Arin felt utterly humiliated by the accusations. The villagers quickly realized who was in the wrong, and they began to criticize Arin while apologizing to Nina."We're sorry. We didn't understand the situation and almost harmed you.""Don't take it to heart. You can stay here as long as you like.""Arin, if you make a mistake, you need to own up to it. Apologize to this lady."Though they spoke in the Yaren language, Nina could understand most of it. Arin, however, was not willing to back down. She liked Mr. Micah but had never dared to express her feelings. Now that everything was out in the open, she couldn't imagine how to face him. Being scolded by so many people made her want to disappear. Apologizing to Nina was the last thing she wanted to do.Mr. Micah's voice was firm, "Arin, apologize to Nina."Shaken by his authoritative tone, Arin had no choice but to walk over to Nina with her head down. "I'm sorry. It was my fault. I apologize and hope you can forgive me.""I
Nina nodded. "Alright."She returned to her room, clutching her phone, her mind filled with various faces. Frustrated, she tossed and turned until she eventually fell asleep. When she woke up, it was already the next day.Remembering her promise to Mr. Micah to teach the children, she quickly got ready. The man's mother had prepared some oat porridge for breakfast. Nina drank half a bowl and then set off for the school with the man.Thinking of the students' mistakes from the previous day, she decided to start with teaching them the alphabet. The classroom was very basic, with a wall painted in black to serve as the chalkboard and short pieces of chalk.Nina wrote the alphabet on the makeshift blackboard and introduced herself in the Yaren language, "Hello, everyone. My name is Nina. Since Mr. Micah is away, I will be your substitute teacher."Regardless of Mr. Micah's true nature, these children were innocent. She aimed to help them and, at the same time, build a positive image i
Nina used the key to open Micah's room at the school. It was a small but neatly arranged space. On the windowsill, she spotted some red ointment for swelling.Carefully, she applied the ointment to the red mark on the little girl's back. "I'll put some on you now, but take this ointment home and tell your parents what happened. Next time, if something like this happens, you need to tell a teacher or an adult. Don’t just cry or be afraid of Sean, okay?" Nina's heart ached for the teary-eyed girl.The girl shook her head. "I’m scared Sean will hit me...""Don't be afraid, I’m here."Nina gently patted the girl’s head, comforting her for a long time before leading her out of Micah's room. Before they reached the classroom, a group of villagers surrounded them.Nina recognized the villagers from the previous day. One man stepped forward, "Yesterday was Arin's fault, but today, it can't be Sean's fault again!"Nina realized that Arin and Sean were siblings. Sean’s actions today were l
"There's a situation!""Quickly, defend!""Protect the villagers!"Chaos erupted as the battle began, filling the area with the sound of gunfire and the smell of blood. Intense firefights broke out immediately.Some villagers, unable to escape in time, found themselves caught in the crossfire, desperately covering their heads and trying to flee. Bullets flew mercilessly, and innocent villagers were struck down, falling lifeless to the ground. The sound of artillery and smoke filled the air, mingling with the stench of blood."Waaah—"Children, barely two or three years old, stood helplessly in the midst of the chaos, crying out for their mothers in fear."Protect the children!"Special forces quickly scooped up the children, shielding them with their bodies and rushing them to safety.The Allied forces were well-prepared but encountered unexpected resistance from the Birkham peacekeeping troops. Realizing they were outmatched in both weaponry and combat skill, the Allied tro
Nina could see everything clearly now. The blankets and cups, along with other items, were all adorned with yellow stars.Could it be..."Teacher! You're finally awake!" Sean shouted excitedly as he ran into her arms.Nina was momentarily stunned but then instinctively patted his head."You’re awake!" Another voice said.A soldier in uniform stepped inside, lifting the curtain."Miss, how are you feeling?" the soldier asked, approaching Nina.Hearing familiar English, Nina immediately felt a surge of safety, almost like being home. "I'm okay. Are you... Are you from the Birkham army?""Yes," the soldier replied, a hint of excitement in his voice. "It's so chaotic here. I didn’t expect to meet someone from our country."Nina's first thought was whether she might meet Nash. But seeing the soldier in front of her, she realized he probably didn’t know her or Nash. She decided to ask cautiously, "Do you know Nash York?”To her surprise, the soldier's eyes lit up. "Ah, you know our
Their eyes met, and it felt like an eternity. Despite spending so much time together in the past, this first glance after their long separation felt particularly precious. Tears welled up in Nina's eyes. Seeing him safe and sound mattered more than any words.She didn't step forward, trying hard to control her emotions. Before coming here, she had often wondered if they would ever see each other again. Just seeing him was already a blessing. Compared to his safety, her grievances seemed insignificant.They didn't approach each other. From a distance, their eyes conveyed all the longing they felt. "Captain York," a soldier called out, breaking the moment. "Everyone's waiting for you inside."Nash turned back. "Right," he replied and walked inside without hesitation.Nina stayed where she was, watching until his figure disappeared. A sense of loss filled her heart, but she reminded herself that they were divorced. No disappointment could surpass the heartbreak of receiving the di
The rice looked coarse and not particularly appetizing."Here you go."Suddenly, Nina caught a whiff of fragrant rice. She looked up to see Nash standing in front of her, gazing at her with a serious expression. In his hand was a bowl of clean white rice.Nina was momentarily stunned. Seeing her hesitation, Nash placed the bowl next to her, setting a spoon on top. "Eat."He then took the bowl of slightly blackened rice and began to eat. Nina watched him intently, then asked, "Is this all you eat?"Nash sat on a stone beside her. "Yes."Nina pressed her lips together, noticing how much he had changed. The once dignified Nash, who used to have everything at the highest standard, was now eating this coarse rice in such harsh conditions. She glanced at the bowl of white rice and said, "I'm not that delicate. I've gotten used to the life here in Yaren. You didn't have to go out of your way to get white rice for me."Nash glanced at her. "There's not much white rice left. Don't wast
"Got it, James!""You were all talking so animatedly; I want to see who this person is..." James didn't believe Nash would be interested in any young girl, especially since he had someone back home. He was curious and peeked over, only to see a familiar-looking figure from behind. He also noticed Nash's gaze, which was indeed as affectionate as the others had described.He silently remarked, "This is bad! There's going to be trouble back home!"James grew anxious. If Nash found a girlfriend here, what about the wife back home?Curious, one of the soldiers nudged him, "What do you think, James?"James pushed them back, "Stop gossiping! Captain isn't like that!""Okay, okay!"They listened to James and quieted down. But inside, James was nervous. He was more anxious than anyone else. He knew how deeply Nash felt for Nina, so it didn't seem likely he had feelings for someone else. But that back view looked a lot like Nina's.Oh no!Could Captain have found a substitute?---
At the time, Wilfred had already guessed that this had everything to do with Harley and his mentor, Professor Zeller. “You and your so-called association don’t focus on benefiting patients. Instead, you spend all your time trying to monopolize everything. And now you want to turn me into one of you? Keep dreaming.” Wilfred’s tone was filled with disdain, his eyes cold with contempt. The smug smile on Harley’s face slowly faded. With a sneer, Harley’s voice turned bitter. “You know what I despise most about you? That self-righteous, holier-than-thou attitude of yours. I was offering you advice, but if you don’t want to hear it, fine. There’s nothing more to say. After all, if the surgery fails—” Before he could finish the word “fail,” the surgical light outside the operating room flicked off. Clack!The sliding doors parted, and Karina burst through, her face flushed with emotion. She didn’t even notice Harley. Her focus zeroed in on Wilfred. “Wilfred!” Her voice trem
As the surgery approached, Karina worked overtime, meticulously double-checking for any possible oversights. Before stepping into the operating room, she took a deep breath."Karina, you’ve got this!" a nurse beside her encouraged.This surgery was particularly significant, and the assistants and nurses weren’t from her hospital. They were brought in by the project, specifically by Harley’s team. Without a single familiar face around, Karina felt a twinge of anxiety. Opportunities to lead surgeries were already rare for her, let alone under circumstances like this, with no one she could truly rely on.But there was no turning back now. Gritting her teeth, Karina donned her gloves. As she was about to enter the operating room, her peripheral vision caught sight of a figure standing silently in the distance. It was Wilfred. His steady gaze met hers, his eyes carrying something profound she couldn’t quite decipher. When their eyes locked, a faint smile curved his lips.In th
“Ava.”A deep voice cut through the air, and Karina turned to see a man in a black suit, wearing a hat and a mask, striding toward them. But the man’s white eyelashes and distinctive eyes were all Karina needed to recognize him. He was her albino patient, Xavier Jasper!Xavier also didn’t expect to run into both Wilfred and Karina here. “It’s you two,” he exclaimed in surprise.Wilfred’s gaze sharpened as he calmly addressed Xavier. “Keep your sister in line. Apologize.”Before Xavier could respond, Ava stepped forward and, to everyone’s surprise, said, “I’m sorry. I was too impulsive. Please forgive me.” Karina was taken aback by how quickly Ava apologized. Even Xavier, who knew his sister’s arrogant tendencies well, looked stunned.Karina nodded, her tone steady but firm. “I forgive you, but that doesn’t mean everyone else will. You should work on your attitude. Stop acting so entitled everywhere you go.” With that, Karina turned on her heel and walked away. Although Xavie
”Those were her meticulously compiled notes, the result of hours of hard work—and now they were ruined just like that?” Karina thought.“I’ve never wronged you. Why would you do something like this?” she demanded, her voice trembling with indignation. Something about the situation felt off, and Karina’s sharp intuition told her this wasn’t a simple misunderstanding.Under Karina’s intense gaze, the nurse finally broke down, revealing Ava’s role in orchestrating the whole thing. Karina’s anger turned into a mix of rage and incredulous amusement. “Really? Rich people—did they all enjoy throwing money around like this?”All this trouble, just to ruin her hard-earned work over a seat?Her carefully compiled notes were gone, and there wasn’t a second copy. Arguing wouldn’t bring them back, but Ava wasn’t going to let this slide without giving someone a piece of her mind.Finding Ava wasn’t difficult. In fact, Ava didn’t even try to avoid her. She seemed to be waiting, eager to see
Just as Ava was about to cause a scene, the sound of steady footsteps filled the room. Wilfred strode in, his white coat enhancing his composed, almost ethereal aura. Ava shot Karina a glare, silently committing her to memory, then begrudgingly found another seat. Wilfred’s gaze swept across the room, pausing ever so briefly on Karina before moving on. She wasn’t sure if it was real or just her imagination. “Today, we’ll discuss cellular structures. I’ll start with an example from my doctoral thesis,” Wilfred announced, adjusting the projector. To Karina’s surprise, he was an exceptional lecturer—clear, engaging, and far more comprehensible than many university professors. She listened intently, taking meticulous notes. Yvette peeked over at Karina’s notebook, wide-eyed at the densely packed writing. “Karina, when you eventually get promoted, land a big raise, or go for your doctorate, I promise I won’t be jealous. Truly.”Karina chuckled. “If you need these notes, I can len
Karina glanced at the time and quickly gestured for Yvette to sit down as well. However, barely had they taken their seats when a haughty woman marched up to Karina, her sharp gaze fixed on the chair she was sitting on. “You, get up. I want that seat!” Karina frowned, studying the unfamiliar woman. She didn’t recognize her from the hospital, but the designer jewelry around her neck and the branded bag on her arm screamed wealth. She seemed like the kind of entitled socialite who rarely had to fight for anything, let alone a seat.Unsure if the woman was trying to pick a fight or genuinely wanted the chair, Karina pointed to the open seats nearby. “There are plenty of seats over there. Take one of those.”Then, she lowered her head, dismissing the woman entirely.The woman’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Excuse me? I said I want your seat. Get up. Now!” Not content with words alone, she reached out to pull Karina up by force. Karina, now genuinely angry, shook her off. “I was h
Karina looked slightly surprised. She distinctly remembered that Wilfred wasn’t a drinker. “I thought you avoided alcohol?” Wilfred, ever the epitome of control and composure, preferred to steer clear of anything that dulled his sharpness. Back when they worked at the Birkham Central Hospital, she had seen him reject bottles of expensive wine from people trying to curry favor with him. He sipped his tea slowly before replying, “You’ve started at a new hospital. As your former mentor, I haven’t given you a proper congratulatory gift yet.” “This is… for me?” Karina asked, her voice tinged with disbelief. Wilfred’s gaze was steady as he replied, “Don’t like it? If not, I can send it back and we can find something else later.” He raised his hand to call the server over. “Wait! No need. I like it a lot,” Karina interjected hastily, stopping him in his tracks. The idea of going gift shopping with him later felt uncomfortably like a date. And knowing Wilfred’s personality, w
Wilfred’s gaze swept over her without a word, and Karina climbed into the car on her own. When choosing her seat, she instinctively moved toward the back, but before she could get in, Wilfred spoke, “Sit in the front. It’s more convenient.” Karina hesitated briefly. Not wanting to appear overly particular, she complied and took the passenger seat. Although there was a saying that the front seat was reserved for a girlfriend, Wilfred didn’t strike her as someone who cared about such details. She decided to pretend she didn’t know. After buckling her seatbelt, a phone suddenly appeared in front of her. She looked up, her face full of confusion and surprise. Wilfred glanced sideways at her, one hand on the steering wheel, the car still stationary. “I haven’t decided on a restaurant yet. I’ll be driving soon. You pick something.” Karina took the phone. As Wilfred drove, she scrolled through the options, narrowing it down to three restaurants. But her mild indecisivenes
Karina forced a smile. “Really, it’s fine. You all go ahead.”Yvette pouted, her disappointment clear as she relented. “Alright then.”Once the others had left, Karina tried to refocus on work. She pulled out her research materials, determined to get something done. Yet, no matter how hard she tried, her thoughts kept wandering. The cheerful chatter from outside finally snapped her out of it, making her realize just how distracted she had been.Karina gave a wry smile and muttered to herself, “This is why you don’t get ahead of yourself. Seriously, one of life’s biggest delusions.”For a fleeting moment, she had thought Wilfred might feel something for her too. But it was better this way, she told herself—better to wake up now than to fall in too deep later. Romance wasn’t her strong suit; focusing on her career was safer.While others might drown their heartbreak in food or a night out, Karina chose the most grueling outlet: work. It might be exhausting, but it was effective. S