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
Chloe scoffed, “What’s the big deal? When I married your father, I just threw on a simple dress and walked into the house. I still have that dress, you know.”She muttered under her breath, “Marriage is about building a life together. What’s the point of all these fancy extras?”A wedding dress? A suit? That sounded expensive. Their family had barely saved a few thousand dollars over the years. How could they justify spending it all on a wedding? *Vera, taking advantage of the last bit of battery on her phone, quickly pulled up photos of wedding dresses and suits. She handed the phone to Alice. “Your brother would look really handsome in a suit.” Alice gasped in excitement. “Wow! These clothes are so pretty! Vera, you’re already beautiful—if you wear this, you’ll look just like a fairy!” Then she hesitated. “When we get the dress… can I try it on too?” “Of course.” This wasn’t a wedding Vera had agreed to in the first place. She had shown Alice the pictur
Alice looked at Vera and tried to reassure her. “It’s just a little meat. It won’t make you gain weight, I promise. Last Christmas, I ate a whole plate of pork, and look—I didn’t gain a pound!”Vera said nothing. In a place like this, meat was probably a rare luxury, something they only had on holidays or special occasions. Things like snack foods, takeout, or even basic convenience store items were probably unheard of here. How could anyone gain weight in a place like this? But Vera wasn’t refusing to eat because she was worried about that.Still, Alice meant well.Even though Vera resented her in this moment, she knew when to pick her battles.So she picked up her fork and ate the piece of chicken.Chloe finally looked pleased.“You haven’t had a baby yet, so why worry about your weight? Eat more—you’ll need the strength to have a big, healthy boy. After that, you can think about getting your figure back. Tonight, you’ll sleep in Peter’s room. You’re already his,
Vera's expression changed completely as she looked at the family. “What are you talking about? Why would I stay here? I have my own life.” “Vera, didn’t you say you couldn’t find your brother?” Alice’s voice grew anxious. “Then take my brother instead! He’ll protect both of us. This is a good thing for you! Don’t tell me you think my brother isn’t good enough?“His leg isn’t perfect, and he can’t do heavy labor, but he’s not useless. And I can help him with the farm work—we can do it together!” Her words were absurd. If Vera had known this was her real intention, she never would have accepted her help. “Enough, both of you, stop talking.”Gerald had lived long enough to understand that his son and Vera were worlds apart. He also knew that there was no way she would willingly stay. But plenty of women in the village hadn’t wanted to stay either. That didn’t matter. As long as she was here, that was enough. He got straight to the point. “Our village
The young girl suddenly looked torn. In their village, getting a wife was extremely difficult. Families with a little money could sometimes bring a wife in from outside, but for families like hers, who had nothing to offer, it was nearly impossible. To make things worse, her brother had a bad leg. As a child, he had been mocked by other kids. He could still walk, but not quickly—and he couldn’t do the heavy farm work required to support a family. Now that he was getting older and still living alone, she felt incredibly anxious. Today, by some stroke of luck, she had met a woman in the mountains who was as beautiful as a goddess. She was determined to make this woman her sister-in-law. But if she left now, what if the woman ran away or was taken away by someone else in the village? What would happen to her brother then? *“It’s already so late,” Vera said gently. “Even if everyone in the village knows each other, it’s still not safe for a young girl
Up ahead was a village. “Miss, it’s really late today, so I’ll take you home first. My parents and brother will take good care of you, and you can get a good night’s sleep at our place. Once you’ve rested, we’ll take you to town tomorrow.” The young girl tightened her grip on Vera’s hand. “My mom is a great cook! She’ll definitely make a big meal to welcome you.” It really was late. The sky was completely dark, and Vera’s phone battery was nearly dead. The girl was still so young. She had already gone out of her way to bring Vera back from the deep mountains. It wouldn’t be right to ask her to take her all the way to town tonight. Vera still had some cash in her pocket. After covering the cost of transportation, she decided she would leave the rest for the girl’s family. If it weren’t for the girl, who knew how long she would have been wandering in the mountains? “My house is just ahead. It’s not in great shape, so don’t mind it too much. Next year, whe
Vera’s nerves tensed up again. A sudden sound in the middle of nowhere was never a good sign. If it was a snake or some other large animal, she would be in serious trouble. Her ankle was swollen, and she couldn’t run fast. Would this be where it all ended for her? She had to leave quietly. But the ground was covered in thick layers of fallen leaves, with dry branches hidden underneath. Crack. As she stepped back, her foot snapped a twig, the sound piercing through the silence. Only one thought filled her mind—this was it. The rustling nearby grew louder. Vera squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself. Then, a voice suddenly spoke beside her. “Miss, why are you here alone? Didn’t your family come with you?” It was a person. Not an animal. Vera’s eyes flew open. A young girl stood in front of her. Fear dissolved in an instant, replaced by relief. She was saved.“I came here alone. Little one, do you know how to get out of here?” Ver
Hunter took a bite of the biscuits and ravioli she had made. The taste was surprisingly good. It wasn’t on the level of a Michelin-starred chef, but it had something even more special—the taste of home. And of course, there was the oatmeal. He took one spoonful after another, finishing the entire bowl. *Meanwhile, Vera still hadn’t found her brother. Disappointment weighed heavily on her as she prepared to leave. But just then, her phone buzzed. An anonymous message. She tapped it open and stared at the image attached. It was a watch. Alone, a watch meant nothing. But this watch was her brother’s. Vera immediately zoomed in on the photo, carefully inspecting the engravings inside. There they were—his initials. No mistake. This was his watch. Below the image, a location pin was attached. The place was nearby. Vera’s eyes filled with determination. If she had found nothing, she would have simply left. But now, she had recei
When Yelena woke up again, she was shocked to find that she wasn’t at the club. She sat up abruptly, looking around in confusion. Then, she got out of bed, slipped on her slippers, and pushed the door open. “Where am I?” “At my place,” Hunter replied casually. He was working in the living room when he saw her wake up. “You slept for a long time. I couldn’t just leave you alone at the club, so I brought you back here.” Seeing the uncertainty on her face, he added, “It’s already late. Just stay here for the night. I’ll take you back tomorrow.” Yelena nodded. There was no other choice now. “There’s food in the fridge. If you’re hungry, heat something up. There are also snacks in the drawer—take whatever you want.” “Alright.” She really was hungry. She opened the drawer, grabbed a few small bread rolls, ate them quickly, and then went back to her room to rest. *The next morning, Yelena woke up early. Thinking about everything Hunter had done—treatin
Yelena quickly lowered her arm, letting her sleeve fall over the mark to cover it. “It’s nothing. Here’s your cocktail. Please enjoy.” “Yelena.” Hunter grabbed her wrist without warning. He pulled up her sleeve, revealing the deep, ugly scars on her arm. His brows knitted together instantly. “Who did this to you?” The force behind it was brutal—downright inhuman. Yelena remained silent. Who else could have done this besides Liam? But she had agreed to this. She had willingly accepted Hunter’s request and entered Liam’s world. She had no right to complain. Her silence gave Hunter all the confirmation he needed. “Liam did this to you, didn’t he?” Yelena nodded. “It’s nothing. The wounds have already started healing. They look worse than they feel. Give it some time, and they’ll fade.” “Wait here.” Hunter stood abruptly and walked away. Yelena had no idea what he was doing, but since he told her to wait, she didn’t argue. A few minu