After breakfast, Jamie took Charlie to his preschool. It wasn’t far. It was just a ten-minute drive. From a distance, she spotted a teacher with long hair and a scarf standing at the preschool entrance, greeting parents and students. Recognizing her as Miss Georgia, Charlie’s homeroom teacher, Jamie approached her with a smile. Miss Georgia crouched down to Charlie’s level and beamed. “This must be Charlie! He’s so handsome. What a little gentleman!” Charlie, shy as ever, blushed and hid behind Jamie, peeking out to observe his new teacher. Miss Georgia couldn’t help but chuckle at how adorable he was. Jamie smiled apologetically. “He’s a little shy.” “That’s perfectly normal. Kids this age are often like that. Would you like to take a quick tour of the preschool, Miss Lewis?” “No, that’s okay. I need to get to work. I’ll stop by later after I finish for the day.” After giving a few parting instructions to Miss Georgia, Jamie waved goodbye to Charlie and left.
Jamie focused intently on taking notes, capturing every detail of the meeting. Although Ben appeared to be fully absorbed in the presentation on the screen, his gaze would occasionally and subtly flicker toward her. It was so faint that no one else noticed. The illusion was only broken when the enthusiastic leader of the project team asked, “President Lucas, what do you think of this proposal?” Ben didn’t respond, lost in thought. “President Lucas?” the leader called again, this time with a touch of unease. Snapped out of his thoughts, Ben’s expression hardened. “It’s no good. Go back and redo it.” His tone was curt, his judgment swift as he glanced at the screen to assess the proposal’s flaws. The team leader, who had been passionately presenting moments ago, fell silent, his enthusiasm deflated. He couldn’t shake the feeling that Ben seemed unusually displeased. Had he done something wrong? The meeting was abruptly interrupted midway when Ben’s assistant entered
Others might not understand Ben’s character, but the assistant certainly did. Ben was calm, detached, and distrustful. He was the type to stick to a decision once made. This was the first time the assistant had seen someone actually make him reconsider.Jamie couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed by the weight of that realization.They took a cab to the old district. The moment they stepped out of the car, the distant sounds of shouting made it clear why Ben hadn’t wanted her to come.“It’s your fault my mom is gravely ill! Pay up!”“Block their way! Don’t let them escape! These folks want to tear down our homes and leave us with nowhere to go, only to buy us off with a few measly pennies!” A mob of people surrounded a small group who clearly had no means to defend themselves. The crowd brandished sticks and shovels, looking like an angry mob ready to revolt. But this time, their actions didn’t seem to be rooted in justice.One middle-aged man in the center, drenched i
The man lunged forward, grabbing Jamie’s wrist before she could fully evade him. Pain shot through her arm as his grip tightened. “What do you think you’re doing?” she demanded, her other hand clutching her phone as she frantically dialed for help. But the man had anticipated her move. He snatched the phone from her hand and slammed it to the ground with a loud crack. “Go ahead, try calling the cops now,” he sneered, his voice dripping with menace. Not far away, the assistant witnessed the entire scene. Panicked, he shouted, “Jamie, hold on! I’m coming!” “Don’t come over!” Jamie yelled back sharply, stopping him in his tracks. She was already surrounded. The last thing she wanted was to drag someone else into this dangerous situation. The assistant froze, torn between his urge to help and her firm warning. He could do nothing but pace nervously like a trapped animal, his anxiety palpable. The man, noticing Jamie’s interaction with the assistant, narrowed his eye
Ben was exhausted. Jamie knew that and didn’t want to trouble him with every issue. Yet Ben still showed up. “You came… I thought… you wouldn’t,” Jamie said, her voice wavering slightly. Earlier, surrounded by an angry mob and nearly having her wrist crushed, she hadn’t uttered a sound of pain. But now, a hint of vulnerability crept in. Perhaps it was just human nature to be strong through everything, only to falter when met with genuine concern. Ben pulled her into his arms, her faintly reddened eyes breaking his composure. His shoulders trembled slightly as he murmured, “I’m sorry. I came too late.” Jamie didn’t resist, quietly leaning into him for a moment. The troublemakers were soon taken into custody, and things settled down. Jamie was about to get into Ben’s car when she noticed, out of the corner of her eye, a woman behaving suspiciously with a camera. “That woman’s a paparazzo!” she exclaimed. Ben’s sharp gaze followed hers, and the cold intensity of his
Jamie finished work early to pick up Charlie from school. When Ben found out, he insisted on accompanying her. “I’ll drive you there. It’s Charlie’s first day at school, and I’d like to see how he’s doing.” Jamie hesitated briefly but agreed. After all, Ben was Charlie’s father. It was natural for him to care. The two arrived at the preschool and parked nearby. Though the car was relatively discreet, its sleek design still attracted attention. Most of the children couldn’t help but admire it. “Wow, that car is so cool!” one of the kids exclaimed. Charlie had made a new friend who happened to recognize the brand. The boy pointed at the car and said, “That’s a super expensive car. Even my dad doesn’t have one!” Charlie glanced at it nonchalantly. “That’s my uncle’s car.” His new friend immediately accused him of lying. “No way! You’re making that up.” Charlie patiently explained, but when the other boy refused to believe him, Charlie started getting frustrated.
Charlie blushed deeply and buried his face again, making Jamie chuckle. She couldn’t resist teasing him further. “As a reward for being such a good boy, how about we cook dinner at home tonight? I’ll make something special,” Jamie said cheerfully. To her surprise, Charlie’s first response was, “Will Uncle Ben come too?” Ben turned his gaze to Jamie, his deep, enigmatic eyes sparkling with subtle amusement as he raised an eyebrow. “That depends on your mom.” Two pairs of eyes, eerily similar in their expressions, turned to Jamie simultaneously. Their uncanny resemblance made it almost impossible to refuse. Jamie sighed in defeat. “Alright, come along then. We can stop by the market and pick up some groceries. The more, the merrier.” *The market wasn’t far from their place. Jamie carried Charlie out of the car, and as they shopped, Charlie’s charm was on full display. With his sweet words and knack for making people smile, the vendors couldn’t get enough of him. Eve
Ben’s expression seemed off. Jamie paused subtly, her gaze shifting toward his phone. “What is it? Is it something about the old district?” “No,” Ben replied, setting the phone down quickly to keep her from seeing the screen. After that, he refused to discuss it further. Jamie resisted the urge to press him in front of Charlie, opting to hold her questions until later. Once Charlie had wandered off to play, she seized the moment. “You didn’t seem yourself earlier during dinner. If it’s work-related and there’s anything I can do to help, just let me know,” she offered. After all, she was his secretary now, and it was only natural for her to assist. Jamie brushed aside the faint unease tugging at her and convinced herself it was nothing. But Ben didn’t seem inclined to talk. Rubbing his temples, he stood up. “I’ve stayed long enough. I should head out.” When Jamie moved to see him off, he stopped her. Watching him leave, Jamie didn’t feel the relief she expecte
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