Katina frowned and stepped closer, her eyes full of concern. “Uh… what happened?” She could see that Gerald looked completely surprised, as if something unexpected had just hit him hard. Gerald gulped and forced a calm expression. “Give me a moment.” He quickly moved away from the group to a quieter corner of the warehouse where the noise of the soldiers and survivors could not reach him so easily. Once he was alone, he spoke under his breath so no one else could hear. “What are you talking about, protecting the settlement? For what?” The system’s cold mechanical voice answered inside his mind. {Commander James is not here only for the reason he claimed. He has a hidden agenda. Your new mission is to discover that agenda and protect the people of the settlement.} Gerald’s eyes narrowed as he processed the words. “Ohh… I thought as much. Everything looked suspicious from the start.” He paused for a second, then asked the system directly, “Why didn’t you just tell me what the hidde

The next morning, everyone woke up unaware of what had happened during the night. The soldiers went about their usual routines, some preparing food while others checked the surroundings and gathered equipment. There was no sign that anything unusual had happened, and to most of them, it seemed like another ordinary morning in the facility.Not long after, James arrived with several of his men. His expression was calm, almost friendly, as he walked into the main area where Gerald, Katina, Marcus, and the others were gathered. Katina was there with the others, but the moment she saw James, her face tightened.“Good morning, everyone,” James greeted them with a smile. “I hope you all slept well.”Katina frowned and said nothing. She simply looked away from him, refusing to return his greeting, and that small gesture was enough to make James suspicious.His smile slowly disappeared as he studied her face. He immediately understood that something had changed, and although Katina had not sa

Tracy sat in the car, exhausted and parched, the dust in the air making her extremely uncomfortable. She coughed incessantly, never feeling so disheveled before, yet at the same time, she felt broken. She wanted to wait, to look for Charles, but there were some journalists outside taking photos and documenting the fire, and she was worried they would recognize her.She was a well-known CEO, and she feared that people might take pictures or ask why she was there...questions that would force her to reveal her relationship with Charles, something she wasn’t ready to expose.“Charles… What are you seriously pulling? Ugh, you better come out now,” she muttered, still scanning the area from her vehicle.She didn’t notice when a tear fell from her eye. She sniffled quickly and wiped it away.“What the hell’s wrong with me? The debris must have gotten in my eyes,” she said, rubbing at them, though she could hear her heart pounding fiercely in her chest.A moment ago, she had pulled back a wh

“No way… this can’t be happening,” she muttered under her breath.“Charles, you think I can’t see through your act? You’re just holding out, waiting for me to give in. Well, I will never back down.” Shaken by his determination, she climbed into her car.Tears pricked her eyes as she slammed her fist against the steering wheel. “Charles, I gave you a chance today, and you threw it away,” she hissed, her voice trembling with anger.“Fine. I will make you regret every decision you’ve made.” Her tears glistened but refused to fall.She sat for a moment, steadying her breath until her cool, composed demeanor returned. After a brief pause, she pulled out her phone and dialed Derek. The call connected almost instantly.“Tracy? Wow, what a surprise! What’s going on?” Derek’s voice was warm, brimming with excitement.“Nothing major, Derek. I just missed you,” Tracy said, her tone softening, almost nostalgic.“What?” Derek paused, then broke into a wide grin, his heart lifting. “I miss you too,

Charles had never seen Tracy dressed like this before. What in the world? he thought.Was this her new life after the divorce, throwing away her Buddhist principles to chase some distorted version of her “true self” with Derek?A tangled storm of emotions churned inside him. Here he was, wandering the streets with nowhere to sleep, while his wife, who caused all of it, had already moved on without hesitation.For a fleeting moment, he regretted not giving in to that landlady earlier.He had clung to the belief that Tracy still carried some dignity, that maybe this was why she hesitated with the divorce. But he had judged her wrong. Tracy had been toying with his heart all along.Just then, his phone rang. John’s name flashed on the screen. Charles answered immediately.“Charles, what’s going on?” John blurted out, skipping any greeting. “Am I seeing this right? That woman in the video...it’s Tracy, the wealthy CEO, isn’t it? Or am I losing my mind? Didn’t you say she was into Buddhis