The little boy still had shaggy hair. If the war had not torn his world apart and separated him from his parents, he would be a happy child now. Nina gently patted his head and spoke softly, "Can you tell me your name? You didn’t want to stay at the embassy because of your parents?""I’ve never seen my parents." The boy lowered his head, his voice raspy and filled with sadness.Nina, who had spent five years in Salterra, observing the transition from minor conflicts to major upheavals, understood. If the boy had never seen his parents, it meant they had never been around from the beginning. What a pitiful child!"So, do you not have a name?" Nina pursed her lips, poured him a cup of water, and continued to crouch in front of him, trying to communicate.The boy neither took the water nor spoke further. He looked like a child who felt deeply wronged and did not know what to do.Nina’s heart tightened. Another child with deep psychological scars. But living in a war zone, how could
Orion nodded. He took the sweet potatoes and ate slowly, without gobbling them down. Nina poured him another glass of water."If it's not enough, I'll get you more," she said.Orion shook his head. Nina noticed that he preferred not to speak unless absolutely necessary. She did not want to stare at him while he ate, so she busied herself with tidying up the tent. Suddenly, a trumpet sounded. It was the call to assemble. Something was happening in the military.What she did not expect was to see Orion put down his sweet potato, stand up straight, and salute. It was a perfect military posture and a crisp salute. Nina was completely taken aback. He was only five years old. How could he perform these actions so expertly? Could he be the child of a soldier?Realizing the significance, Nina decided to contact the embassy. If he was the child of a fallen soldier, he should not be left alone in a foreign land."Orion, you're not a soldier, but you know these things. Who taught you
She often helped the poor and injured, bringing them extra food and supplies. The cooks knew about her efforts. Orion's small hand gripped hers tightly, so tightly that Nina could feel his palm sweating. "Look, do you like these two outfits?" Nina asked, using her free hand to hold up the clothes. Because of the constant upheaval, white clothes were impractical. She had bought one set of camouflage clothes and another in sky blue. Since it was too far to carry many things, she planned to leave more supplies for Orion once she got him to the embassy and after they identified him.Orion did not even glance at the clothes. His eyes were red and filled with fear. Nina could not help but pull him into a comforting hug. "Don't be afraid. These are our Birkhamese soldiers. They won't treat you like soldiers from other countries. I promise you that. Now, try on your new clothes."She helped him dress, and although Orion did not speak, he cooperated quietly. Nina lifted him onto the
"Miss Nina."The call immediately snapped Nina out of her thoughts. She looked up instinctively to see a soldier standing at the door."You're looking for me?" she asked."Yes, the Yaren tribe sent over a large shipment of supplies, and they specifically requested that you sign for it.""Alright."For the past five years, no matter where she was, the Yaren tribe had consistently arranged for large shipments of supplies to be sent her way. It was always someone else delivering them. Micah and the Pharaoh never appeared. But every month, a large sum of money would be deposited into her account. The supplies helped the impoverished locals and improved the soldiers' meals, so Nina had no reason to refuse. Plus, she did not have to see Micah or the Pharaoh.She patted Orion on the head. "I have to go out for a bit. Be good and don't run off."Orion nodded.Seeing how Orion preferred to remain silent, Nina's heart felt heavy. If the embassy could not arrange for someone to help, sh
"You've been a war journalist for years now, so you should know that Seth isn't dead. Seth is ambitious and has been used as a pawn. I need your help with something," Micah said, taking a deep breath to steady his emotions before speaking slowly to Nina.Nina was silent for a few seconds. "What kind of help?" she asked. If Micah had come to her, it was likely something she could help with. Otherwise, he would not have asked."When Miranda assumed your identity, Seth almost gained control of the Yaren tribe. If you come back to the Yaren tribe with me, Seth will definitely make a move," Micah explained, his gaze fixed on Nina.Nina remained calm and emotionless, but she did not respond immediately. Just as Micah thought she would not agree, she quietly said, "Alright, I'll go back with you."Years ago, when she and Nash were in the Yaren tribe, and she was captured by Miranda, it was Micah who had protected her from the shadows. Since he had come to her for help, she felt obliged to
The military doctor first administered emergency treatment to Orion and then examined him thoroughly. Finally, the diagnosis came. "He has asthma. He needs to have medication with him at all times."Asthma…Hearing this word made Nina's scalp tingle. She knew about this illness. It could be congenital, hereditary, or acquired. It required constant medication, or an attack could be fatal.Nina shuddered to think what might have happened if Orion had not encountered her, if he had not been at the military camp. Would he have died from an asthma attack with no one to help or even notice?Throughout all this, Orion clung tightly to her hand.She remembered that day when Orion had clearly and painfully expressed that he did not want to go to the embassy, that he wanted to stay with her. Perhaps he saw her as the only person who cared about him."Ah... Ah..."A violent coughing fit interrupted Nina's thoughts. She looked over and saw that Orion had woken up. His eyes were filled wit
All signs indicated that this was an accident, not a premeditated act.Nina replied, "I understand. Let's leave today."She did not have much to pack, just a small backpack for Orion's two sets of clothes. However, she made it clear to Micah, "I still have some unfinished business. I'll go with you to the Yaren tribe, but I can only stay for three days at most."Three days did not include today's travel time. It was indeed a short period. But the fact that Nina agreed to go to the Yaren tribe was already a significant step....Orion silently followed Nina, not making any noise or fuss. Micah noticed. From the side, the child bore a slight resemblance to Nina. However, he knew all too well that Nina and Nash's child had died five years ago. Even if the child had not died, there was no way Nina would not have found a trace after searching for five years. Moreover, there had been no news about Nash either. The child's resemblance was merely a coincidence."Bang!" A loud explo
Nina did not say anything, but she gave Micah a knowing smile. Despite resuming their journey, this small incident left Micah and Mr. Joker wary, with Nina also keeping it in mind. They did not realize that a team was covertly following them to ensure their safe return to the Yaren tribe.Upon learning of Nina's return, the Pharaoh had meticulously prepared an enormous, luxurious room for her. The moment Nina stepped inside, she promptly exited."Give me a simpler room," she demanded.She had not seen the Pharaoh, but she knew this was his doing. This was his attempt at making amends, but their history could not be mended with a few gestures. As she entered the tribe, memories of narrowly escaping death, being treated as an experiment, and the tribe’s cruel methods flooded back. She could not forget Nash being poisoned and his eventual death.She knew her biological father, the Pharaoh, and Nash were always at odds. For the past five years, she had been secretly investigating
Why would someone as unbothered by non-work matters as Wilfred suddenly intervene in this situation? Karina didn’t think too deeply about it. She failed to notice that the real reason lay in Wilfred’s reluctance to let Xavier stay at the hospital. After all, the only person Wilfred trusted in the Atlantis hospital was Karina. If Xavier stayed, she would inevitably be the one to care for him. And Wilfred, stationed in Birkham, wouldn’t be able to keep an eye on things. Just the thought of Karina and Xavier spending days and nights together in a place out of his sight, talking and sharing moments, made Wilfred’s gaze grow icy without him realizing it. Meanwhile, Karina, shivering from the sudden chill, blamed the air conditioning or her choice of outfit. She was completely oblivious to the most obvious culprit standing right next to her. The discharge procedures went smoothly. By the afternoon, Xavier’s belongings were packed, and he was ready to leave. Since he was Karina’
Harley gritted his teeth, glaring at her as if he wanted to press further, but before he could act, Karina was pulled back. Wilfred fixed him with an icy stare. “This isn’t your place to lay a hand on anyone.” “Wilfred!” Ignoring him entirely, Wilfred turned to Karina and asked softly, “Does it hurt?” Her wrist was red, but as she looked at his serious expression, any discomfort seemed to fade. She shook her head. “It doesn’t hurt. With you here, he wouldn’t dare go too far.“Still, there’s no point wasting time on him. Let’s go.” Wilfred nodded. Before leaving, he glanced coolly at Harley and left him with a parting shot. “This bet? I won. Relay this to your mentor and tell him to keep the association’s hands out of Birkham and Atlantis. Otherwise, I won’t hesitate to make sure his reputation is shattered, no matter his age.” With that, they left the corridor. Karina didn’t turn to see Harley’s expression, but as they walked away, she couldn’t help voicing her
At the time, Wilfred had already guessed that this had everything to do with Harley and his mentor, Professor Zeller. “You and your so-called association don’t focus on benefiting patients. Instead, you spend all your time trying to monopolize everything. And now you want to turn me into one of you? Keep dreaming.” Wilfred’s tone was filled with disdain, his eyes cold with contempt. The smug smile on Harley’s face slowly faded. With a sneer, Harley’s voice turned bitter. “You know what I despise most about you? That self-righteous, holier-than-thou attitude of yours. I was offering you advice, but if you don’t want to hear it, fine. There’s nothing more to say. After all, if the surgery fails—” Before he could finish the word “fail,” the surgical light outside the operating room flicked off. Clack!The sliding doors parted, and Karina burst through, her face flushed with emotion. She didn’t even notice Harley. Her focus zeroed in on Wilfred. “Wilfred!” Her voice trem
As the surgery approached, Karina worked overtime, meticulously double-checking for any possible oversights. Before stepping into the operating room, she took a deep breath."Karina, you’ve got this!" a nurse beside her encouraged.This surgery was particularly significant, and the assistants and nurses weren’t from her hospital. They were brought in by the project, specifically by Harley’s team. Without a single familiar face around, Karina felt a twinge of anxiety. Opportunities to lead surgeries were already rare for her, let alone under circumstances like this, with no one she could truly rely on.But there was no turning back now. Gritting her teeth, Karina donned her gloves. As she was about to enter the operating room, her peripheral vision caught sight of a figure standing silently in the distance. It was Wilfred. His steady gaze met hers, his eyes carrying something profound she couldn’t quite decipher. When their eyes locked, a faint smile curved his lips.In th
“Ava.”A deep voice cut through the air, and Karina turned to see a man in a black suit, wearing a hat and a mask, striding toward them. But the man’s white eyelashes and distinctive eyes were all Karina needed to recognize him. He was her albino patient, Xavier Jasper!Xavier also didn’t expect to run into both Wilfred and Karina here. “It’s you two,” he exclaimed in surprise.Wilfred’s gaze sharpened as he calmly addressed Xavier. “Keep your sister in line. Apologize.”Before Xavier could respond, Ava stepped forward and, to everyone’s surprise, said, “I’m sorry. I was too impulsive. Please forgive me.” Karina was taken aback by how quickly Ava apologized. Even Xavier, who knew his sister’s arrogant tendencies well, looked stunned.Karina nodded, her tone steady but firm. “I forgive you, but that doesn’t mean everyone else will. You should work on your attitude. Stop acting so entitled everywhere you go.” With that, Karina turned on her heel and walked away. Although Xavie
”Those were her meticulously compiled notes, the result of hours of hard work—and now they were ruined just like that?” Karina thought.“I’ve never wronged you. Why would you do something like this?” she demanded, her voice trembling with indignation. Something about the situation felt off, and Karina’s sharp intuition told her this wasn’t a simple misunderstanding.Under Karina’s intense gaze, the nurse finally broke down, revealing Ava’s role in orchestrating the whole thing. Karina’s anger turned into a mix of rage and incredulous amusement. “Really? Rich people—did they all enjoy throwing money around like this?”All this trouble, just to ruin her hard-earned work over a seat?Her carefully compiled notes were gone, and there wasn’t a second copy. Arguing wouldn’t bring them back, but Ava wasn’t going to let this slide without giving someone a piece of her mind.Finding Ava wasn’t difficult. In fact, Ava didn’t even try to avoid her. She seemed to be waiting, eager to see
Just as Ava was about to cause a scene, the sound of steady footsteps filled the room. Wilfred strode in, his white coat enhancing his composed, almost ethereal aura. Ava shot Karina a glare, silently committing her to memory, then begrudgingly found another seat. Wilfred’s gaze swept across the room, pausing ever so briefly on Karina before moving on. She wasn’t sure if it was real or just her imagination. “Today, we’ll discuss cellular structures. I’ll start with an example from my doctoral thesis,” Wilfred announced, adjusting the projector. To Karina’s surprise, he was an exceptional lecturer—clear, engaging, and far more comprehensible than many university professors. She listened intently, taking meticulous notes. Yvette peeked over at Karina’s notebook, wide-eyed at the densely packed writing. “Karina, when you eventually get promoted, land a big raise, or go for your doctorate, I promise I won’t be jealous. Truly.”Karina chuckled. “If you need these notes, I can len
Karina glanced at the time and quickly gestured for Yvette to sit down as well. However, barely had they taken their seats when a haughty woman marched up to Karina, her sharp gaze fixed on the chair she was sitting on. “You, get up. I want that seat!” Karina frowned, studying the unfamiliar woman. She didn’t recognize her from the hospital, but the designer jewelry around her neck and the branded bag on her arm screamed wealth. She seemed like the kind of entitled socialite who rarely had to fight for anything, let alone a seat.Unsure if the woman was trying to pick a fight or genuinely wanted the chair, Karina pointed to the open seats nearby. “There are plenty of seats over there. Take one of those.”Then, she lowered her head, dismissing the woman entirely.The woman’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Excuse me? I said I want your seat. Get up. Now!” Not content with words alone, she reached out to pull Karina up by force. Karina, now genuinely angry, shook her off. “I was h
Karina looked slightly surprised. She distinctly remembered that Wilfred wasn’t a drinker. “I thought you avoided alcohol?” Wilfred, ever the epitome of control and composure, preferred to steer clear of anything that dulled his sharpness. Back when they worked at the Birkham Central Hospital, she had seen him reject bottles of expensive wine from people trying to curry favor with him. He sipped his tea slowly before replying, “You’ve started at a new hospital. As your former mentor, I haven’t given you a proper congratulatory gift yet.” “This is… for me?” Karina asked, her voice tinged with disbelief. Wilfred’s gaze was steady as he replied, “Don’t like it? If not, I can send it back and we can find something else later.” He raised his hand to call the server over. “Wait! No need. I like it a lot,” Karina interjected hastily, stopping him in his tracks. The idea of going gift shopping with him later felt uncomfortably like a date. And knowing Wilfred’s personality, w