"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
These people were deliberately loitering around to target foreign tourists, exploiting their kindness to ask for food, money, or other items. Some more extreme refugees would lure tourists to remote places, drug them, and harvest their organs like kidneys and hearts to sell.Before coming here, Nina had researched Yaren and knew that the surrounding small countries were not very wealthy. Coupled with constant warfare, there were many poor refugees. She hadn’t encountered this before, but now that she had, she couldn't just ignore these children. Nina believed in helping all children in need regardless of where they were from. It wasn't a matter of having a savior complex, but she felt pity for these young and vulnerable children."I understand. I know that we don’t have much clothing and food with us too," Nina said, pursing her lips and giving Scarlett a look.Scarlett followed Nina’s lead. She was concerned about the children causing a commotion, so she displayed her gun. The ch
The woman froze the moment she saw the military vehicle. Nina held her breath. She stared at the military vehicle, hoping to see Nash’s face. She wished they could meet right then and there.To her disappointment, several unfamiliar, bronze-skinned faces emerged from the vehicle. They were foreign soldiers. The woman, clutching her child, started gesturing wildly and pointed at Nina, blaming her for everything.The men strode towards Nina with imposing presence, making her feel small in comparison."Do you have a weapon?" one of the men asked in broken English."I do, but I haven’t harmed anyone. The child choked on the bread I gave him, but I didn’t do anything malicious. If you want your child to live, you should step aside and let me help," Nina said calmly, meeting the man's gaze.She had merely pitied the child, but the murderous look in the woman’s eyes was clear in her memory. Initially, she had wanted to ensure the children were fed and clothed, and then ask Scarlett to ex