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
Sally's gaze was sharp and her expression was dark and foreboding. She was clearly prepared for a showdown with Zoe.Zoe, however, was not one to back down. "Outsider? Am I considered an outsider now?"Nina had not expected that even transferring the assets to Zoe would provoke such a strong reaction from Sally. "Aunt Zoe, I didn't bring you here to argue with others. That wasn't my intention, and I don't want you to be upset. I have the authority to transfer the assets to you."With that, Nina gave Quincy a look. Although Quincy had not anticipated Nina's decision, he followed her instructions in front of everyone and handed the original documents to Zoe.Zoe pressed her lips together, ready to speak, but Nina quickly continued, "I have my own plans and no interest in managing the company. Aunt Zoe, Nash cared deeply about this company and wanted to preserve the York family legacy. You are the best person for the job. Quincy, regarding your request for leave, please discuss it wit
As Zoe spoke, she moved toward Sally. Though Zoe was not very tall, she had an imposing presence that made Sally feel small.Sally's face turned pale. The relationship between her and Miranda was known throughout the York family. From beginning to end, she had been a laughable clown. No wonder Mr. York Sr. never spoke much to her, didn't accept her arrangements, and chose Nina as Nash's wife instead. No wonder William never came home. No wonder Zoe always looked at her with disdain, and Nina held her in such contempt."Hahaha!" Sally burst into maniacal laughter, losing all semblance of dignity. Zoe, uninterested in prolonging the encounter, turned and left the conference room.But where was Nina?Nina was currently leaving York Corporation, planning to visit her parents. Scarlett followed her closely, worried that Nina might be overwhelmed by her emotions.Sitting in the car, Nina received a call from Zoe."Aunt Zoe," Nina answered.Zoe tried to comfort her, "I know you
Hearing this, Zion and Julia exchanged worried glances. Why was Nina speaking like this after just one trip? Could it be?Their throats felt tight as if something was lodged there, and their eyes were clouded with worry. They sensed a problem but did not know how to address it. Eventually, Nina spoke first, "Mom, Dad, I know I'm not your biological daughter, but you've treated me better than any real parents could."With that, Nina fell to her knees, overwhelmed with emotion. Zion and Julia immediately tried to help her up. Tears streamed down her face as she looked up at them, her eyes red and swollen."You have given me more than I could ever repay," Nina said, her voice breaking. "But rest assured, I only acknowledge myself as your daughter. I will always remember your kindness, and you will always be my parents. Here are all my savings."In the past, Nina would regularly send money to their account, which they saved without spending, always giving back to her whenever the
If Nina did not want to get married, then she wouldn’t. Regardless, Julia just wanted Nina to live a good life. If she ended up alone without children, then she could adopt a child. If she did not want children, that was fine too.Nina was deeply moved. They were not her biological parents, but they were the best parents in the world, having given her a home. During her lowest moments, they had held her hand, guiding her out of the darkness and into the light.With tears in her eyes but a smile on her face, Nina said, "Mom, Dad, I’ve made my decision. Nash died doing his job. He left things unfinished, and I want to continue his work in my own way. If I die over there, I’ll die serving my country and helping the poor. It would be a meaningful death."Nina had made up her mind. The night she returned, she submitted her application online. Because of her previous work experience, she had already received a response. She had three days to get everything in order before leaving for Salt
"I don't want it. Once I go over there, when will I have time to spend money?" Nina refused.Zion, however, spoke firmly, "Nina, didn't you just say we will always be your parents? That makes us family, and it's only right for parents to give their children money."Nina, when you're over there, there will be times when you need money. Think about the poor, injured children and elderly people you might see. Won't you want to buy things for them?"His voice was hoarse but calm, full of understanding rather than the earlier sorrow.Nina had not considered this. She opened her mouth but could not find any words.Julia chimed in, "Take it, it's a small token from your father and me. This way, when you help others, good things will come back to you, and we both want you to come back safely.""Alright." In the end, Nina accepted the bank cards. She had initially thought about keeping her plans secret from her parents, but realized that if they could not find her, they would worry endl
Scarlett had always been by Nina's side, ready to protect her. But Nina wanted to handle things on her own. She knew Scarlett meant well, but she could not let Scarlett stay by her side forever."Scarlett, you have your own life to live. Trust me, when I made this decision, I promised myself I would take care of myself."Scarlett understood Nina's stubbornness. Once Nina made up her mind, she rarely changed it. While she could not openly argue with Nina, Scarlett resolved to support her from the shadows. If something happened to Nina, she felt that the late Nash and Wilfred would never forgive her. And she would not forgive herself either.After settling everything, Nina embarked on her journey to Salterra.……Five years later.Nina had become a seasoned war journalist. On this particular day, she was in the northern region of Salterra, reporting on the latest developments. Suddenly, the sky was lit up with the glow of war, the horizon ablaze.Her broadcast was interrupted by
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.”