His body was warm, carrying a strong scent of alcohol, his hot breath lingering by her ear. He's been drinking?"Nash," Nina called out. But Nash wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his head in her hair, and said in a low voice, "Don't move, let me hold you for a while." Now Nina didn't move. She didn't quite understand why he drank so much.Under the covers, Nina lay for a long time, her body almost stiff, wondering when he would get up. But he showed no intention of getting up, just lingering on her, greedy. He wouldn't mistake her for Miranda again, would he?Nina called out again, "Nash..." "I just want to lie like this for a while, Nina." Hearing this, Nina fell silent again. The fact that he called her name meant he didn't see her as another woman. She rarely saw him in this state, feeling a bit at a loss.But her heart softened, fearing he would fall asleep like this, fearing he would catch a cold. She nudged him, "Don't sleep like this. Either take a bath or cove
The woman was the editor-in-chief of a certain magazine: "I've only heard about your boyfriend, but never seen him. It's quite intriguing."Miranda casually adjusted her hair and said tactfully, "I don't like him appearing in public, so I never let him accompany me to events. But when we get married one day, I'll be sure to invite you.""Keeping it mysterious, huh? Well, then I'll look forward to it."The editor-in-chief turned to see Nina nearby, nodding politely to her. "Nina, nice to see you again."Nina also recognized her; they had met before when she wanted to interview Nash. It was through this connection that she succeeded to interview him.She responded lightly, "Hi, Cally.""Do you two know each other?" Cally looked at both of them.Miranda said, "We do, but we're not particularly close."She deliberately distanced herself from Nina.Nina followed her lead, saying, "When Miranda returned to the country, the headlines about her fiancé were so big that Cally got curiou
Miranda's face immediately flushed, she released her hands covering her face, tears streaming down again, presenting a pitiful and adorable appearance. She indeed belonged in front of the screen, playing the victim role convincingly. Had it not been for her fierce demeanor just now, Nina might have believed her pitiful act."Show some respect!" Nina's tone carried a hint of seriousness.Miranda cried with tear-streaked cheeks, speaking softly, "Nina, I also have dignity. How could you treat me like this? I didn't snatch your man, please don't misunderstand me..." "Nina!" Nash's voice came from nearby. Nina was shocked, how could he be here?Then she realized, this might be a play directed by Miranda. Looking over, Nash had a stern face, his eyes sharp, as if she had committed some grave mistake. Nash strode over and forcefully pulled the weak and helpless Miranda from Nina's side into his arms. The force was strong, Nina staggered back a few steps from the inertia."Nash," Mi
Miranda fell silent for a moment. Nina was still at the event when she received a call from Nash, which was quite unexpected. She thought he might be planning a romantic rendezvous with Miranda and simply didn't have the time to bother with her.Nina composed herself as if nothing had happened: "Over at the art exhibition." Nash said, "After it's over, come back to the office with me." This meant he wasn't planning to give her a break but rather expected her to go back to work. Nina had no choice but to agree. After hanging up the phone, Nash turned back and noticed Miranda was still beside him. "What did you just say?" Miranda had hoped for an opportunity to be alone with him, but hearing their conversation, she realized there might not be a chance. She withdrew her hand. "I'll go rest now, see you tomorrow.""Alright," Nash replied. Miranda was still not satisfied. "Do you have time tomorrow evening?" "We'll see." "If you're free tomorrow evening, I'd like to invite y
The man stood with his hands in his pockets, his gentle gaze fixed on Nina for a while before he said, "I’m Scott Lucas. Nina, we were in the same class in elementary and middle school."Nina's mind wandered for a while. In her memory, Scott was completely different. He used to be a chubby kid, always sitting quietly at the back of the class every semester, hardly noticed by anyone. She didn't have much interaction with him. With her consistently excellent academic performance, she served as the class monitor, and at most only exchanged a few words with him during homework assignments.She never expected such a transformation; he had become so good-looking. "Scott?" Nina's lips curled slightly. "You've changed so much. I almost didn't recognize you.""Yeah, I've changed a lot. It's normal that you didn't recognize me," Scott's deep eyes stared at her. "Many classmates don't recognize me anymore, but I recognize you."Nina was happy to see her old classmate. After starting work, s
Nina saw that Scott was nearby and feared he might overhear, which would be very awkward. She asked Yvonne not to say anything more to avoid any embarrassment.Yvonne had no choice but to listen to her and remained silent. After exchanging pleasantries with others, Scott returned to Nina's side.Yvonne called out, "Mr. Lucas, what a rare guest!"Scott replied, "Miss Turner's exhibition was very successful, undoubtedly leaving a significant impact.""My refined tastes of literati can't compare to Mr. Lucas's," Yvonne nudged Nina, "I just found out you two are old classmates. How about you accompany Nina? She has to return to the company this afternoon."Suddenly pushed forward by Yvonne, Nina felt a bit flustered. Before she could say anything, Scott immediately said, "Sure, I'm free. I can escort her."Yvonne winked at Nina and politely said, "Thank you for your trouble."She pushed Nina towards Scott, "Old classmates should catch up. You two take your time. I won't accompany yo
However, he saw Nina leaning in the arms of another man. The two of them were very intimate, locking eyes with affection. Nash's brows furrowed instantly, his previously indifferent face darkening. His sharp gaze fixed on the embracing couple.In Nash's impression, Nina seemed to have no male friends, at least none he had seen before. Suddenly, the appearance of this man felt like a stone in his heart, making him feel uncomfortable. He couldn't help but quicken his pace towards them.Nina was startled for a moment, then realized that the two were too close, which was inappropriate, so she quickly stepped out of his embrace."Are you okay? Did you get hurt?" Scott asked with concern."I'm fine, thank you," Nina replied politely, smiling at him. "No need to thank me," Scott said. "Look, when we first met, you either said sorry or thank you. You don't have to be so formal."Scott still wanted to establish a closer relationship with her. Nina, out of politeness, tended to be very co
His words shocked Nina deeply. This was the most private secret between her and Nash. How could he say it out loud? She remained cautious.Scott was extremely surprised, stunned for a moment before calmly asking, "How did you find out?"Nash moved his mouth slightly, but Nina spoke first, "Mr. York is just joking." She interrupted Nash directly, maintaining a smile on her face as she stepped away from him."I've been busy with work all these years, how could I possibly get married? Don't overthink it," she said to Scott.Upon hearing this, Nash's face tensed up, his gaze fixed on Nina with displeasure, lips pressed tight."I see," Scott sighed in relief. "Well, that's alright. I was wondering why I didn't hear about your marriage."If she had gotten married, he thought, he would have known.Nina immediately changed the subject, not giving Nash a chance to explode, saying, "Scott, I promised to go back to the company with Mr. York. You don't need to see me off. You go ahead and 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