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
It seemed she hadn't expected to see them there, but quickly regained her composure. Melody smiled and greeted, "Grandpa George, my mother and I have come to see you.""Hi George," Melody's mother called out.Nina pondered for a moment. George, whom Nash held in such high regard, seemed familiar to the Wallace family. There was a sense of acquaintance there.George smiled and said, "Why have you all come?""You're ill, so of course we all wanted to come see you," Melody replied warmly, placing the flowers in a vase and then giving George a hug. "But Grandpa George, there are other guests here."George said, "Nash is the grandson of my comrade. He is like my own grandson.""I've met him," Melody confidently turned to Nash. "Hello, Mr. York, it's nice to see you again."George asked, "But weren't you abroad for a long time? I haven't heard that you knew Nash.""Just a few days ago, Dad took me to meet him, and we even had dinner together," Melody didn't hide it. "Grandpa George,
She didn't politely address him as "Mr. York," but rather by his name. She stood in his way, blocking his path, and Nash asked coldly, "Miss Wallace, what's the matter?"Melody looked at him, her inherent arrogance evident, still not quite believing, "What you just said, about being married. Is it true?"She had never heard any news of his marriage. She suspected he was deliberately avoiding it, hence her questioning.Nash's expression remained indifferent, "Is there a need to lie?""I've never heard of it, and no one knows who your wife is. I suspect you're making excuses.""It's none of your concern."The more indifferent he became, the more intrigued Melody grew, treating him like prey, desiring to conquer him. She liked those who were unattainable. Her lips formed a slight smile, exuding boldness in both demeanor and approach as she leaned closer, "Married or not, divorce is always an option. It doesn't matter to me."Nina's expression shifted as she listened. Nash had alw
He was remarkably observant, noticing that she experienced stomach pains during her period. This took Nina by surprise. She used to believe that even if she spent her entire life with him, he might never truly understand her preferences or her health condition. If she ever became ill, he might be the last to know.But now, with the passage of time, even if he didn't wish to remember it, he would inevitably remember.Nina blew on the ginger tea, then drank it all in one go. "Rest well," Nash carefully tucked her in.Nina gazed at him and asked, "Where are you going later?""I'll be at home, not going anywhere," Nash replied.Nina would wonder where he would be today, considering he wasn't home a few days ago.There were so many places he could be, but eventually, he would settle somewhere.Nash noticed the disappointment on her face. The next moment, he lay down and slipped under the covers, his hand resting on her abdomen. "Is it still hurting?" Nina's body tensed, staring a
Julia was still preoccupied with Zion's condition when she overheard someone gossiping nearby. Irritated, she remarked, "Lily, you can criticize Zion all you want, but you can't say he doesn't care about Xander! Throughout the years, when has he ever neglected him or failed to clean up his mess? But you can't just turn to him whenever you're in trouble, expecting him to fix everything. What's your own family doing?"In response, Lily Clark sighed, "I'm in a desperate situation now, aren't I? If I had a solution, why would I seek advice from Zion and you guys?"As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes."Mom, don't cry, there's always a solution," her daughter comforted.Julia hadn't cried yet but Lily beat her to it, which was something she couldn't stand. Over the years, their family had been burdened many times, with relatives always coming to them in times of need, but never remembering them in times of prosperity. Out of familial obligation, they never said much. Julia harbor
"Lily, could you be a bit more reasonable? When did I ever try to influence Zion? Look at the state you've reduced him to. What more do you want?" Julia couldn't tolerate her attitude."Fine, then let's get to the point," Lily blurted out, "How was the last two million resolved? Last time, you claimed there was no money, but together, you all found a way. At that time, Xander was scraping every penny, nearly selling his kidney. But in the end, everything was resolved. You said the two million was repaid, so we didn't need to worry."Their smooth repayment of two million had always left them suspicious. They believed their family still had money."Zion, where did you get so much money from? Are Mom and Dad's savings all in your hands? Did you embezzle the money?" Lily asked directly. This was also a sore point for her. She believed that their family took their parents' money without informing them. Surely, they took more than just their fair share.This accusation made Zion cough
Nina inquired, "What's your educational background?"Sue answered, "I graduated from a local university.""We only recruit graduates from prestigious schools. Your credentials don't meet our standards," Nina promptly declined.Sue's demeanor soured, but she plastered on a smile and retorted, "But you're employed there, aren't you? With a cousin like you, the alma mater shouldn't matter."Nina replied icily, "A reputable company adheres to standards. If you're so keen on cutting corners, you'll crumble sooner or later. There won't be any room for you."After being rebuffed repeatedly, Sue grew disgruntled. "Nina, you're just unwilling to lend a hand. That's why you're saying this.""You're well aware of it. If you're always depending on others, you'll be worse off than a beggar when no one lends a hand," Nina's words were cutting."If you won't help me, fine, but why insult me? Mom, look at her!" Sue couldn't bear the humiliation, her eyes turning red with anger.Seeing her daug
Nash stood by the door. He was never someone who could tolerate noise, especially near his father-in-law's sickbed. Upon hearing his arrival, the mother and daughter stopped crying, turning their attention to Nash.Nina looked up, somewhat taken aback to see Nash. She hadn't informed him about this. "Why are you here?" she asked.Nash met her gaze and responded, "The hospital director called me to inform that Dad was sick, so I rushed over from the company.""Dad, Mom," he greeted them first, noticing Zion with a cast on his hand, then inquired, "How is it?"Nina explained, "He had a fracture in his hand bone and needs a few days of rest."Observing the crowded and noisy environment, Nash frowned and remarked, "It's too noisy in here, disturbing Dad's rest. I'll arrange for him to be moved to the VIP ward.""No need for that, I'm not that delicate. Nash, don't trouble yourself," Zion declined.Though not entirely satisfied with Nash, Zion appreciated Nash's concern and couldn't
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