Bailey shook her head. She remembered that she had a miscarriage about two months ago, so it was normal for her period to be late because her body had not fully recovered.

Meanwhile, the retching could be due to an upset stomach, a weakened immune system, or an overproduction of gastric acid that triggers nausea upon encountering the smell of blood. It must not have been related to pregnancy, as Bailey had just had a miscarriage. Artemis became concerned when he noticed she went silent.

“Bay, are you okay? Is there something wrong, or are you feeling unwell?”

Bailey snorted, angrily puffed her cheeks, and grumbled, “Well, it's all thanks to you, you know? You had to go and mess things up by giving me a memory loss pill. Now I can't remember a lot of things. Fortunately, I didn't forget about you; otherwise, you would regret it for the rest of your life.”

Those few words, “Luckily, I didn't forget about you,” resonated deeply within Artemis, causing a surge of emotions.

Artemis then playfully but assertively pulled Bailey into his arms, wrapping her in an embrace before passionately pressing his lips against hers. While at the crocodile pond at the training base.

Hand in hand, Shannon and Dawn leisurely walked along the pond's edge. Dawn was noticeably nervous as she tightly clutched Shannon's hand, trembling persistently.

Shannon raised an eyebrow and chuckled, saying, “If you're that scared, why did you choose to go here? You're my foster daughter now. You don't have to go all out in training like them.”

Dawn looked up at her with a determined expression on her little face.

“There's a saying, 'One had to pick oneself up from where one's fallen.' I lost my eye in the crocodile pond, and I've been having nightmares lately because of it. If I don't face it now and get over it, I'll be haunted by those dreams forever.”

Shannon gazed at her determined eyes, and a smile of satisfaction formed.

Such a tenacious little girl. May her life be blessed with ease.

At that moment, Shannon slowly stopped as she saw Micah and Holden, accompanied by a group of instructors approaching them. Dawn then let go of Shannon's hand, cautiously walked up to Holden, and nervously greeted him.

“Uncle Holden.”

Holden reached out and affectionately ruffled her hair with a smile. Ever since Dawn became a part of Shannon's life, she seemed no longer filled with the same sadness and despair as before.

Holden added, “I have a son who's probably a year or two older than you. I'll bring you to meet him once I get the chance to. I'm sure you two will become great pals.”

Dawn grinned and said, “Can't wait to see him! Thank you, Uncle Holden.” Holden lifted his head and looked at Shannon across from him, and the siblings greeted each other with a nod.

Shannon strolled over to Dawn's side, taking her hand as they prepared to leave.

Suddenly, an out-of-control mastiff charged toward them, causing the people around to dodge quickly.

Instinctively, Shannon positioned herself in front of Dawn as someone from the left side accidentally bumped into them, causing the mother and daughter to stumble backward.

A startled cry echoed as Dawn lost her footing and fell directly into the crocodile pond. Shannon reflexively turned back to grab her arm but missed, leaving her hand grasping nothing.

The image of Eugene's tragic accident scene flashed before her eyes, and Shannon's heart began to ache with unbearable pain.

She could not save her son and could only witness his death right before her. Right then and there, Shannon was determined to save her daughter at all costs.

With this in mind, she acted without hesitation and jumped right into the crocodile pond.

The crocodiles in the pond had been specially trained, intensifying their aggression. With someone now close by and fallen into their den, there was no way the crocodile would not attack. Several fully grown crocodiles surrounded Shannon and her daughter in just moments.

“Holden, please get Dawn out of there.” Holden quietly cursed to himself as he hesitated.

In such a short time, there was only a brief window to save someone, and at best, only one person could be rescued.

He initially intended to save Shannon, but when his eyes met her sorrowful gaze, he understood that she did not want to be rescued.

Holden knew Shannon had not moved on from the death of Eugene. Shannon did not want to witness her own child's death before her eyes again.

The grappling hook flew down, and Shannon quickly secured it onto Dawn. Then, she hoisted Dawn up with a strong push on her buttocks.

Several crocodiles sprang up at that instant of liftoff, attempting to bite Dawn. With a forceful push from Shannon and the combined effort of several adults pulling from the shore, Dawn managed to escape just in time from the snapping jaws of the crocodiles.

On the other hand, Shannon's situation turned grim as the crocodiles quickly encircled her. Fortunately, there was a wooden stake beneath the surface of the pond.

Shannon swiftly jumped onto it, unsheathing her glistening dagger and bravely striking back at the first crocodile approaching. At first, she effortlessly navigated the waters, her movements agile and swift.

Yet, with each passing moment, many crocodiles swarmed around her, their relentless advance gradually sapping her strength.

Having only one arm was her fatal weakness.

Shannon's inability to strike back with her other hand left her vulnerable as two crocodiles lunged toward her.

She was then forced to sacrifice her defense from behind and exerted every ounce of strength to confront the crocodile in front.
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Comments ()

0/255