Chapter 1

"Ma'am, I will accept the organization's invitation and proceed to work at Feacliff." "Nathaniel, what you'll be engaging in is top-secret medical research. Once you sign the contract, you're prohibited from contacting anyone back home for ten years, and your current identity will be erased. It's a high price to pay. Will your fiancée agree to this?" "I've already decided to break up. I don't need her agreement." "I'm sorry to hear that. But don't worry, there are many outstanding women within the organization. Your personal life is in good hands. Oh, and the approval process takes seven days. After that, we'll send someone to escort you abroad." At Shoretown International Airport, Nathaniel Stillman hung up the phone before he canceled his flight to Motiva. He and Yvonne Cole had planned to go to Motiva that day to take their wedding photos. However, on the way to the airport, Yvonne received a phone call and abruptly left, claiming there was an emergency at work. Nathaniel waited until the flight took off, but still, Yvonne never showed up. Some time later, he saw a post on Instagram from someone named "Louie the Sick." "Thank you for spending my first birthday back home with me, Yvie. This is the happiest moment of my life." There were three pictures attached to the post. The first was a photo of Yvonne and Louie Lancaster together at a hotel. The second was a selfie of Louie with a lipstick kiss mark on his cheek. The third showed a beaming Yvonne with cake smeared on her face. As Nathaniel stared at the post, he muttered to himself, "So this is the 'work emergency' you mentioned, Yvonne." Nathaniel and Yvonne's relationship didn't begin with love. Rather, it started with a sense of obligation. Nathaniel had lost both of his parents at the age of six. In middle school, he'd nearly dropped out because he couldn't afford tuition and fees. Fortunately, during a charity event organized in his town, a businessman from Shoretown named Ferguson Cole sponsored him. Nathaniel was a brilliant student who scored top in the province. He was later admitted to Capital Medical College and eventually earned his PhD there. After entering university, he used national scholarships and part-time job earnings to repay Ferguson for his support. Out of gratitude, he also visited Ferguson in Shoretown every year. Six years ago, Ferguson revealed he was in the late stages of cancer. His daughter, Yvonne, had no mother and was now going to lose her father too. Ferguson, who admired Nathaniel's character, hoped he would marry Yvonne. At that time, Nathaniel had just earned his doctorate and was planning to pursue further studies overseas. However, Ferguson told him that he should be grateful since he would've ended up as a poor dropout farmer without the Cole family's help. Having no argument against that, Nathaniel reluctantly agreed to Ferguson's wishes. He then moved to Shoretown and took a job in the emergency department at a top-tier hospital. As Ferguson had requested, he also began pursuing Yvonne. After dating for five years, Nathaniel and Yvonne finally started planning their wedding. However, just half a month ago, while Nathaniel was on duty in the clinic, he encountered Louie Lancaster, who'd come in for a consultation. Louie insisted on following Nathaniel on Instagram, and from Louie's frequent posts, Nathaniel slowly realized that Louie was Yvonne's long-lost first love who had gone abroad. From that day onward, Yvonne began leaving early and returning later than her usual time. Even when she was spending time with Nathaniel, she'd often make excuses to leave. Nathaniel understood that Yvonne's heart now fully belonged to Louie. And since that was the case, he would let them have each other.