When he sensed it, he knew immediately."Knowing too much isn't good," Micah warned her. "But you got hurt partly because of me, so I won't let it happen again."He didn't want to disrupt Nina's life.Nina thought for a moment. "It's okay. My life won't be easily taken here.""Let's go," Micah said, continuing to escort her.Nina frowned slightly. He avoided the topic of the Pharaoh, which suggested he was intentionally keeping it from her. Maybe he didn't trust her. Mentioning the Pharaoh didn't elicit any significant reaction from Micah either, hinting at a possible connection he didn't want to disclose.Nina felt Micah could be a breakthrough. She should keep an eye on his movements without alerting him."Miss Nina is back."As soon as Nina and Micah returned to the village, someone called out. They had been worried since she had been gone for so long.Just then, Nash came out and saw her with Micah. His scrutinizing gaze landed on Micah. He walked over and asked, "Why did
Nina's attention to Micah irked Nash. He asked, "Why were you with him all afternoon?""I told you, I fell asleep there," Nina replied.Nash couldn’t understand, "Why didn’t you come back if you wanted to sleep? Being alone with him can cause rumors."Nina didn't like his tone, "How are we alone? There were kids there. Besides, Micah and I are just friends. Who cares what others say? This isn't the old days. Why are you being so old-fashioned?"Nash pursed his lips, his expression darkening."And you disappeared early this morning. Your people couldn’t find you, so I had to do something on my own. Is that wrong?""Fine, let's not argue."Nina sensed that continuing would only make things worse."I don’t want to argue with you," Nash said softly, trying to calm her.His tone was gentle, showing he didn't want to upset her. This softened Nina's anger, and when he knew how to back down, she couldn't stay mad. "I was with Arin. Micah asked me to stay and teach the kids after he le
"Our tribe acknowledges it. I am your long-lost sister!" Ivy emphasized.Micah replied, "You've been gone for so many years. How do we know the person who returned isn’t an imposter? If you don’t want things to get worse, stop interfering in my life!"Ivy clenched her fists tightly. This was the first time she had heard Micah speak so harshly. He doubted her! The realization made her anxious.Micah didn’t hold her in high regard but also didn’t want her affecting his life. He visited home infrequently to avoid her, hoping less contact would prevent his irritation. Yet she couldn’t understand.Micah walked away, leaving Ivy with a twisted, angry expression. Her fists trembled from how tightly she was clenching them."Miss, don’t take what he said to heart..." Wes tried to comfort her."Shut up!" Ivy snapped at him, "This is all your fault! If you had killed Nina, we wouldn’t have these problems. Instead, you failed, and now my brother is scolding me. You're useless!"Wes kept h
Nina noticed that Micah had left, so she walked over to his desk. There were several notes and some foreign books. As she flipped through the pages, a bookmark fell out. The bookmark itself wasn't particularly special, but the design on it seemed oddly familiar. She thought for a moment and realized that it matched the symbol on the clothing of the people who had chased her and Scarlett.Nina was shocked. Could this really be a coincidence? The symbol must be some kind of mark. Could it be that Micah was actually connected to the Pharaoh?"The noodles are ready," Micah said, bringing two bowls of plain noodles to the table. "Come eat."Nina quickly hid the bookmark in her sleeve and said, "Okay."They sat across from each other, the simple noodles served with a single egg. It looked very plain."I'm not much of a cook, but I hope you don't mind," Micah said softly.Nina took the utensils and started to stir the noodles, her eyes lingering on Micah. He ate his noodles quietly,
Nina was stunned. She held out her hand, showing the string of beads she always wore. "What did you say? This was your mother's keepsake?""Yes," Micah said, staring at her wrist."Impossible," Nina protested. "How can you be sure it's your mother's? It's just a string of beads. There could be many like it.""This is the only one," Micah said firmly.Nina stared at him in shock."You don't understand emerald, do you?" Micah began. "This region is known for emerald. No two pieces are alike in the world. Your beads are unique, which is why I'm questioning your identity. Are you really just Nina?"Nina clenched her fists and took off the beads, placing them on the table. "These weren't originally mine. They were given to me by a friend. He gave them to me..."Wilfred had given her the beads. He hadn't explained why, which was odd. These beads were precious to him. She remembered the words he had said when he gave them to her. "For your safety." That was all.Looking at Micah, she
Nash's eyes darkened. Last night, his condition flared up, so he couldn't be with her. He apologized, "I'm sorry.""I don't want an apology," Nina said, letting go of him.Nash pulled her back, "We were both angry last night. I was afraid we'd fight, so I waited for you to calm down before coming to you."Nina, in his arms, gazed into his eyes. He couldn’t hide the truth in his eyes. Relationships would need time to adjust and he didn’t fully understand what was on her mind.Nina spoke, "Next time I'm mad, you need to comfort me. It doesn’t matter if it works right away. You need to try. When I ask you to comfort me, it doesn't mean I'll instantly forgive you. But if you don't even try, it shows you don't care about me. Over time, I'll start to think you don't love me."Nash was taken aback, "Is that how it is?"Nina sat down, "You didn’t know? Women may not say it, but they have a lot on their minds.""Lesson learned," Nash replied. "I don’t have much experience. If I do someth
"Missing? How could Arin suddenly go missing?" Nina's heart tightened with worry.Sean sobbed, "I don't know. I don't know. She said she was going into the mountains to hunt wild boar. She never came back. She's missing...""What on earth was she thinking, going to hunt wild boar?""She wanted to cook. Arin said there wasn't enough meat at home and she wanted to bring back a wild boar and cook something nice for you. Miss Nina, what should we do? Where can we find my sister?" Sean's tears and snot mingled as he cried.Nina, trying to stay calm, found the situation strange. She asked, "Where are your parents?""Dad and Mom went into the mountains to look for her, and they haven't come back yet.""Then we should go look too." Nina remembered something, "Right, we need more people. Let's get help.""Miss Nina," Sean continued to cry, "I just saw Captain York take some people out. Is it too late?"Nina went outside to check and found that more than half of the village's vehicles we
Her expression hardened. Instead of retreating, she stepped forward boldly, stopping a few paces ahead, and said coldly, "Come out, I know you're nearby!""Mmph... mmph..." A muffled sound came from behind a large tree.Arin emerged, her hands bound, her face pale, struggling desperately with tears still in her eyes. Behind her was a man who sneered at Nina, "I've been waiting for you. If you don't want her to die, come here quietly and don't make a sound."Nina laughed, "You've gone to great lengths to catch me. If you'd just told me you wanted me, I would've come without all this trouble.""In the village, it wasn't easy to catch you. We had to use some tricks," Wes sneered.The previous assassination attempt by Wes had failed. If they had gone into the village, they would have been swarmed and killed before they even found Nina. He had timed Captain Nash's departure perfectly and knew that Arin and Nina were close. This allowed him to capture Nina successfully.Nina looked a
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