"Well, Nina is already here," Ivy said, secretly clenching her hands in frustration, but she had to press on. If Nina did not die, keeping her around was a disaster waiting to happen.Seth gave Ivy a cold glance. "I have my own plans for this. You don't need to remind me over and over. Go back and do what you're supposed to do.""Yes."Ivy lowered her head and followed Seth's orders....On Nash's end, he was meticulously planning.He could not launch an attack under his own name. Although he had managed to infiltrate once, he could not just leave Nina alone inside the Yaren tribe. He had also tried contacting Wilfred, but there had been no response.When he called Wilfred's number, a robotic female voice informed him, "The number you have dialed is currently switched off. Please try again later..."It was unrealistic to think that Wilfred would not respond at such a critical moment.Nash immediately instructed Felix, "Find the exact location of this number."Wilfred would su
The Pharaoh spoke coldly, "Are you planning to rebel against me for Nina?""Your affairs are none of my concern, and you don't need to interfere with mine. If you have the time to lecture me, why don't you go deal with your most loyal subordinates instead?"Seth was one, and Mr. Kerr was another.Just as Micah turned to leave, the Pharaoh called out to him, "Do you know that Nash is looking for you? In the name of Birkham?"Micah paused.He knew Nash was looking for him, but he hadn't expected Nash to go to such lengths for Nina.When Micah didn't respond, the Pharaoh continued, "I don't want to go to war with Birkham."Going to war with Birkham would be a death sentence.Birkham today wasn't the same as it was a hundred years ago. This was why Birkham soldiers could maintain peace here without getting hurt. Many countries in the region respected Birkham.Micah's lips curved into a smile. "Don't you love war and power?"The Pharaoh's voice was cold and sharp. "I don't want to
She realized she needed to get closer to Micah. However, ever since meeting Ivy, she hadn't seen Micah or even Mr. Joker. As she debated whether to seek Micah through other means, he appeared in front of her as if he could read her mind.Upon seeing her, Micah smiled slightly and asked, "It looks like you were looking for me?""Yes," Nina admitted without hesitation.She took two steps closer to him and said frankly, "I've thought things through. I want to contact Nash."Her eyes were filled with determination, and even under Micah's intense gaze, she didn't waver.Micah said, "Nash contacted me. He said Wilfred is already in the Yaren tribe."Nina was taken aback. Wilfred was already here, and Nash had been in contact with him. Was Wilfred here because of her? Nina felt a heaviness in her chest.If that were true, how important was she to Wilfred?Wilfred had been so good to her. Was it because she was Ivy?Nina's breathing became rapid, and her heart raced.Wilfred had
Micah didn't say anything. A few seconds later, he handed a phone to Nina."No passcode needed," he said, then stood up and left.The phone in Nina's hand felt incredibly heavy. She couldn't quite describe her feelings, but the opportunity to contact Nash was something she couldn't pass up. She had memorized Nash's number by heart.Soon, she heard Nash's voice on the other end."Have you found Wilfred?" Nash assumed it was Micah.To his surprise, it was Nina's voice that answered, "Have you been in touch with Wilfred?""Yes," Nash replied, astonished but relieved to hear Nina's voice. She sounded strong, not injured.But he wasn't completely reassured.Nina spoke slowly, "I have some ideas, things that work from the inside out."As she spoke, she kept an eye on her surroundings. Micah was not in her line of sight, and Nash's voice sounded in her ear, "Nina, don't act impulsively. This isn't something you should handle. Regarding the Yaren tribe, I've already submitted a reques
Nina remained silent, but she deeply realized that some things and some people were far more complicated than they seemed.Micah spoke softly, "I advise you not to entertain any other ideas. I have something to attend to tonight. If you need anything, contact Joker."Nina still didn't respond. She felt groggy, her mind swirling with Micah's words and fragments of past memories.Unexpectedly, in the middle of the night, someone covered her mouth. Nina tried to struggle, but the person was too strong and she was no match....Meanwhile, Nash was abruptly awakened."Captain, did you dream about Miss Nina?" James had just walked in and saw Nash's sudden movement.Nash was sweating profusely. He didn't respond, but his silence confirmed it.Nash couldn't wait any longer. He told James, "You take care of the unit. Report anything to the higher-ups. If they want to discipline me, I'll accept it."He wasn't afraid of punishment. He feared for Nina's life.James knew he couldn't sto
That evening, Ivy also sought out Micah. During the banquet to reward the Yaren tribe subordinates, Ivy offered Micah a drink. After he drank it, he immediately began coughing up blood.Ivy's face turned pale with shock. "Brother! What's happening to you?"Micah squinted at Ivy, scanning the crowd as he did so. Everyone looked worried, but the poison in this drink had to have come from someone close to him.Grabbing Ivy's wrist, a cold smile crossed Micah's lips. "What do you think?""Brother, I'm innocent! You're my brother. I would never harm you," Ivy said, her face full of innocence.The Pharaoh also stepped forward. "Micah, you can suspect anyone, but Ivy is your sister.""Is she?" Micah took a step towards the Pharaoh, but before he could say more, he collapsed backward. Ivy caught him.Micah tried to push her away, but his eyelids grew too heavy to keep open. Eventually, he lost consciousness.Micah was carried away, and the Pharaoh ended the evening's banquet.Ivy stay
Micah's lips curled into a deep, mocking smile. "Bring them into the trap."Mr. Joker didn't say anything, but he understood Micah's intention perfectly....Nash once again approached the vicinity of the Yaren tribe. He had changed his appearance, using the same old tricks.However, before he could infiltrate the Yaren tribe, a call from a Yaren tribe number came to his phone. Remembering that Nina had used Micah's phone to call him, he quickly answered."Are you looking for Nina?" A woman's voice asked.The fact that someone from the Yaren tribe knew his number so well led Nash to intuitively suspect it was Micah's sister, Ivy.Nash's expression darkened. "What are you two up to?""That's none of your business. If you want to get Nina back, you'll do as I say." Ivy's voice was tinged with satisfaction and calculation.She was confident Nash would agree for Nina's sake.To her surprise, Nash hung up the phone without a word.The only person he had negotiated with was Micah.
Over the past few days, he had endured all the experiments. As a healer and the Pharaoh's most successful test subject, he had developed a resistance to Seth's experiments.Seizing the moment when one of Seth's men approached to give him an injection, Wilfred fought back. He grabbed the syringe and plunged it into the man's neck.ThenâWilfred dragged the man under the table, stripped off his protective suit, and quickly put on a mask. Then, he threw the body into the container, creating the illusion that he was still inside.Wilfred's deepest memories were in the lab, and he knew the place inside out. As he moved cautiously through the lab, he suddenly spotted Nina not far away!Panic surged through him, and he rushed over in a few quick steps. "Ivy," he called.Hearing the familiar voice, Nina looked up sharply. She could not see Wilfredâs face, but she recognized his amber-like eyes.Nina was shocked. "Wilfred, you... you came here?"She hadn't expected Wilfred to be in the
But instead of feeling touched, Veraâs first reaction was nausea. A wave of discomfort surged up from her stomach, and Veraâs face paled. She bolted for the bathroom. Caleb followed quickly. âAre you feeling sick?â âI donât think so. Iâve been eating normallyânothing too heavy or weird lately.â 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. âWhen did you buy that?â He responded matter-of-factly, âBetter safe than sorry.â 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 composedâat le
Of course, Vera wasnât about to dump all her responsibilities on her assistant. That would be exploitation. She called her assistant into her office. âYouâre twenty-five this year, right?â Her assistant blinked, confused. Wasnât 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. âMiss Vera, Iâm still young. Iâm not thinking about marriage anytime soon.â Vera tapped her pen against the desk. âIâm not telling you to get married.â âOh.â âI just want to offload some of the smaller daily tasks to you. You donât have to run every minor document by me.âHer 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. âIf I donât have time to handle everything, you guys will take care of it. If somethingâs 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 hadnât experienced it firsthand didnât mean she hadnât seen it happen to others. Without hesitation, she abandoned the half-folded pastry in her hands. âI... uh, need to use the restroom.â Before she could escape, Mrs. Smith caught her wrist. âYou and Caleb arenât getting any younger,â she said matter-of-factly. âYou should start thinking about kidsâmake sure youâre putting in the effort, hmm?â 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. âThatâs your house. This is the home Iâm giving you as a weddi
That undeniable possessiveness flickered in Calebâs gazeâsubtle 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. âMr. Smith, lift your eyes toward the camera.â Calebâs 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. âHow long until we get the final prints?â she asked. âTwo to three days at most,â the photographer replied. âIâll have them shipped directly to you.â Then, after a slight pause, he hesitated before making a request. âI actually have a personal favor to askâwould you both be open to letting us displa
Vera was tempted. They had already taken plenty of wedding photosâseveral sets at the island, more at the wedding itself. But this wasnât 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 wasnât sure what kind of shoot she wanted. The photographer, understanding her hesitation, pulled out a sample album. âYou can take a look at our past work. These are some of the styles weâve done.â Flipping through the pages, Vera saw an array of stunning conceptsâeach 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. âCa
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 wasnât disappointed would be a lie. Her assistant picked up on it. âMrs. Smith, donât you want to go on a honeymoon?â she asked one day. âOne of my friends just got married, and sheâs been obsessively researching destinations. âShe even said a marriage without a honeymoon is already half a failure.â Vera froze mid-page, suddenly losing interest in the documents she had been reviewing. Her assistant hesitated, then offered a suggestion. âWhy donât you go visit Dr. Smith at work?âYou seem⌠distracted. Maybe seeing him will help.â 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 oftenâespecially after coming hom
Whenever they did this in the past, Caleb always maintained some restraint. But tonightâhe didnât 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 nightâs intoxicating pleasure. As expected, she ended up taking the day off. It wasnât 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. âCongratulations, Mrs. Smith!â âNewlywed bliss, huh?â âThree whole days off? Someone had a good time.â It didnât take a genius to figure out what she had been up to. Obviously, her married life was going exceptionally wellâso well that she had completely abandoned work for it. Under the weight of their mischievous stares, Vera barely k
Yelena still hadnât accepted Hunter, but he wasnât giving up either and was relentlessly closing in on her. Knowing Yelenaâs soft heart, Vera figured it was only a matter of time before she gave in. She let out a sigh. Her friendâs love life wasnât something she could interfere with. Besides, Caleb had already given her a little inside scoop. âShe came to the hospital for a follow-up a few days ago,â he had mentioned casually. âHunter was the one who brought her.â 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 hotelâif not better. Even the wine cellar remained untouched, stocked with years-
âDid you plan this from the start?â Vera narrowed her eyes, feeling like she had just walked into a carefully laid trap. âMm.â Caleb smiled, then leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. Because yesâhe had always been planning this. The biggest change in Veraâs life after the island proposal was the ring now sitting on her finger. It wasnât 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 Calebâs parents heard that their son had finally proposed, they wasted no time pushing them to get the marriage license. *One day, Vera overheard Calebâs mother lecturing him. âYour dad and I werenât expecting much from you. With how much ti