The ambulance arrived only minutes later. Its siren pierced through the chaos as it stopped beside the damaged tanker. Several paramedics immediately jumped out, carrying medical equipment and stretchers. Vanessa rushed toward them. "Please, treat him first!" she said urgently, pointing toward Adrian. Adrian was still sitting on the ground, clutching his injured leg and groaning. "His leg is numb, and he was almost hit by the tanker. Please take care of him!" One of the paramedics nodded and immediately moved toward Adrian. Darren remained several meters away. He was barely standing. His complexion was frighteningly pale, and sweat covered his forehead. Blood stained his lips and the front of his clothes. His breathing was shallow as he struggled to suppress the pain tearing through his body. But Vanessa didn't notice. Her attention remained entirely on Adrian. As the paramedics examined Adrian, one of them asked, "Are there any other injured people?" Vanessa shook her hea

Chloe had not originally planned to return so soon. She had been assigned to a long-term mission far from Kelpton City, and under normal circumstances, she would have remained there until she had completed every aspect of her investigation. However, after discovering the unusual military movements and gathering the preliminary evidence, she had made a decision of her own. She wanted to report everything to Darren personally. There were some matters she did not trust to encrypted messages or subordinate reports. The military buildup was too unusual, too deliberate, and too potentially dangerous. She wanted to look Darren in the eyes while explaining everything she had discovered. What she never expected was to arrive in Kelpton City at precisely the moment when Darren would nearly lose consciousness after saving innocent people. The sight had shaken her to her core. Even now, sitting behind the steering wheel while Darren rested in the passenger seat, Chloe couldn't completely e

In the end, all those emotions inside Chloe turned into a single sigh. She was dissatisfied with Vanessa's behavior and furious at Adrian for manipulating the situation. Yet looking at Darren's exhausted face, Chloe knew that adding fuel to the fire would accomplish nothing. Darren had just severed his final means of communication with Vanessa. He had crushed his phone in his hand and made it clear that he no longer wanted to hear her voice. The last thing he needed was someone beside him repeatedly reminding him of everything that had gone wrong. Chloe quietly sighed. "Darren," she said gently, "don't think about it anymore." Darren opened his eyes. "It's difficult not to." "I know." Chloe's voice softened. "But you've done what you could. You tried to explain yourself. You tried to save the marriage. You even endured things most people wouldn't have tolerated." "Whatever happens now, don't blame yourself for someone else's choices." Darren looked at her for a moment befo

Vanessa convinced herself that there was no way Darren would truly leave her. No matter how angry he had become, no matter how coldly he had spoken, she simply couldn't believe that the man who had spent three years loving her would actually walk away from their marriage. He was hurt, jealous, and furious. But surely those emotions would eventually pass. And once they did, Darren would realize that he had made a terrible mistake. This time, however, Vanessa refused to back down. She was determined to make Darren understand just how serious his own mistakes had been. He had accused her repeatedly, treated Adrian with hostility, attacked him, and then refused to show any remorse even after Adrian had undergone major surgery. Vanessa believed Darren needed to understand that marriage could not survive if one partner constantly allowed jealousy and possessiveness to control him. "No matter what happens," she murmured, "I'm not going to apologize first." She reached for her phone. H

Adrian’s attitude appeared highly proactive, and for several seconds, Vanessa simply stared at him. She had expected Adrian to complain about Darren’s disappearance or perhaps ask her to intervene. She had not expected him to volunteer for such an important responsibility. Quality inspection was not an ordinary administrative task. The upcoming military weapons acceptance conference was extremely important to the company. Any mistake in the inspection reports, technical specifications, testing records, or acceptance procedures could create serious problems during the military evaluation. Vanessa slowly leaned back in her chair. “Are you sure about this?” Adrian nodded immediately. “Yes.” Vanessa remained hesitant. Although she was the head of the company, she knew her own limitations. She was primarily a businesswoman. She understood contracts, negotiations, investments, clients, military partnerships, and corporate strategy. But the technical side of weapons producti