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
Chloe scoffed, “What’s the big deal? When I married your father, I just threw on a simple dress and walked into the house. I still have that dress, you know.”She muttered under her breath, “Marriage is about building a life together. What’s the point of all these fancy extras?”A wedding dress? A suit? That sounded expensive. Their family had barely saved a few thousand dollars over the years. How could they justify spending it all on a wedding? *Vera, taking advantage of the last bit of battery on her phone, quickly pulled up photos of wedding dresses and suits. She handed the phone to Alice. “Your brother would look really handsome in a suit.” Alice gasped in excitement. “Wow! These clothes are so pretty! Vera, you’re already beautiful—if you wear this, you’ll look just like a fairy!” Then she hesitated. “When we get the dress… can I try it on too?” “Of course.” This wasn’t a wedding Vera had agreed to in the first place. She had shown Alice the pictur
Alice looked at Vera and tried to reassure her. “It’s just a little meat. It won’t make you gain weight, I promise. Last Christmas, I ate a whole plate of pork, and look—I didn’t gain a pound!”Vera said nothing. In a place like this, meat was probably a rare luxury, something they only had on holidays or special occasions. Things like snack foods, takeout, or even basic convenience store items were probably unheard of here. How could anyone gain weight in a place like this? But Vera wasn’t refusing to eat because she was worried about that.Still, Alice meant well.Even though Vera resented her in this moment, she knew when to pick her battles.So she picked up her fork and ate the piece of chicken.Chloe finally looked pleased.“You haven’t had a baby yet, so why worry about your weight? Eat more—you’ll need the strength to have a big, healthy boy. After that, you can think about getting your figure back. Tonight, you’ll sleep in Peter’s room. You’re already his,
Vera's expression changed completely as she looked at the family. “What are you talking about? Why would I stay here? I have my own life.” “Vera, didn’t you say you couldn’t find your brother?” Alice’s voice grew anxious. “Then take my brother instead! He’ll protect both of us. This is a good thing for you! Don’t tell me you think my brother isn’t good enough?“His leg isn’t perfect, and he can’t do heavy labor, but he’s not useless. And I can help him with the farm work—we can do it together!” Her words were absurd. If Vera had known this was her real intention, she never would have accepted her help. “Enough, both of you, stop talking.”Gerald had lived long enough to understand that his son and Vera were worlds apart. He also knew that there was no way she would willingly stay. But plenty of women in the village hadn’t wanted to stay either. That didn’t matter. As long as she was here, that was enough. He got straight to the point. “Our village
The young girl suddenly looked torn. In their village, getting a wife was extremely difficult. Families with a little money could sometimes bring a wife in from outside, but for families like hers, who had nothing to offer, it was nearly impossible. To make things worse, her brother had a bad leg. As a child, he had been mocked by other kids. He could still walk, but not quickly—and he couldn’t do the heavy farm work required to support a family. Now that he was getting older and still living alone, she felt incredibly anxious. Today, by some stroke of luck, she had met a woman in the mountains who was as beautiful as a goddess. She was determined to make this woman her sister-in-law. But if she left now, what if the woman ran away or was taken away by someone else in the village? What would happen to her brother then? *“It’s already so late,” Vera said gently. “Even if everyone in the village knows each other, it’s still not safe for a young girl
Up ahead was a village. “Miss, it’s really late today, so I’ll take you home first. My parents and brother will take good care of you, and you can get a good night’s sleep at our place. Once you’ve rested, we’ll take you to town tomorrow.” The young girl tightened her grip on Vera’s hand. “My mom is a great cook! She’ll definitely make a big meal to welcome you.” It really was late. The sky was completely dark, and Vera’s phone battery was nearly dead. The girl was still so young. She had already gone out of her way to bring Vera back from the deep mountains. It wouldn’t be right to ask her to take her all the way to town tonight. Vera still had some cash in her pocket. After covering the cost of transportation, she decided she would leave the rest for the girl’s family. If it weren’t for the girl, who knew how long she would have been wandering in the mountains? “My house is just ahead. It’s not in great shape, so don’t mind it too much. Next year, whe
Vera’s nerves tensed up again. A sudden sound in the middle of nowhere was never a good sign. If it was a snake or some other large animal, she would be in serious trouble. Her ankle was swollen, and she couldn’t run fast. Would this be where it all ended for her? She had to leave quietly. But the ground was covered in thick layers of fallen leaves, with dry branches hidden underneath. Crack. As she stepped back, her foot snapped a twig, the sound piercing through the silence. Only one thought filled her mind—this was it. The rustling nearby grew louder. Vera squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself. Then, a voice suddenly spoke beside her. “Miss, why are you here alone? Didn’t your family come with you?” It was a person. Not an animal. Vera’s eyes flew open. A young girl stood in front of her. Fear dissolved in an instant, replaced by relief. She was saved.“I came here alone. Little one, do you know how to get out of here?” Ver
Hunter took a bite of the biscuits and ravioli she had made. The taste was surprisingly good. It wasn’t on the level of a Michelin-starred chef, but it had something even more special—the taste of home. And of course, there was the oatmeal. He took one spoonful after another, finishing the entire bowl. *Meanwhile, Vera still hadn’t found her brother. Disappointment weighed heavily on her as she prepared to leave. But just then, her phone buzzed. An anonymous message. She tapped it open and stared at the image attached. It was a watch. Alone, a watch meant nothing. But this watch was her brother’s. Vera immediately zoomed in on the photo, carefully inspecting the engravings inside. There they were—his initials. No mistake. This was his watch. Below the image, a location pin was attached. The place was nearby. Vera’s eyes filled with determination. If she had found nothing, she would have simply left. But now, she had recei
When Yelena woke up again, she was shocked to find that she wasn’t at the club. She sat up abruptly, looking around in confusion. Then, she got out of bed, slipped on her slippers, and pushed the door open. “Where am I?” “At my place,” Hunter replied casually. He was working in the living room when he saw her wake up. “You slept for a long time. I couldn’t just leave you alone at the club, so I brought you back here.” Seeing the uncertainty on her face, he added, “It’s already late. Just stay here for the night. I’ll take you back tomorrow.” Yelena nodded. There was no other choice now. “There’s food in the fridge. If you’re hungry, heat something up. There are also snacks in the drawer—take whatever you want.” “Alright.” She really was hungry. She opened the drawer, grabbed a few small bread rolls, ate them quickly, and then went back to her room to rest. *The next morning, Yelena woke up early. Thinking about everything Hunter had done—treatin
Yelena quickly lowered her arm, letting her sleeve fall over the mark to cover it. “It’s nothing. Here’s your cocktail. Please enjoy.” “Yelena.” Hunter grabbed her wrist without warning. He pulled up her sleeve, revealing the deep, ugly scars on her arm. His brows knitted together instantly. “Who did this to you?” The force behind it was brutal—downright inhuman. Yelena remained silent. Who else could have done this besides Liam? But she had agreed to this. She had willingly accepted Hunter’s request and entered Liam’s world. She had no right to complain. Her silence gave Hunter all the confirmation he needed. “Liam did this to you, didn’t he?” Yelena nodded. “It’s nothing. The wounds have already started healing. They look worse than they feel. Give it some time, and they’ll fade.” “Wait here.” Hunter stood abruptly and walked away. Yelena had no idea what he was doing, but since he told her to wait, she didn’t argue. A few minu