Scarlett did not say anything but followed Nina inside. As soon as she stepped through the door, she felt the warmth and took in the surroundings. A faint fragrance filled the air. The interior was thoughtfully decorated, suggesting that Nina was someone who loved life. Even in a small space, she lived with elegance and positivity.Seeing Nina making tea, Scarlett felt a pang of envy. They had shared a similar fate, yet Nina had broken free and was living a fulfilling life. Scarlett longed for such a normal life."Have a seat," Nina said politely, noticing Scarlett standing by the door.Scarlett nodded and walked over to the sofa. Nina placed a cup of freshly brewed tea on the table beside her. Scarlett lifted the cup, feeling the warmth, and watched the clear tea with a few floating petals. It had been a long time since she had experienced such simple pleasures. Despite her love for beauty and caring for her appearance, her life had been rough and unsophisticated.She took a
Nina's face turned pale. "I don't know which one you were, but the fact that you managed to escape means you're not ordinary!" Scarlett said. "Wilfred is risking everything to protect you so you absolutely cannot die. This is his wish, and I'll make sure it happens."Nina clenched her fists, her eyes filled with complex emotions before they turned cold again. "Is that why you came here today? Just to tell me this?""My point is, you need to be careful. You're pregnant now, so you need to take extra precautions.""Are you done? Do you think I'll thank you for this?" Nina's icy words made Scarlett blink in surprise. She had not expected this reaction.Nina stared at Scarlett with a cold smile. "Anyone can say nice things, but don't forget who poisoned me. Do you think I trust you?"I’ve had enough of you and Wilfred! Even if we were together in the past, what does that prove? My hands have never been stained with blood, but yours are! We are not the same, and I will never be grate
Scarlett felt that Nina’s change was too sudden. She did not know Nina that well, but when she offered to fight for Nina, it was surprising that Nina refused her help so completely. Most people, when facing a life-threatening situation, would cling to any chance of survival. It felt off that Nina was pushing everyone away, and Scarlett could only think it was because Nina did not want to drag them down.Wilfred looked at Scarlett, realizing she might have a point. When Nina learned about his complicated background, she did not show much resistance. But now, she was not only pushing him away but also everyone else.Perhaps Scott's risky journey to the Yaren tribe had filled her with guilt, and she did not want anyone else to take risks for her.Despite this, Wilfred respected Nina’s feelings. "No matter what, I will save her life. If she doesn't want to see us, then we’ll keep our distance. As long as she can live peacefully, that’s all that matters."There was not a perfect s
"How can I not work hard? Are you going to support me?" Nina asked jokingly.Yvonne patted her chest. "I'll support you."She answered so straightforwardly, and her generosity made Nina smile even more. "It's so good to have you. But everyone needs dreams," Nina replied.Yvonne then asked, "Haven’t you made up with Nash yet?"Nina paused for a moment. "There's no way we’re getting back together."Yvonne looked even more puzzled. "That doesn't sound right. Is it really over this time?"Although she knew about their divorce, Yvonne had still held onto a sliver of hope that there was a chance for them to reconcile."What are you thinking? It’s been over for a long time," Nina said with a laugh.Yvonne grew serious. "You're carrying his child, and he breaks up with you? Does that make any sense? Is he not taking responsibility for the baby? There must be something I don't know about. This just doesn’t add up!"Nina did not want to dwell on it. "It doesn't matter anymore. I haven’t
Suddenly, someone burst into the room. Seeing Nina lying motionless on the bed, Nash’s face was full of tension and urgency. He ran over and immediately took Nina into his arms. At that moment, Nina was too stunned to react.Overwhelmed with worry, Nash had not noticed that Nina was only undergoing a check-up. He held her tightly and whispered, "I’m sorry…"Those simple words carried a multitude of emotions. Nina, pressed against his chest, was a bit shocked but still managed to push against him slightly. "What are you doing?"Nash’s eyes were red, and as he looked at Nina, he seemed a bit disoriented. Nina was startled to see his unshaven face. He looked so different from the Nash she knew."Are you… okay?" Nash’s eyes examined her, relieved to see she was not gravely ill. He then realized that he had overreacted. "I’m... fine," Nina replied in a calm tone, lowering her eyes. "I’m just having some tests done."Nash took another look around, realizing they were indeed in a tes
Nash did not answer the call but instead sent a text and put his phone on silent. The calls from Miranda stopped coming. They waited for a long time. Nina, growing sleepy, began to doze off. Her head was bobbing as she struggled to stay awake. Seeing her exhausted state, Nash sat down beside her and gently rested her head on his shoulder. Nina seemed to find some comfort in this position, her body relaxing as she leaned fully against him. Nash looked at her peaceful side-profile, wishing this moment could last forever. His eyes softened as he watched her. Time seemed to stand still, despite the bustle of people passing by."Miss Walker..." A doctor emerged from the lab, calling out.Nina woke up immediately, standing up quickly. "Here!"In her haste, she did not notice Nash beside her, her mind solely focused on finding out if her condition would affect the baby. The doctor’s serious expression made her heart pound with anxiety."After the examination, we found that your
"What?" Nina was stunned. She immediately pulled her hand away and stepped back. "What nonsense are you talking about? You want me to abort the baby now? I won't do it!"Nash's eyes bore into hers with a stern intensity. "Your body is not fit for pregnancy. If you terminate the pregnancy, it won't drain your nutrients, and you might live longer. The longer you live, the more chances you'll have. Do you understand?"His words were urgent and decisive. He wanted to save her first. There could always be another child.Nina, however, wasn't listening. The moment he mentioned abortion, she wanted to get as far away from him as possible. She didn't want to answer him, so she turned and walked away."Nina!" Nash called out sharply.Nina turned back, yelling, "Didn't the doctor say I can make it until the baby is born? Isn't that enough?""You're risking your life!" Nash retorted. "What happens to you after the baby is born?"Nina's eyes widened with emotion. "And if I abort the bab
The thought that the poison had no cure made her despair even more. She did not want to regret it again. Gathering her resolve, she spoke softly, "Nash, I don’t expect you to love him much, but please, don’t harm him. That’s my final wish."At this moment, Nash saw the determined look in Nina's eyes, and it broke his heart. He couldn't bear to imagine, much less think about, the worst outcome. His fists clenched, hands trembling, and his lips pressed tightly together as he struggled internally. He wished she didn’t have to endure such suffering."Are you sure about this?" Nash finally asked in a soft voice."Yes, I’m sure."Nash made a concession. He no longer insisted on aborting the baby. With Nina threatening her own life, what else could he do? All he wanted was for her to be safe and happy.Seeing Nash's sorrowful and worried expression, Nina offered him a reassuring smile. "Don’t see me as so fragile. I’m stronger than you think. Trust me, I’ll be fine. I will be fin
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
“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