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
The dishes Nina arranged were a big hit, making her the talk of the school. In the eyes of the other parents, she became known as the mom who wasn’t afraid to spend money. She had stolen Madison's spotlight, and Madison couldn’t let it go.In the afternoon, since Orion was still feeling uncomfortable from his injury, Nina took him home after lunch, excusing them from the rest of the field day.Not long after they got home, Nina received an invitation from Madison to join the class parent group chat. Madison also sent her a message, emphasizing that all the moms were in the group, and it was useful for discussing their children's education.Nina didn’t accept the invitation. She felt that the parent group chat didn’t seem to offer much value. After Orion fell asleep, Nina went downstairs to call Nash, but all she got was a busy signal. Thinking back over everything that had happened at the field day, she felt increasingly uneasy, a suppressed anger building up inside her that she
Since it was a work-related issue, Nina didn’t hold it against Nash. She arranged for the nanny to take care of Orion and told Nash that she was going out with some of Orion's classmates' moms.While she was still in contact with Nash, the car had already driven out of the city. Nina felt puzzled. "Weren’t we supposed to go shopping?""You see, ma’am, that PTA president tends to change plans at the last minute. If she didn’t, I wouldn’t have had to wait for you back there, right? Don’t worry, their car can’t go that fast. We’ll catch up to them."As he spoke, the car turned onto a narrow country road. Nina looked around but saw no villages, only a road leading deeper into the mountains. Her brows furrowed slightly, and she was about to ask a question when the narrow road turned into a wider highway, leading to a gas station.The bearded man pulled in to refuel, and Nina seized the opportunity to try calling Madison, but there was no answer."Miss," someone called out to her. N
Nash’s phone still wouldn’t connect, and Nina’s frustration kept building. Just then, Zoe called. In her irritation, Nina vented about everything that had happened that day and what she planned to do next.Zoe suggested they meet at a bar on the outskirts of town, just a few minutes from where Nina was. Knowing Zoe was considering her convenience, Nina walked over to the bar. She had barely arrived when they pulled up."Mrs. York, I heard you’re looking to investigate someone," Eugene said bluntly as he got out of the car.Nina nodded and handed him a photo of Madison. "I’ve heard her husband is some kind of manager at a company. Find out where he works. She tried to have me killed, so I’ll make sure her whole life falls apart."Eugene didn’t bat an eye at the intensity of her words. After getting Nina and Zoe settled into a private room, he quickly left to arrange the investigation.Not even ten minutes later, Eugene returned to the room and handed Nina a printed report. Madi
He couldn’t bear to imagine what would have happened if something had really gone wrong with Nina. The very thought sent chills down Nash's spine.His heart was racing, and Nina, sensing his worry, felt her earlier frustration fade, replaced by forgiveness. She reached out, hugging Nash and softly reassured him, "I'm fine. You know my skills. No ordinary person can trap me.""I was really scared, honey. From now on, no matter how busy I am, I promise I won’t leave your side," Nash vowed, holding her tightly."Look, I’m okay now, aren’t I?" Nina noticed the worry still etched on his face and playfully pouted. "I’m hungry. I barely ate any of that Royal Feast earlier. Everyone was too busy talking and taking pictures. Since they weren’t eating, I didn’t either."In truth, she had eaten well enough, but Nina wanted to distract Nash from what had happened. After all, it was over now, and dwelling on it wouldn’t change anything.Nash picked her up and started heading out. "Let’s go g
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