The woman strode toward Nash. "I know you have a child, but the President has made it clear that the boy will be raised by him. As for your so-called wife... didn’t you and Nina divorce?""Remi!" Nash’s voice was sharp as he immediately put some distance between them. The woman before him was Remi Green, the fiancée arranged for him by Dominic. But from the moment he met her and learned of her identity, he made his stance clear. His heart was already fully committed to Nina and Orion. There was no room left for anyone else."This is just you being angry," Remi retorted. "Nina is the biological daughter of the Yaren Tribe's Pharaoh. The people of Salterra will never accept her, and even with your identity as Nash, do you really think the leaders of Birkham will approve?""My affairs are none of your concern," Nash replied coldly. He and Remi were linked by Dominic’s arrangement, but they were far from close."Why shouldn’t it concern me? I’m your fiancée! You may not agree, but tr
After his conversation with Remi, Nash headed straight to find Nina and their child. However, before he could reach them, he suddenly collapsed. The loud thud startled the patrolling guards. Given the importance of his and Nina's presence in the Yaren Tribe, the guards immediately rushed him to Pharaoh's lab.Seeing Nash unconscious, Nina's heart pounded with anxiety. She grabbed one of the guards, demanding, "What happened?"The Yaren Tribe's security was airtight, so how could this have happened? Could it be an old injury flaring up?"Miss Ivy, he suddenly collapsed. We're not sure what caused it," one of the guards replied.Pharaoh stepped forward. "Let me take a look."After examining Nash, Pharaoh's eyes widened in shock. "Nash has been poisoned. It must have been that envoy from Salterra.""What?" Nina's face turned pale.The envoy from Salterra, sent by Dominic, was clearly there to poison Nash, forcing him to return and submit to Dominic's demands. The realization hit
"I told you, I'm not giving up on you," Nash's voice was hoarse, filled with desperation as he clutched Nina's hand tightly. His eyes, now tinged with a deep red, shimmered with the threat of tears. "Even if I have to die, I want to die in front of you. I can't leave you."Nina's heart twisted in pain. After everything they had been through, they should have been able to find peace together, yet so many obstacles still stood in their way."I know," she whispered, her voice trembling. "But more than anything, I want you to live. Nash, as long as you're alive, there's still hope. If you die, then everything really is over."In the past five years, she had witnessed too much death, and it left her with a deep fear of it. Just as Nina wanted Nash to live, he, too, wanted nothing more than for her to survive."Nina," he began, his voice a soft plea, "no matter how difficult the road ahead is, if we face it together, we can make it through. I promise, I won’t let myself die. I'll stay
"I'm not saying I don't support you being with Nina," Pharaoh began, his voice tinged with concern. "I'm just worried—""No need to worry," Nina interrupted, quickly stepping forward to join them. "No matter what happens, we'll face it together."Nash's resolve remained unwavering, and Nina could feel the weight of his determination. She had been thinking about protecting him, but he had been thinking about protecting her. If they both cared so deeply about each other, why not stand united and plan for the future together?Nina smiled softly at Nash, then intertwined her fingers with his. Pharaoh, seeing this, sighed and said, "You've made your decision, so I'll do everything in my power to support you. I won't bring this up again.""I can't cure the poison your father gave you, Nash," Pharaoh admitted, "but you can use this to your advantage, to draw him out."Pharaoh understood Dominic’s actions. As a father, he could see why Dominic would push Nash so hard. If Nash refused to
Nash was not planning to kill Dominic or let Salterra fall into ruin. Instead, he intended to wait him out and see who would fold first.Nina, however, decided to approach things differently. She made sure Dominic received his meals on time, even though his attitude toward her was cold and dismissive."You think bringing me food is going to change my mind about you?" Dominic sneered with his tone full of sarcasm.Nina remained calm. "You’re his father. I don’t want to see you two at odds like this. If you’re willing to talk, we can talk. If not, at least eat."She did not understand why Dominic treated her with such disdain when she had not wronged him.As Dominic studied her, he could not help but notice how different she was from Pharaoh, who had once been consumed by his experiments and ruthlessness. Nina and Nash’s relationship, too, puzzled him.Finally, Nina spoke again, her voice measured and calm. "I know what you’re thinking. You believe that the fiancée you chose for Na
Orion was receiving treatment in Pharaoh’s lab, where he would be safe. But Nash’s situation was different. Over the past five years, Nina had honed her survival and self-defense skills. She would not be a burden. She wanted to face life and death together with him.Nash gently patted her head, his voice full of affection, "Alright."On the third day, Dominic finally caved. While Nash and Nina could relentlessly press him, he could not afford the time. Back home, many were eyeing Salterra hungrily. As the president, he could not stay away from his country for too long.He handed Nash the antidote. "Your two brothers would kill to be in your position, but you’re throwing it all away. You’re just like your mother!"Mother? That word felt foreign to Nash. The only mother he had known was Sally, and he had always wondered why she was so cold towards him. It was not until he overheard a heated argument between Sally and William that he learned the truth that he was not her biologi
"Why don't we send troops to attack the Yaren Tribe and bring the Third Prince back?" "Even though Nash and Remi haven't held an engagement ceremony, everyone knows they’re engaged. Now that Nash refuses to return, where does that leave our Remi’s reputation?" ......Everyone had something to say, one after the other. Dominic pressed his lips together, his voice icy, "There's no need to create another enemy right now." "But we have heavy weapons at our disposal. What do we have to fear? If it comes down to it, we could start a world war!" "Exactly! If we don't strike back, others will think Salterra is weak. Even the Yaren Tribe has already shed its wolf’s skin." "I think the real problem lies with that Yaren witch. If we eliminate her, wouldn’t that solve everything?" Dominic remained silent, his expression cold and indifferent. However, he could not deny the truth in their words. The fact was, Nash had not returned, and now Remi was the target of gossip. Th
Micah had always hoped Nina would stay in the Yaren Tribe.Even if Nina never lifted a finger for the rest of her life, Micah would still make sure she lived in comfort and security. And once Orion was healthy, he would become more lively, make friends, grow up, get married, and have children. His future would be brighter in the tribe. However, Nina wanted to return to Birkham, so she needed to make Micah aware of her intentions ahead of time, "I'll need your help with Father. I plan to take Orion back to Birkham.""Nina, what did you say?" Micah grasped her shoulders, suddenly filled with emotion. Since discovering Pharaoh was her biological father, Nina had never acknowledged him as such. But now, by referring to him as "Father," it was clear she was starting to accept him. If just hearing Nina call him "Father" thrilled Micah this much, he could only imagine how overjoyed Pharaoh would be.Nina lowered her head, her face flushing with warmth, feeling a bit awkward. Memo
Hunter took a bite of the biscuits and ravioli she had made. The taste was surprisingly good. It wasn’t on the level of a Michelin-starred chef, but it had something even more special—the taste of home. And of course, there was the oatmeal. He took one spoonful after another, finishing the entire bowl. *Meanwhile, Vera still hadn’t found her brother. Disappointment weighed heavily on her as she prepared to leave. But just then, her phone buzzed. An anonymous message. She tapped it open and stared at the image attached. It was a watch. Alone, a watch meant nothing. But this watch was her brother’s. Vera immediately zoomed in on the photo, carefully inspecting the engravings inside. There they were—his initials. No mistake. This was his watch. Below the image, a location pin was attached. The place was nearby. Vera’s eyes filled with determination. If she had found nothing, she would have simply left. But now, she had recei
When Yelena woke up again, she was shocked to find that she wasn’t at the club. She sat up abruptly, looking around in confusion. Then, she got out of bed, slipped on her slippers, and pushed the door open. “Where am I?” “At my place,” Hunter replied casually. He was working in the living room when he saw her wake up. “You slept for a long time. I couldn’t just leave you alone at the club, so I brought you back here.” Seeing the uncertainty on her face, he added, “It’s already late. Just stay here for the night. I’ll take you back tomorrow.” Yelena nodded. There was no other choice now. “There’s food in the fridge. If you’re hungry, heat something up. There are also snacks in the drawer—take whatever you want.” “Alright.” She really was hungry. She opened the drawer, grabbed a few small bread rolls, ate them quickly, and then went back to her room to rest. *The next morning, Yelena woke up early. Thinking about everything Hunter had done—treatin
Yelena quickly lowered her arm, letting her sleeve fall over the mark to cover it. “It’s nothing. Here’s your cocktail. Please enjoy.” “Yelena.” Hunter grabbed her wrist without warning. He pulled up her sleeve, revealing the deep, ugly scars on her arm. His brows knitted together instantly. “Who did this to you?” The force behind it was brutal—downright inhuman. Yelena remained silent. Who else could have done this besides Liam? But she had agreed to this. She had willingly accepted Hunter’s request and entered Liam’s world. She had no right to complain. Her silence gave Hunter all the confirmation he needed. “Liam did this to you, didn’t he?” Yelena nodded. “It’s nothing. The wounds have already started healing. They look worse than they feel. Give it some time, and they’ll fade.” “Wait here.” Hunter stood abruptly and walked away. Yelena had no idea what he was doing, but since he told her to wait, she didn’t argue. A few minu
Then again, it made sense. How could a normal person possibly empathize with a lunatic? If Yelena could understand Liam, that would make her just as twisted. *For the next few days, Yelena stayed home to recover. During that time, Liam came back a few times, bringing her flowers and food. Like a child showing off a treasure, he placed the food in front of her. “Yelena, these are your favorite honey crullers. I got them fresh from the bakery. Try them and see if you like them.” “I’m not really hungry.” She didn’t want to eat anything he gave her. She couldn’t even stand looking at him. But she had made a promise. So, she had to force herself to stay. Liam’s expression darkened. “Are you really not hungry, or do you just not want to eat what I give you?” For someone like him, once he had lost his temper once, the second time would only come faster and smoother. With a heavy thud, he slammed the honey crullers onto the table. “Yes, I hit y
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