Not far away, an angry voice could be heard. Julia pushed the wheelchair with Zion sitting in it, clearly enraged.Nina was taken aback. "Dad, how did you get here?"Meanwhile, Lily believed that targeting Nina would solve everything, but she didn't expect Zion to show up. When she saw him, her face turned pale. "Zion..."Zion looked at her sternly. "How dare you bully my daughter. Of course, I had to come! Lily, I always thought you were just a little petty, with some flaws, but I never expected you to be this cruel. You slandered my daughter in front of the media. How could you be so heartless?""But, brother... I didn't...," Lily tried to explain. "I didn't slander her. I just said Nina doesn't respect me as her aunt!"Zion frowned, refusing to listen to any explanation. "What does Nina's reputation mean to you? You see it as nothing more than a tool for your own benefit! Since you want everyone to know, then let them know how many unethical things your family has done!"Lily
Nina harbored suspicions and inquired, "Who was it?"Lily froze momentarily. "I don't know her name. I didn't have the chance to ask. She's a young lady. I was so foolish. How could I believe the words of a stranger?"Realizing she had been deceived, she cried even harder. Meanwhile, Sue couldn't bear the onslaught of insults from online users. Her face pale, she exclaimed, "I'm ruined! No company will hire me for an internship now. Nina, please help me. I won't go to York Corporation for the internship. Please clear my name. I'm not that malicious. How will I face people or find work in the future?"Both Lily and Sue pleaded with Nina for assistance."Nina, I beg you. If not for me, then for your cousin. I'll kneel if I have to!" Lily understood the gravity of the situation and was willing to humble herself for her daughter's sake.Nina remained silent. Being kind to others also meant being cruel to herself.Witnessing their despair, Julia pulled them away. "Don't kneel. It's as
That person resembled someone she knew. She didn't want to make assumptions, but she desired to approach and gain clarity. As she drew closer to the roadside, someone seized her hand."Nina, please forgive me this time. I promise not to harm you again. I realize I was wrong!" Lily was terrified of being apprehended by the police and ending up in jail. If Nina pardoned her, she could avoid that fate. So, she pleaded with her."Let go of me." Nina still yearned to pursue the person who was moving further away. She shook off Lily's grasp.Lily clung tightly, tears welling in her eyes. "Even if you don't care about me, at least consider your uncle and the Walker family. If we both land in trouble, what will your uncle do?""Nina!" Sue knelt in front of Nina. "Please forgive me. I haven't graduated yet, and I don't want to go to jail. I'm about to start an internship, and no company will want me in this situation. I don't want to be looked down upon. I'm your cousin. Can't you release m
Nina waited anxiously outside the operating room, concerned about Nash's well-being. The nail had deeply embedded itself and required surgery for removal. Her main worry was whether any organs had been injured.Julia arrived and asked, "How's Nash?" with a worried expression."He's still in surgery," Nina replied."This Lily is causing trouble, hurting my son-in-law!" Julia exclaimed.Zion remained silent, waiting patiently by the side.Finally, the doctor emerged from the operating room."How is he, doctor?" Julia asked, filled with concern."The nail has been successfully removed. Don't worry, no vital organs were harmed. He'll be discharged after a few days of rest," the doctor reassured.Everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.Nina's anxiety started to subside as well.After what happened, Nina couldn't shake off the guilt she felt for Nash's injury. He was still unconscious and had been moved to a regular ward. Nina sat outside, lost in her thoughts. Nash had sel
Sally snorted, her tone filled with coldness. "I'm only doing this for the sake of my son. What good does it do for him to marry your daughter? It's just cleaning up your mess. Besides burdening Nash, what else can your family offer?"Nina interrupted Sally, her expression equally cold. "That's enough!"She knew that Sally looked down on her because of the two million. Even without the money, Sally wouldn't have approved of her marrying into the York family. There was a reason she had agreed to Nash’s grandfather's condition. Initially, she genuinely liked Nash, and her grandfather had recognized that, which was why he arranged for them to get married. If it had been someone else, she wouldn't have agreed to marry at all.In recent years, Nash and Nina's marriage had not been smooth. However, the immeasurable value Nina brought to Nash far exceeded two million. She didn't feel the need to tolerate Sally's insults. "You can say anything you want about me, but you can't talk about m
Today, Zion finally grasped the truth from Sally's words. He turned to Nina and asked, "Nina, did you marry Nash for the sake of two million?"Nina's expression grew solemn, and she bit her lip. "Dad...""Nash's grandpa is kind-hearted, I'll give him that, but we shouldn't force a bad marriage." Zion spoke calmly. "We'll find a way to repay the two million debt."Julia remained silent. She had thought she had found a good son-in-law who could take care of Nina. But now...At this point, it seemed divorce was bound to happen. What was there left to cling to?After a moment of contemplation, Nina realized there was no need to push things further. She lowered her gaze and said, "I understand."Nash looked at Nina, uncertain of what she was about to say.Nina continued, "Mom, Dad, since it's come to this, there's no use hiding anything. Nash and I had a three-year agreement in our marriage, two million in exchange for three years of my youth..."As she spoke, Nina's eyes inexplicab
The faces of both families were filled with shocked expressions. Sally looked at the young girl in front of her, struggling to comprehend what she had just heard. She sought clarification, "What did you just say? Are you saying that you're pregnant with my son's child?"Linda, feeling a bit uneasy, was uncertain about the consequences of her words. However, she took the risk and nodded, "Yes... I am carrying Mr. York's child!"This time, everyone heard her clearly. She was pregnant with Nash's child.Zion and Julia were momentarily stunned, their expressions turning sour. They hadn't expected Nash to have a child outside of their family. They couldn't help but worry about their daughter's situation within the York family.Sally, on the other hand, was pleased. Although the child wasn't Miranda's, as long as it wasn't Nina's, it was good news. This child would carry the York family's bloodline.Miranda was weak, and if she couldn't conceive, it was their last option."Really?" Sal
Nina understood Sally's nature. Her remarks were merely to ease her own conscience. Julia initially didn't want to engage further, but Sally's words irritated her. "You have the nerve to speak up! Your son cheats, fathers a child outside, and you call it an affair within marriage!"Sally retorted, "Stop talking nonsense! Your daughter can't conceive, so you won't allow my son to have a child outside?""Shut up!" Nash's voice was icy.Sally glanced at him, noticing his paleness, and toned down. "Alright, I'll shut up. You're still weak; you should lie down."Zion intervened, "Nina, let's go. There's no point in arguing here."Talking a hundred times wouldn't change anything. Nash's gaze met Nina's; they locked eyes briefly before she averted hers. "Okay, Dad," she said without looking back, walking over to Zion.Nash watched her resolute figure, his brows furrowed, his gaze unwavering, yet he didn't utter a word to ask her to stay."Nash," Sally said, supporting him, while Linda
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