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.

This kind of environment was rare across the entire war zone. In fact, it was almost too good to be true.

"Mr. Kingsley?" Serena asked softly.

"Mr. Adrian Kingsley, the person in charge of the safe zone."

Nadia blinked.

"He's the one who pulled you out of the ruins. You were badly injured and lost a lot of blood. Mr. Kingsley drove you back overnight and even brought in a doctor from the capital to perform surgery on you."

Serena's heart tightened.

A stranger had rescued her, arranged surgery for her, and placed her in a room this comfortable.

After three years in the war zone, she knew very well that kindness rarely came without a reason. Especially kindness from a man to a woman. It often came with a clearly marked price.

Instinctively, she protected her belly. Her voice remained calm.

"Thank you. Please tell Mr. Kingsley that I'll find a way to repay the medical expenses."

Nadia froze for a moment, then broke into a smile.

"Dr. Hart, don't worry. Mr. Kingsley isn't that kind of person."

At that moment, the door was gently pushed open.

Serena looked up, and her breathing paused for a moment.

The man was tall, almost brushing the doorframe.

He wore a simple white shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing strong and well-defined forearms.

His slightly wavy hair was a little messy, and his sharp, sculpted features looked as if they had been carved with a blade.

But it was his eyes that stood out the most.

They were a deep emerald green, beautiful like a silent lake hidden deep within the mountains.

A scar slashed diagonally from the edge of his brow to his cheekbone. Instead of diminishing his looks, it added a dangerous, untamed edge.

Standing there, he looked like a military blade resting in its sheath. Silent, yet unmistakably sharp.

Serena's back instinctively straightened.

This man felt far too commanding. Far too dangerous.

"How are you feeling?"

Adrian walked to the bedside. His voice was low, carrying just the right amount of concern, making him seem remarkably approachable.

"Much better."

Serena lowered her gaze, deliberately avoiding his eyes.

"Thank you for saving my life, Mr. Kingsley. I'll repay the medical—"

"Dr. Hart." Adrian interrupted gently and sat down on the chair beside the bed. His movements were natural, as if he belonged here, yet he still kept a respectful distance. "I didn't save you to be repaid."

He spoke directly, without any attempt to hide his intentions.

"You're exceptional. I've read your records. During the airstrike in Sableford Village, you rescued seventeen people from the ruins in two days. And over the past three months on the Westline Front, your emergency treatment success rate reached ninety-two percent."

Serena looked up, clearly surprised.

"My safe zone holds four thousand refugees. The medical system is close to collapsing." Adrian continued, his emerald eyes fixed on her with complete seriousness. "Unfortunately, we only have three doctors. Each of them handles nearly two hundred cases a day. The mortality rate remains painfully high. I need someone who can help rebuild the system."

He paused before speaking again, word by word. "I want that person to be you."

Serena froze.

She had imagined many possibilities, but she had never expected him to offer her a position like this.

"You can build your own team, redesign the workflow, and establish medical protocols." Adrian's voice remained calm and steady. "Medicine, equipment, staff. As long as it's reasonable, whatever you need, I'll provide."

Serena remained silent for a long moment.

"Why me?" She asked, her voice cautious.

Adrian looked at her, his gaze completely open and sincere.

"Because you're the best."

He said it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"And you need a platform. I've read your battlefield medical reform proposal. It's insightful. But in your previous camp, no one was going to support it."

Serena's heart skipped a beat.

She had spent three sleepless nights writing that proposal, carefully outlining a triage system, a medical training framework, and a structured system for drug management.

She had handed it to Logan with great hope, asking him to implement it, but the response she received was that the idea was good, just unrealistic.

Later, the proposal simply disappeared. She never mentioned it again, never expecting that it would somehow end up here.

"How did you…"

Her voice sounded a little dry.

"I reviewed everything about you that could be found."

Adrian stood and walked to the window, his tall figure straight and steady.

"Serena Hart, an outstanding graduate, three consecutive years of top academic scholarships, turned down an offer from a major hospital to apply for battlefield medical support. I've read all five of the papers you published in medical school."

He turned back around, wearing an open, easy smile, his eyes slightly curved.

"I didn't offer you this position on impulse. I've been observing you for three years. I understand your abilities, and I believe in your ideals."

He paused, his tone turning serious.

"Here, you only need to focus on one thing, how to save lives. Everything else is my responsibility."

After saying that, he walked toward the door and paused beside it.

"No rush. Focus on recovering first. If you need anything, tell Nadia."

He glanced back at her once. His gaze was deep, yet there was nothing intrusive about it.

"Get some rest, Dr. Hart."

The door closed softly.

Serena sat on the bed, unable to come back to her senses for a long while.