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
She still checked it every day, holding on to that glimmer of hope."Knock, knock!" A sudden knock on the door startled her."Come in," Nina called out instinctively.The next second, Scarlett walked in. She had been heading downstairs for some water when she noticed the light still on in Nina's room. She suspected Nina had not slept yet, and she was right."Why are you still awake so late? From B Port to Yaren territory, it's over 20 hours of flying. If you don't sleep, I'm afraid you won't make it." Even though she had booked first-class seats, no cabin could compare to the comfort of a big bed. Moreover, Scarlett was always worried about Nina's health.Nina smiled, but it was a bitter smile.She couldn't sleep. She knew how long the flight would be, how harsh the conditions in Yaren were, and how risky the trip was. One wrong move could be fatal but she was not afraid because Nash was there.Scarlett noticed what was displayed on Nina's phone screen. Her heart ached as if s
Nina sat by the window. Through the glass, she saw the tarmac outside. It was much smaller than the one at Birkham Airport, with narrow white lines painted on the concrete and only a simple wire fence surrounding it.The plane landed abruptly, without the usual gradual descent. The sudden drop made Nina's stomach lurch, and a strong wave of nausea hit her. She couldn't hold it back and began to retch.Scarlett, sitting beside her, immediately straightened up and placed a hand on Nina's shoulder. "Nina, just hold on for a bit. It will pass soon."Scarlett had been through professional training. She had once grabbed a helicopter's hanging ladder with one hand, swinging up and down in the air, which was far more thrilling than this. Scarlett was unfazed and even tried to comfort Nina. "We're in first class, so we'll get off the plane soon.""Okay," Nina panted, feeling awful but managing to endure it.Despite being in first class and getting off the plane first, there was no jet br
"Hello," the voice on the other end spoke in broken English. Nina instantly recognized it as the person who had used Scott's phone to call her that day."It's me, the person this phone's owner wants to contact. My name is Nina. I'm in Yaren now. Can you give me an address? Or, if you can send me the phone, please tell me the exact location where you found it. I will reward you generously."She needed to know the location. Scott had left her a voice message in such a difficult situation to reassure her and to find a cure. She owed him more than she could repay. Now that she was here, her first priority was to find Scott.As for Nash, she needed to try and contact him to ask him not to worry about her. She didn't need Nash to arrange everything for her. She wasn't a child anymore, and there were things she needed to handle herself, especially considering the fragmented memories suggesting a connection with the organization called Nile. Some things she had to figure out on her own.
"Take it for self-defense," Scarlett said, seeing that Nina was hesitating, and then she shoved the item into Nina's hand. It felt cold and metallic.Nina had seen this item before, mostly on TV, and during the incident when Sawyer kidnapped her and Miranda. Other than that, Nash’s men, Felix and James, always kept such things out of her sight."I don’t know how to use this," Nina said, feeling the weight of the object as if it were a thousand pounds. She had never used one, and she worried that an accidental discharge might harm someone.Scarlett understood Nina’s concerns. But this wasn't like being in their home country. Without a weapon for self-defense, they could easily fall prey to local residents or violent groups."It doesn't matter if you don't know how to use it now," Scarlett said in a hoarse voice. "But you need to have it. Once we find a place to stay in Yaren, I'll teach you.""But for now, can you..." Nina started, but Scarlett interrupted her, "Just take it. I fou
But Karina still felt embarrassed. Noticing this, Wilfred stopped what he was doing, sat back in the driver’s seat, and fixed his gaze on her. In the light, his usually dark eyes softened to a deep, rich brown. His stare made Karina fidget, her heart pounding in her chest. She was certain her face was already bright red. “What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?” Wilfred’s lips curved into a faint smile, so subtle it was almost imperceptible. “If you really want to thank me, hurry up and write a proper thesis.” Thud!Karina’s heart skipped a beat, and any trace of excitement crashed and burned.She was momentarily speechless. How could someone constantly bring up writing a thesis? Wasn’t that the least romantic thing he could say? She completely forgot how flustered she had been moments earlier, unable to even meet Wilfred’s eyes. *Once the lawyer was arranged, the next step was filing a lawsuit with the court. This was beyond Karina’s scope, so she left ev
The woman didn’t mind at all. She knew very well that most people wouldn’t get involved in something like this. Karina’s willingness to help came from her kindness. Even if things didn’t work out, the woman wouldn’t hold it against her. Karina, however, felt a sense of responsibility. After confirming the meeting time with Wilfred, she took the day off, postponing all her work to focus on the matter. When the time came, Wilfred drove to pick her up. *At the café, a man stood and offered his hand. “Hello, Ms. Norman. I’m Attorney Jenkins from Birkham Law Firm. You can call me Jenkins.”Karina shook his hand with a polite smile. “Thank you, Mr. Jenkins. I appreciate you coming all the way from Birkham.”“It’s no trouble. I happened to be in Atlantis for another matter. Besides, when a friend asks for a favor, it’s not something I can refuse.” After a bit of small talk, the group sat down, and the conversation shifted to the case. Since Mr. Jenkins had only been give
“Dr. Norman… my life is so miserable. If I had known it would come to this, I’d rather have died than gotten married. What do I do now? If it were just me, I’d leave everything behind and disappear. But my daughter is only eight years old—she’s still so little,” the woman sobbed. Karina hesitated for a moment. “You do need to consider her…” Suddenly, she thought of Wilfred. Among her own connections, she didn’t know anyone in the legal field. But Wilfred might. Still, since she hadn’t asked him yet, she couldn’t promise anything. For now, she focused on calming both the mother and the child. The little girl was surprisingly mature for her age. At just eight years old and barely into elementary school, she didn’t fully understand the situation or what had been done to her. In her own innocent words, she said, “Daddy just played a little game with me. He said if I didn’t cry, I’d get a reward.” Even so, she understood that her mother was upset because of her. “Mommy,
After leaving the room, Karina quickly patted her cheeks, trying to calm herself down. At the very least, she couldn’t let anyone notice anything was off. “Dr. Norman?” someone called from behind her. She turned to see a woman she recognized as the family member of a former patient. Noticing the child in the woman’s arms, Karina’s expression immediately softened with concern. After a brief exchange, Karina learned that the child’s condition had flared up again. She led them back to her office and conducted a thorough examination. Five minutes later, she reviewed the results with a slight frown. “Her stomach and intestines seem fine. Can you tell me where exactly she’s feeling discomfort?” Karina asked, assuming the mother may have misunderstood or misspoken. But the woman hesitated, stammering nervously. Sensing something deeper was going on, Karina softened her tone. “It’s okay. This is a hospital—we’re here to help. There’s no need to hide anything. Just tell me wha
But Wilfred wouldn’t bother explaining. In fact, he thought it was better to let the misunderstanding linger. The nurse glanced at Karina, then back at Wilfred, her face twisting with humiliation before she turned and fled the room. Karina instinctively stepped aside, avoiding a collision. “For a moment there… I thought I was interrupting something,” she hesitated, her tone uncertain. She couldn’t deny the relief she felt after Wilfred’s firm stance. The suffocating feeling, like someone gripping her throat, had finally dissipated. Her breathing steadied, though a lingering bitterness remained in her chest. She couldn’t help but wonder why the nurse had acted that way. Wilfred looked at her briefly and explained, “I don’t know her. She knocked and let herself in. And not long after, you walked in.” Karina’s expression softened significantly. “Maybe it has something to do with the rumors going around the hospital recently.” Wilfred frowned. Though he said nothi
Even though Karina dismissed the situation lightly, it didn’t stop the rumors from spreading around the hospital. Gossip sprang up out of nowhere, speculating that she had a personal relationship with Wilfred and had only gotten her opportunity through backdoor connections. The details were so vivid, it almost seemed believable. Yvette was furious. “Seriously? If they’re jealous, they should just admit it. Why do they have to sneak around and spread petty rumors behind your back?” Karina, however, remained calm and even comforted her. “Don’t be upset. Here, have some tea to soothe your throat.” She handed Yvette a cup of tea from a recent online purchase. It was advertised as premium oolong tea, though she wasn’t sure how good it really was since she hadn’t tried it yet. This seemed like the perfect chance to give it a taste. Yvette, coaxed into it, took a sip. Smacking her lips, she suddenly realized something was off. “Hey, they’re talking about you! Aren’t you even a l
Karina stood frozen in shock, just like everyone else. She didn’t snap out of it until Wilfred gently pulled her aside, her cheeks glowing bright red. Noticing her flushed face, Wilfred gave her a meaningful look and casually asked, “Why is your face so red? Are you running a fever?” As he spoke, he reached out toward her forehead. Karina panicked and quickly dodged him. She wasn’t sick. She just knew that if he touched her, her face would turn an even deeper shade of red. “I’m fine. Maybe it’s just the heat and humidity,” she mumbled, fanning herself as if she were uncomfortably warm. Wilfred watched her, clearly seeing through her little act but choosing to keep his amusement to himself. He recalled Xavier’s suggestion to take the initiative. What a brilliant idea. That evening, Karina put her skills to the test and prepared a platter of garlic butter crab. Wilfred happily indulged, eating several pieces with obvious enjoyment. *Wilfred quickly settled into his
Wilfred paused for a moment after hearing Karina’s suggestion, then nodded. “Sure. Let me grab my coat.”Karina didn’t think much of it at first. But when they arrived at the house, she realized it was the same one he had been borrowing last time. Surprised, she asked, “Weren’t you just renting this from a friend? You’re still staying here?”“Not renting anymore,” Wilfred replied casually, his eyes flicking toward her, a rare glimmer of something unspoken in them. “I bought it from him.”Karina didn’t catch the look. She didn’t know much about Wilfred’s circle of friends, nor did she pry.Inside, the same housekeeper from before greeted them. Familiarity made her more relaxed this time, and she didn’t try to stop Karina from stepping into the kitchen. But halfway through the preparations, Karina discovered a problem—no gas, and the fridge was nearly empty.The housekeeper smacked her forehead. “Oh no, I forgot to restock! I’ll run out and grab some now.”“No, we’ll go,” Wilfred i
After Yvette finished her rant, she finally got to the point.Karina learned that Dr. Lincoln had transferred out, leaving a vacant spot for a new director at the hospital.“So someone new is being transferred in,” she mused, absentmindedly nibbling on her pen. “I wonder who it could be.”But even Yvette, the self-proclaimed hospital gossip queen who usually knew everything, was stumped this time.“For once, I’ve got nothing,” she admitted, crossing her arms. “But I’ll bet you anything—they must have serious connections. Someone like that doesn’t just fly under the radar.”Karina just shook her head. Gossip wasn’t really her thing. She usually listened and moved on without a second thought. This time was no different. To her, it didn’t really matter who the new director was. After all, what were the odds it would be someone she knew?She would soon find out just how wrong she was.Not only did she know the new director, but she knew him very well. On his first day, Karina