter, she still felt a bit timid, unable to reveal her true feelings. Yet, she could not help but feel agitated.After a while, the door opened again. Nina looked up to see Nash walking in. She stared at him, just as she had the first time she saw him. She was unable to say a word and was simply looking at him openly.Nash held a cup of milk and placed it in front of her. "Drinking a glass of milk before bed is good for you. It’s sweet and can help relieve stress," he said in a low voice.Nina glanced at the milk and then at his arm, where veins slightly bulged. She felt a sense of déjà vu, as if she had experienced this moment before. Recently, she had felt very off. Not only was she becoming paranoid, but she was also recalling scenes she had not actually experienced.
Seeing that he really did not remember and had no impression of it, Nina felt a bit disappointed. She shook her head. "No, nothing else."Nash did not press further. Nina lay down, turning her back to him, avoiding his face. She had noticed his calm expression earlier. Why didn't he remember that Zac was him? Had he completely forgotten this part of his past? Even if so, he should remember his former name. Where did things go wrong?The more she thought about it, the more she felt trapped in a dead end. Frustrated, her head ached. She closed her eyes, trying to stop thinking. Nash tucked her in, watching her for a while until her breathing steadied. Then he quietly left the room.Taking out his phone, he saw numerous missed calls. He called back, his expression serious. On the other end, someone reported, "Mr. York, the company's stock has dropped several points because of the news about Miranda. We couldn't reach you and didn't know what to do. We need your decision."Na
Only by escaping these troubles could she establish herself in the entertainment industry, and the company would unconditionally stand by her side.Miranda had not walked far before she was recognized. "Isn't that the liar Miranda?" someone shouted.Seeing that she was recognized, Miranda panicked and instinctively covered her face."That's her! She's feeling guilty!"Despite wearing sunglasses and a mask, she was still recognized. One person speaking up drew the attention of many others, and soon she was surrounded."How dare you show your face? Aren't you afraid of getting hit with rotten eggs?""What face does she have left? If she had any decency, she wouldn't have done such despicable things!""Liar! You led your fans to cyberbully others. You deserve to go to hell!"Miranda looked at them, their faces fierce and menacing. Her face turned pale, and her heart trembled. She quickly tried to explain, "I didn't bully anyone online, and I didn't lie..."Smack!Someone grabbed
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
“Yes, it’s in that mountain area. If you’re worried, you can go check it out yourself. But as for anything else, we don’t really have much more information.”Compared to everything else, this was the most baffling situation.“You make a good point. But given the current circumstances, I think it’ll be difficult to pull off.”Vera was speaking with the private investigator. Deep down, she was more worried than anything else.“Don’t worry,” the private investigator reassured her. “Aside from what we discussed earlier, nothing else seems too extreme. Plus, we’ve already looked into it pretty thoroughly.”By the time he finished speaking, his expression had grown more complicated.“Alright. I understand.”After hanging up, she anxiously looked straight ahead. If she had been mentally prepared before, now she was starting to feel uneasy. “What’s going on?” Caleb asked while driving, glancing at her. Vera hesitated, debating whether to tell him or not. But seeing the strange
“I only had one surgery today,” Caleb said as he drove, his voice calm but firm. “Now that it’s done, I want to know why this happened.” After that, he said nothing more. Vera sat in silence, her heart uneasy as the car pulled up in front of an upscale club. Even though her hand was already bandaged, she still felt a sting of pain every time Caleb showed concern. “So this is what it feels like to have someone care,” she thought to herself.Back when Vera had been stepped on, her only concern had been the contract—whether the deal would fall apart and if her suffering had been for nothing.If it had been anything else, she probably wouldn’t have cared as much.But Caleb’s concern made it impossible for her to brush aside.It kept lingering in her mind, refusing to let her feel indifferent.“Don’t overthink it,” Caleb said, his voice firm. “Whatever happened between Luna and me doesn’t change the fact that this concerns me too—and I owe it to you to make things right.”
“Oh? So this is the apology you wanted?” Vera’s forehead was covered in cold sweat from the pain, but the two women standing over her barely reacted. As if this was normal to them. As if humiliating her was just another game. “I asked you a question.” Vera remained half-crouched on the ground, her hand still pinned under Luna’s heel. Helena smirked. “Yeah, I’d say that’s good enough.” She hadn’t expected Vera to be this stubborn, but it didn’t matter. With an exaggerated sigh, she casually scribbled her signature onto the contract. The deal was officially secured. Vera didn’t waste another second. She cast one last glance at the two women. “I have no interest in getting involved in your personal drama. As for Caleb and me, that’s between us. We both made our choices.” Luna’s expression twisted slightly. “I won’t bother commenting on your relationship,” she said, voice dripping with disdain. “But don’t think for a second that this will ever earn
The moment Vera heard her assistant’s words, her expression darkened. Her previously calm tone turned firm. “If that’s the case, I understand. But I still have to go. This is my responsibility, and no one else can handle it.” If she didn’t take the lead, the other party would only grow bolder. However, the moment she glanced at the name on the negotiation list, she couldn’t help but frown. Because the person she was supposed to meet wasn’t just anyone. It was Helena Xander. Vera had encountered her before—back when her relationship with Caleb hadn’t yet escalated. Even then, Helena had openly mocked her, saying that since Caleb had been Luna’s devoted lapdog for years, he should know his place and never overstep. She had also thrown a few sharp words at Vera, telling her to recognize her own status—as if warning her that getting involved would only bring trouble. Back then, Vera hadn’t taken it seriously. She never thought she would cross paths with the
“Alright, enough of this. If you’re serious about investigating, you’ll need proper psychological evaluations,” Caleb said nonchalantly.“The best way to assess something like this is through clinical observation—watch for behavioral inconsistencies, memory gaps, or personality shifts. If you can, gather video footage of his daily life. That’s the only way to get a clearer picture. Otherwise, it’s just speculation.”Caleb made the remark casually, then swiftly issued a dismissal.“You came all the way here just to mess with me? What about your own situation? How’s that going?” Caleb’s sarcasm was dry and pointed. Hunter let out a long sigh. “What else could it be? Business as usual. Compared to others, I’m probably the only one with enough patience for this mess.” He was, of course, referring to his ongoing battle with Liam. Caleb gave him a small nod. “Alright, you should get going now. I need to rest. Don’t loiter around here.” Without hesitation, he waved his hand
Vera forced an awkward smile at Hunter before quickly retreating back into the bathroom to change. Hunter, watching her leave, couldn't help but smirk. “You’re really living the good life, huh?” he teased. “Didn’t expect you to have such luck.” Caleb rolled his eyes, clearly uninterested. “Enough with the nonsense. Why are you here? And who exactly were you talking about over the phone?” He didn’t want to entertain pointless banter, especially not about women. If he was being honest, even he couldn’t fully explain his feelings toward Luna. He wasn’t sure what was left between them—was it love, or just the remnants of something that had long turned sour? That pitiful look in her eyes earlier had shaken him. For a fleeting moment, he had wanted to pull her into his arms, to comfort her like he used to. But after so many years of being humiliated and pushed aside, he had forgotten how to even speak to her anymore. So instead, he did what was easiest—he change
Hunter spoke casually, his tone light. “Just someone, that’s all. Do you really need all these details?” Caleb was now certain of his suspicion. “Hunter, did you forget what I do for a living? I’m a doctor. If you’re asking me about this, I need to get a clear picture before I can give you an answer.” Hunter exhaled lightly. “That’s fair, but some things can’t be diagnosed right away.” Based on the information Yelena provided earlier, Hunter was only speculating about Liam. But Caleb was an expert in this area, so he specifically called to ask him.Still, explaining everything over the phone wasn’t going to work. “Forget it,” Hunter said. “This isn’t something I can explain over a call. Where are you? I’ll come over.” Caleb hesitated for a moment before glancing at Vera, who was still beside him. In the end, he gave Hunter the address to his villa. Hunter chuckled. “Haha. I’m surprised. You actually do go home to rest.” Caleb ignored the jab and tossed his p
“Call me Liam.” Before Yelena could finish speaking, Liam cut her off with a sharp, angry voice. She quickly nodded and corrected herself. “Liam, don’t worry. I’ll do exactly as you say. I’ll be good. I won’t make you angry again.” But Liam didn’t care. With a violent shove, he threw her to the ground. Yelena barely had time to brace herself before hitting the cold floor hard, pain radiating through her limbs. Liam, however, just looked down at her with a twisted grin, laughing like she was nothing more than a ridiculous joke. “You’d better learn fast,” he sneered. “And leave your hand broken for a few days—feel the pain properly.” “Alright.” Her voice was quiet, submissive. But Liam wasn’t listening. Without another glance, he turned and walked away. As she watched his retreating figure, Yelena felt a deep sense of dread rise in her throat. Liam wasn’t human. He was something far worse. Her future with him would be nothing short of hell.