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
After hearing Nina's answer, Nash turned to Zoe, visibly surprised. "Why are you wearing Nina's clothes? Did you run out of your own?"As he spoke, he pulled out a bank card and handed it to her. "Whatever you want to buy, go ahead and buy it. Don’t worry about saving money for your nephew."Zoe chuckled, wanting to tease him. "If I spend it all, what will your wife do? She won’t have anything left."Nash smiled, wrapping his arm around Nina. "All my money is with Nina. What I gave you is just my pocket money.""Is that really true?" Zoe thought to herself. Nash, as the president of a corporation, couldn’t possibly have given all his money to Nina, could he? This wasn’t just a regular family’s few thousand or ten thousand dollars. It was millions of dollars. But looking at the two of them, they didn’t seem to be lying."If Eugene gave me all his money, I wouldn’t dare take it," Zoe mused."Are you crazy? Why wouldn’t you take it? You should accept it without hesitation. If he d
Nina had agreed to participate in the field day, completely falling into Nash’s trap.Nash gave a sly smile and leaned in, speaking slowly, "Then, my dear wife, please head upstairs and change. I’ll go get Orion, and we’ll head out as soon as you’re ready.""Where are we going?" Nina asked, puzzled.Nash tapped her nose playfully. "To the field day.""Wait, the school’s field day is today?" Nina thought, still confused. But she went upstairs, changed, and came down to find Nash and Orion already waiting for her in the car.On the drive, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she had walked right into Nash’s setup. She sighed repeatedly, realizing she had underestimated him and now had no choice but to go along with it.When they arrived at the school, the parking lot was packed. Unable to find a spot, Nash told Nina and Orion to go ahead while he parked the car and would join them later.Nina led Orion to the field, where she saw cheerful children running around and parents squinti
A paper with instructions was suddenly thrust in front of Nina, almost hitting her in the face. Annoyed, she snapped, "If you’ve got something to say, just say it."Madison chuckled softly. "I’m showing you the instructions. On the back, you’ll find the dish you need to prepare for lunch today. Remember, it absolutely must suit everyone’s taste. If no one eats your dish, Orion’s performance in the field day will be nullified.""What does my cooking have to do with Orion’s performance? If you want to punish someone, punish me. Why drag the children into it?"Nina didn’t want to participate in the field day, but that didn’t mean Orion didn’t. If no one ate the dish she prepared, wouldn’t that unfairly impact Orion?She frowned. The school wouldn’t make such a decision. It had to be Madison overstepping her authority as PTA president."Fine," Nina thought. "They only asked me to prepare the dish. They didn’t say I have to cook it herself." If it was something she couldn’t manage, she
With a bang, the starting gun went off, followed by a cry of pain as Orion fell to the ground. It was clear he was hurt badly.Nina was the first to rush over and scoop him up, her heart aching when she saw that a large patch of skin had been scraped off his knee."Mom, it hurts. My leg hurts so much," Orion sobbed in her arms."Don’t worry, Orion. Mommy will take you to see the doctor," Nina said softly, quickly scanning the area. She spotted the temporary medical tent not far away and hurried over.The teacher and other parents followed, their faces filled with concern as they saw Orion’s injury. The doctor waved them aside, asking them to step back so they wouldn’t upset the child further, and soon everyone moved outside.Once the medical tent quieted down, Nina anxiously asked, "Doctor, is there any damage to the bone?"This was crucial. If his bones were injured, they would need to rush to a hospital immediately.The doctor examined Orion again and shook his head. "No, ma’a
Orion didn’t know what was wrong with Nina, so he quietly asked, "Mom, are you not feeling well?"Nina pinched his little cheek and smiled. "Orion, you’re so thoughtful, always worrying about Mom. But I’m fine, don’t worry. What about you, Orion? Do you want to go home now or stay and watch the rest of the competition?"He glanced toward the field and, after a moment of silence, whispered, "I think I’ll stay and watch the rest. The teacher said winning isn’t the most important thing. It’s about participating. Mom, aren’t you supposed to make that royal feast later? I can help you."Nina was overjoyed and planted a big kiss on his cheek. "That would be wonderful! I’ll be counting on you, my little helper, Orion.""Got it! I promise I’ll be the best helper ever," Orion declared, raising his hand as if making a solemn vow. He had already forgotten the pain in his leg.With the medicine kicking in, the pain was gradually fading, and Orion had returned to his usual lively self, shaking
"She’s not our nanny. She’s my mom!" Orion shouted angrily, pounding on Madison’s leg. In response, Madison kicked him away, sending him to the ground. He landed on his backside, and looked up at her with hurt and confusion in his eyes.The incident happened so quickly that by the time Nina realized what had occurred, Orion was already on the ground. She hurried to scoop him up, holding him tightly. When she stood up again, she fixed Madison with a cold stare.Madison took two steps back, her voice trembling. "What are you going to do? I didn’t kick him that hard! He fell on his own. It’s not my fault!""So, you’re Madison, huh? I’ll remember that. If my son has any issues because of this, my lawyer will be in touch. And by the way, isn’t your husband a big-time manager at some company? I’m sure you can afford the medical bills, right? Just make sure not to dodge the responsibility."Nina hadn’t intended to make a big deal out of this, but kicking her son was crossing the line. I
The commotion caught everyone’s attention. Some sharp-eyed parents recognized the uniforms of the chefs. They were from the most famous hotel in Birkham. Gasps spread through the crowd as people marveled at how much the school must have spent.The principal forced a smile. He knew there was no way the school could afford such top-notch chefs and wondered which parent had provided this surprise."Ma’am, as per your instructions, the Royal Feast is ready. Could you please direct us to the dining area?" The hotel manager approached Nina with such respect that jaws dropped all around.Madison's face turned red, then pale. She felt utterly uncomfortable."That hotel’s food is ridiculously expensive," someone whispered. "That mom doesn’t look like she’s made of money. Do you think she’s just putting on a show?""Yeah, I saw her arguing with the PTA president earlier. Maybe she’s doing this out of spite."Madison overheard the murmurs and smirked as she walked toward Nina. Before sh
Up ahead was a village. “Miss, it’s really late today, so I’ll take you home first. My parents and brother will take good care of you, and you can get a good night’s sleep at our place. Once you’ve rested, we’ll take you to town tomorrow.” The young girl tightened her grip on Vera’s hand. “My mom is a great cook! She’ll definitely make a big meal to welcome you.” It really was late. The sky was completely dark, and Vera’s phone battery was nearly dead. The girl was still so young. She had already gone out of her way to bring Vera back from the deep mountains. It wouldn’t be right to ask her to take her all the way to town tonight. Vera still had some cash in her pocket. After covering the cost of transportation, she decided she would leave the rest for the girl’s family. If it weren’t for the girl, who knew how long she would have been wandering in the mountains? “My house is just ahead. It’s not in great shape, so don’t mind it too much. Next year, whe
Vera’s nerves tensed up again. A sudden sound in the middle of nowhere was never a good sign. If it was a snake or some other large animal, she would be in serious trouble. Her ankle was swollen, and she couldn’t run fast. Would this be where it all ended for her? She had to leave quietly. But the ground was covered in thick layers of fallen leaves, with dry branches hidden underneath. Crack. As she stepped back, her foot snapped a twig, the sound piercing through the silence. Only one thought filled her mind—this was it. The rustling nearby grew louder. Vera squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself. Then, a voice suddenly spoke beside her. “Miss, why are you here alone? Didn’t your family come with you?” It was a person. Not an animal. Vera’s eyes flew open. A young girl stood in front of her. Fear dissolved in an instant, replaced by relief. She was saved.“I came here alone. Little one, do you know how to get out of here?” Ver
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.