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
Though Freya was heartbroken, she still cared about Micah and chose to leave quietly. She knew that if he saw her lingering outside his door, he would be upset, and she did not want to cause him any distress. But she did not leave the matter entirely alone. Instead, she went to see Pharaoh. Noticing her red, swollen eyes, Pharaoh understood immediately. "If Micah bullied you, I can teach him a lesson," he offered. He was implying that if it was about anything else, it was out of his hands.Pharaoh had reached his current position through years of experience. He knew Freya had always been by Micah's side, and it was clear to him how she felt about Micah. But matters of the heart could not be forced, especially with someone as strong-willed as Micah.Freya had not expected Pharaoh to be so blunt. She took a deep breath and said softly, "Pharaoh, can't you help me? I really love him... He doesn't have anyone else in his life. I promise, I'll stay by his side and support him always."
Leonard, a cheerful and outgoing young man, worked skillfully at the machine while apologizing profusely. “Sorry about this. I don’t know what’s up with this machine today. It’s being a bit temperamental. I hope it’s not causing too much trouble for you.”Karina smiled back warmly. “It’s no problem at all.”As Leonard glanced up at Karina and Wilfred, he couldn’t help but comment, “You two look great together! Are you on a date?”Karina’s cheeks flushed slightly, and she opened her mouth to clarify, but Wilfred cut in first. “Thank you. It’s a rare day off, so I thought I’d take her out to relax.”Startled, Karina glanced at him in surprise, but the unexpected sweetness of his words brought a quiet warmth to her heart.Leonard grinned knowingly. “This movie’s been super popular lately. Lots of couples have been coming to watch it. You’re lucky to have snagged tickets—later in the day, it’s almost impossible to get seats.”Wilfred nodded politely. “Is that so? Then I suppose we’re
Karina couldn’t reconcile the composed, confident, and highly skilled Wilfred she knew with the idea of him as a slave. Her lips trembled as though she wanted to say something, but the words wouldn’t come. Wilfred noticed the shock in her expression and let out a faint, bitter smile before continuing. “In that dark, endless hell, I was subjected to all kinds of drug experiments every day. My body and mind were pushed to the brink, treated as nothing more than a tool. My life and death were entirely in their hands.” A sharp pang shot through Karina’s chest as she listened. She couldn’t begin to imagine the suffering Wilfred had endured. “How did you escape?” she managed to ask, her voice barely above a whisper. Wilfred’s gaze grew distant, his eyes clouded with memories. “There was a rare moment of carelessness during a transfer. I seized the opportunity with everything I had left and escaped. After that, I hid my identity, pouring all my effort into studying medici
Instead of heading out to eat, Wilfred decided to head home. It was the weekend, and with Mrs. Santos off-duty, they could cook for themselves. The fridge had just enough ingredients left for a proper meal. Karina pulled out an unopened carton of cream and called toward the living room, “Do you like cream of mushroom soup?” A response came from Wilfred, and with his approval, she got to work preparing the ingredients. The dishes she planned weren’t particularly complicated, so in no time, the table was filled with food. After all the bustling in the kitchen, Karina almost forgot the reason she had come in the first place. But seeing Wilfred pick up his utensils brought her back to her thoughts. “I wanted to ask you about your sleepwalking last night. Mrs. Santos said it happens often,” she said, her tone filled with concern. Karina had known Wilfred for quite a while now, and their relationship was fairly close. Yet she had never heard about his sleepwalking, not from hi
Yvette’s expression lit up with the thrill of gossip. “Who are we talking about? Is it Dr. Wilfred?” “It’s about a friend,” Karina lied smoothly, her face betraying nothing. Yvette’s face immediately screamed, “Yeah, right.”“Come on, at least come up with a better excuse. That ‘it’s for a friend’ line is so overused it’s practically expired,” she teased, before shifting gears. “Alright, spill the details. And don’t leave anything out. I want to know everything. Not just for gossip but to help you figure things out.” With no other choice, Karina recounted Wilfred’s hot-and-cold behavior toward her. After hearing the story, Yvette leaned back with a sharp hiss, as if processing something heavy. “I think your, uh, friend’s boyfriend might just have something he’s keeping to himself. Maybe there’s a reason he doesn’t want her to know.” Karina’s brows furrowed slightly. “Think about it,” Yvette continued. “If he really didn’t care, would he have been so quick to catch he
Karina stood, but as she took a step, her foot caught on something, and she nearly fell. Before she could hit the ground, Wilfred caught her. The unexpected gesture left Karina more confused than ever. If he was so cold and distant moments ago, why would he help her like this? She wasn’t the only one caught off guard. Wilfred himself was surprised by his reaction. It had been pure instinct. The moment he saw her about to fall, he moved to catch her without a second thought. It was as if his heart acted faster than his words ever could. Before she could ask anything, Wilfred released her quickly, his demeanor detached once more, as if trying to explain away his actions. “Regardless, thank you for earlier.” He hesitated briefly before adding, “Do you have a way to get home? I can drive you if it’s inconvenient.” The warmth Karina felt moments ago instantly turned cold. She forced a bitter smile. “No need. I’ll get home on my own.” She laughed at herself inwardly, a s
Mrs. Santos glanced upstairs. “Mr. Wilfred went straight to bed after coming home, but I noticed he’s having nightmares again. Honestly, I think you should—"Before she could finish, Karina rushed past her, ignoring the protest.Mrs. Santos tried to stop her, but it was no use. Karina sprinted up the stairs and pushed open the bedroom door, her heart clenching at the sight before her. Wilfred, who was usually so composed and aloof, lay on the bed, visibly distressed. His eyes were tightly shut, his face drenched in sweat, and his lips were pressed together so hard they were turning pale. Karina knelt by the bed, gently taking one of his hands in hers. It was so cold that it sent a chill through her. “Wilfred, can you hear me? It’s Karina. I’m here. Wake up,” she urged softly. But he didn’t respond. Karina took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. She placed her palm against his cheek and spoke in a soothing tone. “It’s just a nightmare. That’s all it is. Wake up
Still, as long as she could see the smiles on the faces of patients and their families, it all felt worth it. But when Karina went to the director’s office, it was empty. The quiet room seemed to carry traces of Wilfred’s presence, leaving her momentarily dazed. “Where could he have gone?” she wondered.Just then, someone passing by said, “Are you looking for Dr. Wilfred? I just saw him change clothes and leave. He might have gone home. It’s already past office hours.” Karina glanced outside at the darkening sky and nodded in realization. But something still didn’t sit right. Not to mention, Wilfred always let her know when he was leaving work. Most days, he would even drive her home. If he wanted to go back on his own today, wouldn’t he at least say something? Shaking her head, she gave her cheeks a hard slap—hard enough to make them sting. “What are you even thinking, Karina? Who are you to him, anyway? He doesn’t owe you an explanation for leaving.” Talking hersel
By now, everyone had fully recognized Wilfred’s skills. In fact, when trouble arose, he was the first person they turned to for a solution. With Wilfred around, everyone felt much more reassured.On the way to the operating room, Karina trailed behind him, her gaze fixed on his back. She clenched her fists silently. She had always thought she had made progress, but moments like this reminded her she still wasn’t good enough and still couldn’t quite match his level. She resolved to work even harder and live up to the expectations he had for her. *Karina entered the operating room and prepared to take the lead. When the assisting nurses and doctors inside saw that the surgeon had suddenly changed, they were visibly surprised. But in the sterile silence of the operating room, and with their faces hidden behind masks, no one spoke out loud. Instead, they quietly worried in their hearts. Wilfred found a seat nearby, observing silently. Karina stayed focused, pouring a
With about two hours left before the surgery, Karina focused intently on reviewing the patient’s information. She had never taken over a major surgery at the last minute before, and she didn’t want to waste a single second. Wilfred didn’t remain idle either. Leaning forward slightly, he pointed to the patient file with a steady hand. “This patient has coronary artery disease, along with several other complications causing vascular blockages. When he arrived at the hospital, he had already lost consciousness.” He continued in a calm, soothing tone, like the gentle flow of a stream. “Since the patient is over fifty, you’ll need to be particularly mindful during the procedure…” His steady voice eased Karina’s anxiety, giving her a sense of calm she desperately needed. When a knock at the door interrupted them, signaling it was time to head to the operating room, Karina felt more composed. Just as she stood, Wilfred rose with her. “I’ll go with you,” he said. “Having me ther