Chapter 1008

Nina sat on the couch, lost in her thoughts, until Nash finally woke up.
He had not expected to fall asleep, let alone sleep so deeply that he felt as though his body had been taken apart and reassembled.
As he sat up, he noticed Nina sitting quietly on the couch nearby. The room was dimly lit, with just the soft glow of an amber-colored lamp on the nightstand. Nash could immediately sense that something was off with Nina.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
Nina turned to look at him, her gaze meeting his in the warm glow of the light. Yet, despite the cozy lighting, she suddenly felt a strange sense of distance between them.
She did not beat around the bush. “When I came back, you were asleep. But I heard you calling out for Miranda.”
For a moment, Nash did not respond, and silence settled over the room. Nina did not know how to process her feelings. It had been five years, and despite everything Miranda had done, Nash still had her in his thoughts.
But then, Nash quickly moved toward her, pulling her into his arms. “Mira isn’t Miranda,” he said softly.
“Then who is she?” Nina asked, her clear eyes searching his face, needing an answer. She tried to push him away, but Nash sat down beside her.
With a deep, raspy voice, Nash began to explain, “What I never told you is… Mira was actually you.”
Nina was stunned. “What do you mean?”
Nash then recounted their past. When they first met, Nina had told him her name was Mira. Back then, he had not known who she really was. It was not until she mentioned the name “Zac” that he started to put the pieces together. Later, through further investigation, he confirmed that Mira was, in fact, Nina.
Nina finally understood. It was her past, the confusion in her memories, that had caused the mix-up.
She embraced him tightly. “I understand now. I asked because I didn’t want to hide my feelings and let them fester into doubt. That would’ve hurt too much.”
Nash, relieved, explained everything to her. Thankfully, they had avoided any misunderstandings or conflict. He kissed her forehead gently. “I know. Once Orion is better, we’ll go back home.”
“Okay,” Nina replied, leaning against his shoulder, feeling his heartbeat. In that moment, she felt completely surrounded by warmth.
……
Freya woke up the next day around noon. When she saw Micah sitting by her side, she knew she had made the right bet. A look of contentment spread across her face.
But as soon as Micah noticed her smile, his expression hardened. “I’ve never seen a woman as foolish as you,” he said coldly.
“You’re looking at her now,” Freya responded sincerely. “I’m not here to ask for anything from you.”
And she meant it. How could she ask anything of Micah?
She only wanted to win his heart, to make him not dislike her so much. Beyond that, she had no other desires.
Micah’s voice remained indifferent. “I’m not interested in that sort of thing. But if you want to ask for something else, name your terms.”
Freya’s breath hitched. Even after all this, he still gave her the same answer?
She had already asked him directly and had even had others investigate. But they had found no evidence that Micah was interested in men.