Ch. 490: Mr. Edwards’ Unraveled Life Chapter 490

Chapter 490

The military doctor administered first aid to Cooper, examined him thoroughly, and finally diagnosed, "It's asthma. He needs to have his medication with him at all times."

Asthma...

Norah felt a chill run down her spine.

She knew that asthma could be caused by congenital deficiencies, heredity, or environmental factors. But one thing was certain—without immediate treatment, an attack could be fatal.

A terrifying thought gripped her. If Cooper hadn't met her, if he hadn't been in the barracks today, would he have suffered an attack alone, with no one to help him? Would he have died, unnoticed?

Yet, even in his weakened state, Cooper's small hand clung tightly to hers.

She thought back to that day when he had insisted he didn’t want to go to the embassy—he wanted to stay with her. Maybe it was because he felt she was the only one who truly cared for him.

Maybe...

A sudden cough snapped her out of her thoughts. She looked over and saw Cooper had woken up.

His dark eyes fixed on her, filled with quiet sadness.

He shook his head, and she understood immediately. He didn’t want to be separated from her. He didn’t want to be sent to the embassy. This child needed someone to care for him.

She had already promised Baimo that she would go to the Yi tribe first. Once she completed that mission, she would take Cooper with her—so Jace could treat him.

Norah gently stroked the back of Cooper’s hand. "If you want to stay with me, then okay. Once you're better, I’ll find you a family."

Cooper shook his head again.

Norah’s heart ached. Such a young child, with no family of his own.

What she didn’t realize was that Cooper didn’t want to be separated from her at all.

Baimo had been watching everything. When Norah stepped out of the tent, he walked up to her with long strides.

"We’re leaving tonight."

"If you're worried about the child, bring him with you," Baimo said, his voice firm.

Norah hadn't even realized Baimo had been by her side the entire time.

And now, he was willing to compromise for her.

Even though the Yi people had made amends in recent years, she could never forget what they had done in the past.

"Why are you pushing me to leave now?" she asked, tightening her fingers into a fist. She lifted her gaze to Baimo, her chest heavy with emotion.

Baimo met her eyes. "Because it's been long enough. I think you’re ready. And we've been preparing for this for years. Norah, we can't let Calvin grow any stronger."

Calvin’s hatred had fueled his rise, but it was also what had led to Bianca’s death. They all knew the truth. If they wanted to dismantle his plans, they had to strike first.

Norah was silent.

Baimo spoke again. "This child showed up too suddenly. You need to be careful. Don’t let your emotions cloud your judgment."

His tone shifted slightly—was he calling her soft-hearted?

But kindness could be a dangerous weakness.

Baimo just didn’t want Norah to get hurt.

After everything that had happened over the past five years, how could she not know that?

But this child… he was innocent.

War had left many children orphaned, lost, and wounded.

The soldiers had likely pushed the child toward her because she was a journalist and a foreign national. Their solution was simple—send him to the embassy. But because of certain complications, she had ended up taking care of him for a few days.

Everything pointed to this being an accident, not some elaborate scheme.

Norah exhaled. "I understand. We leave today."

She didn’t have much to pack—just a couple of outfits for Cooper and a small backpack. Before heading off, she turned to Baimo. "I still have unfinished business here. I’ll go to the Yi tribe with you, but finish your mission quickly. I’ll stay for three days, at most."

Three days...

That wasn’t a lot of time.

But if Norah was willing to go to the Yi tribe, that was already a win.

Cooper stayed by Norah’s side, quiet and obedient.

Baimo noticed.

From a certain angle, Cooper even looked a bit like Norah. But Baimo knew the truth—Norah and Kevin’s child had died five years ago.

Even if he had survived, Norah had been missing for five years.

And Kevin had vanished without a trace.

Cooper’s resemblance had to be a coincidence.

Then—

Bang!

A deafening explosion tore through the night.

"Bad news, Young Master Baimo! We’ve walked into an ambush!" It was the voice of Clown.

Baimo's expression darkened. "Hold your positions! Get everyone in place!"

Norah caught a glimpse of the cold determination in his eyes.

He pulled out his gun.

They leapt from the vehicle to fight. Norah stayed inside, shielding Cooper in her arms.

She didn’t want him to see this.

Outside, gunfire erupted.

Norah had no idea if Baimo would make it out alive tonight. But she could only stay put—she couldn’t afford to be a burden.

Time passed agonizingly slow, but eventually, the gunfire ceased.

The silence was eerie.

Norah’s heart pounded. She turned to Cooper. "Stay under the seat. Don’t come out. I need to check on things."

Baimo and Clown were still out there. She had to make sure they were safe.

Even though she hadn’t acknowledged Baimo as an ally, he had protected her for years.

She owed him that much.

But as soon as she stepped out of the vehicle, she saw Baimo and Clown standing tensely, facing another group of men.

A man stood across from them, wearing a silver mask.

He was tall—about 6'3"—and the sunlight gleamed off his mask.

Something about his build felt familiar.

Norah’s breath hitched.

The figure in her mind—the one she hadn’t seen in years—merged with the man standing before her.

She heard a voice. "Third Young Master, all personnel are accounted for. The president is urging us to return."

"If the opportunity arises," the masked man said, his voice deep and rough, "we can work together."

Then, he turned and walked away.

His voice was hoarse, as if his throat had been damaged.

It wasn’t Kevin’s voice.

A sharp pain stung Norah’s chest. Her throat tightened.

Of course, it wasn’t him.

If Kevin were still alive, if he had been the one helping her, how could he not have come to her?

She clenched her fists, forcing herself to stay calm.

Baimo turned, his expression serious. "Didn’t I tell you to stay in the car? Do you have a gun for self-defense?"

Norah nodded.

But Baimo’s gaze didn’t soften. "You can’t do this again. It’s too dangerous. You understand? I won’t let anything happen to you!"