"It's bad! She is coming this way!"Seeing Nina heading in their direction, James and Felix quickly moved towards the back of the kitchen."What's going on?" Felix asked. "Why is she coming this way? Did we get caught?""Impossible!" James quickly denied. "We were trained soldiers. There's no way she'd notice us.""Then why is she coming?"Both men crouched as they moved."Let's hide for now."They concealed themselves in a hidden corner."Don't let her spot us. We'll move when she leaves."Nina inspected the fire alarm system.It had a hole punched through it."Looks like it was smashed," she noted.The owner quickly explained, "A server might have accidentally bumped into it, triggering the alarm.""Your servers have that much strength?" Nina asked skeptically. "This hasn't happened before, has it?""This is the first time," the owner admitted, struggling to come up with an excuse.Nina observed the large hole, drawing her own conclusions. "Seems like your server has s
James glared at Felix. "Really, Felix? I treated you like a brother, and you betrayed me!"Felix did not back down. "Right back at you!"James turned to Nina, forcing a smile. "Ma’am, I’m really sorry. It was an accident, not intentional. My mistake!"Nina responded, "I think you did it on purpose.""That’s impossible! How could I? I’m a good soldier who serves the people!" James stood at attention and saluted.Nina asked, "Then what are you doing here?" with a stern expression.James thought quickly and grabbed Felix. "We came to eat!"Felix immediately nodded. "Yes, we came to eat."Nina’s expression darkened. "This restaurant isn’t that big. How come I didn’t see you? And why were you in the kitchen breaking things?"She became more serious. "Aren’t you disrupting the restaurant’s business?"Both men fell silent."Did Nash send you to follow me?" Nina continued. "What’s his deal?""Well…"The two hesitated, not know how to respond."Where is he?""Captain isn’t here,"
On the second floor, she noticed a door that was slightly ajar. Nash must be inside. Nina rolled up her sleeves and pushed open the door with her cold and determined expression."Nash, stop being a coward. Can't you just be straightforward...?"Standing in the doorway, her eyes locked onto Nash sprawled on the floor. He looked utterly defeated, surrounded by empty bottles, still clutching one with some liquor left. It seemed he had been drinking all day.Nina had been furious, ready to confront him. She had planned to say the most hurtful things, aiming to crush his pride and make him feel worthless. But things did not go as she had imagined. Seeing Nash drunk and disheveled, any cruel words she had prepared now seemed pointless. He would not hear them anyway.However, she could not understand why Nash had drunk himself into such a state.Wasn't he supposed to be happy with Miranda? Hadn't he rid himself of her? He had humiliated her, boosting his own ego. He should be
Nina did not know how long she sat there, but a deep sadness enveloped her heart. Nash lay motionless in Nina’s arms. The room was quiet with only the sound of his steady breathing.She wanted to ask, but there were no answers. Perhaps she already knew without needing to ask.Eventually, Nina quietly left. This time, her feelings were different. There was more bitterness."Ma'am," James called out, seeing her come out silently. "Did you have a fight with Captain? Are you both okay?"Felix tugged at James's sleeve, signaling him to say less. Seeing Nina's pale face, it was clear things did not go well.Nina looked up at James and said, "Take good care of him." Then, she walked out the door.James stood there, sighing at the fate of two people who could not be together. It was like fate was playing a cruel joke.When Nina returned to the apartment, Wilfred was waiting for her."How did it go?" Wilfred asked. "Is everything okay?"Nina looked at Wilfred and asked, "Do you k
Scott returned home and began searching through all his documents, trying to learn about the organization called Nile. He wondered how he could get in touch with them and whether he had even a slim chance of obtaining the antidote.He spent the whole night searching. The organization was very secretive and operated in border countries to avoid sanctions. Some of the people who had been captured over the years spoke different languages and did not appear to be from the same ethnic group.At this moment, the door opened, and Scott's mother walked in. "Scott, what are you doing? Why is everything so messy?""I'm searching for information.""What kind of information is worth losing sleep over? You haven't slept, have you?" Scott's mother, who looked like a gentle and kind housewife, spoke softly. "You've been so busy with work these days, and now you don't rest. How can your body take it? Besides, Yasmine will be here soon. You need to be ready to spend time with her. Stop what you'r
Yasmine was taken aback by his questions. "I've heard people say that. Why do you ask?"Scott pressed on, "Can the Yaren people create antidotes for their own poisons?"Yasmine found his questions odd but answered patiently, "I don't know. My dad is from the Yaren tribe, so I have half Yaren blood, but I'm not very familiar with their ways. I've heard my dad say that the small country is very chaotic, with high and low castes."She pointed at a person in the newspaper. "They look like us but have darker skin. They're from the lower caste and have very low status. My dad is from the high caste."Scott knew little about this tribe. The small country was poor and backward, still ruled by a monarchy, and he had never visited it. He was not familiar with their civilization either.Scott made a decision that he wanted to go and see for himself. Maybe he would find something useful.Yasmine warned him, "It's very dangerous there. The people are not well-educated, and many curious touris
Nash rubbed his forehead. The pain was preventing him from focusing on their words. He could not remember what he had done last night. It felt too much like a dream. If Nina had come, at least he would have seen her. He could not continue to appear so disheveled."You two, leave," Nash said hoarsely, dismissing them."Yes!" They both promptly left.But within ten minutes, James reported from the doorway, "Captain, Miss Miranda is here!"Nash quickly washed up and changed his clothes. He felt a slight discomfort at the news but concealed it. "Have her wait downstairs," he said coldly.Miranda was in a good mood. She had secured the starring role in the most anticipated TV series adaptation, a major breakthrough for her career.If the drama became a hit, she would firmly establish herself in the entertainment industry. She came specifically to share this good news with Nash.After waiting for about twenty minutes, Miranda saw Nash coming down. She immediately greeted him, "Nas
Miranda wanted to see how Nina would make a fool of herself. Not doing her job properly as a reporter, she actually went to invest in a TV series, and in the end, it would all go to waste. She would immediately become a pauper. This was Miranda's most anticipated outcome.Nash did not say anything, but there was a subtle change in his expression. His car was parked at the door, and the two of them sat in it. Miranda wanted to lean on Nash, but he spoke, "You've posted so much online but when are we getting married? When will there be a cure?" Miranda smiled widely. "Don't worry, I'll start filming soon and won't have much time. Besides, Nina won't die now. I won't let her die. She might suffer a bit more, but with Wilfred around, she won't suffer much. I promise she'll be fine in the end!" Nash looked at her coldly. "I hope you can keep your word." Miranda said affectionately, "It seems like I'm betting on Nina, but actually, I'm betting on you. If I let you down, wouldn't I
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.