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.
Girls received hair ties and clips, while boys got knee pads, soccer balls, and textbooks. The older girls were given lipsticks and skincare products. These older girls had never seen such items before and were curious, with their brown eyes filled with confusion. "Mr. Micah, what is this?" one of them asked."Lipstick can enhance your skin tone," Mr. Micah patiently explained. "In other countries, people use it to make themselves look better. This process is called makeup. This is foundation. If you don’t know how to use it, I can find a video for you to watch and learn from."Mr. Micah spoke in a mix of English and Yaren language, and Nina could mostly understand him."Thank you, Mr. Micah!" The girl didn’t fully understand but clutched the lipstick and skincare products like treasures. The desire to look beautiful is a natural human trait.The children were thrilled with their gifts. "Mr. Micah, please come to my house for dinner tonight! My mom sold some herbs and bought chicke
Nina grabbed the boy's arm. His entire village had been slaughtered by Pharaoh's men, and this Mr. Micah seemed to have some connection to Pharaoh. She feared the boy's simmering hatred might lead him to expose them prematurely.Feeling the pressure on his arm, the boy came to his senses. Nina said, "If there's nothing else, we'll take our leave now."To Mr. Micah, they were outsiders. He was likely scrutinizing them closely. Initially, they had just wanted to catch a glimpse of Mr. Micah, but since he had already noticed them, they needed to return and devise a strategy.Mr. Micah smiled but said nothing, implicitly agreeing to let them go. After they left, Mr. Micah called over two men and instructed them in the Yaren language, "Keep a close eye on those two."Nina and the boy returned to the man's yard and went into the designated room. "We've been marked," Nina said.She had noticed Mr. Micah's scrutinizing gaze and probing questions during their conversation. It was clear
"Alright, I'll take you to meet Mr. Micah tomorrow," the man said.He didn't overthink it. Mainly, he noticed Nina's statement about being from Birkham. Mr. Micah also spoke English and had a similar appearance to Nina. If Nina could cook meals that Mr. Micah enjoyed, it would be a way of showing their gratitude."Thank you," Nina replied.Although she wasn't used to Yaren food, she managed to eat half a bowl of mashed potatoes. In an unfamiliar environment, she needed to maintain her strength.After dinner, Nina returned to the small room. There was no bed, so the man had brought them two pieces of cardboard to sleep on. Lying on the cardboard, Nina's thoughts drifted to Scarlett and the others. She wondered how they were doing.The boy whispered in her ear, "I need to go with you tomorrow."Although Nina hadn't mentioned him in her plan while talking to the man, he insisted on going. He had to keep an eye on Mr. Micah, ready to act at the slightest hint of trouble."Your hand
One of the children noticed Mr. Micah and immediately beamed, waving enthusiastically. "Mr. Micah!"Nina turned her head at the sound. Mr. Micah was wearing a black shirt today, with the top two buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up to his forearms. He stood in the sunlight, one hand in his pocket and the other holding a few books. His black eyes were inscrutable behind his gold-rimmed glasses, but his mouth curved into a deep smile.The next moment, the children around Nina swarmed toward Mr. Micah."Mr. Micah, she said that it should be 'perfect' instead of 'prefect'!""Mr. Micah, didn't you tell us last time that it's the 'prefect'?""Mr. Micah, we only trust you!""Mr. Micah, we don't know her. Who is she?"Voices clamored all at once, and a few children even glared at Nina. Suddenly, a little boy picked up a stone and hurled it at her. Nina quickly dodged, but Mr. Micah rushed over, taking the hit on his thigh.Mr. Micah's expression turned stern. "Sean, what have I
The next moment, Mr. Micah also found a spot and sat down beside Nina. He handed her a piece of cheesecake.Nina didn’t take it. "That child already apologized to me.""He only apologized because I told him to. If you hadn't dodged in time, he would have hit you," Mr. Micah maintained his position, holding out the cheesecake. "I don’t know your name yet."After a moment of hesitation, Nina decided to give her name, knowing she was already being watched. If she could use herself to help in some way, hiding her name was pointless now. "My name is Nina."Mr. Micah's smile remained warm. "What’s your last name?""It's Walker. I’m Nina Walker," Nina answered calmly.The next second, Mr. Micah placed the cheesecake in Nina’s hand. "Why did you come to such a chaotic place?"I noticed you understand and speak the Yaren language," Mr. Micah added, his gentle voice not betraying any suspicion.Nina smiled. "I was sold here. I just happened to pick up a bit of the language."As a breeze
“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