Chapter 11

It fell into the gap between the table and the corner of the wall. Moon did not notice.After reheating the food, Moon and Yara ate until they were full.The wound on Yara’s forehead was not completely healed. Moon cleaned it and put some ointment on it. Then, she sent her to bed early.Yara held her hand and asked for a bedtime story.“Mom, Dad tells me a story every night. I can’t sleep without it.”Moon had no choice. She took out a storybook and sat by the bed to read to her.She did not know how much time had passed before the hand holding her sleeve finally relaxed.Moon let out a sigh of relief.Once she was sure Yara was asleep, she carefully tucked her in. Then, she quietly went back to her own room.Lying in bed, Moon felt thirsty and worn out. Nathan had always handled almost everything at home for Yara, including bedtime.She had never realized that Yara took such a long time to fall asleep.Fatigue hit her quickly. Moon fell into a deep sleep.The next morning,

Chapter 12

Bang!Moon kicked the door open. Her eyes burned as she glared at the smug man in front of her. “Xavier, I can’t believe you’re so cruel and heartless!”Xavier had been talking with a colleague. He did not expect Moon to storm in.His face turned pale. Panic ran through him, but he tried to stay calm. “Moon, you heard wrong! I was just joking! How could I ever do something like that?”“It was you!”Tears filled Yara’s eyes. She pointed at him in anger. “If you hadn’t taken me away from Dad last time, I wouldn’t have fallen and hit my head.“I was worried Mom would blame you for what happened, so I blamed Dad! I didn’t know you did it on purpose! You’re a terrible person!”Even though Yara’s heart was already leaning toward Nathan, she believed Xavier cared about her.She realized it had all been a lie.Moon clenched her fists until her knuckles went white. Her eyes were dark and fierce as she gritted her teeth. “So, it was you! You’re the one who hurt Yara!“Xavier, I

Chapter 13

Yara’s words hit Moon’s heart like a hammer.‘A paper? Divorce?’ she thought.Had she actually signed the divorce papers?Moon remembered that day. She had been in her study handling official business when Yara handed her a document and told her to sign it.She thought it was a school form that needed a parent’s signature, so she signed it without even looking.She never imagined they were divorce papers.That meant that as soon as Nathan signed it, he could easily get the divorce certificate.His disappearance over the past few days was not because of momentary anger. He had decided to leave the family and abandon them.Seeing Moon’s shocked face, Yara grew more anxious.“Mom, I know I was wrong. I don’t want Dad to leave. Can you please find him?”Moon looked at her daughter, who was crying uncontrollably, and felt guilty.If she had kept her distance from Xavier, Yara would not have been fooled into getting close to him. Then, Nathan would not have felt disappointed and l

Chapter 14

Three years later, in the South Sea, Gourd Island, Nathan and his team stepped off the helicopter.As soon as his feet touched the ground, a little boy grabbed his leg. “Dad, I didn’t cry on the plane. I was really brave! Don’t you think I deserve a reward?”Nathan sighed but lifted Nigel Johnson into his arms. He pinched his nose affectionately. “Alright, Nigel. You’re a brave little man. What reward do you want?”Nigel pretended to think, then his eyes lit up. “How about this? I don’t want to trouble you too much. Just make my favorite honey-glazed ribs.”Nathan smiled at Nigel’s cleverness.Nigel had loved Nathan’s cooking for the past three years. He had been steadily gaining weight.To keep him healthy, Nathan had started making low-fat, low-sodium meals.He had not let Nigel eat honey-glazed ribs in a long time.Nigel had clearly been craving them, but he tried to make it sound like he was being considerate.Nathan lightly tapped the top of his head. “You clever

Chapter 15

Moon and Yara could not believe their eyes. They were seeing the man they had missed for three years.Yara was still young and could not stay calm. She saw Nathan, and her eyes filled with tears as she ran toward him. “Dad, I missed you so much!”Nathan let out a quiet sigh. He had not expected such a coincidence. The island where the training was taking place was exactly where Moon was stationed.Just as Yara was about to throw herself into his arms, Nathan pulled Nigel to the side and stepped away.Yara stared at him in shock. She looked hurt. “Dad, why did you move away? Don’t you miss me?”Nathan did not want Nigel to get involved in these matters. He crouched down and spoke to him softly. “Nigel, I have something I need to take care of. Can you go back with your mom for now?”Nigel cared about Nathan’s injury, but he always listened to him. He nodded.Anna did not say anything. She picked up Nigel, looked at Moon and Yara, and said, “I’ll wait for you to come back.”

Chapter 16

With that, Nathan turned and walked away. A tall figure and a small one were left standing there all alone.Yara clutched Moon’s hand. Her voice was full of sadness. “Mom, does Dad really not want us anymore?”Moon’s lips pursed, but she could not say anything. She wanted to tell Yara that Nathan would never abandon them, but her throat felt dry, and no words came out.To avoid seeing Moon and Yara again, Nathan spent each day only between the dorm and the training field. Even though he often felt two eyes on him during training, he acted as if he did not notice.On the day of the official exercise, Nathan walked out of the dorm in his blue uniform with a helmet in his left hand. This exercise was more than a routine drill. It was the moment for their superiors to test the results of three years of training. He was determined to perform at his very best.As Nathan stepped out of the dorm, he saw Moon and Yara waiting nearby.He kept his eyes forward and tried to walk