"You..." James was at a loss for words. His good intentions were completely misunderstood, and no matter what he said, it would be wrong in her eyes. He felt a bit aggrieved, never having dealt with such a difficult woman before.Scarlett, not wanting to argue further, turned to Felix and asked, "You said I could see Nina. I'm injured and can't escape even if I wanted to. Even if I'm guilty, I should be allowed to visit her until the charges are official. I've cooperated with your investigation. You could at least grant me this one request."Felix nodded in agreement and said to James, "Let's cut her some slack. Even Nash hasn't objected. We should show some humanity."Reluctantly, James agreed. "Fine."Scarlett calmed down, realizing they were willing to cooperate. Although she left the organization, she did not have many people in this world that she truly cared about. The only ones she worried for and valued were those few people.She would not run away. Unless pushed to th
Nash looked at Scarlett and asked calmly, "What kind of fate do you think awaits you?"Scarlett gave a bitter smile. "I don't know if I'll die or end up in prison. I've accepted my fate since I'm not exactly a good person.""What if there's a chance for you to atone for your actions?"Scarlett looked up with a glimmer of hope. "Is that really possible?"Nash told her, "Anything that benefits the country can be considered atonement."Scarlett's eyes filled with a mix of hope and doubt. "But what use could I be? Other than fighting and doing bad things, I have no other skills."Nash reassured her, "You have value. There are still many people waiting for you to help them. Focus on recovering first."Scarlett looked at Nash, feeling a surge of hope. His words were like a ray of light, showing her that her life had value and purpose. She could still make a positive impact.It wasn't as dark as she had imagined. This gave her a newfound confidence and excitement. She had always hoped
Sawyer laughed upon hearing Nash's words and said, "You seem surprisingly normal. I guess you got the antidote from Seth? Wait, that's impossible. Seth couldn't have developed a real antidote."His eyes narrowed as he scrutinized Nash, puzzled. "Haven't you noticed any physical changes?"Bang!Nash slammed his hands onto the table, creating a loud noise, and glared at Sawyer with cold, sharp eyes. "Say something useful!"Sawyer, noticing Nash's bloodshot eyes, smirked. "You didn't get the antidote."The veins on Nash's arms bulged, and his joints cracked as he clenched his fists in frustration.Recognizing the tension, Sawyer decided to cooperate. "Pharaoh never shows his true face. Neither Seth nor I have seen it. Those who have probably aren't alive anymore. As for Seth and I turning against each other... that's not really accurate. It was all about our own interests. He wanted a piece of my pie, so I threatened him. When we couldn't come to an agreement, I ended up as a prison
This directly impacted the reputation here. The warden's position was now at risk."Captain York, this was my oversight..."Nash glared at the prison guard, unable to contain his rage. His eyes bloodshot, he kicked the guard with full force. The guard was sent sprawling to the ground, coughing violently as two of his ribs cracked.But Nash's anger wasn't appeased. He yanked the guard up from the ground, his face twisted with fury. "Are you one of their men?""My mission is complete."The guard smiled, seemingly brainwashed, viewing his mission as a sacred duty. Completing it meant a perfect end to his life."Was it Seth or Pharaoh? What are they trying to hide?" Nash demanded harshly."I don't know," the guard replied. "My mission was just to kill him!"Such a response only fueled Nash's fury. His anger surged like a flood, and he punched the guard hard, twice, leaving his face bruised and bleeding.Seeing the blood, Nash seemed to lose control, throwing the guard to the groun
Nash said, "Any bit of information, no matter how small, needs to be reported to me immediately!""Understood, Captain."Nash was anxious, and his team shared his urgency. With Sawyer dead, he could not dwell on him any longer and had to find another way.---When Nina woke up, her body felt fine, and she realized she was in a hospital room. She recalled everything that had happened. She had a fleeting relief of thinking she had the cure, only to find out it was false hope. She had expected this outcome. Pharaoh's poison was not something that could be easily countered.Her head throbbed slightly, a lingering effect of the poison."Nina."She looked up and saw Nelly, Penelope, and Yvonne. Surprised but smiling, she greeted them, "What are you doing here?""We tried calling you, but you didn't answer. We were worried. Then Nash told us you were in the hospital, so we came to see you. Are you okay?" Yvonne said.Yvonne knew Nina best. When Nina did not answer her phone, sh
When the topic came up, Nelly immediately rejected it, "Forget it, dating is too much trouble."She had never dated before. It was just too complicated.She had attended an all-girls school from a young age and had not had much interaction with men. Consequently, she did not even think about it.In fact, she was somewhat averse to men."This pacifier is so cute," Nina said, holding the gift they had given her. "Thank you all so much, you have been so thoughtful for the baby.""Don’t mention it! We’re the baby's godmothers, after all!"Nina smiled and said, "Then my child is really something special. One godmother is a popular star, another is a director and screenwriter, and there's also an artist. With you all as godmothers, my child won’t have to struggle at all.""Having a few amazing godmothers is great, but wouldn’t having a great dad be even better?" Yvonne joked.Nina thought for a moment and then disagreed, "We need to be careful. We can’t spoil him. If he turns out bad
Nina looked at him in surprise, not expecting him to have such thoughts. But she found herself agreeing with him."You’re certainly not going easy on our son," Nina said with a smile.Nash wrapped his arm around her waist, his lips curving into a smile. "Boys need to grow up and get married. If they have too many bad habits and don’t know how to be considerate, which girl would dare marry them? And even if they did, they’d end up suffering."Nina had something to say about that.The others in the room were perceptive enough to give them space and among themselves about the future. They quietly left the room, closing the door behind them.Nina turned to Nash, pointing at his chest with a hint of resentment in her voice. "You seem to have this realization now, but why didn’t you think this way when you married me? You were so harsh on me then. Hearing this from you is just hard to believe."Nash hugged her apologetically and nuzzled her cheek. "I was wrong before. It’s precisely be
She hugged Nina tightly. Nina gently stroked her back, comforting her.They were still like they used to be, sharing everything as best friends. Over the years, their friendship had deepened into something more like family.Nina did not want to stay cooped up in the hospital room all day, knowing she might have to spend a lot of time there in the future. So, she and Yvonne went out for a walk."Nina?" As they walked and chatted, a girl suddenly approached them, looking unsure but calling Nina’s name.Nina turned around and was a bit surprised by who was calling her. When she saw the girl, she had a vague recollection but could not remember her name clearly. She hesitated until the girl said, "Nina, don’t you recognize me? Have I changed that much? I sat next to you in class. We used to chat a lot during breaks. Have you forgotten?"Nina smiled politely. "I’m sorry, you seem familiar, but I can’t recall your name right away.""It’s me, Lucy Lane! Do you remember now? I’m so ha
Her eyes turned redder, tears stubbornly welling up as if refusing to fall. Karina, watching the girl’s pained struggle, felt a pang of sympathy. She was about to say something to console her when Wilfred gently pulled her behind him, shielding her once more.His gaze remained cold, but his tone carried an unmistakable impatience. “That’s enough. This ends here. Don’t come bothering us again.”The girl froze as if struck by his blunt and merciless words. Her body trembled, and at last, the tears spilled over, rolling down her cheeks and hitting the ground in heavy drops. She opened her mouth, managing to squeeze out a broken, choked whisper: “I… I just…” But the rest of her words were swallowed by the overwhelming tide of her emotions, dissolving into silence.Wilfred frowned slightly but didn’t respond further. He simply took Karina’s hand and turned to leave. Just as they were about to walk away, the girl suddenly shouted hysterically, “Wilfred, I’ve liked you for so long! E
Karina sensed the girl’s unfriendly gaze and instinctively moved closer to Wilfred. Without a word, Wilfred casually placed a hand on her shoulder, a subtle but protective gesture. The girl’s jealousy flared even stronger at the sight. Forcing a strained smile, she turned to Karina and asked, “And who might this be?”Wilfred answered before Karina could speak. “This is Karina, my… friend.” As he spoke, he glanced at Karina, a trace of warmth flickering in his gaze, unnoticed by anyone but her. The girl let out a faint scoff. “A friend, huh? Dr. Wilfred, you’re always so busy with work. It’s rare for you to take time off, yet you didn’t think to invite me? I thought we were close. After all, you took such good care of me when I was your patient.”Her voice was laced with grievance and subtle reproach. Wilfred frowned slightly. His tone remained polite but distant. “It’s good that you’ve recovered. Taking time off is just for relaxation. I didn’t give it much thought.”Though
“Be careful,” Wilfred whispered, his voice carrying a barely noticeable tremor. Karina leaned into his embrace and said softly, “Thank you. I was too careless.”They proceeded cautiously down the corridor and arrived at a room filled with ancient books and peculiar instruments. Curious, Karina picked up a dusty old book. As soon as she opened it, the faint sound of gears turning echoed in the room. Slowly, a stone table emerged from the center of the floor, revealing a complex puzzle box resting on top.Karina studied the puzzle box carefully, noticing that each piece was engraved with unique symbols and patterns. She tried fitting a few pieces together but couldn’t make sense of it. Meanwhile, Wilfred searched the room for other clues and discovered an ancient mural in one corner. The mural depicted several figures gathered around a similar-looking box, seemingly performing some kind of ritual. He examined the gestures and expressions of the figures in the mural and suddenly
Wilfred snapped out of his thoughts, meeting Karina’s eager gaze. Without hesitation, he nodded. “Sure, as long as it’s something you’ll enjoy.”The two of them arrived at an escape room venue, where the receptionist greeted them warmly.Karina asked curiously, “Hi, we’d like to play an escape room. What themes do you have?”The receptionist smiled and began explaining, “We have a horror-themed ‘Midnight Fright,’ an adventure-themed ‘Lost Tomb,’ and a mystery-themed ‘Misty Manor.’ Each has its own level of difficulty and style.”Wilfred looked at Karina. She thought for a moment before saying, “Let’s try ‘Lost Tomb.’ It sounds mysterious and fun.”The receptionist nodded. “This theme is very popular, but it’s also quite challenging. Are you sure?”Wilfred replied confidently, “No problem. We’ll go with this one.”“All right,” the receptionist continued. “The ticket price for this theme is $30 per person. If you complete it within the time limit, you’ll even get a special gift fr
Leonard, a cheerful and outgoing young man, worked skillfully at the machine while apologizing profusely. “Sorry about this. I don’t know what’s up with this machine today. It’s being a bit temperamental. I hope it’s not causing too much trouble for you.”Karina smiled back warmly. “It’s no problem at all.”As Leonard glanced up at Karina and Wilfred, he couldn’t help but comment, “You two look great together! Are you on a date?”Karina’s cheeks flushed slightly, and she opened her mouth to clarify, but Wilfred cut in first. “Thank you. It’s a rare day off, so I thought I’d take her out to relax.”Startled, Karina glanced at him in surprise, but the unexpected sweetness of his words brought a quiet warmth to her heart.Leonard grinned knowingly. “This movie’s been super popular lately. Lots of couples have been coming to watch it. You’re lucky to have snagged tickets—later in the day, it’s almost impossible to get seats.”Wilfred nodded politely. “Is that so? Then I suppose we’re
Karina couldn’t reconcile the composed, confident, and highly skilled Wilfred she knew with the idea of him as a slave. Her lips trembled as though she wanted to say something, but the words wouldn’t come. Wilfred noticed the shock in her expression and let out a faint, bitter smile before continuing. “In that dark, endless hell, I was subjected to all kinds of drug experiments every day. My body and mind were pushed to the brink, treated as nothing more than a tool. My life and death were entirely in their hands.” A sharp pang shot through Karina’s chest as she listened. She couldn’t begin to imagine the suffering Wilfred had endured. “How did you escape?” she managed to ask, her voice barely above a whisper. Wilfred’s gaze grew distant, his eyes clouded with memories. “There was a rare moment of carelessness during a transfer. I seized the opportunity with everything I had left and escaped. After that, I hid my identity, pouring all my effort into studying medici
Instead of heading out to eat, Wilfred decided to head home. It was the weekend, and with Mrs. Santos off-duty, they could cook for themselves. The fridge had just enough ingredients left for a proper meal. Karina pulled out an unopened carton of cream and called toward the living room, “Do you like cream of mushroom soup?” A response came from Wilfred, and with his approval, she got to work preparing the ingredients. The dishes she planned weren’t particularly complicated, so in no time, the table was filled with food. After all the bustling in the kitchen, Karina almost forgot the reason she had come in the first place. But seeing Wilfred pick up his utensils brought her back to her thoughts. “I wanted to ask you about your sleepwalking last night. Mrs. Santos said it happens often,” she said, her tone filled with concern. Karina had known Wilfred for quite a while now, and their relationship was fairly close. Yet she had never heard about his sleepwalking, not from hi
Yvette’s expression lit up with the thrill of gossip. “Who are we talking about? Is it Dr. Wilfred?” “It’s about a friend,” Karina lied smoothly, her face betraying nothing. Yvette’s face immediately screamed, “Yeah, right.”“Come on, at least come up with a better excuse. That ‘it’s for a friend’ line is so overused it’s practically expired,” she teased, before shifting gears. “Alright, spill the details. And don’t leave anything out. I want to know everything. Not just for gossip but to help you figure things out.” With no other choice, Karina recounted Wilfred’s hot-and-cold behavior toward her. After hearing the story, Yvette leaned back with a sharp hiss, as if processing something heavy. “I think your, uh, friend’s boyfriend might just have something he’s keeping to himself. Maybe there’s a reason he doesn’t want her to know.” Karina’s brows furrowed slightly. “Think about it,” Yvette continued. “If he really didn’t care, would he have been so quick to catch he
Karina stood, but as she took a step, her foot caught on something, and she nearly fell. Before she could hit the ground, Wilfred caught her. The unexpected gesture left Karina more confused than ever. If he was so cold and distant moments ago, why would he help her like this? She wasn’t the only one caught off guard. Wilfred himself was surprised by his reaction. It had been pure instinct. The moment he saw her about to fall, he moved to catch her without a second thought. It was as if his heart acted faster than his words ever could. Before she could ask anything, Wilfred released her quickly, his demeanor detached once more, as if trying to explain away his actions. “Regardless, thank you for earlier.” He hesitated briefly before adding, “Do you have a way to get home? I can drive you if it’s inconvenient.” The warmth Karina felt moments ago instantly turned cold. She forced a bitter smile. “No need. I’ll get home on my own.” She laughed at herself inwardly, a s