Quincy glanced at Nina. Nina said, "Please leave." Quincy then closed the door. Linda lifted the covers, sat on the edge of the bed, and eagerly caressed her belly. "Nina, I know Mr. York has someone in his heart." Nina clenched her fists tightly. Linda hung her head and slowly continued, "Mr. York's kindness towards me is also because of that person. He only likes me because I resemble her. Even so, I am content. I don't ask for much. Being pregnant with Mr. York's child is enough for me." At this point, Linda looked at Nina and said, "Nina, you are also aware, aren't you? That person's name is Miranda." Nina's face turned pale. She even knew about this. "Has Nash told you that he considers you a substitute for Miranda?" Nina asked again. Linda shrugged, "Whether I'm a substitute or not doesn't matter to me. I was born ordinary, so receiving even a bit of favoritism is enough." If it weren't for Nash personally telling Linda, how would she have known? Nina felt dishearte
"What?" Linda's expression instantly turned ugly, unable to believe it. "Impossible. The timing matches, and I have memories of it. How could it not be Mr. York? You must have made a mistake.""It's just so coincidental!" the person on the phone said. "When I heard they were looking for someone, I thought you must have hit the jackpot. But it turns out we were all mistaken. The room number was wrong, and the person that night wasn't Mr. York. He was a man in his forties or fifties."Now Linda's face went pale, and she glanced at her belly, becoming agitated. "How could I possibly be pregnant with a child from a man in his forties or fifties?"This was a huge letdown.She had been living in a bubble of happiness.If she hadn't been given such high expectations, she wouldn't have held onto hope.When she found out the man from that night was Nash, she thought it was the smartest thing she had ever done in her life.To hook such a rich and handsome man so quickly.But reality told
Nash's words also caught Quincy off guard.Quincy thought to himself, "No, it couldn't be. Linda was pregnant, and she was the woman from that night. The child must be his.""Let's go," Nash suddenly said."Okay," Quincy started the car.Nash frowned. "I meant get out of the car!""Mr. York, don't you have a meeting to attend? They're all waiting, and there's too many people here!" Quincy observed the crowded area, knowing it would be congested.It wasn't unusual for Nina to be here, but for him to come without security clearing the area, given his typical lifestyle habits, he wouldn't fancy going this route.Nash stared at Quincy calmly and said, "Don't you enjoy places like this?""Huh?" Quincy was taken aback. Since when did he like coming to places like this? But seeing Nash's sharp gaze, he could only nod. "Yes, yes, I enjoy coming here.""Alright, let's get out!" Nash turned his gaze outside.He got out of the car first, watching the bustling crowd, unable to fathom why
Fortunately, the boss was prepared and had already hidden before Nash’s second shot."Quincy, did I hit it?" Nash asked absentmindedly."...," Quincy looked at the pale-faced boss, "You almost did!"As Scott was being hugged by Nina, he witnessed her happiness for the first time and paused for a moment. Then, he smiled as he gently said, "No need to rush now, right?""Not anymore, I'm very happy," Nina smiled.The boss also breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "Young man, you're very skilled. Not many people can hit the one at the back!"He quickly handed giant brown bear soft toy over to Nina.Nina hugged it, feeling a sense of relief as if something that belonged to her had finally arrived."There are still so many hoops left, what should we do?" Scott said."We'll toss them all. We will take whichever one we hook," replied Nina."Alright." Scott agreed, still skilled in the game. Each toss was precise, catching only trivial prizes that served no real purpose ex
Quincy, however, was sweating profusely. This was his livelihood. How could he not follow Nash along? Seeing Nash's displeased expression, he added, "Mr. York, don't be upset. Nina still wants to play. How about we join them?"Nash replied sourly, "Who wants to be with her?"Not wanting to push it further, Nina turned to Scott and said, "There are many more fun things up ahead. Let's go check them out.""Okay," Scott glanced at Nash again. "Mr. York, I’ll go ahead first."The two continued walking ahead.Watching their backs, Nash's expression darkened. "Quincy, do you want to go with them?""Of course, of course!" Quincy immediately called out. "Nina, I'd like to join you."With that, Nash followed suit.Trailing behind them, his gaze naturally fell on the brown bear soft toy that Nina clung to tightly. "Just a small toy makes her so happy," he thought. Her excitement just now seemed as if she had found the world's greatest treasure. Yet, it was just a cheap toy!He cou
"Is this big enough?" Nash asked. "Isn't it better looking than the one you have?"Nina looked at the bear, even taller than him, realizing she couldn't carry it without dragging it on the ground. She quickly shook her head, "I don't want it, it's too big, and I don't like it."Nash's expression darkened instantly. "Isn't this better than the one you have? Take it!" He tossed it over with one hand.Nina looked at the bear she was holding, then another one was thrown at her. She was already carrying too much, and she felt like she was suffocating."Nash, stop it!" Nina didn't want them to fall on the ground. She struggled to get her head out and spoke.Nash remained silent, his expression cold. He couldn't understand. Wasn't she supposed to like big soft toys? This one was even bigger than the one she had, why wasn't she excited? Why couldn't she be happy?Where did he go wrong?Nina realized her words might have hurt his pride too much, so she softened her tone, "It's too heavy,
She cleaned the wound with disinfectant before bandaging it. Soon after, Quincy parked the car by the side of the road.Nina assisted Nash into the car, glancing briefly at Scott. In that momentary look, Nash sensed her genuine concern for Scott.Scott broke the silence, speaking gently, "You should head back first. Mr. York is injured and requires someone to look after him." He was offering Nina an out, understanding her responsibilities. After all, Mr. York was her employer, and she needed to think about the bigger picture.Nina waved to Scott, saying, "Then I'll head back first. Thanks for taking me out today.""You're welcome," Scott replied as the car door closed.Initially, Quincy had thought to get in the car, but remembering something, he walked over to Scott with a smile. "Mr. Lucas, thank you for your assistance." Quincy politely took the pink bear soft toy from Scott. After all, it was Mr. York who had won it back for Nina. It wouldn't be right for someone else to tak
Nash returned from outside, his expression indifferent, as he listened to others report on work."Mr. York, everything is arranged for one o'clock in the afternoon," someone reported promptly.Nash glanced towards Nina, who was busy nearby, and coldly called out, "Nina."Nina hurried over, "Mr. York.""If you're free this afternoon, come along," Nash stated bluntly.Everyone present was surprised by his decision. This kind of task was tough and tiresome, and no woman would willingly go. It was usually assigned to men. Nina was the only woman present. With the blazing sun outside, and considering Nina's attire - a dress and heels - it wasn't convenient for her to squat down or walk. It wasn't suitable for her to go.But no one dared to disobey Nash's orders. Nina had to comply with the arrangement. She replied, "Alright, Mr. York.""Okay," Nash responded nonchalantly before heading towards the office direction."I'll accompany you, Nina," Taylor offered to share the burden wit
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