Human swine!She had only seen such things in books and movies, but now, the Pharaoh had actually gone to such lengths. Then again, what hadn’t the Yaren tribe done back in the day? Burning, killing, looting—nothing was beyond them.Nina took a deep breath. "I don’t want to run the tribe. I made that clear when I came here. I’m just cooperating with you…""But Nina, you can't deny the blood ties between us. Are you planning to never acknowledge us?" Micah had never demanded anything from Nina, nor had he ever spoken harshly to her. But at this moment, he needed her to understand that their bloodline was inseparable."Let’s leave the future for the future. I’m happy with my current life. Micah…""Call me brother."Micah had always believed that time would prove everything. But five years had passed, and Nina still seemed to hold a grudge.Nina hesitated, unsure of what to say. Her memories started in Birkham, where she grew up. She had no recollection of the Yaren tribe and sti
Nina's words were like a sharp dagger, piercing Nash's heart within seconds, leaving it bloodied and full of holes. He knew, however, that Nina was suffering more than he was."Nina, please, don’t get so worked up. There are things I’ll explain to you, but you need to wait a bit longer." Nash took a deep breath, trying to calm her down.But Nina did not want to hear it. "Nash, I’ve already waited five years. How much longer do you expect me to wait?"Before Nash could respond, Nina yelled again, "Are you expecting me to spend my entire life waiting for you? Where is my child?""Beep, beep beep..."The phone suddenly emitted a series of busy signals. Nash had hung up.Regardless of why Nash had hung up, Nina knew that calling back would be pointless. He would either be offline, busy, or simply not answering. But her emotions, already stirred up by Nash, surged into a wave of grief. Clutching her chest, she felt a pain so intense it left her struggling to breathe.Seeing this, Mic
Nina was struggling. Every time she tried to forgive, she could not bring herself to say it. She just could not let it go.Moreover, the things Pharaoh and Seth had done, the things she had seen, played in her mind like a movie, scene by scene. Pharaoh waved goodbye to her. He did not say anything, but his silence spoke volumes.Seeing this, Micah was silent for a moment before slowly speaking, "Nina, do you still think he's a bad person?"Most parents give everything to their children without expecting anything in return. To his children, Pharaoh was not a bad person.Differences in stance and politics could not be changed, but Nina could not accept Pharaoh's actions. Since young, she had been taught to perform good deeds, help those in need, and contribute to society without expecting anything in return. The things Pharaoh had done were too much for her to accept. Every time she thought about it, she felt suffocated and had a headache. So, she tried not to think about it."Can
Nash met the president's gaze, speaking clearly and deliberately. At this moment, Nash was not wearing his mask. Now recognized as the third prince of Salterra, the reappearance of the supposedly dead Nash from Birkham, now serving Salterra, would provoke significant backlash and criticism.But Nash did not care about that. It was clear that Nash and Nina had already reunited."I don't care what promises you've made to Nina or what plans you have. But now that you've become the third prince of S Nation, you will follow my orders obediently! If not, I'll make sure all your fears become reality!" With that, the president boarded the helicopter.He had come here to personally wake Nash up to the reality of his situation. There was no way Nash could misunderstand the message.Nash remained silent and did not move. He gripped his phone tightly, feeling his heart sink heavily.……As soon as Nina returned to Salterra, she released the photos and videos she had taken. In the video, a
Nina could feel Orion gently tugging at her hand. He wanted her to keep him."If that’s the case, we’ll prepare the necessary documents for you. If his family doesn’t come forward, you can take him back to register for school in our country.""Alright."Nina nodded and waited at the embassy with Orion. The paperwork took only a few minutes. As they stepped out of the embassy, the sunlight cast long shadows of their intertwined figures on the ground. For a moment, Nina felt a pang of longing. If her own son were here, she would be holding his hand just like this.And her son would be around Orion’s age now.Thinking of her child, a wave of sadness washed over her. Even now, Nash still had not told her where their child was. Unable to contain herself, she called Nash.The phone rang for a long time, and just as Nina thought no one would answer, she heard Nash’s voice."Nina."He spoke her name. Clearly, he could take her calls, but since that day, he had not said a word. Nina
Nina’s biological father, Pharaoh of the Yaren tribe, was exposed. The previous chaos within the Yaren tribe, his subordinates’ acts of looting, the establishment of slave camps, and the use of live humans for experiments were all revealed. Nina was labeled the "Daughter of the Devil," causing an uproar on international forums."Who would have thought that this kind-hearted journalist advocating for peace is actually the devil’s daughter? Look at her father’s evil deeds!""It’s only because of Birkham’s tolerance for the sake of peace that they haven't pursued the Yaren tribe.""Exactly! Otherwise, the Yaren tribe would have been wiped out long ago!""Nina’s actions are laughable. Her father is a monster, yet she wants to be a justice warrior.""She must have been planted in Birkham by Pharaoh as a spy!""She was married to Nash, and he later died in the Yaren tribe. She must have caused his death!""Death to the spy! She doesn’t deserve to be a journalist or to pretend to be
Nina also realized that with Micah still here, those people might come looking for trouble with him. She pressed her lips together, her expression serious, "Micah, you should leave.""Do you think I can just leave you here alone?" Micah held Nina's hand. He could not abandon her. Besides, given the current relationship between the Yaren tribe and Birkham, Birkham would not detain him.Especially since Nash’s death had been officially reported and investigated.Nina was at a loss for words.She was not a spy, but Birkham needed to provide the public with an explanation. She would need to undergo an investigation, including a review of her recent call records.As Nina was about to be taken away, Orion clung to her hand, refusing to let go. Nina knelt down and patiently explained to him, "Orion, stay with Uncle Micah. I just need to handle some things with these people. You have to be good."After speaking to Orion, she looked up at Micah, her eyes filled with hope. She did not
Eventually, the bag covering Nina's head was removed. She saw the car's interior light up with a warm orange glow, revealing several men holding guns. The man sitting next to her had some white hairs at his temples. The lighting was dim on his side, so she could not make out his face clearly.The man smirked, "Why do you think we captured you to exchange for Seth?"Nina remained silent, deep in thought. If they did not want to trade her for Seth, what was their goal? Or maybe her reports had affected the interests of the allied forces? Were they planning to use her as a bargaining chip with the Yaren tribe? Nina's breath quickened. She had not revealed her connection to Micah or Pharaoh. She had mentioned those names hoping it would make these people reconsider and release her. Clearly, it had not worked. She could not afford to become a burden to them."If that's not it, then just kill me." Nina leaned back against the seat, resigned. With Nash's survival a secret, she coul
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