Scarlett coughed up blood, grabbing Sawyer's pant leg. "The antidote..."Sawyer narrowed his eyes, a cruel smile spreading across his face. "There is no antidote, Scarlett. After all these years, how could you still be so easily deceived?"Scarlett's eyes widened in shock. "You don't have the antidote...""KA48 has no antidote!" Sawyer laughed, gripping Scarlett's throat. "Go join your fallen comrades!"He intended to kill Scarlett. She was stunned that the antidote was a lie."You...you tricked me!" The light faded from her eyes. Summoning all her strength, she fought off Sawyer's hand and quickly pulled out a knife, aiming for his eye.Sawyer dodged, but not before his face was slashed.Scarlett's eyes were filled with hatred. Despite her broken leg, she stood up with sheer willpower. "You never told me the truth. Was it also a lie that my parents sold me?"Sawyer wiped his face and sneered. "Anyone who comes here either lives or dies. Who knows who their parents are!"Sca
Scarlett's fingers twitched as she opened her tired eyes and saw Nina's face. She grabbed Nina's hand tightly.Nina noticed and looked at her again. "Scarlett!"Scarlett's weak voice whispered, "So cold..."Nina held her close. "I'll hold you. You won't be cold. You won't be cold.""Am I dying?" Scarlett asked weakly. "I'm sorry. I couldn't find the antidote for you... I... cough, cough...""It’s okay, it’s okay!" Nina said. "Don't talk. The ambulance is here. I'll get you on it, and you'll be fine."Scarlett's eyes started to glaze over. She spoke faintly, "Don't be sad for me. We didn't have much connection. It was all for Wilfred. Living is exhausting. It’s kind of nice that I won’t have to struggle to survive anymore."Her life felt like it should never have started. There was no joy, only constant helplessness. No family, alone, and no one to love her. Living had lost its meaning. "Now you can live well," Nina said, trying to ignite Scarlett's will to survive. "Sawyer is
Nina could not find the words to express her sympathy for Scarlett. There were so many people suffering in this world, and her time in the dark room seemed insignificant in comparison. At least she had family, while Scarlett had never known warmth. It made her heart ache and filled her with immense sadness.Nina was placed on another stretcher and carried away. She and Scarlett were taken in different vehicles. As she looked out, she saw that the situation was under control. The gunfire had ceased, and the criminals were being apprehended. Many police cars had arrived, and the scene was being cleaned up.Sawyer, the ringleader, had been captured. His head was covered with a black hood, and his hands were shackled. He limped, his body bearing various injuries. Nina also saw James and Felix hurrying out, their faces stern. However, Nash was nowhere to be seen.Nina was filled with questions. Why wasn't he there? Usually, James and Felix would be by his side. Maybe Nash was b
They ran after the car but were quickly left behind. Through the rearview mirror, Miranda saw Nash in the back seat. His tremors were lessening, which made her even more anxious. She feared his life was slipping away."Hang in there, Nash! Stay with me, we're almost there. I will save you, just hold on!" Miranda shouted, trying to keep him conscious.She wouldn't let him die! As long as he held on, she would find an antidote. Miranda drove through winding paths, from the forest to the bustling city, and finally to a remote area. She screeched to a halt at an abandoned factory.The sight of the unfamiliar car on surveillance immediately raised alarms.Miranda jumped out and shouted, "Dad, it's me! Help!"She rushed to the back seat and struggled to lift Nash out. People began emerging from the abandoned factory. They were Seth's trusted men.Seth, observing from the surveillance room, did not panic upon seeing the car. He knew it was Miranda and Nash. This whole situation was
Shelves lined with bottles and jars, test tubes filled with colorful liquids, and the bubbling sound of distillation surrounded them. This was just a part of Seth's lab, which contained both poisons and antidotes. Each was labeled with a code, not a name. The lab housed at least a dozen researchers, fully geared up and working diligently. Nash was placed on a sofa, unconscious.---Nina was taken to the hospital for a full-body check-up. Apart from some scrapes, she was fine. Thanks to Scarlett's protection, she had survived the ordeal. She worried about Scarlett, who had always expressed her loneliness and isolation. Even in the operating room, Scarlett was alone, with no one to visit her. Nina did not want her to be alone and wanted to provide her with some warmth.Nina waited outside the operating room, hoping that when Scarlett woke up, she would see someone who cared about her. Maybe that would give her more hope to live. After three hours, Scarlett was wheeled out
Nina's questioning left James somewhat flustered. "Ma'am, you're overthinking it," James decided to stick to the cover story, which was also Nash's wish. "Captain has official business to handle. It's normal for you not to see him."Nina asked again, "What about Miranda?"James replied, "That, I don't know."Seeing that James did not want to say more, Nina had to stop her questions."Can I stay with Scarlett?" Nina asked."Um... well..." James hesitated."Is it not allowed?" Nina looked at James."It's allowed," James relented, "but Scarlett cannot leave the room without our permission, and you will have to undergo checks when entering and leaving. Those are our rules."As a soldier, James was somewhat rigid, but Nina understood the need for protocol and replied, "I understand."She entered the room, with James watching from outside. He was anxious, still waiting for news from Nash, unsure when they could move forward. Every moment was agonizing, but he knew they could not
She looked at Scarlett lying in the hospital room, thinking Scarlett might have the answers. Nina sat quietly, opened her phone, and checked for information online. The road explosion had made the news immediately, given the connected world they lived in. People were discussing it everywhere, creating a sense of panic.The official announcement simply stated that an anti-crime operation had begun, with no details provided. She asked Kate about it. Kate explained that to avoid public panic, details would only be released once the operation concluded successfully. This meant that the current calm could be the precursor to a larger storm. The operation wasn't over, which likely meant Nash was still on duty.Nina furrowed her brows, feeling the complexity of the situation. Who was the real target of this operation?Looking outside, everything seemed calm. Compared to the chaos she witnessed at the scene, the hospital felt much more serene. At mealtime, James showed his concern b
"The anesthesia wearing off will cause you some pain. Hang in there. It will get better in a couple of days," Nina comforted her.Scarlett seemed relaxed. "It's okay. Pain is no big deal for me. I'm just happy to see you again."Nina sat beside her, tightly holding her hand. "You'll see me often from now on. Everything you've longed for will come true."Scarlett nodded, feeling content. Even a small amount of attention and love made her happy."I want some water."Nina quickly got her some water. Scarlett drank it in a few gulps, feeling a lot better, her throat less sore."Do you want to rest some more?" Nina asked.Scarlett shook her head. "No, I don't want to sleep. I want to enjoy this moment of peace. Even if I'm lying in a hospital, at least I'm living like a normal person now."Without Sawyer's control, she felt truly free for the first time. Having faced death, she now cherished life and wanted to live without regrets.Noticing the guards outside, Scarlett asked, "Who
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