He did as she wanted; she should be feeling really happy now.Nina remained silent. Seeing their gloomy faces, Linda tried to lighten the mood, saying, "Nina, why don't you stay and have dinner with me?" "I'm telling you, the cook’s dishes here are really delicious. Whatever you want to eat, she can make it. Isn't that amazing? You must try her cooking!" Linda introduced eagerly. Nina's gaze shifted to Linda. "It's not necessary..." "It is, it is," Linda quickly replied, then looked at Nash as if she hadn't said it to him, "Mr. York, can Nina stay for dinner with me? I've been here for so long, and I don't even have someone to eat with. It's very lonely." Nash glanced at Nina and said indifferently, "As you wish." Satisfied with the response, Linda continued to pester Nina, "See, Mr. York agreed, it's okay." She was afraid Nina would feel awkward with Nash around. "Okay then." Nina didn't delay any further and agreed to have dinner with her. "This quiet p
Nina glanced back at her, noticing the smile on her lips and the look of admiration in her eyes. She recognized that look—admiration, a desire to understand everything about him. She, too, wanted to be the one who understood him the most."I know him a little," Nina said casually. "So, what exactly do you want to know from me about him?"Linda didn't hide anything, confessing to her openly, "I want to know everything. The more I understand him, the less likely I'll upset him."Nina asked again, "So, you think if you understand him well, don't upset him, and make him satisfied with everything, he'll like you more?"Linda blushed in embarrassment. "Is it that obvious to you? Does Mr. York also notice that I might have a bit of a crush on him?"Nina remained silent, noticing that Linda did not conceal her own ambitions."It's just not right. He sees right through everything. If I try too hard to please him, will I seem desperate?" Linda pondered, wanting to become the one Mr. York a
Nash was surprised that she brought this up. "Why didn't you mention it last time?""You didn't give me a chance to explain previously," Nina remembered how he had walked away without a word, not even listening to her.Nash had doubts and asked again, "If Linda wasn't brought by you, she shouldn't know you. The first time I met her, she was so familiar with you, so she must have known you for a short time."Her words and actions indeed didn't make sense. Fortunately, when she first met Linda, she didn't say too much, and no one knew she was looking for a stand-in. Now, it gave her an excuse."I did indeed meet her twice," Nina didn't deny. "Wasn't it you who tasked me with finding her? I surely had to take your instructions seriously."Nash caught onto her words, questioning, "So if she hadn't come to me, you would've kept it to yourself and not informed me?"This caught Nina off guard. Afraid that Nash might think she was being deceptive, she explained, "I hadn't figured it out
The more she thought about it, the more Linda felt it was true.When Nina had second thoughts and chose not to bring her back, it was evident that she didn't want anyone else around Nash to affect her position. No wonder she changed. She liked Nash and wouldn't allow other women to like him. That's why she said those words to her.Linda thought that if she hadn't come on her own, Nash probably would have never found out that she was the woman he slept with that night. Nina would find a way to cover up this news and send her away.Initially, Linda indeed didn't think that much. In her first time under such circumstances, she was nervous and scared. Her only thought was not to hold the other party responsible. She knew Nash was looking for her and didn't want to cause trouble, so she just wanted to say goodbye properly.But Nash was very kind and gentle to her, and he kept her by his side, making her feel cared for. That was why she was willing to stay.Her staying might be seen a
"If you think the cook's dishes are delicious, then you should eat more," Nina placed the cup on the table, no longer intending to accompany her. She was about to leave, and with Nash not around, Linda feared that there wouldn't be another chance to ask certain questions. So, before Nina departed, she remarked, "Typically, when someone evade a direct question, the answer is already apparent. You like Mr. York! And your recent remarks were because you fear my presence may pose a threat to you. Nina, do you have hidden agendas? Truthfully, you're reluctant to have me around because I slept with Mr. York, which upset you!"Nina furrowed her brows and turned back around. Linda met her gaze confidently, no longer the timid girl she first appeared to be. "Where does your confidence come from?" Nina asked calmly. "Did you really sleep with Mr. York? It's too coincidental that I found you, of all people, here.""So, you still don't believe me."Linda looked at her, stood up, and replied,
The person in front of her looked at the dropped registration form with confusion, surprised to see Nina appearing here so early. He bent down to pick up the fallen form. Seeing this, Nina's pupils slightly contracted as she quickly moved to pick it up as well. However, he was closer and quickly retrieved the form in his hand."Are you feeling unwell?" the man asked, glancing at the form, only to find it was for a simple ultrasound. Seeing only this column written on it already made him curious.Feeling at a loss, Nina acted as if a colossal secret was about to be revealed, hastily snatching the registration form from him and putting it in her pocket, suppressing her flustered emotions. "I came to check on my health."Nash's gaze fell on her face, then he questioned, "If it's not stomach discomfort, why come for an ultrasound?"Nina clenched her fist tightly, avoiding his gaze. "Didn't I say? I came to check on my health."With one hand in his pocket, Nash was displeased with he
This caught Nina off guard. No matter how many injuries or illnesses she had endured before, he hadn't shown this level of concern before. When he was preoccupied with work, he might even overlook her feelings.Now that she didn't require his company, he was actively seeking ways to accompany her, leaving her feeling somewhat puzzled.When Nash noticed others wanting to enter the elevator, he said, "Go ahead, we can talk later." They lingered near the elevator for quite some time. At last Nina stepped into the elevator again, with him. Her hand was in her pocket, tightly clutching that slip of paper, feeling slightly warm. It just had to be today of all days to run into him.Nash stood in the elevator, gazing ahead, yet mindful of Nina's emotions. He inquired, "Have you eaten breakfast?"Nina remained silent, caught up in anxiety, plotting how to slip away from his presence. Noticing her lack of response, he diverted his gaze, only to see Nina furrowing her brows, her expression se
Nina was a bit at a loss and politely greeted, "Hello, Grandpa George."George's eyes widened slightly in surprise. This matter had never reached his ears before, but then he burst into a hearty laugh. "Well, well, you're all grown up and married now. When did you get married? You and your grandfather are cut from the same cloth. Such a big event, and you didn't even inform me. It's a shame I'm only meeting your wife now."George and Nash's grandfather were comrades in their youth. They had shared life and death together, fought side by side on the battlefield, achieved many successes, and made significant contributions. However, they later diverged in their future paths. George entered politics, while Nash's grandfather pursued business, leading to less interaction between them.George scrutinized Nina and nodded approvingly. "She's a fine girl, Nash. You have good taste. This young lady seems kind-hearted."Nash explained, "Our marriage was kept simple, without any publicity. And
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