Quincy did not push further. "I'll take the documents back, but the legal process has already taken effect."Nina's brows furrowed even more. She asked again, "Where is Nash? Why isn't he here to explain this himself?"She had asked three times, and Quincy still had not answered."Do you think I won't get suspicious if you don't answer?" Nina pressed.Scarlett knew they could not keep this from Nina forever. She would find out sooner or later. It was better to tell her now than to let her imagination run wild."Captain has already left," Scarlett said.Nina turned her gaze to Scarlett, seeing the seriousness in her expression. "Where did he go?""He went to the Yaren territory," Scarlett replied."What?" Nina was shocked. "Why did he go there? Is it to get the antidote?""No," Scarlett shook her head. Seeing Nina's confusion, she continued, "Nina, haven't you noticed your health improving?"Nina was taken aback. She had found it strange, but after so long without a cure, she
Nina's throat tightened with endless bitterness, and she muttered to herself, "Is this what I wanted?"Quincy remained silent. He had witnessed the journey of Nash and Nina over the years. Nina had given her all to Nash, and Nash had done the same for her. In this moment, Quincy did not know how to respond.Nina became more agitated, her smile turning increasingly self-deprecating. "This isn't what I wanted at all!"Her voice grew louder, her emotions becoming more intense and distorted. Quincy was stunned. Mr. York had given her everything he had. What more could she want? Wasn't this a sign of his love? But Quincy could not understand that what Nina desired was Nash's presence, facing life's challenges together, not his repeated departures.Scarlett watched Nina, feeling deeply pained. She took a tissue from the bedside table and gently wiped Nina's tears. "Nina, you need to stay calm. You shouldn't cry or get upset while you're in recovery."Quincy also felt a pang of
Before Nash left, he made sure to put everything in order. He instructed Quincy to follow his directions and to take good care of Nina. A few minutes later, Quincy was gone for good. Nina remained silent, and Scarlett did not know what to say. The room was eerily quiet.Seeing Nina like this, Scarlett grew worried. "Nina, say something. You’re scaring me.""I'm fine," Nina replied. Though deeply pained, she was not someone who would simply wallow in sorrow."How about I take you out for a walk, or should I call some friends over?" Scarlett asked, seeking her opinion.Nina lay back down, turning to face away from Scarlett. "I don't want to see anyone right now.""Okay, then rest for a while," Scarlett said, deciding not to disturb her further.Scarlett walked over to the small sofa in the room and sat down. She considered leaving but thought better of it, worried about what might happen if Nina had dark thoughts. She could not just leave her alone.Scarlett waited for over five
"Mr. York contacted me..." Quincy dared not lie. Moreover, it was the truth.Nina fell silent. Nash had contacted Quincy but not her. He had truly cut her out completely!Nelly walked over and took Nina's hand. "Nina, last time you couldn't come, but this time our drama won another award. I've booked a big room at Moonlight. Let's all go celebrate!"Before Nina could respond, a cheerful female voice approached. "Looks like I arrived just in time."Everyone turned to see Angel coming over with a bouquet of flowers.Nelly laughed heartily. "Then join us.""Wait!" Scarlett's sharp eyes caught Quincy trying to leave. She fixed him with a steely gaze. "Hand over your phone."Everyone was surprised.Quincy exchanged glances with Nina, realizing what was happening. He quickly took out his phone, unlocked it, and handed it to Nina, showing her the call log.Nina glanced at it. The first number was Nash's, with a call lasting only a few seconds.Nina did not say a word. Everyone
In that moment, Nash's face flashed in her mind, and her heart ached intensely. But then she suddenly thought of their dead child, a child she never even got to see...There were some things she could not think about, because once she did, she could not control her emotions."I need to go to the restroom," Nina said.Standing next to her, Penelope immediately noticed something was wrong. She saw the redness in Nina's eyes and followed her.Penelope found Nina leaning on the sink, silently crying. It was as if an invisible hand was gripping her heart, and Penelope felt it too."Nina..." Penelope walked over.Nina did not expect her to follow. She had thought she could control her emotions, but now she could not hold back anymore."Penelope, I have fame and fortune now, and you're all celebrating with me. I know I should be happy. But I can't. I feel so empty, so hollow..."She pointed to her heart as she spoke.Anyone who saw Nina and Nash's interactions would have said they
Nina did not respond. In that moment, it felt like she had swallowed razor blades, and as the pain intensified, everything around her became incredibly clear.She remembered she had the KA48 poison in her system, but she did not have any symptoms after giving birth.Nash had arranged everything meticulously, covering every detail, including Miranda, her confusing memories and the death of their child. Initially, Nash had not known the child was his. He had lost control, gotten angry with her, yet still chose to keep the child. His deep feelings for her were evident in everything he did, including leaving after making all these arrangements and not contacting her for days.She understood why. He did not want her to be hurt and he wanted her to be safe. But she wished for his safety just as much."Nina, you have to take care of yourself. Otherwise, all the efforts Nash put in for you will be in vain," Penelope said, trying to encourage Nina.Penelope had been an observer thro
"Nina, you must come back safely," Angel pleaded, tears streaming down her face. This set off a chain reaction, and soon everyone else was crying too.Scarlett stepped forward and patted her chest confidently. "Don't worry, with me around, I'll protect her." It was her duty, a task assigned by Nash and a wish from Wilfred.Penelope, Nelly, and Angel were all drunk, while Yvonne stayed sober. Nina could not drink, and Scarlett needed to stay alert."Yvonne, can you make sure they all get home safely? I need to go," Nina said, looking at Yvonne.They understood each other without needing many words. Yvonne nodded, taking off a small cross necklace from her neck and placing it around Nina's. "Nina, be careful on your way.""Will do," Nina replied.They parted ways, but Nina did not head straight to the Yaren territory. Instead, she pulled Scarlett aside to teach her some combat skills. Scarlett understood this was Nina's preparation for the Yaren territory.Considering Nina's condi
Meanwhile, Quincy was still at York Corporation, where he had been handling many affairs single-handedly in Nash's absence. He was overwhelmed with work.When Nash's number flashed on his phone screen, he jolted and quickly answered, "Mr. York."The phone emitted a faint static sound. The signal on Nash's end wasn't good. The Yaren territory was a conflict zone, with frequent gunfire and fights."Quincy, how is she doing lately?" Nash's clear voice finally came through. The person he cared about most was always Nina.Quincy reported truthfully, "Madam has been cooperating well and completed her recovery. After being discharged, she had a gathering with friends and then started learning combat skills from Scarlett..."Before he could finish, the line went dead. Quincy immediately tried calling back but was met with a mechanical voice, "The number you dialed is currently out of service. Please try again later..."There was no signal. Quincy clenched his phone, his expression seri
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.“Haven’t I been just fine lately?“Or do you think my hand isn’t injured enough? If that’s the case, go ahead—do it yourself. “You already know I wouldn’t fight back no matter what.” Without warning, Yelena stretched out her injured hand, an act that instantly enraged Liam. “What the hell is wrong with you?” He snapped. “I was just making a casual remark. Is that really what you think of me? I already told you—I’m not going to lay a hand on you.“It wasn’t intentional before, and you know it. We both do. Stop acting like you’re above all this when we both know who sent you here.” Yelena felt a pang of sadness. They had spent so much time together, yet this was how he treated her—always choosing to hurt her. “I know—I wasn’t someone you chose, and none of this was intentional. But after all this time we've spent together...“I thought maybe I was a little different to you. But I guess I was wrong. Nothing has changed at all.
“Why do you even care about what happens to other people? Haven’t I made myself clear enough already?“Whose card is this—yours or mine?” His assistant immediately apologized upon hearing Caleb’s tone. “I hope you won’t hold this against me. I really wasn’t thinking clearly at the time—I should have considered this more carefully.” Caleb didn’t bother responding. After hanging up, he focused entirely on investigating Vera’s brother. *Meanwhile, Vera was deeply worried. If things had been somewhat under control before, now they were completely off track. The situation on both sides was far more complicated than she had anticipated. “Don’t worry. That’s exactly how it is. If you don’t want to go in person, I can go for you—but it won’t be cheap,” the private investigator said.Since Caleb had warned her about the private investigator, Vera started testing him, probing for inconsistencies. And sure enough, his story had too many holes. “Why are you so sure my b
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