Scarlett did not understand. "What are you talking about?"Nina looked outside again, noticing James’s occasional expressions of unease. She felt that her suspicions were partially correct. Nash might be trying to gain Seth’s trust and would likely take some calculated risks. The fact that Nash and Miranda were still missing only added to her concerns."James, did Nash go to see Seth?" Nina asked directly."Well..." James hesitated. "Captain will come back. Don't worry about him. If he returns, I'll inform you immediately."Scarlett, catching on, said to Nina, "If Nash really went to see Seth, it’s probably to get the antidote. Seth can make medicines and likely has his own lab. He must have learned from Pharaoh. He wouldn’t waste his skills."Nina's expression grew tense as she turned back to James. "Why didn’t you go with him? You haven’t made any moves. Did Nash go alone? Isn’t that too dangerous?"James was cornered. "Captain didn’t want us to follow.""Big goof, why can’t
"When he’s had enough sleep, he’ll wake up naturally," Seth said calmly, not showing any urgency.Miranda looked at Seth, still worried. "This drug doesn’t have any side effects, right? Will there be any aftereffects?"Seth paused, seemingly contemplating how to respond. At that moment, Nash started to show signs of waking up, moving his fingers slightly. Miranda’s face lit up with joy, and she focused all her attention on him."Nash," Miranda gently shook him. "Are you feeling better now? You should be fine, right?"She wasn’t sure. She didn’t understand these drugs, but she trusted that her father would have a solution.Nash opened his eyes, his head pounding, and after a moment, he focused on Miranda’s face."Nash, it’s me, Miranda. Are you okay?" she asked anxiously.Nash sat up. As soon as he moved, the guns around him were immediately aimed at him. The guards still could not relax.Seeing their wariness, Miranda stepped in to defend him. "What are you doing? Why are y
Seth pointed to another row of vials. "The antidotes are over there."Both the poisons and antidotes were labeled with numbers, making it impossible to distinguish which was which.Seth looked at Nash and continued, "What do you think of my proposal?"Nash turned his gaze back to Seth. "Does it have to be a collaboration?"Seth smiled. "You're about to marry my daughter. I consider you family. If you're unwilling, it shows you don't respect me."At his words, Seth’s men began to shift, ready to draw their guns.Miranda, still worried, pleaded, "Dad, Nash is definitely on my side."She continued to persuade, "Nash, just listen to my dad. He saved you. As long as no one says anything, no one will know what you're up to. You don't have to worry about being exposed!"Her thoughts were always hopeful.Nash simply observed his surroundings. The vials were well-protected, and there likely wouldn’t be any issues."Nash, you still haven't answered me," Seth pressed.Nash asked, "Wher
The special forces moved in swiftly, taking down one enemy at a time. They had no idea what the situation inside was like.Meanwhile, Nash was hiding behind the sofa, unarmed and fighting alone. His life hung by a thread. But he had no choice but to take this risk. If he didn't, he would never gain Seth's trust and would never have made it here. His goal was to find Seth's hideout, and taking the injection for Miranda ensured she would bring him here.Only Seth could cure his poison, which meant there was a good chance he could also cure Nina's. As long as there was hope, Nash was willing to risk everything, even his life. The price he paid was his current dire situation. He panted heavily, knowing there was no way out. Resolute, he stood up with his hands raised.He looked at Seth and smirked. "If you kill me, you won't escape either."Seth suddenly realized the truth and said coldly, "This was all part of your plan!"Nash replied, "Isn't it a win-win?"Seth glared at hi
Seth's situation was even worse than Sawyer's. Now, he was consumed with rage and had to keep an eye on the outside commotion. The special forces were closing in. Seth needed an escape plan for himself. He called all his men to hold off the special forces and opened a secret escape route. He had prepared this escape tunnel when he built the lab, anticipating a day like this.Seeing Seth attempting to flee, Nash immediately pursued him. Seth glanced back with a cold smile. "Nash, you think it's over? The real show is just beginning!"Without hesitation, Seth activated a mechanism and slipped into the tunnel, quickly locking the hatch behind him. The tunnel was pitch black by the time Nash opened it, with no sign of Seth.Left behind was only a distraught and helpless Miranda, clutching her head. "Nash, Nash!" she called out, still concerned for him.Nash glanced at her with a stern expression, not responding."Captain!" James rushed in, relieved to see Nash unharmed. "Where's S
Nash felt a surge of panic and asked urgently, "Where’s Nina?"James was equally puzzled. "She was just here a moment ago."Nash worried that Nina might have been kidnapped, realizing that this mission was far from foolproof. "Are there any suspicious people around here?""No way. This place is secure, and all the people here are my men," James assured him.Nash could not afford to take any chances. Even if they were his own people, he feared Nina could be used against him. "Search for her immediately!" he ordered, but his command was interrupted by a sharp ringing in his ears, intensifying his headache.Meanwhile, Nina was following a familiar feeling, heading toward the back of the lab. She walked a long way, cautious of the dangers around her. Despite the risk, she was determined to understand why she felt so strongly compelled to go this way.As she navigated through the overgrown area, she took care to avoid snakes and insects, treading carefully. Suddenly, she heard som
Hearing her call his name, Seth's composure wavered. "Are you a person or a ghost?"The wind blew, lifting Nina's hair, and with her pale face, she looked more haunting than ever. Seth furrowed his brows, feeling immense pressure.Nina was momentarily at a loss for words, afraid to say the wrong thing. However, she sensed that Seth harbored some fear-inducing secret. Seth quickly calmed down, realizing the woman he feared was dead and could not be here. He scrutinized Nina's face more closely, then narrowed his eyes dangerously. "No, you must be Nina! You actually dared to come here alone to find me. Aren't you afraid I'll kill you?"Nina's identity was exposed, but she held her ground and coldly smiled. "You figured it out. Though we've never met, you know my name, Seth. It seems there's a connection between us."Seth, wary of being tricked, asked, "Connection? What connection?"Nina boldly stated, "The little dark room. You’re the one who locked me in there!"Seth was sho
"Bang bang bang—" Several shots were fired in response. Seth's shot had not hit Nina.Nina squeezed her eyes shut in fear, her heart pounding wildly. The gunfire, passing just by her cheek, left a sharp ringing in her ears as it hit the trees behind her. When she opened her eyes, she saw Seth abandoning everything and diving into the river without hesitation. He had not shot her! Or perhaps, in that moment, he did not dare to.Nina, still shaken, stood there breathing heavily, watching the spot where Seth had disappeared. The river ended in a rapid cascade, a large waterfall where the current was fast enough that falling into it would mean certain death or serious injury. It was Seth's only option."Nina!" Nash rushed over, grabbing her arm and checking her for injuries. "Are you hurt?"Nina was too tense to breathe properly. She shook her head, her face pale. "I'm fine."Still rattled, she had gambled on Seth’s hesitation to shoot, and she had been right. For some r
But instead of feeling touched, Vera’s first reaction was nausea. A wave of discomfort surged up from her stomach, and Vera’s face paled. She bolted for the bathroom. Caleb followed quickly. “Are you feeling sick?” “I don’t think so. I’ve been eating normally—nothing too heavy or weird lately.” Vera clutched her stomach, just as confused as he was. Then, a possibility flashed through her mind. Caleb clearly had the same thought. Without a word, he turned and walked into their bedroom, returning moments later with a pregnancy test. Vera looked at him, stunned. “When did you buy that?” He responded matter-of-factly, “Better safe than sorry.” Vera was momentarily speechless. Five minutes later, she stepped out of the bathroom, her hand instinctively resting on her stomach, her expression a mix of shock and disbelief. It was positive. They had only been married for three months. How did this happen so fast?Caleb, on the other hand, remained composed—at le
Of course, Vera wasn’t about to dump all her responsibilities on her assistant. That would be exploitation. She called her assistant into her office. “You’re twenty-five this year, right?” Her assistant blinked, confused. Wasn’t her age common knowledge? Why was Vera suddenly bringing it up? A thought struck her. Was this an arranged marriage situation? Her face immediately filled with silent refusal. “Miss Vera, I’m still young. I’m not thinking about marriage anytime soon.” Vera tapped her pen against the desk. “I’m not telling you to get married.” “Oh.” “I just want to offload some of the smaller daily tasks to you. You don’t have to run every minor document by me.”Her assistant instantly understood. A raise. After confirming she was on board, Vera gave her a salary bump and had her hire a few more assistants to distribute the workload. “If I don’t have time to handle everything, you guys will take care of it. If something’s too complicated, jus
Vera could sense danger the moment the conversation turned in this direction. Her father had never questioned her about married life, and she was lucky enough to avoid nosy relatives. But just because she hadn’t experienced it firsthand didn’t mean she hadn’t seen it happen to others. Without hesitation, she abandoned the half-folded pastry in her hands. “I... uh, need to use the restroom.” Before she could escape, Mrs. Smith caught her wrist. “You and Caleb aren’t getting any younger,” she said matter-of-factly. “You should start thinking about kids—make sure you’re putting in the effort, hmm?” Vera left the kitchen visibly drained. Mrs. Smith was a wonderful mother-in-law, the kind who treated Vera like her own daughter. Despite knowing Vera came from a well-off family, she had still gifted them a house as a wedding present. Of course, Caleb already owned a place, but his mother had insisted. “That’s your house. This is the home I’m giving you as a weddi
That undeniable possessiveness flickered in Caleb’s gaze—subtle yet impossible to ignore. It was the kind of look a powerful man might give his beloved in an old Hollywood film. And right now, the photographer felt like the unlucky bystander who had accidentally stumbled upon an intimate scene. His voice wavered slightly, caught up in his own imagination. “Mr. Smith, lift your eyes toward the camera.” Caleb’s sharp gaze flickered over, intense and commanding. The photographer instinctively pressed the shutter. They continued with several more poses, reviewing the shots as they went. Vera loved them all, but her favorite was still the vintage-inspired one. “How long until we get the final prints?” she asked. “Two to three days at most,” the photographer replied. “I’ll have them shipped directly to you.” Then, after a slight pause, he hesitated before making a request. “I actually have a personal favor to ask—would you both be open to letting us displa
Vera was tempted. They had already taken plenty of wedding photos—several sets at the island, more at the wedding itself. But this wasn’t just any photo studio. It was privately booked and known for being one of the most prestigious studios in the city. Appointments here were nearly impossible to get. The fact that Caleb had managed to secure a session meant he had gone to great lengths to make it happen. If they were just going to take ordinary wedding pictures, it would be a waste of an opportunity. Still, she wasn’t sure what kind of shoot she wanted. The photographer, understanding her hesitation, pulled out a sample album. “You can take a look at our past work. These are some of the styles we’ve done.” Flipping through the pages, Vera saw an array of stunning concepts—each picture more breathtaking than the last. Then, one particular set caught her eye. A Golden Age Hollywood theme.It was classic, nostalgic, and beautifully atmospheric. “Ca
After the wedding, Vera considered taking some time off for a honeymoon. But the thought quickly faded when she realized Caleb had been practically living at the hospital. With a sigh, she dismissed the idea. She was used to it, but to say she wasn’t disappointed would be a lie. Her assistant picked up on it. “Mrs. Smith, don’t you want to go on a honeymoon?” she asked one day. “One of my friends just got married, and she’s been obsessively researching destinations. “She even said a marriage without a honeymoon is already half a failure.” Vera froze mid-page, suddenly losing interest in the documents she had been reviewing. Her assistant hesitated, then offered a suggestion. “Why don’t you go visit Dr. Smith at work?“You seem… distracted. Maybe seeing him will help.” Vera snapped out of her daze, suddenly aware of how preoccupied she had been lately. It was embarrassing to admit, but she had been zoning out far too often—especially after coming hom
Whenever they did this in the past, Caleb always maintained some restraint. But tonight—he didn’t hold back at all. He took her from the bedroom to the bathroom, then back to the bed, his searing kisses trailing every inch of her skin. The next morning, even as she woke up, Vera could still feel the lingering traces of last night’s intoxicating pleasure. As expected, she ended up taking the day off. It wasn’t until two days later that she finally returned to work. *Everyone at the company had already prepared for this. The moment Vera walked into the office, she was greeted with knowing smiles and teasing remarks. “Congratulations, Mrs. Smith!” “Newlywed bliss, huh?” “Three whole days off? Someone had a good time.” It didn’t take a genius to figure out what she had been up to. Obviously, her married life was going exceptionally well—so well that she had completely abandoned work for it. Under the weight of their mischievous stares, Vera barely k
Yelena still hadn’t accepted Hunter, but he wasn’t giving up either and was relentlessly closing in on her. Knowing Yelena’s soft heart, Vera figured it was only a matter of time before she gave in. She let out a sigh. Her friend’s love life wasn’t something she could interfere with. Besides, Caleb had already given her a little inside scoop. “She came to the hospital for a follow-up a few days ago,” he had mentioned casually. “Hunter was the one who brought her.” Vera had clicked her tongue at the news. Yelena always seemed quiet and reserved, but apparently, she was full of surprises.*Time flew by in the blink of an eye.By mid-month, Caleb had rented out an entire vineyard and spent several days transforming it into the perfect wedding venue.When the day arrived, the celebration took place right there.The vineyard was sprawling and elegant, every bit as grand as any luxury hotel—if not better. Even the wine cellar remained untouched, stocked with years-
“Did you plan this from the start?” Vera narrowed her eyes, feeling like she had just walked into a carefully laid trap. “Mm.” Caleb smiled, then leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. Because yes—he had always been planning this. The biggest change in Vera’s life after the island proposal was the ring now sitting on her finger. It wasn’t just any ring. It was custom-made, something Caleb had specially ordered. She only found out by accident when she glanced at his phone one day and saw the purchase record. It had been ordered two months ago. Vera did the math and was stunned. He had been preparing for this long before she even started getting impatient. Her heart swelled with emotion. And as soon as Caleb’s parents heard that their son had finally proposed, they wasted no time pushing them to get the marriage license. *One day, Vera overheard Caleb’s mother lecturing him. “Your dad and I weren’t expecting much from you. With how much ti