"It was I who hired him! You have no right to stop me!"
Facing the enraged Nicholas, Maria seemed to completely ignore him, like a rebellious girl, breaking the heart of an old father.
"I'm doing this for your own good! He's the target being hunted, not you! You can return to Europe right away if you leave him."
Nicholas was still desperately trying to persuade his daughter.
For so many years, he could handle everything, except his own daughter.
This underground emperor of Eastern Europe felt a deep sense of defeat.
"I've decided, I'm not going with you, I'm staying here."
Maria coldly stared at Nicholas, unwavering.
The female doctor looked at her father, not as a blood relative, but as an enemy.
Tension filled the air, even the barking of wild dogs in the distant woods sounded particularly harsh.
"Do you want me to take drastic measures?!"
There was a hint of threat in Nicholas's tone.
"Father, don't you understand?"
Maria's voice was low and determined, with an undeniable firmness.
"This isn't about Song Heping, or about you and me. It's about those innocent villagers. They need our protection, and I will stay until they safely reach Ethiopia."
"You're simply mad! Did studying medicine make you forget everything else!? My God!"
Nicholas's face turned livid, veins bulging on his forehead.
He stepped forward abruptly, bringing his face close to his daughter's, speaking through clenched teeth, "You've gone mad! The Mossad and 'Satan' team are already on their way! They won't spare Song Heping, or anyone connected to him! Do you think you're being a hero? You're throwing your life away!"
Maria did not back down, meeting her father's gaze with a cold smile at the corner of her mouth. "Throwing my life away? Father, have you forgotten what you told me back then? When mother died, I begged you to come home. And what did you tell me? You told me to die! The further the better! And now you're unhappy that I'm ready to die, my dear father!?"
Nicholas's hand trembled slightly, and the veins on his temple throbbed.
He could feel his blood pressure rising, so he took a deep breath, trying to suppress his anger and anxiety.
The mistakes of the past were finally coming back to him.
After adjusting his emotions, Nicholas spoke as gently as he could, "Maria, listen to me, this is not a game. You know the methods of the Mossad, they won't give you any chances. The 'Satan' team is even crazier, they will tear you all apart! It's not too late, come with me now!"
"No." Maria's response was crisp and firm, without any hesitation. She looked towards Song Heping.
Jiang Feng was dressing Song Heping's wounds.
Maria's eyes grew even more resolute.
"I won't leave them. Song has done too much for these villagers, I can't let him face all this alone. If you truly care about me, then stay and fight with us."
Nicholas's expression froze as if he had been hit by a heavy punch.
A glimpse of pain and helplessness flashed in his eyes, and his voice turned hoarse, "You... you're forcing my hand."
"I'm not forcing you, father." Maria's voice softened a bit but remained firm.
"I'm only doing what I believe is right. You can choose to leave, but I won't."
Nicholas fell silent, his gaze passed over Maria, to the desolate swamps and forests in the distance.
The wind blew through the treetops, clouds drifted in to obscure the moon.
Everything seemed to foreshadow the approaching storm.
He knew that the mistakes of the past, today, must be repaid.
"Alright." He finally spoke, his voice low and weary.
"If you insist on staying, then I won't leave either. But I warn you, Maria, this fight won't be easy. The Mossad and the 'Satan' team won't give us any breathing space."
Gratitude flickered in Maria's eyes but was quickly replaced by determination. "I know, father. But we won't back down."
Nicholas nodded, turned, and walked towards the helicopter parked in the distance.
Maria watched her father's back, her heart welling up with complex emotions.
She hated this man.
Hated him deeply.
But seeing his aged face and lonely figure, her heart inexplicably ached slightly.
"Wait, Mr. Nicholas!"
Song Heping suddenly spoke up.
He called out to Nicholas.
"What?"
There was a murderous glint in Nicholas's single eye.
He didn't like Song Heping at all.
This guy brought danger to his daughter.