"Who gave you the right to touch my things?"

Logan looked up when he saw her, his brows immediately knitting together again.

"What are you making a fuss about now?"

"My entire tent was turned upside down. I can't even come here and ask for an explanation?"

Amy timidly set the jar down and leaned closer to Logan.

"Please don't be angry, Serena. I just thought the paste smelled nice and wanted to try a little. Logan said it was fine…"

"It was fine?" Serena repeated the words and suddenly laughed. "I wouldn't even use that jar when I was coughing up blood and couldn't sleep, and you just open your mouth and say it's fine?"

Logan stood up, his expression darkening.

"Amy isn't feeling well because she's pregnant. If she used it, then she used it. Just buy another one when you return home. Do you really have to argue over something this trivial?"

Serena looked at the man in front of her. His eyes held nothing but disgust as he shielded the woman behind him.

In that moment, Serena suddenly realized something with perfect clarity. Logan was no longer the man he used to be.

All the vows and promises that had once moved her and convinced her completely shattered in that instant.

The final trace of hesitation in Serena's heart disappeared.

She spoke slowly, her voice calm.

"When I had a high fever, you used my life-saving medicine to please someone else. When I started coughing blood, you told me to keep working. Now even the things my parents sent me, you give away like they mean nothing."

She stepped forward half a step, staring directly at Logan.

"Logan, what exactly am I to you? Your wife, or just a tool you use to repay a debt?"

"Serena!" Logan's voice suddenly rose. "I already told you. Once the war ends and we return home, then—"

"There won't be a 'then.'" Serena said. "Let's get divorced."

The tent instantly fell silent.

The charcoal fire crackled softly. Amy widened her eyes, though she couldn't hide the brief flicker of satisfaction in them.

Logan stood frozen in place, as if he hadn't heard her clearly.

"When the six-month deployment ends and we return home, we'll handle the paperwork on the first day."

Serena turned and walked toward the exit. When she reached the entrance, she paused and glanced back at him.

"Dr. Lockwood, please continue assigning duties according to the schedule. If there are wounded who need stitching, I will still fulfill my responsibilities."

After saying that, she lifted the tent flap and walked out without looking back.

Outside, night had completely fallen. The sandstorm hadn't stopped. If anything, it had grown even stronger.

Maya was checking the medical supplies. When she saw Serena enter, she quickly wiped her eyes.

"Serena, you're back!"

Serena walked over to the medicine shelf and began checking the records—tetanus serum, antibiotics, painkillers, gauze, disinfectant.

"We still have about three days' worth of tetanus serum. The resupply should arrive tomorrow." She closed the notebook and looked at Maya. "If any wounded develop a fever tonight, follow the standard procedure. If you're unsure about anything, come get me immediately."

Maya nodded, hesitated for a moment, then spoke.

"Serena, are you really going to divorce Dr. Lockwood? In our tribe, it's common for men to have two wives. But divorce… I've never seen a woman ask for one in all my seventeen years."

Serena paused, her gaze drifting toward the dark night outside.

"Maya, when a road reaches its end, you have to choose another one. Not everything can be endured and simply passed through."

Maya hesitated, her voice growing softer.

"Dr. Hart… actually, I'm Amy's cousin. But I like following you more. There's a light in your eyes I've never seen before. You taught me how to read, how to use medical equipment, and you told me women can become doctors too. My mother says a woman like you appears in our tribe maybe once in a hundred years."

Serena was momentarily stunned, then she smiled. It was a faint smile, but warm.

"Thank you, Maya."

Maya's eyes were slightly red, but her gaze was firm.

"So no matter what decision you make, I'll support you. You're braver than any woman in our tribe."

After saying that, Maya seemed embarrassed and quickly ran out of the tent, leaving Serena standing there alone.

After a long moment, Serena came back to herself and shook her head with a helpless smile. She sat on the edge of the bed, and after a while, murmured softly to herself.

"It's alright."

Yes. It would be alright.

Her hand gently rested on her belly, where a small life was growing.

More than six months now. Sometimes the baby kicked her, lively and mischievous. When the child was born, perhaps they would cry through the night, or perhaps they would be a gentle baby.

Thinking of that, Serena straightened slightly and spoke softly, her voice filled with gentle apology.

"Baby, I'm sorry. Mommy couldn't control her emotions today. It might have affected you, but I promise it won't happen again."

The child inside her moved gently, as if responding. Serena smiled, yet tears slipped down her face.

She raised a hand to wipe them away, but fresh tears kept coming. Eventually she stopped wiping them and simply let them fall.

Meanwhile, inside Amy's tent, Logan was gently helping her sip some porridge.

Logan scooped up a spoonful of porridge, carefully blowing on it to cool it before bringing it to Amy's lips.

"Logan… was Dr. Hart angry just now?" Amy asked softly, looking at him timidly. Logan paused for a moment, his expression darkening.

"Ignore her. She's just gotten spoiled because I treated her too well before."

As he said it, a trace of irritation lingered in his mind. The calm look in Serena's eyes when she mentioned divorce had left him strangely uneasy.

But he quickly pushed that uneasiness aside. Serena had loved him for seven years. How could she possibly leave for real? It was nothing more than a moment of anger. Treating Amy well now was simply a way to make Serena see the situation clearly.

In a place like this, without him protecting her, how long could a pregnant woman like Serena possibly survive?

Once she suffered enough, she would naturally come back and give in.

Thinking this way, Logan's tone softened.

"Come on, take your medicine. Your body is weak. You need to take good care of yourself."

Amy obediently opened her mouth to take the medicine and leaned into his arms.

"Logan, you're so good to me."

Logan held her in his arms, but his gaze drifted involuntarily toward the tent outside.

What was Serena doing right now? Was she still angry?

Logan figured it might be better to let her cool off on her own.

Thinking that, he fed Amy another spoonful of porridge.

Over the next few days, the atmosphere in the camp became strangely tense.

The tribal villagers would turn their faces away whenever they saw Serena. When she distributed medicine or fetched water, they deliberately made things difficult. Maya tried to argue with them but ended up being shoved instead.

Logan came by once, his expression unpleasant.

"Serena, why bother getting angry with the villagers…"

"Dr. Lockwood." Serena was changing a wounded soldier's bandages without even looking up. "If there's nothing else, please leave. I'm busy."

She truly was busy. Her hands never paused, and she had no spare emotion left for Logan.

Logan stood there for a moment before leaving with a frustrated wave of his hand. Only after he was gone did Serena stop working and look down at her fingers.

Her fingers trembled slightly, but she quickly steadied them. Once the war zone deployment ended, once she returned home, once the divorce was finalized, their lives would go separate ways forever.

With that thought, a strange calm settled in Serena's heart. Like the sea after a storm, faint ripples remained on the surface, but deep beneath, everything had grown quiet.

That fragile peace shattered one night when the rebel attack came without warning.

The first bomb collapsed the eastern barracks just as Serena stepped out of the surgical tent.

After days of nonstop work, her vision darkened and she had to steady herself against a wall. What greeted her was a sky lit red by flames, machine gun fire, screams, and the crashing sound of collapsing buildings all blending into chaos.

Serena did not panic. She instinctively protected her belly and moved toward the western side of the camp by memory.

There was a thick broken wall there. She had observed it before and knew it could serve as relatively safe cover.

Shrapnel flew past her as waves of heat scorched the air. She stumbled toward the broken wall and curled her body behind it for cover.

Another coughing fit surged up. She clamped a hand over her mouth to keep the sound from giving away her position.

"Serena!"

Serena had not expected Logan to appear. He looked disheveled, his white coat stained with soot, blood running down his forehead as he grabbed her wrist.

"The evacuation truck is at the east gate. Move!"

Serena stumbled along as he pulled her forward. Her hand was cold, but his was even colder. After they had run only a dozen steps, a cry suddenly rang out.

"Logan! Logan, save me!"

Amy rushed out of the smoke, her hair disheveled and face streaked with tears as she clung tightly to Logan's waist.

"I'm so scared… my baby… my baby hurts…"

Logan froze.

He looked down at Amy, then up at Serena. After only a brief hesitation, he released Serena's hand.

He lifted Amy into his arms, his voice urgent.

"Stay here and wait. I'll come back for you after I get her to safety!"

With that, he ran into the smoke.

Serena stood there, watching his figure disappear into the firelight.

A sudden sharp pain tore through her abdomen. She bent over, clutching it, her hand touching warm blood.

Looking down, she saw her skirt already stained deep red.

"My baby…" She murmured as she collapsed to her knees.

Another shell exploded nearby.

The shockwave threw her to the ground, the back of her head striking broken stone.

Agonizing pain spread from her abdomen through her entire body, as if a hand were tearing violently inside her. The blood kept flowing, and Serena's consciousness slowly began to fade.

Serena lay on her back among the ruins, staring at the sky stained red by flames.

So this was the color of the sky a person saw before death.

Maybe that was fine.

She slowly closed her eyes.

The roar of an engine approached from the distance.

A black off-road vehicle tore across the sand and screeched to a halt beside her.

The door opened and someone stepped out, crouching down to check her breathing.

"She's still alive."

It was a man's voice. Serena struggled to open her eyes, trying to see clearly.

Through her blurred vision, a tall figure stood against the backlight.

The man was examining Serena's abdominal injury, his brows tightly furrowed.

Was her injury really that serious?

Serena wondered hazily.

"Hang in there." The man took off his coat and wrapped it around her, his movements unexpectedly gentle. "I'm taking you out of here."

Serena tried to speak, but a mouthful of blood came up instead. The man lifted her steadily and placed her in the back seat of the car.

A blanket was pulled over her, blocking out the sharp smell of gunpowder from the battlefield as the vehicle jolted away from the ruins.

The off-road vehicle cut through the darkness, speeding toward the depths of the wasteland.

From the driver's seat, the man glanced through the rearview mirror. Serena's face was ashen, her brows still tightly knit even in unconsciousness.

His fingers tapped lightly against the steering wheel as he murmured under his breath.

"Finally found you."

Meanwhile, at the temporary evacuation shelter.

Logan settled Amy inside the evacuation truck and covered her with a blanket.

Amy clutched his sleeve and sobbed softly.

"Logan, don't go. I'm scared…"

"I'm not going anywhere." Logan reassured her, though his gaze drifted involuntarily toward the direction of the camp.

The flames hadn't died down yet, and occasional explosions still echoed in the distance. When he left earlier, he had vaguely seen Serena thrown to the ground by the blast.

Anxiety gnawed at Logan now, his handsome face slightly twisted with tension.

"Logan?" Amy called softly.

Logan snapped back to his senses and forced down the unease in his chest.

Serena was a battlefield doctor. She knew how to protect herself, and with her experience she would surely hold on until he returned for her.

Once dawn came and Amy was settled, he would go back to find her. Thinking that, he tightened his grip on Amy's hand.

What he didn't know was that miles away, the off-road vehicle carrying Serena had already passed the final checkpoint and vanished into the vast desert.

Three days later, the clearing of the ruins was nearly complete.

Logan searched the scorched land for three entire days without eating or drinking properly.

When hunger became unbearable, he gulped down a few mouthfuls of cold water. When exhaustion overtook him, he leaned against a broken wall for a brief nap before waking up and digging again.

He searched through the rubble with his bare hands, all ten fingernails torn and bleeding. Yet he still couldn't find Serena. Not even a trace of her remained.

On the evening of the third day, he finally collapsed, dropping to his knees beside the broken wall. His head hung low, his shoulders trembling.

Just then, a faint glimmer of silver flashed not far away.

Logan suddenly looked up and stumbled toward it.

He knelt beside the broken wall and pushed aside the rubble with trembling hands. It was a wedding ring. But where was Serena?

The ring was twisted out of shape, but the engraving inside could still barely be read.

"Logan and Serena, forever united in heart."

He knelt there holding the ring as tears rolled down his face.

He tried to slide the ring back onto his finger, but it was too bent to fit.

"Logan, you still have the nerve to come back?" Maya stepped in front of him and held out her hand. "Give it to me."

Logan pulled his hand back.

"Give it here!" Maya's voice rose sharply. "That belongs to Dr. Hart! Someone like you doesn't deserve to hold it!"

She crouched down and pried open Logan's blood-stained fingers. The ring fell into her palm.

Maya stood up, walked to the nearby sand slope, and threw the ring into the distant desert with all her strength.

Logan froze for a second before scrambling toward it, his voice breaking.

"Give it back… that's mine…"

But he was too late. The ring arced through the air and fell into the yellow sand, disappearing instantly.

He clawed desperately at the sand, but the shifting grains swallowed it completely.

Maya looked at his back and said coldly. "Forever united in heart? Do you really deserve that?"

After saying that, she turned and walked away.

When Serena woke on the soft bed, she felt a moment of confusion.

Sunlight streamed through the stained-glass window, scattering colorful patterns across the wooden floor.

She stared blankly at the shifting patches of light for a long moment before realizing that she was actually still alive.

Serena thought of her baby.

She suddenly sat up, her hands flying to her abdomen in panic.

The familiar curve of her belly was still there. Through the fabric she could feel the faint movement of the baby. Serena let out a long breath and collapsed weakly against the headboard.

As long as the baby was still safe.

"Miss, you're awake?" A bright, clear female voice rang out.

Serena turned her head and saw a girl with honey-colored eyes sitting beside the bed.

Two glossy braids hung over the girl's shoulders, and when she smiled, two small canine teeth showed.

"My name is Nadia Kirby."

The girl handed her a cup of warm water, moving with careful gentleness.

"Mr. Kingsley asked me to take care of you. You've been asleep for three days. We were finally able to see you wake up."

Only after taking the water did Serena realize how thirsty she was.

She drank in small, careful sips while quietly observing the room around her.

It was clean, even comfortable.

The walls were packed earth, but they had been whitewashed. The window was intact and fitted with stained glass.

The bed was soft, the sheets were clean cotton, and there was even a faint scent of soapberry in the air.