As more people voiced their discontent, Pharaoh remained silent, his expression stern.At that moment, Micah stepped forward. "The position of Yaren Tribe leader has always been hereditary. If any of you think you can be the leader, then show us your true capabilities."His sharp, cold eyes scanned the crowd.In such a short time, there was no chance for any significant change to happen."What true capabilities does this lady have?""And the man beside her, wasn’t he a soldier in Birkham? And didn’t Salterra send an envoy looking for him? Now, he’s working for Salterra!""Keeping someone like him in our tribe is a threat to our survival!""No, we can’t let them stay!"......Micah’s voice boomed with authority, "I’m the leader now. If I decide someone stays, they stay. If you have a problem with that, you’re free to leave."There were many in the tribe. Even if some left, there were always others to train. In any case, Micah would not allow anyone to speak ill of Nina. Her st
And this decision was one she and Nash had made together. Seeing the determination and confidence in Nina's eyes, Micah knew there was no point in trying to persuade her otherwise.However, he was determined to provide her with all the support she needed. In a hoarse voice, he said, "Nina, you're always welcome here. If you ever feel like managing the tribe, the position of leader is yours."And if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to call me. I'll be there to help you immediately."Nash had the financial resources, and Nina had her own savings. Power? The influence of the York family was still strong. Even though she had transferred her shares to Aunt Zoe before leaving, Aunt Zoe never accepted them. Everything was still under Nina's name. Once they returned, she would restore everything to its rightful place. With Nash's business acumen, he could easily rebuild a commercial empire. They would not lack for anything in terms of material wealth or living conditions.Micah
Leaving Orion here was nothing but beneficial."I understand your thoughts. You believe that keeping the child with you will convince Dominic that you're genuinely unguarded. But remember, there's always a bigger fish," Pharaoh said quietly, his voice full of concern. "Don't forget, he's the president of Salterra. He wouldn't have gotten to where he is without being formidable."Nina fell silent, realizing she had overlooked that fact."So, we'll leave Orion here for now, and Nash and I will go ahead.""If all goes well, you can come back to get him. Nina, I just want to make up for everything I owe you. Even if it costs me my life, I won't let anything happen to him," Pharaoh said, his voice husky and resolute.Nina's breath caught in her throat. She had seen the lengths Pharaoh had gone to for Orion."Father..." she whispered, reaching out to embrace him.Pharaoh patted her shoulder gently. "Child, staying here with the Yaren Tribe would be the best choice for you. But I know
"And... Daddy!" Parting was already emotional. However, hearing Orion say that made it feel as though someone was carving into Nina and Nash's hearts with a sharp knife, one slow cut at a time. "We will. We’ll come back together to get you," they promised in unison. Their voices were thick with emotion, as if something was lodged in their throats, making it impossible to swallow the pain. But they had no choice. They could only keep moving forward without looking back.Orion watched them leave, not shedding a single tear. Pharaoh knelt beside Orion, speaking to him with patience. "What do you want to do, grandson? Do you want to go out and play, or would you like to start school?"At five years old, children in the Yaren Tribe were usually finishing their last year of kindergarten and preparing to enter the first grade. But because of his health, Orion had not had the chance to attend school. Like most kids, he longed for playmates and the experience of school.Looking up at
When interacting with strangers, Orion was particularly quiet, and in this case, he did not say a word. Seeing his silence, the other kids began to sneer, "If you can't talk, why are you even here to learn? I think you should be in a school for disabled kids!""Exactly!"These kids were brought in with the expectation of making a new friend, but instead, they found someone who would not talk. Feeling frustrated, they started to ridicule him, assuming he was mute. Orion, though he disliked talking, was not mute or incapable. He glared at them and said firmly, "Apologize!"Just as the kids were about to mock him further, they noticed Micah striding over with a serious expression."Mr. Micah!" they all called out in unison.Orion looked at Micah, his gaze softening though he remained silent. Micah nodded, crouching down to place a hand gently on Orion’s head. "Orion, how are you feeling?"One of the boys, dressed in a white t-shirt with tanned skin, pointed at Orion and said,
Micah picked up Orion and walked away with him.......Meanwhile, Nina and Nash's flight ran into trouble, forcing them to land and leaving them stranded at the airport. Everything was unfolding exactly as they had anticipated.Dominic had made his move.He arranged his men to capturer Nina and Nash. Everything was going according to their plan. After being forced off the plane and rerouted to Salterra, they finally came face-to-face with Dominic.Dominic tried to separate them, but Nash held Nina's hand tightly, refusing to let go. In the end, they were both brought before Dominic together."You claim to care about him so much, yet you're willing to ignore the poison still in his body?" Dominic said, his hands clasped behind his back, addressing Nina with cold disdain. He clearly did not like her and made no effort to hide it.A faint trace of sarcasm played on Nina's lips. "You were the one who sought him out in the first place. Instead of making amends, you poisoned him. On
Now, his image on the international stage has plummeted, with the forums filled with nothing but scorn for him. Especially since his face was clearly captured in the footage."It's you..." Dominic's eyes burned with rage. He had only one thought which was to kill Nina. She was the cause of all this chaos. Without her, Nash would never have defied him so repeatedly.But with everything being livestreamed, he could not act against her now.Facing Dominic's accusations, Nina stood her ground without fear or hesitation. "Yes, it was me. You've pushed us too far. We just want to live in peace, but you won’t allow it."Don't think we don’t know that you kept Orion close, refusing to fully heal him, just so you could use him to control Nash."Nash had not contacted her for five years. At first, it was because he was severely injured and in a coma. Later, he made his own decisions, wanting to wait until everything was settled so they could live peacefully as a family. But things did n
Nina knew one thing for sure. This time, Dominic would not come after them again. But while Dominic might let them go, Remi certainly wouldn’t.Remi rushed up to Nash, blocking their path. "Nash, you’re taking her away, but did you even ask me? I’m your fiancée. I won’t allow it!""That was arranged by Dominic, not by me. Nina is my wife. You should move on and find someone else." Nash’s tone was calm but firm as he rejected her.With that, he wrapped his arm around Nina and continued walking.Remi wanted to follow, but a sharp voice stopped her in her tracks, "Remi, stay where you are!"Remi had no choice but to stop in her tracks, but she knew that in this world, secrets never stay hidden. She was determined to have Nash, no matter what. She would not let this go unpunished. The humiliation she suffered because of him, especially in front of so many people, demanded retribution. She needed to get back at him and restore her pride. Remi would make sure of it and she was not
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