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
Nash did not want to involve her, but since it concerned her directly, she had the right to know the truth. He knew how stubborn she could be, especially when she was angry. After a moment of silence, Nash spoke slowly, "These people are from my father's side. Sally isn't my biological mother, and William isn't my biological father. My real father is the president of Salterra. When I fell into the river that runs through the Yaren tribe, it was my father who saved me. I spent a long time recovering, and later he arranged many things for me. Nina, I made a deal with him back then. There were things I had to agree to."Nina could guess some of the complications that had kept Nash from contacting her, but hearing it from him still hurt. She wanted to reach out and hold him, but she held back, thinking about their child. "What about the child, Nash? I'm not a child myself. I can handle the truth. Is our child alive or not?"Tears welled up in her eyes as she gripped Nash's hand. St
Nina pushed Nash away. "Go do what you need to do. As long as my child is alive…""Are you saying you don't want me anymore?"Nash could not bear to hear the rest of her words. His bloodshot eyes were fixed on Nina, his gaze intense and full of emotion. The redness in his eyes spread, and layers of sorrow seemed to rise within him.He knew that after being away for five years and suddenly reappearing, she would be angry and blame him. But he had no way to fight fate, no way to appear before her as the broken man he had been.Nina felt a surge of emotion, her blood rushing to her head. She looked at Nash, noting the scar on his forehead and the strands of white hair. Her heart ached intensely.She reached out to touch his face. "You have your position and your obligations. Nash, I can't stop you, and I can't help you. All I want now is my child."She was desperate to return to Orion, to make up for the five years she had missed as his mother.Nash's heart was in agony. He would r
Nina frowned but remained silent.Eugene continued, "I won't hurt you. I have some things I need to tell you."Nina looked at him, waiting for him to speak.After a moment of silence, Eugene began, "Mr. Nash was saved by the President and remained in a coma for over three years. The bullet was very close to his heart, and he had multiple fractures and severe injuries all over his body. During his recovery, without the use of anesthesia to avoid side effects, he underwent countless surgeries and therapy sessions. In his moments of pain, he always called your name. He cares about you deeply. Now, he's even willing to defy the President for your sake. The President has a Reset Plan—""Eugene!" Eugene was abruptly interrupted by Nash's angry shout from outside the room. He immediately stood at attention, responding instinctively.Nash's men were trained to react this way. Despite the interruption, Eugene's words echoed in Nina's mind. She had suspected Nash had reasons for his actio
This was the real Nash!No matter how angry Nina had been before, she loved Nash deeply and could not bear to see him die in front of her. Besides, his men had already explained everything to her. He had explained it himself, and she could understand his situation and feel his pain.Nina held Nash even tighter. "Nash, you have your reasons. Honestly, I’m grateful your father saved you."If it weren’t for his father, Nash might have died in that icy river. She would never have seen him again or been able to hold him like this.Most parents would want their children to succeed, and his father was the president. Their positions were different, especially now that she had been exposed as Pharaoh’s daughter and labeled the "daughter of a demon.""Nash, can I take Orion back to Birkham?" Nina decided not to dwell on their issues because thinking about them would only bring pain and suffocation. Orion was her child, and she wanted to take him out of the war zone and give him the best
Dominic could not believe that Nash was actually throwing words at him here right now!He did not need anyone to point fingers at what he was doing.Nash's expression darkened as well. He pulled Nina behind him and said, "If you don't want to listen, then handle your own matters yourself. Don’t drag others into it."This could also be understood as he was stepping down as the Third Prince.And all of this was because of Nash's stance, particularly because of his relationship with Nina.Dominic pulled out his gun. As he cocked the trigger, Nash stood in front of Nina. Nash was ready to face death.Dominic was ruthless, but Nash had recovered and was still his most valued child. He could not just shoot Nash dead."It seems like you’re determined to be with her, even if it kills you. Fine, if she wants to be your wife, then she has to fulfill the duties of a wife. Being the wife of the Third Prince of Salterra isn’t that easy!" Dominic glared at Nina, his words cold and sharp.Nin
Nina was fearless, but Nash held her hand tightly. Although Dominic did not say anything, Nina noticed the cold fury in his eyes, making him look like a demon emerging from hell.As the ruler of a nation, Dominic was not accustomed to anyone speaking to him in such a tone, except during wartime."You’d better pray you don’t end up alone..."Before Dominic could finish his sentence, Nash angrily cut him off. "If you want to kill her, you'll have to kill me first!"Determination flashed in Nash’s eyes, spreading through his entire being in an instant.Dominic did not respond. His lips pressed into a straight line as he stared at Nash for a few seconds before finally turning and leaving.After Dominic left, Nina grasped Nash’s hand. "Maybe you should go back to Salterra and follow your father’s plan...""Nina, I wanted to wait until everything was settled. Because of uncontrollable circumstances, I couldn’t be by your side. But now, at this point, I can’t leave you because... you’r
For now, the only option was to coax him into eating a bit more. Thankfully, Micah’s words seemed to work. However, apart from eating, Orion remained completely silent.Micah watched Orion, hesitating for a moment before dialing Wilfred’s number. Wilfred quickly answered, "Mr. Micah."Micah said, "Nina has been helping a little boy, but he won't speak. I have a feeling something's wrong. Are you in Salterra? If so, come over and take a look at him."Since Nina had come to Salterra as a war journalist, Wilfred had also relocated and opened a small clinic to treat the local residents. Knowing how devoted Wilfred was to Nina, the Pharaoh had even helped Wilfred regain a civilian identity."Yes, I’ll come right away."Although Wilfred was usually busy treating patients at his clinic, he would always make time to see Nina. But Nina was often unavailable, and he did not want to impose, so he always asked her first before visiting. Lately, though, she had not been responding to his mes
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