"Thank you."Scott really didn’t want to say those words. He didn’t want to thank Nina, and he certainly didn’t want to hear her wishing him well. But what choice did he have? This was the best ending they could hope for."I have a schedule to keep. Once I return, if there’s a chance for us to work together, we can catch up," Nina said with a polite smile."Okay."Scott watched her walk away. He felt his heart tighten with every step she took, until the pain became a monstrous beast, consuming him completely. As it turned out, some people were better off never meeting again.……Nina returned to Nash’s side, where he had bought her a cup of milk tea. Not only that, he had also taken care of Orion and her father. Orion got fries and fried chicken, while her father had a cup of tea. This time, Nash had brought Quincy along as well. Quincy had never been to the Yaren Tribe, so it was a chance to see the place and stay up to date with business matters.Quincy, being the worka
Nina couldn’t resist teasing, "Once you’re married, you two should have kids soon. And when they’re born, you better let me spoil them!"Micah replied with a quick retort, "You’re not even in the Yaren Tribe anymore. Even Dad followed you to Birkham. How about you come back here? I’ll hire you for a high salary."He wasn’t just joking. Distance really was an issue. Though Nina had chosen to stay in Birkham, Micah secretly hoped she would stay in the Yaren Tribe. As her brother, he wanted to make up for lost time and ensure she was part of their lives.Nina understood the sincerity behind his words, but Nash, her adoptive parents and everything she had were in Birkham. She had no interest in managing the Yaren Tribe too.Smiling, she responded, "When Freya, my sister-in-law, has kids, I’ll come back to help take care of them."Though Micah had power and could easily hire someone to help after the baby was born, nothing beats having family close by.Freya’s eyes welled up with tear
Pharaoh's expression remained as stern as before. Nina hadn’t expected to hear such devastating news. How could she possibly offer comfort, or what could she say? This just wasn’t the right time.Micah hadn’t anticipated this outcome either. He had been reassuring Arin all along, but now there was nothing that could be done to save her. Micah felt a deep sense of guilt as he walked over to her bedside."I’m sorry. You risked your life to deliver critical information to me, and I couldn’t save you," he said, his voice heavy with remorse.Arin, lying on the bed and ravaged by the poison in her body, still managed to force a smile when she saw Micah approach."It’s nothing special. Even if I hadn’t told you, you would have found out eventually," she said. She did not want him to feel burdened by guilt. Everything she did was of her own free will.Micah’s heart felt as though it was being squeezed by an invisible hand. Arin was in this condition because of him. If there was nothing
"Freya, don't put too much pressure on yourself. I know you're going through a lot," Nina gently advised Freya.Freya quickly shook off her doubts, and the preparations for their wedding continued. Meanwhile, Micah used the distraction of the wedding festivities to lay a trap for those who had poisoned Arin.Micah was willing to show them mercy, but he had one condition. "If you want me to let you go, you must hand over the antidote for the poison you used."The wedding was grand and joyful, just as planned, and Micah's feigned happiness lured his enemies into a false sense of security. They became careless, thinking they had won. But when they finally made their move, Micah was ready, capturing them all.One of them sneered, "It’s been such a long time, and you have the most skilled poison expert, Pharaoh, by your side. Tell me, do you think there’s an antidote for that poison?"If the antidote existed, Pharaoh would have already saved Arin. Now, with only a few days left to live
This was Micah's most sincere yet helpless wish.He had hoped that his father would have a way to cure Arin's poisoning, but to his dismay, there was nothing his father could do. In the end, all he could do was watch as Arin faced death. Micah stayed by her side the entire night and eventually buried her himself.Freya didn't seek him out as she understood the pain he was in and was willing to wait. Life was full of regrets, after all. She embraced him without saying a word, knowing that silence spoke louder than words in this moment."Take a shower, get some rest. There are things we can't change, but we, the ones still living, need to keep moving forward. The Yaren Tribe needs us."She vowed to be the supportive partner Micah needed, to help him lead the Yaren Tribe to a better future.Micah parted his lips, wanting to speak, but he couldn’t find the right words. His throat felt tight, as though something was lodged in it, and his heart weighed heavy, like a giant stone pressing
Sean let out a furious scream. The pain in his chest was unbearable. The slave camps had thousands of people, and in the end, nothing came of it? And with all the Yaren Tribe’s medicinal resources, how could they fail to save his sister?In the end, wasn’t it just because they were afraid his sister’s feelings for Micah would interfere with him? Ashan clutched his chest, the pain unbearable. "You saved so many lives, ran countless experiments. Why wouldn’t you save my sister?"Fearing that Ashan, overwhelmed by grief, might do something rash, Micah stepped in front of the Pharaoh, his resolve unshaken. "I tried everything I could, but I couldn’t save her. That’s on me. If you want revenge, I’m willing to pay with my life."Micah’s gaze was steady and unwavering."No! You’re the leader of the Yaren Tribe now. If a life has to be taken, then take mine instead!" Freya exclaimed, rushing to shield Micah with her arms spread wide.She couldn’t bear to see him die, not after they ha
Sean remained stubborn, almost shouting, "I feel like it’s all because of my sister’s lower status that you didn’t want to save her!""I’m sorry. I was too obsessed before, trying to revive the dead, chasing some unattainable goal. In the end, I realized it was all just an illusion." Pharaoh sighed. "I know you're heartbroken over your sister’s death, but the Yaren Tribe must continue to move forward. I’m willing to let Micah hand those responsible over to you, and we’ll compensate you for the loss. Everything I said earlier still stands." He pressed his lips together and started walking toward Sean.Pharaoh had already steeled himself for whatever Sean might demand, whether it be a beating or even a life for a life. If that was the price, Pharaoh was ready to be the one to pay it. He wouldn’t resist, and he would make sure that Micah and Nina didn’t retaliate against Sean.Even though Pharaoh hadn’t said these words aloud, Nina and Micah understood him perfectly."Sean! We’re no
Sean had one thought in his mind which was to protect the Yaren Tribe and Micah. After all, both Micah and the tribe were what his sister had given her life to protect.On the day Sean left, Nina came to see him off. Sean didn’t want money, status, or any material things. The only thing Nina could give him was a protective charm she had personally blessed."Sean, life on the border will be tough. Please take good care of yourself. Even though your sister is gone, we will always be your family, and you’re welcome to come back anytime," Nina said with a gentle smile.Sean smiled back, but deep down, he knew that without his sister, the Yaren Tribe no longer felt like home. Even though Nina offered him such kindness, he understood that Nina and Micah had their own lives. He wasn’t a child anymore, and he was aware of that.With Sean gone, the chapter of Arin’s story closed as well. Nina, worried about Micah’s mental state, stayed in the Yaren Tribe for a while. Outwardly, Micah appe
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
Wilfred looked at Karina, but in the end, he didn’t say what was on his mind. “How much longer are you going to wrap it?” he asked. Karina snapped out of her thoughts and realized she had nearly mummified his hand in bandages. “Oh, sorry! You were talking to me earlier, and I got distracted. Let me undo some of this.” She carefully unwrapped a couple of outer layers, and the bandaging instantly looked much better. Still, Karina couldn’t help her worried expression. “How did you get hurt? Did you grab the knife directly earlier?” Adjusting the bandages to feel more comfortable, Wilfred replied casually, “No, it just grazed me.” Karina’s brows knit tightly together. She felt an urge to storm down to the police station and give the culprit a piece of her mind. At the same time, she couldn’t understand Wilfred’s calm demeanor. He acted as if being injured was no big deal, his expression unbothered, like this was just another ordinary day. She couldn’t hold back. “You
Without sparing the man another glance, Karina let out a breath of relief as the police quickly left, bringing an end to the chaotic ordeal. Just as she thought she could relax, Yvette appeared nearby, making exaggerated winks and smirks, her face practically screaming curiosity. “Do you have a twitch or something?” Karina asked, raising an eyebrow. Yvette rolled her eyes. “Twitch? Who taught you how to talk? And no, that’s not the point! Spill it—what’s going on with you and the director?” Karina blinked, confused. “What do you mean by what’s going on?” Yvette’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Are you serious? Just now! You two were like all hugged up together! Do you think we’re blind? We all saw it. If you say there’s nothing going on, even a ghost wouldn’t believe you!“I’m telling you, honesty is your best option. Spill the truth now, and our friendship might survive this,” Yvette teased with mock seriousness. Karina’s brain blanked out. Her face flushed bright red
As soon as the man’s attention shifted, Karina acted without hesitation. She lifted her leg and delivered a sharp kick straight to his groin. The man immediately let go, doubling over in pain. Karina didn’t waste a second. She bolted for the door, grabbing anything within reach—a patient file, a water glass—and hurling them at him as she ran, not even pausing to aim. His curses and shouts echoed behind her as she escaped. Just as she darted out the door, she collided with what felt like a wall of solid muscle. Before she could react, large hands gripped her shoulders, holding her firmly in place. Karina didn’t look up. In her panic, she assumed it was one of the man’s accomplices. Terrified, she yelled, “No! Get away from me!” She tried to repeat her earlier tactic, but this time her attempt was blocked. Her heart sank in despair—until a familiar voice came from above her. “Why are you so shaken up? Did someone hurt you?” Karina froze, then looked up and saw Wil
But Karina still felt embarrassed. Noticing this, Wilfred stopped what he was doing, sat back in the driver’s seat, and fixed his gaze on her. In the light, his usually dark eyes softened to a deep, rich brown. His stare made Karina fidget, her heart pounding in her chest. She was certain her face was already bright red. “What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?” Wilfred’s lips curved into a faint smile, so subtle it was almost imperceptible. “If you really want to thank me, hurry up and write a proper thesis.” Thud!Karina’s heart skipped a beat, and any trace of excitement crashed and burned.She was momentarily speechless. How could someone constantly bring up writing a thesis? Wasn’t that the least romantic thing he could say? She completely forgot how flustered she had been moments earlier, unable to even meet Wilfred’s eyes. *Once the lawyer was arranged, the next step was filing a lawsuit with the court. This was beyond Karina’s scope, so she left ev
The woman didn’t mind at all. She knew very well that most people wouldn’t get involved in something like this. Karina’s willingness to help came from her kindness. Even if things didn’t work out, the woman wouldn’t hold it against her. Karina, however, felt a sense of responsibility. After confirming the meeting time with Wilfred, she took the day off, postponing all her work to focus on the matter. When the time came, Wilfred drove to pick her up. *At the café, a man stood and offered his hand. “Hello, Ms. Norman. I’m Attorney Jenkins from Birkham Law Firm. You can call me Jenkins.”Karina shook his hand with a polite smile. “Thank you, Mr. Jenkins. I appreciate you coming all the way from Birkham.”“It’s no trouble. I happened to be in Atlantis for another matter. Besides, when a friend asks for a favor, it’s not something I can refuse.” After a bit of small talk, the group sat down, and the conversation shifted to the case. Since Mr. Jenkins had only been give
“Dr. Norman… my life is so miserable. If I had known it would come to this, I’d rather have died than gotten married. What do I do now? If it were just me, I’d leave everything behind and disappear. But my daughter is only eight years old—she’s still so little,” the woman sobbed. Karina hesitated for a moment. “You do need to consider her…” Suddenly, she thought of Wilfred. Among her own connections, she didn’t know anyone in the legal field. But Wilfred might. Still, since she hadn’t asked him yet, she couldn’t promise anything. For now, she focused on calming both the mother and the child. The little girl was surprisingly mature for her age. At just eight years old and barely into elementary school, she didn’t fully understand the situation or what had been done to her. In her own innocent words, she said, “Daddy just played a little game with me. He said if I didn’t cry, I’d get a reward.” Even so, she understood that her mother was upset because of her. “Mommy,
After leaving the room, Karina quickly patted her cheeks, trying to calm herself down. At the very least, she couldn’t let anyone notice anything was off. “Dr. Norman?” someone called from behind her. She turned to see a woman she recognized as the family member of a former patient. Noticing the child in the woman’s arms, Karina’s expression immediately softened with concern. After a brief exchange, Karina learned that the child’s condition had flared up again. She led them back to her office and conducted a thorough examination. Five minutes later, she reviewed the results with a slight frown. “Her stomach and intestines seem fine. Can you tell me where exactly she’s feeling discomfort?” Karina asked, assuming the mother may have misunderstood or misspoken. But the woman hesitated, stammering nervously. Sensing something deeper was going on, Karina softened her tone. “It’s okay. This is a hospital—we’re here to help. There’s no need to hide anything. Just tell me wha
But Wilfred wouldn’t bother explaining. In fact, he thought it was better to let the misunderstanding linger. The nurse glanced at Karina, then back at Wilfred, her face twisting with humiliation before she turned and fled the room. Karina instinctively stepped aside, avoiding a collision. “For a moment there… I thought I was interrupting something,” she hesitated, her tone uncertain. She couldn’t deny the relief she felt after Wilfred’s firm stance. The suffocating feeling, like someone gripping her throat, had finally dissipated. Her breathing steadied, though a lingering bitterness remained in her chest. She couldn’t help but wonder why the nurse had acted that way. Wilfred looked at her briefly and explained, “I don’t know her. She knocked and let herself in. And not long after, you walked in.” Karina’s expression softened significantly. “Maybe it has something to do with the rumors going around the hospital recently.” Wilfred frowned. Though he said nothi