Such words left Nina somewhat shocked; she had never imagined hearing them from his mouth. His kisses started gently but grew increasingly forceful, imbued with his possessiveness, leaving Nina feeling dazed. When she felt a chill as he undid her nightgown, the piercing coldness snapped her back to reality. She glanced at her abdomen, her heart skipping a beat, then forcefully pushed Nash away, "No!"Nash, who had been deeply engrossed, snapped out of it with her forceful push. Seeing Nina's drastic reaction and sensing her resistance to his touch, he felt a mix of astonishment and displeasure. His eyes, previously filled with desire, immediately cooled, lips pursed as he coldly questioned, "Are you guarding yourself for Scott, or for Zac?"Her strong reaction and rejection of his touch could only mean one thing—she was guarding herself for the man she truly loved. Nina's hand instinctively rested on her belly; there was a child growing inside her. She couldn't afford to be r
After finishing the last bite, Nina set down her fork. She knew that Sally had long harbored resentment. Nash had defied Sally several times for her, making Sally increasingly disdainful of her. Nina stood up and locked eyes with Sally. "Mom, you never really wanted me to have Nash's child, did you?" Her sudden statement caught Sally off guard, and she quickly composed herself. "What are you talking about?" Nina continued, "You've always wanted Miranda to step in. How could you possibly want me to have Nash's child? You know he would never touch me. Giving me those herbal teas, claiming my womb was 'uncooperative,' was just an excuse to belittle me." Her words laid it all out, and Sally stopped pretending. "As long as you know. How could our York family's child carry your blood?" With a hint of pride, Sally sat down arrogantly. "Nash's affection is reserved for Miranda. Of course, he wouldn't touch you. If it weren't for Grandpa's poor judgement, he would've been with her long
The words made Nash stop in his tracks, turning back to look at Quincy. "Which woman?" Quincy, as the messenger, felt like he had a knife to his throat. How did this married couple end up like this? The wife had to help her husband find a one-night stand while the husband kept their marriage hidden from the public. However, there seemed to be feelings involved. He couldn't understand. But caught in the middle like a sandwich cookie, he lived each day on edge."It's... the woman you had a one-night stand with." Quincy felt Nash's displeasure just by uttering those words. Nash was still unhappy about Nina's rejection yesterday, and she already brought another woman to him today. Was she so eager? Did she want to push him away so badly that she'd be satisfied if he took an interest in another woman? Nash's displeased face turned extremely cold and unwelcoming, but he remained composed, saying coldly, "Got it, let her wait!"When Nina returned and hadn't even set her bag do
Nina looked at Linda. She was so confident it was herself and Nina almost believed it. However, Quincy was here, and there was work to handle. She didn't have time to respond and could only back away. Three hours passed, and Nina had not returned. However, at this moment, the meeting room doors opened. As the attendees dispersed, Nash emerged from the meeting room. Quincy stood to the side, saying, "Mr. York, the lounge." Nash furrowed his brows, his expression cold. He glanced at his watch and couldn't help but sneer, thinking they sure could hold out. He turned and headed for the lounge. At this point, only Linda was in the lounge. She stiffened when she heard the door open, seeing no one else was there, she lay on the couch for a while. Nash entered the room and saw a girl lying on the couch. His gaze swept around, not finding Nina, and he stepped forward. With one hand in his pocket, he stopped in front of the girl, his expression icy as he scrutinized her in silence. L
Linda's face stiffened, hands clenched tightly, digging into her palms. Nash saw her unable to speak, his brows furrowing tightly, and asked sharply, "Is it that hard to answer?"At that moment, Nina hurriedly rushed back from outside, just in time to hear Nash's sharp question from inside. She arrived late and then released her hold on the door handle.Linda hesitated for a long while, coupled with Nash's pressing demeanor, her inner pressure suddenly surged. She lifted her gaze to the cold and indifferent man before her. This man was not easy to deal with and quite dangerous; one wrong step and she could fall into irretrievable ruin. Timidly, she said, "That hotel... There are... many wealthy people. I need money. If I could meet a wealthy man, I wouldn't have to work so hard."Nash furrowed his brows even deeper, his gaze toward her changing. Her words amounted to nothing more than selling herself for money. Indeed, in today's society, there were many such people, exchanging th
Linda cried hard, her emotions breaking down, as if she had truly spent a night with Nash. Nina felt unsure now, as it seemed settled, so she had no choice but to leave the lounge.When she emerged, the office was abuzz, everyone clueless about what transpired inside. All they knew was that a unfamiliar girl had waited in the lounge for hours, and Nash had finally gone to see her, emerging with a cold and displeased expression."What happened in there, Nina?" a curious colleague asked. As soon as one person asked, countless ears wanted to eavesdrop. Nina glanced at them and remarked, "You're itching to find out, huh? Why not go ask Mr. York?" Her words held weight, and the moment "Mr. York" was mentioned, even the most curious refrained from probing further, turning their attention back to their tasks.Nina spent some time in the pantry. Everything seemed unrelated to her, yet somehow connected, but she couldn't speak up. She felt very conflicted. Why had she appeared again, goi
The helper brought the tea and placed it on the coffee table. "Madam, your tea," he said. Linda dared not be presumptuous. Upon seeing the helper approach, she quickly tossed aside the cushion and sat upright, politely addressing the helper, "Thank you very much." She looked at the cup on the table, still emitting steam. The porcelain was exquisite, and the tea was infused with roses, delicate, exuding a fragrance of roses. She took a sip, and the faint scent spread in her mouth. She felt like everything had become much more sophisticated. "It's delicious. I've never had such delicious tea before," she remarked.Perhaps she had never seen such a luxurious place before. At this moment, everything she saw and drank seemed to be the best. Even the tea felt different from that in other people's homes.It was the helper's duty to serve people well, so upon hearing the praise, he responded, "You're too kind, Madam." With that, he withdrew.Linda stared at the helper for a long time.
Nina ignored her and headed for the door. A car pulled up and she got in. Linda could only watch as the car drove away. It wasn't until the shadow of the car disappeared that Linda shifted her gaze. Even in the luxurious villa behind her, she felt a bit uncomfortable being alone.However, Linda's current concern was greater. Why didn't Nina believe her when Nash already did? Nina was a good person. Maybe if Linda explained everything to her again one day, she might believe her! Comforting herself this way, Linda felt a bit better and turned to go back inside. The helpers were busy tidying up her room. After they finished, they politely informed her and she entered her room. The bedroom was spacious, with a large bed—fit for a princess—complete with the canopy she had always dreamed of, larger than the entire space of her old house. Everything was brand new.Opening the closet, she found rows of beautiful dresses, a dazzling array. Such scenes, everything before her, she had onl
If his son were in the same situation, Caleb figured he would probably do what his father was doing now. Forget it. “Fine,” he said at last. “You can stall my father for now. But let me be clear—whatever money you take from him, you’ll have to pay back later.” He had no intention of having a child with Vera. Vera readily agreed. “Alright. As long as I can clear my family’s debt, I’ll do whatever you ask.” “First, put your clothes back on.” Caleb had encountered countless situations as a doctor. He had performed surgeries on both men and women without a second thought. But this was different. Vera wasn’t his patient. Vera had already braced herself for the worst. Now that Caleb had set the terms, she quickly put her clothes back on. But even after dressing, she remained on her knees. Caleb hadn’t heard any movement, and since he didn’t want to turn around prematurely, he was caught off guard when Vera spoke. “I’m dressed.” Only then did he turn to look at h
Caleb had acted out of kindness, offering Vera a place to stay for the night since she had nowhere else to go. He had assumed that after their conversation, she would let go of her ridiculous plan. He truly never expected that Vera would see him as her last lifeline. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. “Vera, I finally understand why no one is willing to help the Mason family. There’s not a single decent person among you!” Vera had anticipated Caleb’s anger, but she never thought he would lash out like this, dragging her entire family into it. Say what he wanted about her—but how could he insult her family? Frustration flared in her eyes. “I know what I’m doing is wrong. But I have no other choice. Caleb, you don’t have to take your anger out on my family.” “If your family was so ‘good,’ then why did they leave you with mountains of debt? Why is your brother missing?” Caleb snapped, his voice sharp. He hadn’t wanted to throw those words at her, b
Caleb’s voice was low, but there was a hint of bitterness tugging at the corners of his mouth. He never thought he would be speaking to Luna in such a tone. It didn’t feel good. “Caleb, I’ve never trampled on your feelings,” Luna said, her voice hoarse and her gaze tinged with sorrow. “I never once accepted your proposals. If I were you, I wouldn’t have proposed a second time. I would’ve kept my distance. I’ve always seen you as a friend, but look at the things you’ve done and the words you’ve said. I’m not obligated to say yes to you, yet you bring someone else into this just to put on some sort of show?” Her voice cracked, and the pain in her eyes was unmistakable. Caleb’s smirk deepened, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “You’re right. You’re not obligated to accept me. But have you ever thought about this? When you call for me, I’m not obligated to come running, either. And as for your accusation—I’m not ‘putting on a show’ with anyone. The girl who came here with me
Caleb stayed by the operating room until Luna’s surgery was completed successfully. After that, he remained at her bedside, not leaving for a moment, until she finally regained consciousness hours later. When Luna opened her eyes, disoriented, she murmured, “Am I… dead?” The sharp smell of disinfectant made her dizzy, and the unfamiliar surroundings only heightened her anxiety. “This is the hospital,” Caleb said softly. “You had appendicitis, and surgery was necessary.” Hearing Caleb’s voice, Luna finally relaxed. She wasn’t dead. But the thought of Caleb sitting by her bedside brought other concerns to mind. Were they alone? Was anyone else around? After all, Caleb had brought another woman when he came to find her earlier. Luna glanced around the room, her searching gaze caught immediately by Caleb. “Don’t bother looking,” he said coolly. “It’s just me here. I arranged for a VIP room for your recovery.” Only then did Luna let out a long breath of relief. She
“My father’s interest is just a passing phase,” Caleb said calmly. “Once he realizes there’s no outcome, he’ll naturally let it go. I’ve been in love with someone who didn’t love me back—it was exhausting. So why would I willingly enter a marriage with someone I don’t even have feelings for?”Caleb didn’t want a marriage without love, and he certainly didn’t want the worst-case scenario—a child born into such a situation. Even though Vera had suggested signing an agreement where the child would stay with him, Caleb couldn’t bring himself to agree. How could a child grow up happy without a mother’s love? And what would he do when the child inevitably started asking for their mom? He couldn’t bear the thought of the child calling someone else “mom.” And if he stayed with Vera just for the child, wouldn’t that create a miserable, loveless relationship for both of them? It was better to draw a clear line from the beginning. Vera hadn’t expected Caleb to be so straightforward a
Caleb’s words left Vera increasingly confused. He had taken her along to see Luna, and now that Luna had been brought to the hospital, there wasn’t much else for her to do. What could Caleb possibly want from her now? If he wanted to continue their "act," he would’ve stopped her earlier, not waited until now to come looking for her. But Caleb remained silent, and Vera didn’t dare to jump to conclusions. She waited patiently for him to speak. After a moment of quiet, Caleb finally broke the silence, his voice low and slightly hoarse. “You don’t have money, and your father is in a standard hospital room. If you don’t rest properly, how will you have the energy to take care of him? Here.” He pulled out a key and handed it to Vera. “This is the key to my dorm at the hospital. I don’t use it often. You can rest and freshen up there.” Vera stared at Caleb in disbelief. Caleb had made it clear he didn’t want any involvement with her and had outright rejected her earlier su
The moment Caleb entered the password at the door, Vera realized he frequented this place. Who could it be? Her mind swirled with guesses, but when the door opened, she followed Caleb inside and saw Luna curled up on the couch in the living room. Caleb immediately strode over to Luna and began checking her condition. Vera trailed closely behind, holding the first aid kit she had brought. “This is appendicitis,” Caleb said firmly. “We need to get you to the hospital right away.” He didn’t even use the supplies in the first aid kit. However, Luna noticed Vera standing there and was visibly startled. She hadn’t expected Caleb to bring someone else—especially Vera—along. When Caleb bent down to lift Luna, she resisted, trying to push him away. “Caleb, what are you doing? What’s the point of all this? Why are you acting like this?” Caleb’s focus was entirely on Luna’s worsening condition. Her appendicitis had escalated to a critical point, and she needed surgery imme
Vera clenched her teeth, making a desperate decision. She moved closer to Caleb, taking the initiative to grab his hand, her sincerity clear. “Caleb, look at me. I’m not as bad as you think. Whether it’s real or fake, I can do it.” Without responding to her plea, Caleb coldly threw out a single sentence, “You can sleep in the car tonight.” Then, without a backward glance, he pulled the car door open and left. Watching his retreating figure, Vera felt as though an invisible hand was squeezing her heart tightly. She had never imagined that her life would come to this point. *Later that night, Caleb was woken by a call from Luna. Through the phone, Luna’s voice was laced with pain. “Caleb, can you come over? My stomach hurts… really badly…” Her words were like a hook, sinking deep into Caleb’s heart. He loved Luna and couldn’t bear to see her in pain or distress. Yet, he forced himself to remain clear-headed. “Isn’t Simon with you? Call him,” Caleb said coldly
Caleb had mentioned taking Vera back to the hospital. Even though she was the one driving, that should have been their destination. But instead, she brought him to his villa. This clearly showed she had done her homework on him. Vera pressed her lips together. “Since you asked me to drive, I figured I’d drop you off at your place first.” “Is that so?” Caleb scoffed, a mocking smile playing on his lips. “And after you drop me off, how are you planning to get back?” As he spoke, he leaned closer to her. Vera instinctively leaned away, uncomfortable with the sudden proximity. She had never been in such close contact with a man before, and her intentions truly were as simple as dropping him off—nothing more. But Caleb didn’t believe her. He grabbed her shoulder with one hand, his grip firm. “I’m asking you a question. Why aren’t you answering?” Vera knew avoiding the question wouldn’t work with him. He wasn’t the type to let things slide. “If I didn’t drop you off, h