Nina did not dismiss Scarlett. Instead, she spoke directly, "Why does Scarlett know, but you don't? Wilfred, at this point, are you still trying to deceive me?"Her sharp, cold gaze fell on Wilfred. He slowly opened his lips and replied calmly, "Nina, I might deceive others, but I would never deceive you. I recognized you but didn't tell anyone else because you had become Nina, and you had no memories of your past. I couldn't drag you into it."Moreover, once I realized you were the Pharaoh's daughter, I knew that place wasn't meant for you."The Yaren tribe was embroiled in internal conflict. Seth was determined to surpass the Pharaoh by developing even more potent poisons to control people and even sought to seize power. The Pharaoh wanted to strengthen the tribe, leading to a deep divide. Nina, being kind-hearted, had a stable life and would not have been able to accept this situation easily.His thought was that Nina, having been married and even having a child, did not bel
However, he was certain of one thing. Only by staying by Nina's side could he ease his inner turmoil."Then let's go back together."……On the plane, Nina had a dream. In the dream, she saw the Pharaoh and Micah. She was in a lavishly decorated room, where the Pharaoh placed various jewels in front of her.His smile was obvious, with a hint of flattery. "Nina, these are all for you. I can guarantee you financial freedom for the rest of your life. If this isn't enough, I can make you the leader of the Yaren tribe. How about that?"Micah chimed in, "Nina, if you don't want the men from the Yaren tribe, I can find you men from other countries. If you want children, I can arrange for others to bear them for you. As many as you want."These words startled Nina awake. She was drenched in sweat, which immediately caught Wilfred's attention. He was about to hand her a tissue when Scott beat him to it."Thank you," Nina said, accepting the tissue. She leaned back in her seat, trying to
Quincy visibly panicked. "Miss Nina, please go back to your room. I'll handle this."Sally had never liked Nina, and with Nash gone, Quincy, who had been entrusted with Nash's wishes, could not let the widow suffer any mistreatment.Nina gestured with her hand. "There's no need. I'll see her myself."Quincy could help her handle the situation this time, but he would not always be there to do so. Nina patted Quincy's shoulder and went downstairs to meet Sally.Sally stood in the living room, wearing a pale white dress embroidered with peonies. She was adorned with a full set of emerald jewelry, giving her a gentle and elegant appearance. However, her gaze was anything but kind.Sally had never shown Nina a friendly face. "Nina, how dare you come back here?"Sally, in her high heels, stormed towards Nina, but Nina caught her wrist and forcefully pushed her away. Sally stumbled, nearly falling.In disbelief, Sally glared at Nina. "Nina, you! How dare you lay a hand on me? You have
Otherwise, why would Sally have sent Miranda away and stayed at the York residence all these years?Nina's lips curled into a smile. "I already had shares before. Now, I'm the largest shareholder of York Corporation. Whether I keep them or not is none of your business. Someone, see her out!"At her command, several helpers stepped forward. Sally knew she could not take on all of them, so she turned to leave, but not before casting a venomous glare at Nina.Today, the enmity between Sally and Nina was sealed. From now on, it would be a battle to the death.After Sally left, Nina heard footsteps behind her. She turned and spoke seriously, "Quincy, arrange for some people to stay close to me. Also, schedule a high-level meeting at York Corporation in a few days."Before his death, Nash had transferred all his assets to her. With his death now public and Sally's recent actions, it was clear that Sally would likely conspire with other shareholders and executives to create trouble for h
Wilfred gave her a feeling that he knew something and was making some sort of decision. However, he just smiled gently, "What could I possibly know? What I know is no longer a secret."The only thing he knew for certain was that he had recognized Ivy at first sight. Collaborating with Miranda was just a strategy to break up Ivy and Nash. He had only wanted to get closer to Ivy. But in a moment of carelessness, Ivy was captured by Sawyer, leading Scarlett to fail to recognize her and administer the poison."Get some rest," Scarlett said, then turned and went back to her guest room. Tomorrow, she would not only stay by Nina's side but also take care of some personal matters.……In the Yaren tribe, Micah and the Pharaoh were in the council chamber. The Pharaoh stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the map on the wall. After a few moments, he circled a region in the north with a red pen and drew two long arrows in the south."Seth, that traitor, wants to reshape the Yaren
The Pharaoh's eyes were slightly red. Ever since discovering that Nina was Ivy, he had stopped wearing his mask. His expression was not good at the moment. Micah could try to persuade Nina on the Pharaoh’s behalf, but he could not empathize with some of the Pharaoh's actions.Micah coldly retorted, "If you don't trust my words, then make your own arrangements."With that, Micah turned and left the council chamber without looking back.---In the presidential palace of Salterra, the man who the president had ordered to be saved had regained consciousness. His face was injured and wrapped in white bandages, making him look like a mummy.The president frowned at the man lying motionless on the bed. "Are you trying to defy me?"If he had not kept people around him constantly, this man would not even have the chance to lie here and move his eyes."No," the man croaked, his voice hoarse from lack of use.The president smirked. "If that’s true, you wouldn’t be acting this way. Take
Nina was still at home when the company shareholders started calling. Both the landline and Quincy's phone rang constantly. Different people, but all with the same tone and message:"Mr. York transferred the assets to you without our consent, and those documents weren't notarized.""You are not Mr. York's only beneficiary. You need to return what you took!""If you don't come to the company, we'll have to come to Riverside Estate."The calls kept coming, and the voices multiplied.Nina's lips curled into a cold smile. "If we’re discussing business, it should be done at the company. None of you are family, nor did you have our consent to visit my home."With a glance from Nina, Quincy and the helper simultaneously hung up the phones.Nina, now uninterested in breakfast, said, "Let's head to York Corporation. Quincy, call my aunt.""Understood," Quincy replied without hesitation.Scarlett instinctively positioned herself behind Nina as they all moved out. Wilfred watched them le
Nina was the most important person to Nash. If he were here, he would not let her suffer any mistreatment. Now, standing by Nina's side, Quincy had to represent the deceased Nash's position, not only to protect Nina but also to maintain his own integrity.Quincy’s gaze hardened. "Before Mr. York passed away, he transferred all his assets to Miss Nina. Here are the transfer dates. At that time, Miss Nina was in labor, but unfortunately, the child did not survive. Given how many years Miss Nina stood by Mr. York's side, her receiving these assets is completely justified.""Nina, you called for me?" As Quincy finished speaking, a surprised voice approached. Zoe, wearing a light purple dress and sporting short auburn hair, walked over, exuding both sensuality and charm.Nina smiled and walked towards Zoe. "Aunt Zoe."She greeted her before turning to the crowd. "Since you all object to me having York Corporation’s assets, I'll transfer everything to a member of the York family. If th
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