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
Nina stayed with Nash at the hospital all night. The next morning, she went downstairs to buy breakfast and spotted Madison rushing toward the inpatient wing. Nina smirked but didn’t think much of it."Nina!"She hadn’t expected Madison to notice her, but there she was, stopping right in front of her, eyeing her up and down."Surprised to see me doing just fine?" Madison snapped.Now that they were closer, Nina noticed a red mark on Madison’s face. Someone had clearly hit her. Nina couldn’t help but chuckle."What’s so funny? It was you, wasn’t it? You told me about Mabel to destroy my family, right?"Nina was a bit taken aback by how quickly Madison had figured it out but didn’t deny it. "Yeah, it was me. But compared to what you did, I’d say I was being merciful."Madison screamed in rage, "I’m going to make you pay for this!" She lunged at Nina, but Nina swiftly dodged.Madison crashed into the nurse’s station, sending items tumbling to the floor. Nurses quickly surrounded
"You... I don't know them! I was just passing by!" Madison desperately tried to distance herself from the situation. But Nina had already called the police when she first noticed the men following her. The men’s statements were enough evidence, and the police didn’t listen to Madison's excuses. They escorted her straight to the police car."Mrs. York, are you alright?" Officer Lee asked as he approached. Madison froze when she heard the name Mrs. York and looked at Nina in shock."You’re Nash York’s wife?" she gasped in disbelief.Nina smiled. "Doesn’t it look like it?"Madison was on the verge of tears. If she had known who she was dealing with, she never would have caused so much trouble. Nina was the wife of the president of York Corporation, while she was just a small-time nobody.With Madison out of the way, Nina's mood improved even more. She even ordered a large cake, and when Nash asked about it, she simply said she felt like eating cake.Nash didn’t call her out on it.
"Orion," the woman called out, waving without a hint of concern about being seen. She did not look like a kidnapper. Since the parents had not arrived yet, Orion could not leave the school grounds. The woman handed him a small packet of snacks through the fence. Seeing this, Nina quickly walked over and stopped him. "Orion, what did Mom always teach you? Did you forget?""I didn’t forget, Mom. She’s Aunt Lulu. Some kids said she used to teach dance here," Orion answered honestly, implying that he thought she was not a stranger since she had worked at the school before.However, Orion had only started attending this term, so he did not know her at all.Nina wanted to remind her son about talking to strangers, but the woman extended her hand and introduced herself. "Hello Orion's mom, I'm Lulu Jacobs. I used to teach dance here, but now I work at an entertainment agency. Here’s my business card."The card clearly showed she was an agent, Lulu Jacobs at YJ Entertainment. Nina re
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