Inside the hotel room, the place was a mess. Nina Walker woke up, her entire body sore and achy. She rubbed her temples, preparing to rise, and glanced at the tall figure lying next to her. His strikingly handsome face boasted sharply defined features and deep-set eyes. He remained sound asleep, showing no signs of waking.Nina sat up, the sheets slipping off, revealing faint marks on her fair, sensual shoulders. She got out of bed, bloodstains clearly visible on the sheets.Glancing at the time, realizing she was almost late for work, she grabbed her scattered professional attire from the floor and changed into it. Her stockings were already torn by him. She balled them up and tossed them into the trash, slipping on her high heels. There was a knock at the door. Nina was already neatly dressed, back in her role as an efficient secretary, holding her purse as she headed out. Entering was a pure-looking beauty. Nina had called her. The type that Nash York liked. Nina said, "You ju
Upon hearing the voice, Nina's face jolted with surprise, nearly stumbling.With her balance faltering, her body leaned towards him. Nash felt her body tilting and reached out to steady her by the waist. The scorching warmth instantly reminded her of the scene from last night when he ravaged her recklessly.Nina composed herself, lifting her head to meet his deep gaze. His eyes were too serious, containing both questioning and doubt, as if trying to see through her with just one look. Nina's heart raced rapidly. She dared not hold his gaze for another second, instinctively lowering her head.When he assumed it was the woman from earlier, he flew into a rage. If he were to discover it was her, her fate wouldn't be any better. Yet, she couldn't accept it. If Nash knew it was her, could their marriage last a little longer? She dared not meet his eyes. "Why would you ask such a thing?" Only she knew she was hoping for it.However, Nash chuckled lightly. "You don't have the courage."
She looked up to see Miranda wearing an apron, holding a ladle. Upon seeing Nina, her smile faltered for a moment, then she warmly greeted, "Are you Sally’s guest? I just made some extra soup. Come in and have a seat." Her demeanor was composed, entirely that of the lady of the house. It was as if Nina was the guest from afar. Indeed, before long, she would become an outsider.Nina frowned, feeling deeply repelled. When she married Nash, Miranda even sent a congratulatory letter. It was impossible for her not to know Nina was Nash's wife. Seeing her standing motionless at the door, Miranda quickly came over and took her hand, "A guest is a guest, don't be shy, come in." As she approached, a faint jasmine scent filled the air, the exact same fragrance of the perfume Nash gave her on her birthday last year. She felt her throat ache, and her breathing became heavy, as if there were a thousand pounds on her feet, making it difficult to move. Sally noticed Nina standing there m
"Nina seems to be in a bad mood today. She didn't want to come to deliver the documents, so I had to come instead," Miranda placed her scalded hand in front of him. "Nash, don't blame Nina. I don't think she did it on purpose. I hope it didn't delay you."It was the first time Nina had done something like this with the company's documents in someone else's hands. Nash's expression was grim, but he restrained himself in front of Miranda. He just adjusted his tie and replied calmly, "It's okay." Changing the subject, he added, "Since you're here, stay for a while."Hearing him say this, Miranda felt a sense of relief. At least he accepted her and didn't dislike her. "Aren't you supposed to have a meeting? Will I disturb you?" Nash made a call, "The meeting is postponed for half an hour." Miranda smiled faintly. Before coming, she had wondered if her departure without notice would make him resentful. It didn't seem as bad as she had imagined. Lost time could be made up for. Sitting
Nina stopped in her tracks, her demeanor devoid of the harmony that would typically exist between them as spouses, instead exuding an air of detachment more akin to that of superior and subordinate: "Mr. York, do you have any further instructions?" Nash turned his head, gazing at Nina's somewhat distant expression, his tone carrying a commanding undertone. "Sit down."Nina suddenly couldn't fathom what he intended to do next.Nash approached.As he drew nearer, Nina watched, sensing a difference in the air, making it feel thin, tense, and peculiar.She remained still, but Nash took the initiative to grasp her hand.The warmth of his palm against hers felt like a burn, and she instinctively tried to pull away. However, Nash held her firmly, not giving her the chance to withdraw, pulling her aside instead, his brows furrowed as he asked, "You've injured your hand. Didn't you notice?"His concern caught Nina off guard. "I... I'm fine," she stammered."Your hand has blistered," Na
She saw stars, feeling dizzy all over, only hearing someone urgently saying, "What's going on with you guys? How could such a mistake happen! Nina, Nina..."As the voice faded into the distance, Nina passed out.When she woke up again, Nina was in the hospital, staring at the white ceiling, still feeling woozy and with a severe headache."Nina, you're awake!" Taylor, with red eyes, sat up from the chair, anxiously inquiring about her condition. "Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere? Should I call the doctor?"Looking at her, despite still feeling very weak, Nina subconsciously sat up. "I'm fine. What about the construction site? Are there any other injuries?"Taylor said, "You don't need to worry about the construction site right now. You've got a concussion. You scared me to death. I thought you wouldn't wake up."With that, she started crying again.Taylor was Nina's assistant who always accompanied her. Nina had always taken care of her. She was young and had never encounte
After spending some time at the hospital, she left disheartened with injuries."Nina!"When Nina's best friend, Yvonne Turner, saw Nina’s pale face and the wound on her head, she quickly caught her. "Oh my, where did you get hurt?"Nina remained silent."You were at work during this time, so this must be a work injury," Yvonne said. "Where’s Nash?""I don't know."Yvonne noticed that her expression wasn't good, and it wasn't just about the injury. She sneered, "You've worked diligently for him, injured your head like this, and yet he, as your husband, can't even be found. This husband of yours is as good as dead.""It won't be for much longer.""What? He wants to divorce you?" Yvonne's expression changed."I want to divorce him."Yvonne's attitude changed again. "Then divorce him, right away!" Then she warned her, "Remember to split the property in half. Smart women know that the first step is to get the money. If you have money, you won't be afraid of not finding a good man.
Nina understood his seriousness about work. He wouldn't tolerate even the slightest mistake. But this matter couldn't be blamed on her; he was with Miranda last night at the hospital."You said you were busy and hung up," replied Nina.Nash was silent for a second before pursing his lips. "How did you handle it?" At that time, Nina was already at the hospital, she explained, "There wasn't time to handle it then, I...""Secretary Nina," he said coolly, deliberately using her title rather than acknowledging her as his wife. "I recall your work never having such errors."He emphasized "Secretary Nina," reminding her of her role as his secretary, not his spouse. Nina bit her lip, finding it hard to speak. "Work can still proceed at the construction site; the problem isn't significant, in my opinion.""When problems arise, don't rush to make excuses for yourself. This is something I taught you before," he distanced himself. "Come to the office immediately!"With that, he hung up dec
“Why don’t you stay home and take care of Charlie? With you watching over him, I’d feel completely at ease. Besides, I’m earning enough money now. You don’t need to worry. I can more than provide for the both of you,” Ben said, his tone gentle but firm.The Lucas Corporation was massive, and Ben’s past work as a lawyer brought in astronomical fees, starting in the millions. Financial security was never a concern for their family.Jamie shook her head. “The work I’ve done before was all over the place, but didn’t you support me in doing it? What’s this sudden change, Ben? You’re switching sides faster than flipping a page!”Her decision to return to studying law had been encouraged by Ben himself. But now, hearing him say this, it felt like he was wavering, as though he wanted her to stay at home. Stay at home and do what? Take care of the child? To Jamie, this was an opportunity she couldn’t let slip away. It was her chance to prove herself. “That’s not what I meant,” Be
Lila visited Summer, whose condition had visibly deteriorated. “Looking at you now, do you regret any of it?” Lila asked. If Summer hadn’t been so fixated on Ben, she wouldn’t have ended up this way, consumed by obsession. Summer gave a bitter smile. “With so many twists and turns in life, who even has the right to speak of regret?” She reached out and held Lila’s hand tightly. “Lila, let my experience be a lesson to you. Make sure you see things clearly and never do anything foolish for someone who doesn’t love you.” It was sound advice, and Lila couldn’t help but feel indignant on Summer’s behalf. But her indignation was meaningless. Back then, all she had wanted was to make things difficult for Jamie. In the end, it had backfired, leaving her worse off. “I’m sorry, Summer,” Lila said remorsefully. “I couldn’t even help you get justice. I still carry that guilt.” “You don’t owe me an apology,” Summer replied gently. “You came to see me and cared enough to thin
Jamie sighed, knowing Ben was trying to comfort her. Though she still felt a little wistful, she quickly let it go.What she didn’t expect was that the boys’ whispered conversation would continue from the car all the way to the dinner table. Even while eating, they huddled together, making it clear no one else was welcome to join their secretive chat. Noticing how little food they had touched, Jamie tapped the table with a hint of exasperation. “Alright, you two. Mealtime is for eating, not whispering. Didn’t your teachers teach you that at school?” Charlie immediately recognized that Jamie wasn’t joking this time. She was genuinely a little upset. He quickly straightened up, putting on his most obedient expression as he picked up his utensils. “Got it, Mommy. I’ll eat properly now.” Jamie then turned her gaze to Orion, who, sensing her sternness, also sat upright and promised to focus on his food. With both boys settled and eating obediently, Jamie felt satisfied and
Ben glanced down at Jamie’s hand tightly holding his own. A faint smile flickered in his eyes, but the somber look on his face didn’t fade completely. Jamie noticed and assumed he was still upset. Unsure how to console him, she simply kept holding his hand, refusing to let go. That was precisely what Ben had intended. “It’s about time to pick up Charlie, isn’t it?” Jamie finally finished reading the case file, stretching as she glanced at the clock. It was already 4:00 PM. Preschool ended at 4:30, so if they left now, they would arrive just in time. Ben had already grabbed the car keys. “Yeah, let’s go.” Fortunately, traffic wasn’t bad, and they arrived at the preschool quickly. Jamie was scrolling through her phone when she suddenly said, “Nina messaged me. She’s busy today and can’t pick up Orion. She asked if we could swing by and get him.” They exchanged a look. Ben didn’t seem fazed. Picking up one more child didn’t make a difference to him. Jamie, ho
Most of the people nearby didn’t know what had happened. They simply listened to the man’s loud retorts and, judging by his confidence, began to cast skeptical glances at Jamie.“She looks so young. Why is she acting paranoid? How ridiculous.”“I don’t think it’s paranoia, it’s overconfidence. They say too much confidence is a sickness, and she clearly needs treatment.”“Oh, come on. I think she’s actually really pretty. Why are you all so hostile toward her? Honestly, the guy could’ve been snooping like she said. She did mention it was about her documents.”Hearing at least one voice defending her warmed Jamie’s heart. She turned and gave a smile to the young woman who had spoken up.The young woman froze for a moment, her face unexpectedly turning red. Embarrassed, she quickly looked down, pretending to sip her milk tea.Jamie didn’t linger on the moment. She refocused her attention on the man, her tone calm but firm. “I never said you were staring at me. You were clearly tryin
The girl's death was caused by her being forced to run laps despite being on her period. She had requested to be excused, but the teacher denied her request. Left with no choice, she pushed through, only to suffer a severe hemorrhage. She wasn’t treated in time and tragically passed away.The school defended itself, claiming the blame didn’t rest solely on them. They argued the girl and her family bore significant responsibility. After all, they reasoned, no one else had any issues during the drills. Why was it only her?Jamie’s frustration boiled over as she read through the case materials. “A school this shameless actually exists!”Ben tried to calm her. “Take it easy.”She took a deep breath, then sighed after a long pause. “You’re right. There are too many cases like this.”The idea of valuing a life at a mere $5,000 sounded absurd, but it wasn’t uncommon in reality. Examples of such injustices were everywhere, stemming from the lack of clear legal protections.“And that’s no
“Whose legal documents are these?” one of the investigators asked.“They’re mine,” Jamie replied. “I’ve been using them to prepare for a competition.”After she explained the situation, the investigator handed the documents back to her and issued a warning, emphasizing that such legal materials should not be present within the company. With that, they left.The man, clearly stunned, called after them, his voice rising with disbelief. “Did you even check properly? He’s a lawyer! How can a lawyer run a company as its president? Isn’t that against the rules?” The officials followed the direction of his finger and turned to look at Ben. Their expressions shifted into something between amusement and confusion, as though the man had asked an absurd question. “His law license was revoked a long time ago,” one of them stated plainly. The man froze, then shouted in denial, “That’s impossible!” “Why would it be impossible?” The official frowned, his tone growing stern. “When his l
Ben wouldn’t let Jamie fight his battles for him.He pulled her behind him, shielding her, and addressed the crowd with a cold expression. “If that’s the case, let’s have the authorities investigate.”Jamie stared at him, stunned.She understood the saying, “A clear conscience fears no accusation.” As long as Ben had nothing to hide, there was no reason to be afraid. But these people weren’t here for the truth, they were looking for trouble. It was likely orchestrated by their defeated opponents, timed to create chaos. Even if nothing incriminating was found, the media would seize the opportunity to smear them.Ben was doing this for her, disregarding himself completely.She was touched, but also anxious. She wanted to pull him back.However, Ben wasn’t budging this time. His warm but firm hand enveloped hers, silently telling her not to stop him.“What’s the matter? Afraid?” Ben asked, his hands casually in his pockets, raising an eyebrow with a hint of defiance.The loudest
“There’s a surveillance camera overhead, just so you know,” Ben said coldly, his gaze sharp as a blade. “I get it that you’re here to stick up for Summer. But let me be clear: whatever happened between the Lucas family and the Larson family is none of your business.”He held up the empty glass, his tone unwavering. “That drink was a warning. Don’t even think about testing my limits.”Jamie was his limit—his bottom line. He wouldn’t allow anyone to harm or disrespect her.Lila’s voice rang out, dripping with mockery as she addressed the gathering crowd. “Did everyone hear that? He’s threatening me with a drink as a ‘warning.’ Anyone here would agree this behavior is out of line. And all because I said a few words?“Ben Lucas, someone like you will get what’s coming to you!” Lila snapped, her voice sharp and bitter. “Doesn’t anyone wonder why someone who was doing so well as a lawyer suddenly gave it all up to become a CEO? Doesn’t everyone know lawyers aren’t supposed to engage in b