Realizing they could not prank Orion, everyone decided to return to playing the game as usual. After dinner, Orion started fussing about wanting to go home, and Nina couldn't say no. She asked the director for leave.At first, the director wasn’t happy about it since there were plans for early morning filming the next day. But Nina was firm, and eventually, he agreed, on the condition that she return promptly in the morning.After a heavy rain, the rural road was muddy. However, Nina, being an experienced driver, handled it with ease. The bumpy ride eventually brought them to the main road. Nina sent a message to Nash, suggesting they meet at the downtown shopping district.There weren’t many cars on the road, and Nina drove steadily. Suddenly, from the opposite lane, a large truck veered toward them, smashing through the median barrier. The truck swerved and headed straight for their car."Mom! Watch out!" Orion shouted.Nina had already reacted instinctively. She floored the g
Nina called Nash, her voice urgent. She did not want to wait for a passing car. Who knew when those two would wake up?If they did, and she was still there, she would have to fight again. She wasn’t afraid of fighting, knowing full well that ordinary people couldn’t match her. However, she was worried they might bring reinforcements.Nash picked up while driving."We ran into some trouble. Can you come get us?" Nina said immediately."I’m on my way. Stay safe," Nash replied, not hanging up as he sped towards them.As the rain began to fall, Nina felt her body growing heavier. She knew it was a fever from her injury, and regretted not bringing her bag. There was medicine in it. They had been walking for nearly half an hour without seeing a single car pass. Luckily, those two men had not followed them. Maybe they were still unconscious, or maybe they thought Nina and Orion had already left.Just as Nina was about to collapse, a car pulled over."Nina, Orion!" Miss Flores excla
"He went to school," Nash replied, handing her a glass of water. "I think it's better for him to stay focused on his education, even though... well, it's just kindergarten for now."In kindergarten, they had not taught reading yet, but they had group activities that helped build a good social environment.As for the entertainment industry, Nash still had his concerns. He couldn’t help but think of Miranda. Things started off well for her, but after entering showbiz, she began to change, little by little.Orion was still so young.And with the wealth Nash had, if Orion developed an interest in the entertainment industry later on, he could easily build an entire entertainment empire on the foundation Nash had already established."Yeah. I've been with Orion constantly these past few days, so now that he's not around, I feel a little lost," Nina admitted, a hint of sadness in her voice.Nash gently stroked her cheek. "I get it. How about we pick him up together this afternoon?""Ok
Nina shot him a playful glare."Mommy~," Orion whined, shaking her arm and turning on his charm.Nash quickly followed suit, mimicking Orion's tone. "Honey~."Nina couldn't take it anymore. "Alright, both of you, stop it! Can we just go home now?" she said, flustered.They were still standing at the kindergarten entrance, and talking about making babies was hardly appropriate. Although she and Nash were now like an old married couple, they couldn’t be so shameless in public. If anyone saw them, especially a reporter, it could easily turn into unwanted gossip.Nash grinned and pulled her close. "Alright, let’s go home and work on that baby!" He led her to the car, his arm around her shoulders, while his other hand held Orion’s. But Orion slipped out of his grip and ran over to Nina’s side instead.Although Nina didn’t say anything, her gaze fell on Nash with a deep, lingering look of a silent reproach.As soon as they got home, Nash’s father, Pharaoh, greeted them at the door.
Lydia spoke with calm determination, her gaze steady and firm.Quincy was a bit surprised. Lydia wasn’t just capable but perceptive too. She had already figured out what he was thinking. Still, while her abilities seemed promising, he couldn’t be certain what her real intentions were. After all, she was hired to be Nash’s new secretary. That meant she would eventually need to work alongside him closely. They couldn’t afford to make any mistakes."Your background doesn’t matter to me," Quincy said slowly, a small smile playing on his lips. "At York Corporation, we value skill above all. If you really have the ability, then handling a simple contract like this should be a breeze, right?"He paused briefly, then added, "Besides, you won’t be going in alone. I’ll be there with you."With Quincy present, even if Lydia struggled, he could step in and take over. Lydia didn’t argue and replied, "Since you’ve arranged everything, I’ll follow your lead."Hunter, Caleb, and Ben were all
Nina had not expected Nash to still have so much stamina at his age.Taking advantage of a brief moment, she quickly pushed him away. "Aren't you worried about missing something important with all those calls you’re ignoring? What if it’s urgent?"Nash smirked and leaned in closer, silencing her with a kiss. "If it’s important, Quincy can handle it. Right now, nothing is more urgent than us."Over on Hunter's side of things, after Nash ignored two of his calls, then turned off his phone entirely. Hunter quickly figured out what was going on. Nash must be preoccupied with someone special, and there was no chance he would be picking up. A real shame, Hunter thought.Quincy, not wanting Hunter to start playing matchmaker, said, "She’s new here, and sure, she’s capable. But I still need to figure out what she’s really here for. Can you just hold off on the matchmaking? Not everyone is like you.""What’s wrong with me?" Hunter replied, unfazed.Caleb chuckled. "Do you really need it s
Lydia lifted her head and said calmly, "If you think that’s the case, then show me the evidence. If you don’t have any, don’t go around making baseless accusations."Quincy didn’t respond. He thought to himself, "Evidence? It’s just a matter of time."Meanwhile, over on Orion's side, the carnival was bustling with people. Orion’s eyes were glued to a stall selling candy floss. "I want the biggest one!" he exclaimed. His face flushed with excitement from all the playing.Pharaoh handed over the money and gently advised Orion to eat slowly as he passed him the candy floss. As Orion took the treat, Pharaoh watched him with a fond smile.Orion took a bite and said, "Grandpa, this is so sweet! You should try some.""Grandpa doesn’t need, you go ahead and eat. If you like it, have more," Pharaoh chuckled. Orion nodded and ate.Just as he was about to take a third bite, his body suddenly stiffened. "Grandpa, I don’t feel well…" Before he could finish his sentence, he collapsed."Orio
After sending the message, the caller stopped laughing and spoke in a cold tone, "Mr. York, have you already forgotten me after I just returned your child? Let’s get to the point. I’ve injected something into your son’s body. If you want to know what it is, bring him to this address." Miss Flores then recited an address, which turned out to be in a residential area. Her carefully crafted plan was about to unfold. After all, she wouldn’t have gone through the trouble of taking Orion only to return him without a reason.Nash memorized the address and warned her, "Don’t try any tricks. You should know who I am. I can crush someone like you with just a flick of my finger.""Mr. York, there’s no need to be so angry. If I dared to return your son, then I’ve already considered what you might do to me. I’m not afraid. At worst, it’s a life for a life."A life for a life? Her life couldn’t compare to his son’s.Nash had been quietly monitoring this situation without alarming Nina to avoid
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