Nina did not like being called Ivy, so she would not be called that. Nina did not say anything, her lips pressed together tightly as she looked at Micah with deep confusion in her eyes. "What do you want from me?"Regarding the name, Micah understood her preference. Nina did not believe he would listen to this and ignore everything else she had said.Micah's voice was low and husky as he began, "Nina, I know you feel resistant. Our father did many bad things before, but it doesn't change that he genuinely cares for us. After you went missing, he searched for you tirelessly. No, he never stopped looking for you all these years."You don't know how much love he tried to make up for by showering it on Miranda when he thought she was you..."Nina raised her hand, not wanting to hear more. But Micah did not stop."You probably don't know this either. Our father, driven by ambition, conducted many experiments, turning Wilfred into a healer. But now he says he can make Wilfred normal a
"Get down!" Micah shouted, immediately pulling Nina to the ground.The entire camp quickly went on high alert. Nash began issuing orders, and Wilfred rushed to Nina's side, while Scarlett and Scott joined the main force to counter the attack. Micah tried to use the chaos to take Nina away, but Wilfred blocked him. "Mr. Micah, Nash specifically instructed that during an attack, it's best not to move around. Besides, Nina has made it clear she doesn't want any ties with the Yaren tribe."Micah's eyes flashed with anger. He was about to retort when Nina stepped forward and grabbed his wrist, her face dark with suspicion. "Did you orchestrate this attack?"Why else would Micah be standing there so calmly, ready to take her away? They talked about bringing her back to the Yaren tribe, but they had not mentioned anything about giving Nash the antidote for his poison."It wasn't me," Micah said slowly, his expression resolute. He despised war and wished to transform his country into
Micah thought he could distract Nina and take her away, but his plan was thwarted by Nash's men who discovered him. He had hoped to use the chaos to take Nina back to the Yaren tribe, but it was now impossible. This failure was entirely due to Wilfred's actions.Wilfred opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, Micah interrupted, "You better find a way to bring Nina back to the Yaren tribe!"...Two hours later."Something's wrong! Something's wrong!"The urgent cries spread throughout the camp, alarming everyone. Nina quickly ran out of her tent, seeing many wounded people returning from the outside. She froze, not seeing Nash among them, nor James or Felix. Then, a dust-covered figure caught her eye.Seeing the desperate look in James's eyes, Nina's heart raced, "James! Where is Nash? Why isn't he here?"At her words, James's eyes filled with sorrow. He lowered his head, "Miss Nina, Captain, he..."Nina's legs gave out, and she collapsed backward. Thankfully, Wilfred
Wilfred grabbed Nina. "Ivy, it's been days. You've searched the river multiple times and haven't found Nash. Felix is more experienced, and even he couldn't find him. I'm afraid..."Wilfred wanted to say that after so many days, if Nash had not been found, he was likely dead. People would not come back from the dead. Even if it was hard to accept, it had to be faced.Nina refused to listen. "Don't tell me that. As long as I haven't seen his body, I won't believe he's dead."All of you, go back! Even if it kills me, I have to find him!" Nina was distraught and on the verge of breaking down. As long as Nash's body was not found, there was still hope he was alive.With the situation so dire, she could not risk anyone else. And if Seth was targeting her, she did not care about living anymore.Wilfred had no choice but to knock Nina out and bring her back to the camp.Micah was already waiting. He wanted to take Nina back to the Yaren tribe, but Wilfred would not hand her over."Mr.
Nina suddenly looked up and saw Scarlett, her eyes filled with tears. Scarlett's clothes were tattered, her face marked with the grime of battle, and she looked exhausted.As their eyes met, Scarlett quickly ran to Nina, grasping her hand. "Nina, I'm back. I heard about Captain..."She had gone out with the soldiers to fight but had been caught in a blast, shielded by another soldier. After several days of unconsciousness, she had finally regained all her memories. Returning to the camp, she learned of Nash's sacrifice. Knowing how much Nina loved Nash, she rushed to her side, understanding that Nina would be devastated by the news.Seeing Scarlett, Nina's tears flowed uncontrollably. She was not one to cry easily, but now she could not hold it back. The man she loved most was gone forever, and she had never fully appreciated him when he was alive.Nina's grief turned into violent coughing, and to her shock, she coughed up blood. Scarlett was frightened, but Wilfred quickly han
Scarlett did not respond immediately. It felt as if she had swallowed something bitter, and her throat was full of it. She had never seen Nina so desperate, her face streaked with tears and her eyes bloodshot. Despite her own pain, Scarlett could only speak hoarsely, "Nina, only Captain knows where the child is. And with his death notice..."Even if she did not want to believe it, they had searched for days without finding Nash. He must be dead. Without him, no one knew the child's whereabouts. This was a torment for Nina.Nina couldn't control her emotions, and tears flowed like rain. "Scarlett, is this true? Please don't lie to me. I... I really want to see my child. I..."By the time she finished speaking, Nina was sobbing uncontrollably.Scarlett felt even worse, but she hugged Nina tightly, gently patting her back. "Nina, I'm not lying to you. As long as you're alive, anything is possible. Maybe Nash has already arranged everything, planned for when the child would meet you.
"Are you trying to send me away?" Wilfred asked, sensing the implication in Nina's words. His voice was raspy, tinged with a deep sadness.Nina was silent for a few seconds before she smiled and said, "Wilfred, all good things must come to an end. We each have our own paths to follow. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be here."Wilfred had his own plans, but they had changed because of her."Yes, if it weren't for your situation, I wouldn't have come here. But Nina, I just want to do something for you, to make myself valuable," he said, sitting in front of her. His gaze was filled with determination and deep affection.Nina understood Wilfred's feelings, but her heart belonged to Nash. With Nash missing, she had no room for anyone else. Pretending not to notice, she replied, "Wilfred, you need to follow your own path. I know you feel that as a healer, you can help me...""Nina, I know now isn't the best time to say this, but I have to. If I don't, you'll never know how I feel.
Nash let go of her after he finished speaking. Then, he began to step back.Nina tried to grab him, but he moved too quickly, his body gradually becoming transparent."Nash! You jerk!" Nina shouted, waking up with a start.When she lifted her hand, she realized her face was soaked with tears.Wilfred and Micah entered the tent and immediately understood what had happened upon seeing her tear-streaked face.Micah approached Nina first. He sat on the edge of the bed, holding her hand. "Nina, it was just a nightmare. It's okay. Come back to the Yaren tribe with me."Nash had been dead for days, and they were worried about Nina being here alone. Their father had specifically instructed Micah to bring her back to the Yaren tribe.Nina shook her head. "I won't go back with you. How many times do I have to tell you? My name is Nina, not Ivy. I’m from Birkham, not the Yaren tribe."She pushed Micah's hand away. Nina's refusal to acknowledge her heritage felt like a sharp stab to Micah’
If Liam had been a normal person, Hunter never would have sent her here in the first place. But of course, Yelena could only think that. She wasn’t suicidal enough to say it out loud. Instead, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. “I was really just messaging an old classmate. If you don’t believe me, go ahead—check my phone.” She wasn’t worried. Whenever she contacted Hunter, she deleted each message immediately. She had even forged an entire fake conversation just in case Liam ever got suspicious. So, no matter how thoroughly he checked, there would be nothing for him to find. Liam narrowed his eyes. “Is that so? Then why do I still feel like you’re lying? Women like you—nothing but liars, every last one of you.” Then, he struck her again. Yelena screamed. The pain was relentless, merciless. She had no idea how long it lasted—only that by the time he finally stopped, she was barely breathing. Her body slumped against the floor
Suddenly, footsteps sounded behind Yelena. She spun around, her heart hammering in her chest. Liam was walking toward her, a faint smile on his lips—but the coldness in his eyes told a different story. Memories of his past cruelty flashed through her mind, sending a shudder down her spine. She forced herself to stay calm. “Who are you messaging?” He was getting closer. So close that when he finally stopped, they were nearly pressed against each other. Then, without warning, his fingers clamped around her chin, gripping tighter and tighter. Pain shot through her jaw, and Yelena winced. “No one. Just an old classmate. I ran into her a few days ago while I was out.” “Oh? Is that so?” Liam’s voice softened, almost gentle. To anyone watching, he might have seemed like a kind, easygoing man. But Yelena knew better. He would never let her off that easily. And sure enough— In the next second, he grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her hea
“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.”