“Of course not! There's nothing between us,” Quincy hurried to explain.Tears welled up in Tiffany's eyes as she looked at Quincy, her expression filled with sorrow. She lowered her head, as if making some big decision. Then, turning to Mr. Fay, she said, “I only see Quincy as an older brother. We have always treated each other as siblings, so please don’t misunderstand our relationship, and definitely don’t say things like that.”That was the last straw for Mr. Fay. He wasn’t stupid. Just looking at Tiffany’s expression made it clear that their relationship was far from innocent. Brother and sister? What a joke.“I’d say you two are more like ‘lovers pretending to be siblings.’ Now that the divorce is final, you can go be as close as you want, but spare me the act! It’s disgusting!” Mr. Fay spat, releasing Quincy’s collar and shaking off the frustration with a sharp clap of his hands.His heart broke for Lydia, who had wasted so much time on a man like this.“It’s not like that
“Get out of my way, stop causing trouble! Tiffany, do you want me to strangle you?” Quincy’s eyes were red with fury. All he wanted was to explain things to Mr. Fay, but every time he tried, someone else jumped in, making everything even more complicated.“If you really want me dead, then go ahead and strangle me. I don’t care,” Tiffany lifted her chin, exposing her neck to his hands as tears streamed down her face. She knew Quincy would never hurt a woman, much less strangle her in front of everyone.Tiffany was gambling on the chaos. Even if it made Quincy hate her, it would be worth it if she could drive a permanent wedge between him and the Fay family.Mr. Fay, however, was convinced it was all just an act. This was his home, not the set of a soap opera.Enraged, Mr. Fay kicked at Quincy again. “Make up for it? Over my dead body!”“Mr. Fay, if you want to hit someone, hit me, but stop hitting Quincy!” Tiffany cried as she rushed to shield him.It was at this moment that Lyd
“Lydia, do we really have to end up as enemies?” Quincy’s voice faltered as he looked into her eyes, seeing nothing but coldness.His heart grew colder with every passing second. How he longed for the past, when Lydia’s gaze was filled with warm, fierce love, like the midday sun that wrapped him in its comforting heat. But now, everything had changed.Lydia gave a mocking smile. “This is the path you chose, Quincy. You made your decision, and now you want to backtrack? It’s pointless. We’re adults. You can’t have it all.”The moment he chose to follow his mother’s wishes and kept meeting with Tiffany, any hope for them was lost. Lydia wasn’t the type to tolerate her husband accepting a ‘sister’ from outside their marriage, and she certainly wouldn’t stand by while her mother-in-law plotted to shove a mistress into her husband’s life. If someone wanted to live that life, they could but she wasn’t going to make herself miserable for it.“But Lydia, I chose you. I’m having the rum
Could she really be so pathetic, constantly throwing herself at someone who clearly didn’t want her, enjoying being insulted every day?“Quincy...” Tiffany watched helplessly as Quincy walked away. She didn’t chase after him but stood up from the ground quietly. Quincy’s disdain for her was obvious, and she wasn’t stupid. She could see it as clear as day. But what Mrs. Perez had promised her was too tempting. As long as they got married and she bore him a child, that child would become the future heir of the Perez family and inherit the entire company! And with Quincy being close to Mr. York, his company would only grow. If she could endure the cold shoulder now, the future held the life of a rich wife waiting for her. Her in-laws would adore her, and even if Quincy didn’t love her, at least he would treat her with respect for the child’s sake. Quincy was a good man, and if she could just win him over, there would be nothing but sweet rewards in the future. Tiffany had calcu
The bar was filled with beautiful women, but none quite had the presence that Lydia did. As soon as she stepped inside, men holding drinks were quick to approach her.“Hey gorgeous, I’ve got a booth over there and a bottle of whiskey. Why don’t you join us for a drink?”“Forget him, come with me. I’m a VIP member here. Whatever you want, we’ll order it.”Without so much as a glance, Lydia brushed past them, her expression unchanged. “Excuse me.”She made her way to the bar, took out her card, and rented a private booth for herself. She ordered a case of beer and sat down alone. She mechanically cracked open bottles, one after the other, pouring the liquid down her throat. Before long, the table was littered with empty bottles.Lydia had hoped the alcohol would dull the pain, but the more she drank, the clearer her mind became. Unwanted memories flooded in. Snapshots of Quincy filled her thoughts. From moments at work to their everyday life together, all these fragments blended i
The bottle shattered into countless pieces, scattering across the floor. The woman jumped back, startled by the sudden violence. Her heart pounded in her chest as she stared at Quincy in disbelief. “What the hell are you doing?”“I told you to get lost,” Quincy finally looked at her.His gaze was void of any emotion or desire, filled only with pure disdain. In that moment, the woman felt a sharp sting of rejection. Was she really that undesirable? A man who wouldn’t even consider a woman throwing herself at him, going so far as to smash a bottle. How harsh.“Fine, I’ll leave! What, you think you’re the only option I’ve got?” she retorted, her pride wounded. She spat out, “With that attitude, who else would even want you? If you didn’t want to be bothered, why come to a place like this?”Bars were for unwinding, for indulging in pleasure, so what was he doing pretending to be the good guy?Quincy didn’t respond. As the noise around him quieted, he sat back down, lost in his tho
“Eugene, I’m telling you one more time. I don’t need you here. Just go home,” Lydia’s tone grew more impatient.She had come out late to have a drink, clear her mind, and ease her frustrations, not to have Eugene hovering around, nagging her endlessly.Eugene, however, didn’t budge. Instead, he sat down beside her and opened a bottle of beer for himself.“If you want to drink, then I’ll drink with you. Whenever you’ve had enough and want to go home, I’ll take you.”Lydia found herself at a loss for words. Suddenly, she no longer felt like drinking. She placed the bottle aside and looked at the men and women swaying wildly in the dance floor under the neon lights.How she wished Quincy was the one beside her right now.“Lydia, how about we head over and dance for a bit?” Eugene offered.Earlier, as he walked into the bar, he spotted Quincy. That man really was everywhere, like a shadow that refused to disappear. Or maybe it was just fate. No matter how they tried to avoid each ot
The man, dazed from the beating, looked up to see Quincy’s furious face. Instantly, he cowered, forcing a smile. “I get it, I get it. She’s all yours. I’ll leave right now, I promise not to bother you two. Take your time, big guy.”Quincy grabbed him by the collar and firmly warned him again. “A woman is a person, not something you can just hand over. You don’t have the right to talk like that.”The only reason Quincy had intervened was to stop an innocent woman from being harassed, not to claim her for himself. Apart from Lydia, he didn’t want anyone.“Yes, yes, you’re right,” the man mumbled as he scrambled to his feet and darted away, grumbling under his breath about Quincy. Acting all noble but everyone knew why guys came to a place like this. It was solely to pick up women.Quincy didn’t bother chasing him. Instead, he turned to give a word of caution to the woman. She should be careful hanging around a bar at night like this. But then he froze.It was Lydia.“Quincy? Am I s
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