Nash was resolute. "This minor injury won’t hinder me.""Alright, I’ll make the arrangements," James replied, understanding that Nash wouldn’t be at ease until Nina was found. So, they set off for Yaren that very night.---Nina couldn't sleep. As the night went on, the temperature dropped significantly, and everyone around her gradually fell asleep. The fire couldn't stay lit all night, so she reluctantly crawled into the tent.Scarlett was also awake, so despite Nina's efforts to move quietly, she noticed the slight noise."Get some sleep, Nina. We have a long journey ahead, and you need to preserve your strength. Besides, you heard Scott’s recording."Nina was surprised. "Why aren’t you asleep?"Scarlett had been expending more energy than Nina and yet hadn’t slept. It must have been because she, too, had a lot on her mind."I can’t sleep knowing you’re still awake. Besides, even if you do sleep, I’ll be on guard. I understand how you feel, but we’re here now, and you must
Nina woke up groggily to the smell of roasting meat. When she opened her eyes, the sky was just beginning to lighten. She checked the time and it was only a little past 5 a.m. The temperature difference between night and day was stark, and as she stepped out of the tent, she instinctively hugged her arms for warmth. Everyone was already up, and Moana pointed to the fire where meat was roasting.July translated, "You didn’t eat last night. You should eat something now. We’ll be leaving soon."Nina did not have an appetite. She had always harbored a doubt. Her goal wasn’t simply to find Scott but to uncover her possible connection to the organization.How else could she have known the secret mechanisms subconsciously? She might have escaped the organization as the only clean slate, but Seth’s reaction to her was too strange, as if he saw another person within her. There might be a shocking secret she carried, one that only she could unlock. She knew this journey was dangerous,
July, fearing for Nina's safety, held her tightly. "Miss Nina, you’ve seen the situation. Going back is suicide!""But what about Scarlett?" Nina protested.July and Moana kept a firm grip on Nina. "Scarlett is skilled and she'll be fine. It's not just about you and Scarlett. If we stay, we all risk getting caught!"They wanted her, not Scarlett. Just as she had suspected, she was valuable to them. They wouldn’t kill her immediately, which might give her a chance to reach their inner circle. This could be an opportunity, much like before. But Scarlett wasn’t in the same position. Now considered a traitor, she could be killed.Nina looked at them, unable to let them all be in danger. "You go ahead," she said. "I have a plan."If her guess was right, she knew how to handle it. This was a gamble she had to take.Seeing Nina’s determination to go back, July grew desperate. Ignoring all else, she knocked Nina unconscious. Then, with Moana’s help, they carried her downstairs and
Nina could feel the ground shaking. She grabbed onto a nearby tree for support and saw the sky lit up in red. "Rat-tat-tat..." The sound of gunfire reached her ears. Instinctively, she looked in that direction, and the scene before her left her frozen in place. Countless men in camouflage uniforms wielding long guns were mowing down people, their path leaving bodies in their wake, blood flowing like rivers. Nina didn't dare move. She watched as these men stormed into small houses, coming out with goods and setting the buildings ablaze. Nina was completely stunned. These people were dressed like soldiers, yet they were committing acts of murder and arson. In her country, soldiers were protectors, like Nash, who followed orders to save lives, even if it meant sacrificing their own.She saw a flag flying, a black one with a white skull and a coiled cobra beneath it. The sight of this emblem made her skin crawl."Retreat!" a voice shouted in English.Nina understood the comman
The boy's eyes held a deep sadness as he spoke. Nina could feel the pain in his heart. The village had been peaceful, and now, in an instant, everyone was dead, leaving him alone.Nina bit her lip and stepped forward to help the boy gather the bodies. As they worked, she asked, "I saw what happened. Weren't those people soldiers? Did your village do something to provoke them?"A flash of anger crossed the boy's eyes. "Do you think the elderly and children could have done anything? Those weren't soldiers, they were Pharaoh's men!" His voice was filled with rage, words squeezed out between gritted teeth. The able-bodied men of the village had left to earn money or had been drafted, leaving only the vulnerable behind. They just wanted to live in peace. What had they done to deserve this?"I'm sorry," Nina said, at a loss for words. In her understanding, soldiers were supposed to be honorable and disciplined, but the boy's words shattered that belief.And he had mentioned Pharaoh
Nina saw the boy fiercely tearing at the flag with the ominous symbol.She walked over and said, "Your hand is seriously injured. I couldn't find effective medicine, but I can disinfect it with iodine for now. Otherwise, you might lose your hand. And taking your anger out on the flag won't help."It's just a piece of cloth."The boy's eyes flashed with a fierce determination. "One day, I will cut off Pharaoh's head!"His grandmother, younger siblings had been killed by Pharaoh's men. His father had been taken by them and was still missing. He hated Pharaoh with every fiber of his being."I don't like him much either, but you need to get better first," Nina told him.The boy looked at her, puzzled. "Did Pharaoh's men kill your friends and loved ones too?""No," Nina replied. "But he has done some terrible things that have affected my life."The boy scoffed, "They have no humanity."Nina had already witnessed it, shattering her previous understanding of the world. Until Pharaoh
The boy said, "Follow me and keep up. There are venomous snakes in this forest.""Okay." Nina didn't dare to relax. They walked for over an hour before the boy finally led her out of the forest. Just as he had said, there was a village not far from the forest's edge.Unlike the previous village she had seen, this one, although also made of mud houses, had chickens, ducks, and vegetable gardens around it. There were even people selling goods from their cars at the entrance. The boy led her over.The boy spoke with the villagers in a language she didn't understand. After a while, he turned to her and said, "We can stay here for now, but I don't have any money. My hand is injured, so you'll have to work with the villagers to gather medicinal herbs to earn our keep.""I have money." Nina hadn't expected to be sold out by the boy, but she had come to the Yaren territory well-prepared. She had asked Scarlet to exchange some local currency for her to carry."That's even better." The bo
Nina remained silent, deep in thought. The contrast was stark. The northern part of the Yaren tribe had been decimated by Pharaoh's men, while this area received assistance. Her instincts told her something wasn't right.She glanced at the boy, and he followed her. Nina walked to the center of the yard, approaching the old woman and the little girl. She didn't recognize the herbs on the ground, but their roots were long."How do I do this?"The boy, quick on the uptake, translated Nina's question.The old woman, upon hearing the voices, looked up at Nina and the boy. To her, they seemed like a young woman in her twenties and a teenage boy."Snap off the roots, shake off the soil, and bundle them into groups of twenty."The boy translated the old woman's instructions.The old woman then asked them, "How did you end up here?"They were in the central region of the Yaren tribe. Though they were part of the same tribe, the country was in turmoil, and the Yaren were heavily divided.
But instead of feeling touched, Vera’s first reaction was nausea. A wave of discomfort surged up from her stomach, and Vera’s face paled. She bolted for the bathroom. Caleb followed quickly. “Are you feeling sick?” “I don’t think so. I’ve been eating normally—nothing too heavy or weird lately.” Vera clutched her stomach, just as confused as he was. Then, a possibility flashed through her mind. Caleb clearly had the same thought. Without a word, he turned and walked into their bedroom, returning moments later with a pregnancy test. Vera looked at him, stunned. “When did you buy that?” He responded matter-of-factly, “Better safe than sorry.” Vera was momentarily speechless. Five minutes later, she stepped out of the bathroom, her hand instinctively resting on her stomach, her expression a mix of shock and disbelief. It was positive. They had only been married for three months. How did this happen so fast?Caleb, on the other hand, remained composed—at le
Of course, Vera wasn’t about to dump all her responsibilities on her assistant. That would be exploitation. She called her assistant into her office. “You’re twenty-five this year, right?” Her assistant blinked, confused. Wasn’t her age common knowledge? Why was Vera suddenly bringing it up? A thought struck her. Was this an arranged marriage situation? Her face immediately filled with silent refusal. “Miss Vera, I’m still young. I’m not thinking about marriage anytime soon.” Vera tapped her pen against the desk. “I’m not telling you to get married.” “Oh.” “I just want to offload some of the smaller daily tasks to you. You don’t have to run every minor document by me.”Her assistant instantly understood. A raise. After confirming she was on board, Vera gave her a salary bump and had her hire a few more assistants to distribute the workload. “If I don’t have time to handle everything, you guys will take care of it. If something’s too complicated, jus
Vera could sense danger the moment the conversation turned in this direction. Her father had never questioned her about married life, and she was lucky enough to avoid nosy relatives. But just because she hadn’t experienced it firsthand didn’t mean she hadn’t seen it happen to others. Without hesitation, she abandoned the half-folded pastry in her hands. “I... uh, need to use the restroom.” Before she could escape, Mrs. Smith caught her wrist. “You and Caleb aren’t getting any younger,” she said matter-of-factly. “You should start thinking about kids—make sure you’re putting in the effort, hmm?” Vera left the kitchen visibly drained. Mrs. Smith was a wonderful mother-in-law, the kind who treated Vera like her own daughter. Despite knowing Vera came from a well-off family, she had still gifted them a house as a wedding present. Of course, Caleb already owned a place, but his mother had insisted. “That’s your house. This is the home I’m giving you as a weddi
That undeniable possessiveness flickered in Caleb’s gaze—subtle yet impossible to ignore. It was the kind of look a powerful man might give his beloved in an old Hollywood film. And right now, the photographer felt like the unlucky bystander who had accidentally stumbled upon an intimate scene. His voice wavered slightly, caught up in his own imagination. “Mr. Smith, lift your eyes toward the camera.” Caleb’s sharp gaze flickered over, intense and commanding. The photographer instinctively pressed the shutter. They continued with several more poses, reviewing the shots as they went. Vera loved them all, but her favorite was still the vintage-inspired one. “How long until we get the final prints?” she asked. “Two to three days at most,” the photographer replied. “I’ll have them shipped directly to you.” Then, after a slight pause, he hesitated before making a request. “I actually have a personal favor to ask—would you both be open to letting us displa
Vera was tempted. They had already taken plenty of wedding photos—several sets at the island, more at the wedding itself. But this wasn’t just any photo studio. It was privately booked and known for being one of the most prestigious studios in the city. Appointments here were nearly impossible to get. The fact that Caleb had managed to secure a session meant he had gone to great lengths to make it happen. If they were just going to take ordinary wedding pictures, it would be a waste of an opportunity. Still, she wasn’t sure what kind of shoot she wanted. The photographer, understanding her hesitation, pulled out a sample album. “You can take a look at our past work. These are some of the styles we’ve done.” Flipping through the pages, Vera saw an array of stunning concepts—each picture more breathtaking than the last. Then, one particular set caught her eye. A Golden Age Hollywood theme.It was classic, nostalgic, and beautifully atmospheric. “Ca
After the wedding, Vera considered taking some time off for a honeymoon. But the thought quickly faded when she realized Caleb had been practically living at the hospital. With a sigh, she dismissed the idea. She was used to it, but to say she wasn’t disappointed would be a lie. Her assistant picked up on it. “Mrs. Smith, don’t you want to go on a honeymoon?” she asked one day. “One of my friends just got married, and she’s been obsessively researching destinations. “She even said a marriage without a honeymoon is already half a failure.” Vera froze mid-page, suddenly losing interest in the documents she had been reviewing. Her assistant hesitated, then offered a suggestion. “Why don’t you go visit Dr. Smith at work?“You seem… distracted. Maybe seeing him will help.” Vera snapped out of her daze, suddenly aware of how preoccupied she had been lately. It was embarrassing to admit, but she had been zoning out far too often—especially after coming hom
Whenever they did this in the past, Caleb always maintained some restraint. But tonight—he didn’t hold back at all. He took her from the bedroom to the bathroom, then back to the bed, his searing kisses trailing every inch of her skin. The next morning, even as she woke up, Vera could still feel the lingering traces of last night’s intoxicating pleasure. As expected, she ended up taking the day off. It wasn’t until two days later that she finally returned to work. *Everyone at the company had already prepared for this. The moment Vera walked into the office, she was greeted with knowing smiles and teasing remarks. “Congratulations, Mrs. Smith!” “Newlywed bliss, huh?” “Three whole days off? Someone had a good time.” It didn’t take a genius to figure out what she had been up to. Obviously, her married life was going exceptionally well—so well that she had completely abandoned work for it. Under the weight of their mischievous stares, Vera barely k
Yelena still hadn’t accepted Hunter, but he wasn’t giving up either and was relentlessly closing in on her. Knowing Yelena’s soft heart, Vera figured it was only a matter of time before she gave in. She let out a sigh. Her friend’s love life wasn’t something she could interfere with. Besides, Caleb had already given her a little inside scoop. “She came to the hospital for a follow-up a few days ago,” he had mentioned casually. “Hunter was the one who brought her.” Vera had clicked her tongue at the news. Yelena always seemed quiet and reserved, but apparently, she was full of surprises.*Time flew by in the blink of an eye.By mid-month, Caleb had rented out an entire vineyard and spent several days transforming it into the perfect wedding venue.When the day arrived, the celebration took place right there.The vineyard was sprawling and elegant, every bit as grand as any luxury hotel—if not better. Even the wine cellar remained untouched, stocked with years-
“Did you plan this from the start?” Vera narrowed her eyes, feeling like she had just walked into a carefully laid trap. “Mm.” Caleb smiled, then leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. Because yes—he had always been planning this. The biggest change in Vera’s life after the island proposal was the ring now sitting on her finger. It wasn’t just any ring. It was custom-made, something Caleb had specially ordered. She only found out by accident when she glanced at his phone one day and saw the purchase record. It had been ordered two months ago. Vera did the math and was stunned. He had been preparing for this long before she even started getting impatient. Her heart swelled with emotion. And as soon as Caleb’s parents heard that their son had finally proposed, they wasted no time pushing them to get the marriage license. *One day, Vera overheard Caleb’s mother lecturing him. “Your dad and I weren’t expecting much from you. With how much ti