William stared coldly at Nash, his expression hard and unyielding. To Nash, William had once been distant but still relatively supportive. He had never contested Nash's control over the York family affairs and had even sided with him after Sally's actions. But now..."What Grandpa left you is yours. I won't touch it," Nash replied calmly, his tone carrying a subtle warning. The message was clear. Anything their grandfather had not given to William was strictly off-limits.William had not expected Nash to be so unyielding. He pointed a finger at Nash's face. "Nash, don't forget, without the York family, you wouldn't be where you are today. I’ve held back from saying certain things to save you face, but if you keep pushing...""You want to tell everyone that I'm not really part of the York family?" Nash interrupted with a cold laugh.William fell silent, realizing that Nash was well aware of his own position. Nash had survived countless hardships abroad. He wasn't naive."Sinc
"What are you saying? Should I just sit back and watch all of the York family's assets fall into the hands of an outsider? Zoe, it's clear that over the years, your mind has been completely corrupted!" William seethed with anger.He could hardly believe that Zoe, who once stood firmly for the family, was now so willing to let everything go without a fight. He knew exactly what she was implying. Since the assets had been given to Nash, they should be left for him to manage, as if they could never be reclaimed. But Nash was not even truly part of the family!"Yes, my mind has been 'corrupted,'" Zoe replied coldly. "If you think I'm siding with an outsider, then this conversation is over." She had no interest in arguing or discussing matters that held no meaning for her anymore. She had more important things on her mind, like visiting Nash and Nina's son, eager to see how he might inherit his parents' remarkable traits.William’s anger only grew hotter. He was already furious, but
For Nina, if she had to choose between a wedding and her child, she would choose the child."But right now, Orion...""Don't you want to fill in the gaps and make up for our regrets?" Nash interrupted her, his voice firm.Make up for regrets... Nina had loved Nash for so long. She wanted to close that chapter even more than he did. But they were no longer young. Star was already grown up. Wouldn't people think they were just putting on a show if they had a wedding now?"Let's go and remarry today," Nash said, stepping closer to Nina. He took her hand with one of his and handed her the bouquet of roses with the other. The food he had brought along, he handed to Orion.Orion, understanding his parents' need for privacy and that they needed to reconnect, quietly took the food and left the room, leaving Nash and Nina alone."We can go and remarry today, but as for the wedding..." Nina hesitated."What are you worried about? If people in their seventies and eighties can renew the
The pastries were from the famous Carol’s Bakery. It was clear that Nash had put a lot of thought into it.When Orion heard Zoe’s voice, he looked up at her. He did not say anything, but he took in her appearance. She was young and very pretty, especially with her gentle voice."You… are…" Orion spoke slowly. Although there were many people around him these days, he still did not talk much, and when he did, he spoke slowly.Zoe immediately realized that something was off. She could not imagine the hardships this child had been through for him to speak so hesitantly. He must have suffered a lot.Zoe extended her hand to him. "I’m your dad’s aunt, so you can call me Great Aunt Zoe."Would you like to go out with me?"Orion did not answer. His large eyes blinked twice. Then, he shook his head, "I… need… to… wait… for… Mommy…"The word "Mommy" was the only one Orion could say clearly. Seeing that he was not willing, Zoe did not push him further. Instead, she sat down to wait with hi
Eve felt a bit embarrassed. "It looks like my fiancé might not be coming after all.""What?" Nina was taken aback.But then, she got straight to the point. "If someone can stand you up on your wedding day, I think you need to seriously reconsider this person.""Got it. Thank you, Nina," Eve replied.Nash looked at Eve and asked, "Need any help?"After all, Eve was Grandpa George's granddaughter. Nash could not just ignore her.Eve shook her head. "I appreciate it, but I can handle this on my own."Her fiancé had stood her up. If they helped, it would just be to drag the guy out, give him a good beating, and demand an apology. But after all that, the wedding would definitely be off. She could manage that on her own.Nash wrapped his arm around Nina's shoulder. "If you need anything, call me.""I will."With that, Nash and Nina left the county clerk's office. Eve stayed behind, but her gaze was firm and her expression grew colder.On the way back, Nash was already thinking abo
Nina lowered her head, feeling shy despite being in her thirties. She could not bring herself to meet Zoe’s gaze.Nash said, "We’re not deliberately flaunting anything. I owe Nina too much. Now, whatever she wants, as long as it’s within my power, I’ll give it to her."And even if it was not within his power, he would move heaven and earth to make it happen."Alright, alright, no need to tell me all this. Do whatever makes you happy," Zoe quickly waved her hand, signaling she had heard enough.Zoe stayed at the York residence because she adored Orion. Nash, meanwhile, took charge of every detail of the wedding, refusing to leave anything to chance.On the wedding day, many close friends came. Hunter, Caleb, Ben, Yvonne, and even Eve. Grandpa George, despite his age, personally came to offer his blessings to Nash. Pharaoh, Micah, and Freya were also there, as well as Scarlett and James.Scarlett and James had planned to marry that year, but James’s commitments kept delaying their
At that moment, Nash and Nina were exchanging rings when Remi burst in."Wait! You’re already finishing the ceremony, and I haven’t even given you my gift yet?" Remi’s loud voice cut through the crowd, leaving the guests exchanging uneasy glances. Those who knew her could not hide their discomfort. Pharaoh shot Micah a glance, and Micah strode over to confront her."Can’t whatever you need wait until after the wedding?" Micah’s tone was firm as he approached, with Freya quickly joining him, surrounding Remi.This time, Freya was not just a bystander. She was here to protect.Remi smirked. "Didn’t I make myself clear? I’m here to deliver a wedding gift. Why are you all so tense? It’s just me, after all. It’s not like I could ruin the whole wedding on my own, right?"Though Remi had arrived alone, no one was ready to let their guard down. After all, she was once Nash’s arranged fiancée under Dominic’s orders. And she had never truly let go of her feelings for him.Micah firmly gr
"The whole thing with Miranda," Nash began, his voice firm, "was because she once saved my life. I owed her a debt of gratitude. I didn’t explain before because I didn’t want to make things worse, and honestly, I don’t need to explain myself to anyone. But now, I’m committed to being with Nina, and I won’t tolerate anyone trying to slander or hurt her."He paused, glancing toward Remi. "As for the woman standing here today, she’s someone my biological father arranged for me to marry. From the start, I made my feelings clear that I don’t love her, and I never intended to marry her."He continued, "I appreciate your presence at my wedding to Nina, and I welcome it. But if you're here with any other intentions, there's nothing I can do about that."Nash’s tone sharpened. "I’ve said everything that needed to be said. Anything beyond this is not my concern, and I won’t be offering further explanations."With those final words, he signaled to Quincy, who arrived with security. Remi’s s
Hunter took a bite of the biscuits and ravioli she had made. The taste was surprisingly good. It wasn’t on the level of a Michelin-starred chef, but it had something even more special—the taste of home. And of course, there was the oatmeal. He took one spoonful after another, finishing the entire bowl. *Meanwhile, Vera still hadn’t found her brother. Disappointment weighed heavily on her as she prepared to leave. But just then, her phone buzzed. An anonymous message. She tapped it open and stared at the image attached. It was a watch. Alone, a watch meant nothing. But this watch was her brother’s. Vera immediately zoomed in on the photo, carefully inspecting the engravings inside. There they were—his initials. No mistake. This was his watch. Below the image, a location pin was attached. The place was nearby. Vera’s eyes filled with determination. If she had found nothing, she would have simply left. But now, she had recei
When Yelena woke up again, she was shocked to find that she wasn’t at the club. She sat up abruptly, looking around in confusion. Then, she got out of bed, slipped on her slippers, and pushed the door open. “Where am I?” “At my place,” Hunter replied casually. He was working in the living room when he saw her wake up. “You slept for a long time. I couldn’t just leave you alone at the club, so I brought you back here.” Seeing the uncertainty on her face, he added, “It’s already late. Just stay here for the night. I’ll take you back tomorrow.” Yelena nodded. There was no other choice now. “There’s food in the fridge. If you’re hungry, heat something up. There are also snacks in the drawer—take whatever you want.” “Alright.” She really was hungry. She opened the drawer, grabbed a few small bread rolls, ate them quickly, and then went back to her room to rest. *The next morning, Yelena woke up early. Thinking about everything Hunter had done—treatin
Yelena quickly lowered her arm, letting her sleeve fall over the mark to cover it. “It’s nothing. Here’s your cocktail. Please enjoy.” “Yelena.” Hunter grabbed her wrist without warning. He pulled up her sleeve, revealing the deep, ugly scars on her arm. His brows knitted together instantly. “Who did this to you?” The force behind it was brutal—downright inhuman. Yelena remained silent. Who else could have done this besides Liam? But she had agreed to this. She had willingly accepted Hunter’s request and entered Liam’s world. She had no right to complain. Her silence gave Hunter all the confirmation he needed. “Liam did this to you, didn’t he?” Yelena nodded. “It’s nothing. The wounds have already started healing. They look worse than they feel. Give it some time, and they’ll fade.” “Wait here.” Hunter stood abruptly and walked away. Yelena had no idea what he was doing, but since he told her to wait, she didn’t argue. A few minu
Then again, it made sense. How could a normal person possibly empathize with a lunatic? If Yelena could understand Liam, that would make her just as twisted. *For the next few days, Yelena stayed home to recover. During that time, Liam came back a few times, bringing her flowers and food. Like a child showing off a treasure, he placed the food in front of her. “Yelena, these are your favorite honey crullers. I got them fresh from the bakery. Try them and see if you like them.” “I’m not really hungry.” She didn’t want to eat anything he gave her. She couldn’t even stand looking at him. But she had made a promise. So, she had to force herself to stay. Liam’s expression darkened. “Are you really not hungry, or do you just not want to eat what I give you?” For someone like him, once he had lost his temper once, the second time would only come faster and smoother. With a heavy thud, he slammed the honey crullers onto the table. “Yes, I hit y
If Liam had been a normal person, Hunter never would have sent her here in the first place. But of course, Yelena could only think that. She wasn’t suicidal enough to say it out loud. Instead, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. “I was really just messaging an old classmate. If you don’t believe me, go ahead—check my phone.” She wasn’t worried. Whenever she contacted Hunter, she deleted each message immediately. She had even forged an entire fake conversation just in case Liam ever got suspicious. So, no matter how thoroughly he checked, there would be nothing for him to find. Liam narrowed his eyes. “Is that so? Then why do I still feel like you’re lying? Women like you—nothing but liars, every last one of you.” Then, he struck her again. Yelena screamed. The pain was relentless, merciless. She had no idea how long it lasted—only that by the time he finally stopped, she was barely breathing. Her body slumped against the floor
Suddenly, footsteps sounded behind Yelena. She spun around, her heart hammering in her chest. Liam was walking toward her, a faint smile on his lips—but the coldness in his eyes told a different story. Memories of his past cruelty flashed through her mind, sending a shudder down her spine. She forced herself to stay calm. “Who are you messaging?” He was getting closer. So close that when he finally stopped, they were nearly pressed against each other. Then, without warning, his fingers clamped around her chin, gripping tighter and tighter. Pain shot through her jaw, and Yelena winced. “No one. Just an old classmate. I ran into her a few days ago while I was out.” “Oh? Is that so?” Liam’s voice softened, almost gentle. To anyone watching, he might have seemed like a kind, easygoing man. But Yelena knew better. He would never let her off that easily. And sure enough— In the next second, he grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her hea
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.“Haven’t I been just fine lately?“Or do you think my hand isn’t injured enough? If that’s the case, go ahead—do it yourself. “You already know I wouldn’t fight back no matter what.” Without warning, Yelena stretched out her injured hand, an act that instantly enraged Liam. “What the hell is wrong with you?” He snapped. “I was just making a casual remark. Is that really what you think of me? I already told you—I’m not going to lay a hand on you.“It wasn’t intentional before, and you know it. We both do. Stop acting like you’re above all this when we both know who sent you here.” Yelena felt a pang of sadness. They had spent so much time together, yet this was how he treated her—always choosing to hurt her. “I know—I wasn’t someone you chose, and none of this was intentional. But after all this time we've spent together...“I thought maybe I was a little different to you. But I guess I was wrong. Nothing has changed at all.
“Why do you even care about what happens to other people? Haven’t I made myself clear enough already?“Whose card is this—yours or mine?” His assistant immediately apologized upon hearing Caleb’s tone. “I hope you won’t hold this against me. I really wasn’t thinking clearly at the time—I should have considered this more carefully.” Caleb didn’t bother responding. After hanging up, he focused entirely on investigating Vera’s brother. *Meanwhile, Vera was deeply worried. If things had been somewhat under control before, now they were completely off track. The situation on both sides was far more complicated than she had anticipated. “Don’t worry. That’s exactly how it is. If you don’t want to go in person, I can go for you—but it won’t be cheap,” the private investigator said.Since Caleb had warned her about the private investigator, Vera started testing him, probing for inconsistencies. And sure enough, his story had too many holes. “Why are you so sure my b
As Caleb spoke, he looked at Vera with a hint of helplessness. After all, her hand had been injured because of Luna. “Don’t feel guilty about this. Honestly, it’s nothing to me.“And I’m not the type to carry burdens over things like this.“Besides, it’s been so long. If this had happened back then, I might have cared. But now? I just don’t think it matters anymore.” Vera’s voice was steady and sincere. But Caleb’s expression darkened. “Why would you say that? Why do you think it doesn’t matter? Do you really see me as just the same as everyone else?” For some reason, at this moment, Caleb took it personally. Vera couldn’t help but laugh. “Of course not. You’re different from the rest—so obviously, I wouldn’t see it the same way.“You’ve helped me so much. The least I can do is acknowledge that, instead of stubbornly nitpicking about what’s right or wrong, don’t you think?“Besides, whatever happened between you and Luna, that’s none of my business. It’s in