She wasn't aware of their inner thoughts or motives, but one thing was clear to Nina. This situation was far from simple.Ivy prepared some items and brought them to Micah. However, Micah's reaction to her actions was cold. "I don't need your things," he said bluntly, implying that she should take them away.Ivy looked at Micah with a hint of hope. "Brother, I prepared these for Nina. I want to see her.""She doesn't need these things," Micah replied, his tone still cold.If Ivy genuinely wanted to befriend Nina, she wouldn’t have brought her here. Ivy's intentions were clear to Micah that she wanted to target Nina, and these gifts were just a facade. He found his sister's actions disingenuous."Brother, you're not her. I understand your thoughts, but here with you, how could I harm her? I can't hurt her," Ivy insisted.Micah just gave her a cold glance and said nothing more. He then turned away, leaving Ivy frustrated. Her nails dug into her palms in frustration. She didn't be
"Call the medic. I want to see if my kidney is a match for Scott," Nash declared. If his kidney was compatible, he planned to donate it to Scott, repaying the debt owed to him for Nina's sake.Felix was taken aback. "Captain, are you sure about this? Your own health...""I'm sure," Nash replied firmly.The medic arrived quickly, but without advanced hospital equipment, they could not determine compatibility here. The medic explained, "Given the current situation, Captain, making such a sacrifice now would be highly risky. If you do this, other allied forces and the small nations within the Yaren territory might seize the opportunity to attack. It would force our country to either retaliate or be seen as weak."Not retaliating would invite mockery, but retaliating would mean entering a world war.Nash was silent for a few seconds before responding decisively, "We can do it confidentially."The medic shook his head. "That's not possible. Too many eyes are watching. Unless the sta
After a moment of silence, Nash replied hoarsely, "Nina is my wife." This wasn't a declaration of ownership.Scott had lost his memory, but the only thing he remembered was Nina. Although Nash had considered the worst outcome which was his own death and the possibility of Scott and Nina ending up together, he loved Nina too much to let her go.Scott didn't respond. Fragments of memories flashed through his mind, but they were too quick for him to grasp. His memories of Nina were blank. He didn't recognize Nash either. Nash's words left him at a loss for how to respond because he realized he had fallen for a married woman, and yet, Nash hadn’t lashed out at him. It was unbelievable!"I know you're confused. But you don't need to be. You knew Nina before me. You were her neighbor and her older brother figure," Nash explained. When he saw Scott happily talking with Nina, he had Quincy investigate Scott. At one point, he even suspected that Scott was Zac."And Nina?" Scott asked.
Nina scoffed coldly, "Are you sure you're giving me a chance?"Her eyes were icy.Micah chuckled without responding immediately. He pulled out a chair and sat in front of her. "Back then, you said you were looking for someone—Scott, Scarlett, and Nash. It's only been a short time, and now you don't even want Nash?"A sarcastic smile tugged at his lips."Whether I want Nash or not is none of your business. Micah, you've dug into my affairs thoroughly. I've told you everything you wanted to know. You once said you'd let me leave." Nina's lips tightened, her expression heavy.Of course, she wanted to leave. She had no desire to stay in this hellhole!Micah stared at Nina, his memories of his mother faded with time. From appearance alone, he couldn't determine if Nina resembled her.Moreover, he had no photos of his mother, and his father often wore a mask, hiding his face.The only blood test they had wasn't conclusive. Yet, Nina claimed that the string of emerald beads she had wa
Micah chuckled silently.Nina knew very well that Micah wasn't being contradictory. He was testing her.At this moment, Micah was carefully observing her. She remained composed."Nina, you're very smart, and you've figured some things out. I just want to know if you're Ivy," Micah said, dropping the smile.At this point, Micah didn't want to beat around the bush. He just wanted to confirm this one thing. Nothing else mattered to him.Nina felt a chill in her heart.She was aware of everything that had happened, but without solid evidence, she couldn't be certain. She had been avoiding the truth. But now, even though they already had the test results, Micah still insisted on this.Nina found it ridiculous. "You identify your sister based on a string of beads? Those beads were in Wilfred's possession before. Is Wilfred your sister?"If you're still curious, why don't you go ask your Ivy?"Nina knew how to be sarcastic."I don't like her," Micah admitted.Ivy had been missing f
Micah trusted his instincts, but Nina did not. She felt a chill down her spine. She had only just managed to shake off her gloom and convince herself she had no connection to the Pharaoh. Now Micah was bringing all this up again.She didn't want to do the test!"I'm not doing it!"Nina was extremely resistant.But how could she compete with Mr. Joker?Mr. Joker swiftly restrained her with one hand and, using a syringe with the other, drew a vial of blood from her neck.Nina clutched her neck, her gaze at Micah growing colder. "You truly are the Pharaoh's son!"Just as ruthless, just as willing to impose his will on others.Micah's lips moved slowly. "If you had cooperated, none of this would have happened. Nina, getting a new result is good for both of us."With that, Micah stood up and gave Mr. Joker a look.Mr. Joker immediately understood.To ensure the authenticity of the results, the tests would be conducted in three separate batches, including a comparison between Mi
Ivy was feeling triumphant. At that moment, she saw Nina's compliance and sensed the fear deep within her. But her triumph was short-lived. A hand grabbed her wrist with a fierce grip, and the next second, she was shoved aside.Micah strode over, standing in front of Nina, his eyes cold and piercing as he glared at Ivy. "What are you doing?""Brother, she was bullying me, completely disregarding me," Ivy cried, her voice thick with emotion.She was quite the actress, her eyes welling up with tears almost instantly.Micah's lips twisted in a mocking smile. "Is that so?""Of course," Ivy nodded.But seeing Micah's expression, her confidence wavered. "Brother, you don't believe me?""I know exactly what kind of person Nina is and why you're targeting her. But this is the last time. From now on, stay away from here."Micah's voice was icy and precise, each word clear and cutting.Nina remained expressionless.But to Ivy, Nina looked smug.Clenching her fists, Ivy couldn't unde
Nina chuckled lightly. "Of course I know. You have your agenda, and I can't stop you. But don't let your sister interfere with me again.""Alright."Micah could have ignored her, but he still responded.Nina had found Scarlett and Scott, so she technically didn't need to go back to the slave camp. But now she said, "I'm not restricted, right? I need to go to the slave camp to find someone."Micah looked at her. "Don't you still have the black card?"The black card given to Nina had never been taken back. She was free to move about as she pleased.Nina pursed her lips and said softly, "Then let Mr. Joker come with me."Who knew if that crazy Ivy might attack again? While she still wanted to live, she had to keep herself safe."Alright." Micah was truly accommodating to her every request.Nina went to the slave camp and found the girl she had seen before."Can I take her to my old room?" Nina asked Mr. Joker.From Mr. Joker's perspective, Nina was just bringing along a fifteen
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