"This must be your wife, right? You two really look like a couple. Anyone can see it. No wonder your relationship is so strong," Eugene remarked with a look of admiration, which made Nina think of something immediately.After placing the fruit basket she brought on the table, she pulled over a wooden stool and sat by the bed."Having a good relationship isn’t just about looking like a couple. It’s about truly loving each other. You’re such an outstanding person, Mr. Lowe. I’m sure you’ll find the right girl."She didn’t name anyone specifically, hoping Eugene would admit his feelings for Zoe on his own.Eugene wasn’t foolish. He smiled slightly. "I’m afraid I’m not that lucky. I was too competitive when I was younger, and it ruined my luck. Now, it’s time for payback. Maybe I’m destined to grow old alone."Hearing this, Nina wasn’t sure how to respond. "Is this about the incident at our corporation when you were drugged?"She didn’t want to dance around the issue with him, nor di
When they arrived at the old, abandoned park on the outskirts, Nash finally came face to face with the so-called Mrs. Lowe."She’s the parent of that student who fought with Orion," Nina whispered, surprised that Pharaoh had gone so far as to abduct this person. Had Mrs. Lowe somehow offended Pharaoh?Upon seeing Nina, Mrs. Lowe became extremely agitated. She was struggling to break free and rush toward Nina. Her eyes blazed with hatred, as if she wished to tear Nina to pieces.Nash signaled Pharaoh’s men to remove the rag stuffed in Mrs. Lowe’s mouth."I won’t let you get away with this! I’ll make sure you’re utterly ruined, no—I’ll destroy your reputation and leave you with nothing!" Mrs. Lowe spat venomously.Pharaoh’s men moved to gag her again. However, Nash stopped them and, in a moment of frustration, kicked Mrs. Lowe. She cried out in pain, tears streaming down her face, yet she continued to hurl insults."Meeting you like this wasn’t the right approach, I admit," Nash
"Mrs. York, what will it take for you to forgive me? I know I failed in raising my son properly. Please, give me one more chance, I beg you," Mrs. Lowe's pleading voice came from behind, but Nina didn’t stop walking.Nash caught up with her, asking with concern, "What’s wrong? Why are you suddenly so upset?"Nina shook her head. "Let her go. Tell her to transfer her son to another school and make sure he never crosses paths with Orion again.""Alright, I’ll handle it right away."Nash could tell that Nina’s mood had soured, and he was sure it had something to do with Mrs. Lowe. Since Pharaoh had already taken action and Mrs. Lowe wasn’t connected to the real Lowe family, there was no reason to hesitate. He decided to deal with her swiftly.Nash leaned in to his subordinate and quietly instructed, "Take her and her family away. Just tell them that my wife doesn’t want to see them again."Pharaoh’s men responded immediately. One knocked Mrs. Lowe unconscious, and the other put he
"Just wait and see," Nash said with a mysterious smile, then led Nina into the office.The three of them had barely sat down when the secretary knocked on the door and entered, her expression tense. She glanced nervously at Eugene but didn’t dare speak."Whatever it is, just say it," Nash instructed."Michael is downstairs, speaking to the reporters and bad-mouthing Mr. Lowe," the secretary blurted out. However, before she could finish her sentence, Eugene shot up from his seat, ready to confront Michael.Nash grabbed his arm, feigning seriousness as he advised, "You took away his love. What’s a few insults in return? The man’s lost a lifetime of happiness."Eugene paused, then burst into laughter. "Right, right. If that helps him feel better, let him go on. There’s no need to stop him."The two exchanged a knowing look, their silent understanding needing no words.Although the press conference appeared to be forced, it was actually part of Nash's plan all along. He instructed
Nash looked troubled. "How come I didn’t know that you took my aunt to the hospital? When did this happen? Was something wrong with her, or did you do something to her? Mr. Lowe, you need to explain this clearly. Even if I can’t stand up to the Lowe family, I will get justice for my aunt.""You..." Eugene was at a loss for words. Nash was completely unpredictable, not playing by the usual rules. But then again, Eugene himself hadn’t exactly followed the plan either.Realization dawned on Eugene, and he smirked playfully at Nash. "What if I told you I want to become your uncle? Would that bother you, Mr. York?"His words stunned everyone in the room.Michael erupted in anger, "I won’t allow it!""And who are you to object? What gives you the right?" someone in the crowd responded."Exactly. Look at yourself. I say Mr. York should just agree to it. A strong alliance like that would only help York Corporation rise to even greater heights.""If that happens, it would truly be a ma
"Miss Nina, it's an honor that I met you before anyone else and that we're together now. Although we've faced many challenges along the way, I've always remembered that you're the one I love. From the beginning until now, that has never changed. There have been rumors that you gained your position as a mistress, and I know those rumors have affected you. I don’t know who started them, but that’s not important. Today, I want to say…"As Nash spoke, pictures of their daily life together appeared on the screen, showing their love and making others envious.Nash took the microphone and stood up, pulling a bewildered Nina to her feet."Nina, they don’t know how amazing you are. They think you married up by being with me. But I know the truth that I'm the one who’s lucky. Being loved by you is the greatest honor of my life. People don’t know how we met and fell in love. But you know, don’t you?"Nash’s eyes grew misty. What had started as a way to address the rumors about Nina being a mi
Zoe arrived at the hotel as planned, only to find that Eugene was the only one there. Just as she was about to leave, she received a message from Nina.Nina wrote, "Things are already out in the open. If you really don’t have any feelings for him, you should be clear about that tonight. But if you have even the slightest interest, maybe you should give it a chance. Who knows? He might turn out to be the right one for you."Being given advice by someone younger left Zoe feeling both amused and a bit annoyed. But Nina had a point. Eugene wasn’t a bad person.She decided to stay, thinking, "Might as well treat it as getting to know a new friend."With that thought, she confidently sat across from Eugene and said, "They probably aren’t coming. Mr. Lowe, do you mind if I apologize on their behalf?""That’s not necessary. Honestly, I wasn’t looking for an apology. I just wanted to see you, nothing more," Eugene replied, his eyes betraying his calm tone.Tonight, Zoe seemed even more be
Nina was completely surprised when Zoe showed up early in the morning asking to borrow clothes. If Zoe weren’t the daughter of the wealthy York family, it might seem normal to ask someone for clothes. But Zoe was really wealthy, after all. She could have any outfit she wanted. So why was she asking to borrow clothes from Nina?Nina studied her for a long time, finding nothing unusual. But whether it was clothes or even money, she would never hesitate to help.Putting down her teacup, Nina smiled and stood up. "Come on, let’s go upstairs and pick something out."Zoe looked surprised. "Aren’t you going to ask why I need to borrow clothes?"Of course, Nina was curious. But if Zoe wasn’t saying anything, she must have her reasons, so Nina didn’t press for details.The two of them went to the walk-in closet, filled with a dazzling array of clothes. However, despite the selection, Zoe couldn’t find anything she liked.With a sigh, Zoe said, "I think I’ll pass. Nothing seems to suit
But instead of feeling touched, Vera’s first reaction was nausea. A wave of discomfort surged up from her stomach, and Vera’s face paled. She bolted for the bathroom. Caleb followed quickly. “Are you feeling sick?” “I don’t think so. I’ve been eating normally—nothing too heavy or weird lately.” Vera clutched her stomach, just as confused as he was. Then, a possibility flashed through her mind. Caleb clearly had the same thought. Without a word, he turned and walked into their bedroom, returning moments later with a pregnancy test. Vera looked at him, stunned. “When did you buy that?” He responded matter-of-factly, “Better safe than sorry.” Vera was momentarily speechless. Five minutes later, she stepped out of the bathroom, her hand instinctively resting on her stomach, her expression a mix of shock and disbelief. It was positive. They had only been married for three months. How did this happen so fast?Caleb, on the other hand, remained composed—at le
Of course, Vera wasn’t about to dump all her responsibilities on her assistant. That would be exploitation. She called her assistant into her office. “You’re twenty-five this year, right?” Her assistant blinked, confused. Wasn’t her age common knowledge? Why was Vera suddenly bringing it up? A thought struck her. Was this an arranged marriage situation? Her face immediately filled with silent refusal. “Miss Vera, I’m still young. I’m not thinking about marriage anytime soon.” Vera tapped her pen against the desk. “I’m not telling you to get married.” “Oh.” “I just want to offload some of the smaller daily tasks to you. You don’t have to run every minor document by me.”Her assistant instantly understood. A raise. After confirming she was on board, Vera gave her a salary bump and had her hire a few more assistants to distribute the workload. “If I don’t have time to handle everything, you guys will take care of it. If something’s too complicated, jus
Vera could sense danger the moment the conversation turned in this direction. Her father had never questioned her about married life, and she was lucky enough to avoid nosy relatives. But just because she hadn’t experienced it firsthand didn’t mean she hadn’t seen it happen to others. Without hesitation, she abandoned the half-folded pastry in her hands. “I... uh, need to use the restroom.” Before she could escape, Mrs. Smith caught her wrist. “You and Caleb aren’t getting any younger,” she said matter-of-factly. “You should start thinking about kids—make sure you’re putting in the effort, hmm?” Vera left the kitchen visibly drained. Mrs. Smith was a wonderful mother-in-law, the kind who treated Vera like her own daughter. Despite knowing Vera came from a well-off family, she had still gifted them a house as a wedding present. Of course, Caleb already owned a place, but his mother had insisted. “That’s your house. This is the home I’m giving you as a weddi
That undeniable possessiveness flickered in Caleb’s gaze—subtle yet impossible to ignore. It was the kind of look a powerful man might give his beloved in an old Hollywood film. And right now, the photographer felt like the unlucky bystander who had accidentally stumbled upon an intimate scene. His voice wavered slightly, caught up in his own imagination. “Mr. Smith, lift your eyes toward the camera.” Caleb’s sharp gaze flickered over, intense and commanding. The photographer instinctively pressed the shutter. They continued with several more poses, reviewing the shots as they went. Vera loved them all, but her favorite was still the vintage-inspired one. “How long until we get the final prints?” she asked. “Two to three days at most,” the photographer replied. “I’ll have them shipped directly to you.” Then, after a slight pause, he hesitated before making a request. “I actually have a personal favor to ask—would you both be open to letting us displa
Vera was tempted. They had already taken plenty of wedding photos—several sets at the island, more at the wedding itself. But this wasn’t just any photo studio. It was privately booked and known for being one of the most prestigious studios in the city. Appointments here were nearly impossible to get. The fact that Caleb had managed to secure a session meant he had gone to great lengths to make it happen. If they were just going to take ordinary wedding pictures, it would be a waste of an opportunity. Still, she wasn’t sure what kind of shoot she wanted. The photographer, understanding her hesitation, pulled out a sample album. “You can take a look at our past work. These are some of the styles we’ve done.” Flipping through the pages, Vera saw an array of stunning concepts—each picture more breathtaking than the last. Then, one particular set caught her eye. A Golden Age Hollywood theme.It was classic, nostalgic, and beautifully atmospheric. “Ca
After the wedding, Vera considered taking some time off for a honeymoon. But the thought quickly faded when she realized Caleb had been practically living at the hospital. With a sigh, she dismissed the idea. She was used to it, but to say she wasn’t disappointed would be a lie. Her assistant picked up on it. “Mrs. Smith, don’t you want to go on a honeymoon?” she asked one day. “One of my friends just got married, and she’s been obsessively researching destinations. “She even said a marriage without a honeymoon is already half a failure.” Vera froze mid-page, suddenly losing interest in the documents she had been reviewing. Her assistant hesitated, then offered a suggestion. “Why don’t you go visit Dr. Smith at work?“You seem… distracted. Maybe seeing him will help.” Vera snapped out of her daze, suddenly aware of how preoccupied she had been lately. It was embarrassing to admit, but she had been zoning out far too often—especially after coming hom
Whenever they did this in the past, Caleb always maintained some restraint. But tonight—he didn’t hold back at all. He took her from the bedroom to the bathroom, then back to the bed, his searing kisses trailing every inch of her skin. The next morning, even as she woke up, Vera could still feel the lingering traces of last night’s intoxicating pleasure. As expected, she ended up taking the day off. It wasn’t until two days later that she finally returned to work. *Everyone at the company had already prepared for this. The moment Vera walked into the office, she was greeted with knowing smiles and teasing remarks. “Congratulations, Mrs. Smith!” “Newlywed bliss, huh?” “Three whole days off? Someone had a good time.” It didn’t take a genius to figure out what she had been up to. Obviously, her married life was going exceptionally well—so well that she had completely abandoned work for it. Under the weight of their mischievous stares, Vera barely k
Yelena still hadn’t accepted Hunter, but he wasn’t giving up either and was relentlessly closing in on her. Knowing Yelena’s soft heart, Vera figured it was only a matter of time before she gave in. She let out a sigh. Her friend’s love life wasn’t something she could interfere with. Besides, Caleb had already given her a little inside scoop. “She came to the hospital for a follow-up a few days ago,” he had mentioned casually. “Hunter was the one who brought her.” Vera had clicked her tongue at the news. Yelena always seemed quiet and reserved, but apparently, she was full of surprises.*Time flew by in the blink of an eye.By mid-month, Caleb had rented out an entire vineyard and spent several days transforming it into the perfect wedding venue.When the day arrived, the celebration took place right there.The vineyard was sprawling and elegant, every bit as grand as any luxury hotel—if not better. Even the wine cellar remained untouched, stocked with years-
“Did you plan this from the start?” Vera narrowed her eyes, feeling like she had just walked into a carefully laid trap. “Mm.” Caleb smiled, then leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. Because yes—he had always been planning this. The biggest change in Vera’s life after the island proposal was the ring now sitting on her finger. It wasn’t just any ring. It was custom-made, something Caleb had specially ordered. She only found out by accident when she glanced at his phone one day and saw the purchase record. It had been ordered two months ago. Vera did the math and was stunned. He had been preparing for this long before she even started getting impatient. Her heart swelled with emotion. And as soon as Caleb’s parents heard that their son had finally proposed, they wasted no time pushing them to get the marriage license. *One day, Vera overheard Caleb’s mother lecturing him. “Your dad and I weren’t expecting much from you. With how much ti