"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’
Micah's idea was to let Nina have some time to interact before forming a judgment. But for Nina, she wanted to sever all ties with the tribe immediately. Before Nash's incident, she was contemplating negotiating with Micah and the Pharaoh for an antidote. But now, she could not think of Nash without feeling a deep, unbearable pain."If you don't want trouble here, please leave." Nina pointed towards the tent's entrance.Micah remained silent for a moment but then complied. Before leaving, he stated firmly, "Nina, I'll be waiting for you to come around."Nina, however, knew she would never come around.After Micah left, Nina turned to Wilfred with a frown. "So just because they promised to turn you back into a normal person, you're back to being their lackey?"It was Wilfred who had let Micah in. Given what Micah had said to her before, Nina was seething with anger.Wilfred looked down. "Nina, please don't be angry. I just wanted to help. You don’t have many relatives left, and
Chloe scoffed, “What’s the big deal? When I married your father, I just threw on a simple dress and walked into the house. I still have that dress, you know.”She muttered under her breath, “Marriage is about building a life together. What’s the point of all these fancy extras?”A wedding dress? A suit? That sounded expensive. Their family had barely saved a few thousand dollars over the years. How could they justify spending it all on a wedding? *Vera, taking advantage of the last bit of battery on her phone, quickly pulled up photos of wedding dresses and suits. She handed the phone to Alice. “Your brother would look really handsome in a suit.” Alice gasped in excitement. “Wow! These clothes are so pretty! Vera, you’re already beautiful—if you wear this, you’ll look just like a fairy!” Then she hesitated. “When we get the dress… can I try it on too?” “Of course.” This wasn’t a wedding Vera had agreed to in the first place. She had shown Alice the pictur
Alice looked at Vera and tried to reassure her. “It’s just a little meat. It won’t make you gain weight, I promise. Last Christmas, I ate a whole plate of pork, and look—I didn’t gain a pound!”Vera said nothing. In a place like this, meat was probably a rare luxury, something they only had on holidays or special occasions. Things like snack foods, takeout, or even basic convenience store items were probably unheard of here. How could anyone gain weight in a place like this? But Vera wasn’t refusing to eat because she was worried about that.Still, Alice meant well.Even though Vera resented her in this moment, she knew when to pick her battles.So she picked up her fork and ate the piece of chicken.Chloe finally looked pleased.“You haven’t had a baby yet, so why worry about your weight? Eat more—you’ll need the strength to have a big, healthy boy. After that, you can think about getting your figure back. Tonight, you’ll sleep in Peter’s room. You’re already his,
Vera's expression changed completely as she looked at the family. “What are you talking about? Why would I stay here? I have my own life.” “Vera, didn’t you say you couldn’t find your brother?” Alice’s voice grew anxious. “Then take my brother instead! He’ll protect both of us. This is a good thing for you! Don’t tell me you think my brother isn’t good enough?“His leg isn’t perfect, and he can’t do heavy labor, but he’s not useless. And I can help him with the farm work—we can do it together!” Her words were absurd. If Vera had known this was her real intention, she never would have accepted her help. “Enough, both of you, stop talking.”Gerald had lived long enough to understand that his son and Vera were worlds apart. He also knew that there was no way she would willingly stay. But plenty of women in the village hadn’t wanted to stay either. That didn’t matter. As long as she was here, that was enough. He got straight to the point. “Our village
The young girl suddenly looked torn. In their village, getting a wife was extremely difficult. Families with a little money could sometimes bring a wife in from outside, but for families like hers, who had nothing to offer, it was nearly impossible. To make things worse, her brother had a bad leg. As a child, he had been mocked by other kids. He could still walk, but not quickly—and he couldn’t do the heavy farm work required to support a family. Now that he was getting older and still living alone, she felt incredibly anxious. Today, by some stroke of luck, she had met a woman in the mountains who was as beautiful as a goddess. She was determined to make this woman her sister-in-law. But if she left now, what if the woman ran away or was taken away by someone else in the village? What would happen to her brother then? *“It’s already so late,” Vera said gently. “Even if everyone in the village knows each other, it’s still not safe for a young girl
Up ahead was a village. “Miss, it’s really late today, so I’ll take you home first. My parents and brother will take good care of you, and you can get a good night’s sleep at our place. Once you’ve rested, we’ll take you to town tomorrow.” The young girl tightened her grip on Vera’s hand. “My mom is a great cook! She’ll definitely make a big meal to welcome you.” It really was late. The sky was completely dark, and Vera’s phone battery was nearly dead. The girl was still so young. She had already gone out of her way to bring Vera back from the deep mountains. It wouldn’t be right to ask her to take her all the way to town tonight. Vera still had some cash in her pocket. After covering the cost of transportation, she decided she would leave the rest for the girl’s family. If it weren’t for the girl, who knew how long she would have been wandering in the mountains? “My house is just ahead. It’s not in great shape, so don’t mind it too much. Next year, whe
Vera’s nerves tensed up again. A sudden sound in the middle of nowhere was never a good sign. If it was a snake or some other large animal, she would be in serious trouble. Her ankle was swollen, and she couldn’t run fast. Would this be where it all ended for her? She had to leave quietly. But the ground was covered in thick layers of fallen leaves, with dry branches hidden underneath. Crack. As she stepped back, her foot snapped a twig, the sound piercing through the silence. Only one thought filled her mind—this was it. The rustling nearby grew louder. Vera squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself. Then, a voice suddenly spoke beside her. “Miss, why are you here alone? Didn’t your family come with you?” It was a person. Not an animal. Vera’s eyes flew open. A young girl stood in front of her. Fear dissolved in an instant, replaced by relief. She was saved.“I came here alone. Little one, do you know how to get out of here?” Ver
Hunter took a bite of the biscuits and ravioli she had made. The taste was surprisingly good. It wasn’t on the level of a Michelin-starred chef, but it had something even more special—the taste of home. And of course, there was the oatmeal. He took one spoonful after another, finishing the entire bowl. *Meanwhile, Vera still hadn’t found her brother. Disappointment weighed heavily on her as she prepared to leave. But just then, her phone buzzed. An anonymous message. She tapped it open and stared at the image attached. It was a watch. Alone, a watch meant nothing. But this watch was her brother’s. Vera immediately zoomed in on the photo, carefully inspecting the engravings inside. There they were—his initials. No mistake. This was his watch. Below the image, a location pin was attached. The place was nearby. Vera’s eyes filled with determination. If she had found nothing, she would have simply left. But now, she had recei
When Yelena woke up again, she was shocked to find that she wasn’t at the club. She sat up abruptly, looking around in confusion. Then, she got out of bed, slipped on her slippers, and pushed the door open. “Where am I?” “At my place,” Hunter replied casually. He was working in the living room when he saw her wake up. “You slept for a long time. I couldn’t just leave you alone at the club, so I brought you back here.” Seeing the uncertainty on her face, he added, “It’s already late. Just stay here for the night. I’ll take you back tomorrow.” Yelena nodded. There was no other choice now. “There’s food in the fridge. If you’re hungry, heat something up. There are also snacks in the drawer—take whatever you want.” “Alright.” She really was hungry. She opened the drawer, grabbed a few small bread rolls, ate them quickly, and then went back to her room to rest. *The next morning, Yelena woke up early. Thinking about everything Hunter had done—treatin
Yelena quickly lowered her arm, letting her sleeve fall over the mark to cover it. “It’s nothing. Here’s your cocktail. Please enjoy.” “Yelena.” Hunter grabbed her wrist without warning. He pulled up her sleeve, revealing the deep, ugly scars on her arm. His brows knitted together instantly. “Who did this to you?” The force behind it was brutal—downright inhuman. Yelena remained silent. Who else could have done this besides Liam? But she had agreed to this. She had willingly accepted Hunter’s request and entered Liam’s world. She had no right to complain. Her silence gave Hunter all the confirmation he needed. “Liam did this to you, didn’t he?” Yelena nodded. “It’s nothing. The wounds have already started healing. They look worse than they feel. Give it some time, and they’ll fade.” “Wait here.” Hunter stood abruptly and walked away. Yelena had no idea what he was doing, but since he told her to wait, she didn’t argue. A few minu