The man stood with his hands in his pockets, his gentle gaze fixed on Nina for a while before he said, "I’m Scott Lucas. Nina, we were in the same class in elementary and middle school."Nina's mind wandered for a while. In her memory, Scott was completely different. He used to be a chubby kid, always sitting quietly at the back of the class every semester, hardly noticed by anyone. She didn't have much interaction with him. With her consistently excellent academic performance, she served as the class monitor, and at most only exchanged a few words with him during homework assignments.She never expected such a transformation; he had become so good-looking. "Scott?" Nina's lips curled slightly. "You've changed so much. I almost didn't recognize you.""Yeah, I've changed a lot. It's normal that you didn't recognize me," Scott's deep eyes stared at her. "Many classmates don't recognize me anymore, but I recognize you."Nina was happy to see her old classmate. After starting work, s
Nina saw that Scott was nearby and feared he might overhear, which would be very awkward. She asked Yvonne not to say anything more to avoid any embarrassment.Yvonne had no choice but to listen to her and remained silent. After exchanging pleasantries with others, Scott returned to Nina's side.Yvonne called out, "Mr. Lucas, what a rare guest!"Scott replied, "Miss Turner's exhibition was very successful, undoubtedly leaving a significant impact.""My refined tastes of literati can't compare to Mr. Lucas's," Yvonne nudged Nina, "I just found out you two are old classmates. How about you accompany Nina? She has to return to the company this afternoon."Suddenly pushed forward by Yvonne, Nina felt a bit flustered. Before she could say anything, Scott immediately said, "Sure, I'm free. I can escort her."Yvonne winked at Nina and politely said, "Thank you for your trouble."She pushed Nina towards Scott, "Old classmates should catch up. You two take your time. I won't accompany yo
However, he saw Nina leaning in the arms of another man. The two of them were very intimate, locking eyes with affection. Nash's brows furrowed instantly, his previously indifferent face darkening. His sharp gaze fixed on the embracing couple.In Nash's impression, Nina seemed to have no male friends, at least none he had seen before. Suddenly, the appearance of this man felt like a stone in his heart, making him feel uncomfortable. He couldn't help but quicken his pace towards them.Nina was startled for a moment, then realized that the two were too close, which was inappropriate, so she quickly stepped out of his embrace."Are you okay? Did you get hurt?" Scott asked with concern."I'm fine, thank you," Nina replied politely, smiling at him. "No need to thank me," Scott said. "Look, when we first met, you either said sorry or thank you. You don't have to be so formal."Scott still wanted to establish a closer relationship with her. Nina, out of politeness, tended to be very co
His words shocked Nina deeply. This was the most private secret between her and Nash. How could he say it out loud? She remained cautious.Scott was extremely surprised, stunned for a moment before calmly asking, "How did you find out?"Nash moved his mouth slightly, but Nina spoke first, "Mr. York is just joking." She interrupted Nash directly, maintaining a smile on her face as she stepped away from him."I've been busy with work all these years, how could I possibly get married? Don't overthink it," she said to Scott.Upon hearing this, Nash's face tensed up, his gaze fixed on Nina with displeasure, lips pressed tight."I see," Scott sighed in relief. "Well, that's alright. I was wondering why I didn't hear about your marriage."If she had gotten married, he thought, he would have known.Nina immediately changed the subject, not giving Nash a chance to explode, saying, "Scott, I promised to go back to the company with Mr. York. You don't need to see me off. You go ahead and t
Paris quickly took out the item from the bag and said, "This one. I was afraid Nina would be too busy, and since it was on my way, I had it brought back."As Nash looked at the suit that didn't belong to him, his gaze became sharp. It was a man's suit. Suddenly, he thought of Scott. It seemed that Nina and Scott met at the exhibition, and she brought back this bag. At the time, he hadn't thought about what was inside. It turned out to be his suit.Nash subconsciously clenched his fist. Paris noticed his expression, which didn't change much, but she knew Nash didn't like to show his emotions. She asked again, "Mr. York, should I place it here?"Nash pursed his lips and suddenly replied coldly, "Put it there."Paris's lips curled slightly. "Alright, then. I'll leave first."After completing this series of actions, Paris left satisfied, eager to see how much trust Nina could withstand from Nash.Nash harbored some resentment deep down; whenever he saw this suit during work, it bothe
Walking to the door of the private room, the environment on the second floor was indeed much more elegant, with fewer people compared to downstairs. As the door opened, the people inside warmly exclaimed, "Mr. Lucas, Mr. Lucas is here!""Scott, you've really changed a lot, so handsome, rich, and charming. I bet the girls who like you are lining up, right?" Scott jokingly replied, "Well, I wouldn't know. I'll have to check later.""In that case, you're still single, huh? Ladies present, take note, Scott is a good catch. You should seize the opportunity!" They chatted with Scott for a while before noticing Nina behind him. They seemed to realize something and said with a smile, "We have another distinguished guest today, Nina is here too."Nina apologized, "Sorry for being late." "Nina, you're not being very considerate. You rarely attended previous gatherings. If it weren't for Scott, we probably wouldn't have seen you at all.""But, Nina is still as beautiful as ever." "Bea
Everyone was curious about his answer.Scott paused for a while, being watched by everyone, and softly moved his lips, "She's not here and you don't know her."The interest everyone had suddenly disappeared."Oh, I thought it was Nina. It turns out it's not. It seems we were overthinking."Nina never thought it was her.Their relationship was now more familiar than in the past.It was everyone's over-speculation.Afterward, the focus was no longer on her, which left her feeling relaxed, not having to engage in their conversations.During the class reunion, men talked among themselves about work and business while holding their wine glasses.Nina drank a bit, perhaps not having drunk for too long, and soon felt dizzy, entering a slightly tipsy state.She vaguely heard someone talking, and it seemed like they were discussing her name."Among us, Nina seems to be doing well, huh? She's hovering between two big bosses. She must have made a lot of benefits, right?""I don't want
Even the person who wanted to hit Nina could only cover her face, holding back her grievances. Nash stared coldly at them. "Don't you understand the situation? Who should you apologize to?"They immediately understood and hurried to Nina, speaking humbly, "Sorry, Nina, we shouldn't have speculated randomly. We know we were wrong and won't dare to do it again."They knew Nash's power. Here, no matter how capable they were, they shouldn't oppose the York family. If they offended him, they could forget about having a good time in the company in the future. They still had families, children, parents, and couldn't risk their jobs.Nina naturally wouldn't hold it against them, but she still hadn't understood why Nash was here, staring at him blankly. "What are you doing here?"Nash looked at her, his dissatisfaction palpable. He grabbed her arm, still angry, and said coldly, "Come home with me!"Nina shook off his hand. "Why should I go with you? We have nothing to do with each other."
Yelena quickly lowered her arm, letting her sleeve fall over the mark to cover it. “It’s nothing. Here’s your cocktail. Please enjoy.” “Yelena.” Hunter grabbed her wrist without warning. He pulled up her sleeve, revealing the deep, ugly scars on her arm. His brows knitted together instantly. “Who did this to you?” The force behind it was brutal—downright inhuman. Yelena remained silent. Who else could have done this besides Liam? But she had agreed to this. She had willingly accepted Hunter’s request and entered Liam’s world. She had no right to complain. Her silence gave Hunter all the confirmation he needed. “Liam did this to you, didn’t he?” Yelena nodded. “It’s nothing. The wounds have already started healing. They look worse than they feel. Give it some time, and they’ll fade.” “Wait here.” Hunter stood abruptly and walked away. Yelena had no idea what he was doing, but since he told her to wait, she didn’t argue. A few minu
Then again, it made sense. How could a normal person possibly empathize with a lunatic? If Yelena could understand Liam, that would make her just as twisted. *For the next few days, Yelena stayed home to recover. During that time, Liam came back a few times, bringing her flowers and food. Like a child showing off a treasure, he placed the food in front of her. “Yelena, these are your favorite honey crullers. I got them fresh from the bakery. Try them and see if you like them.” “I’m not really hungry.” She didn’t want to eat anything he gave her. She couldn’t even stand looking at him. But she had made a promise. So, she had to force herself to stay. Liam’s expression darkened. “Are you really not hungry, or do you just not want to eat what I give you?” For someone like him, once he had lost his temper once, the second time would only come faster and smoother. With a heavy thud, he slammed the honey crullers onto the table. “Yes, I hit y
If Liam had been a normal person, Hunter never would have sent her here in the first place. But of course, Yelena could only think that. She wasn’t suicidal enough to say it out loud. Instead, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. “I was really just messaging an old classmate. If you don’t believe me, go ahead—check my phone.” She wasn’t worried. Whenever she contacted Hunter, she deleted each message immediately. She had even forged an entire fake conversation just in case Liam ever got suspicious. So, no matter how thoroughly he checked, there would be nothing for him to find. Liam narrowed his eyes. “Is that so? Then why do I still feel like you’re lying? Women like you—nothing but liars, every last one of you.” Then, he struck her again. Yelena screamed. The pain was relentless, merciless. She had no idea how long it lasted—only that by the time he finally stopped, she was barely breathing. Her body slumped against the floor
Suddenly, footsteps sounded behind Yelena. She spun around, her heart hammering in her chest. Liam was walking toward her, a faint smile on his lips—but the coldness in his eyes told a different story. Memories of his past cruelty flashed through her mind, sending a shudder down her spine. She forced herself to stay calm. “Who are you messaging?” He was getting closer. So close that when he finally stopped, they were nearly pressed against each other. Then, without warning, his fingers clamped around her chin, gripping tighter and tighter. Pain shot through her jaw, and Yelena winced. “No one. Just an old classmate. I ran into her a few days ago while I was out.” “Oh? Is that so?” Liam’s voice softened, almost gentle. To anyone watching, he might have seemed like a kind, easygoing man. But Yelena knew better. He would never let her off that easily. And sure enough— In the next second, he grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her hea
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.“Haven’t I been just fine lately?“Or do you think my hand isn’t injured enough? If that’s the case, go ahead—do it yourself. “You already know I wouldn’t fight back no matter what.” Without warning, Yelena stretched out her injured hand, an act that instantly enraged Liam. “What the hell is wrong with you?” He snapped. “I was just making a casual remark. Is that really what you think of me? I already told you—I’m not going to lay a hand on you.“It wasn’t intentional before, and you know it. We both do. Stop acting like you’re above all this when we both know who sent you here.” Yelena felt a pang of sadness. They had spent so much time together, yet this was how he treated her—always choosing to hurt her. “I know—I wasn’t someone you chose, and none of this was intentional. But after all this time we've spent together...“I thought maybe I was a little different to you. But I guess I was wrong. Nothing has changed at all.
“Why do you even care about what happens to other people? Haven’t I made myself clear enough already?“Whose card is this—yours or mine?” His assistant immediately apologized upon hearing Caleb’s tone. “I hope you won’t hold this against me. I really wasn’t thinking clearly at the time—I should have considered this more carefully.” Caleb didn’t bother responding. After hanging up, he focused entirely on investigating Vera’s brother. *Meanwhile, Vera was deeply worried. If things had been somewhat under control before, now they were completely off track. The situation on both sides was far more complicated than she had anticipated. “Don’t worry. That’s exactly how it is. If you don’t want to go in person, I can go for you—but it won’t be cheap,” the private investigator said.Since Caleb had warned her about the private investigator, Vera started testing him, probing for inconsistencies. And sure enough, his story had too many holes. “Why are you so sure my b
As Caleb spoke, he looked at Vera with a hint of helplessness. After all, her hand had been injured because of Luna. “Don’t feel guilty about this. Honestly, it’s nothing to me.“And I’m not the type to carry burdens over things like this.“Besides, it’s been so long. If this had happened back then, I might have cared. But now? I just don’t think it matters anymore.” Vera’s voice was steady and sincere. But Caleb’s expression darkened. “Why would you say that? Why do you think it doesn’t matter? Do you really see me as just the same as everyone else?” For some reason, at this moment, Caleb took it personally. Vera couldn’t help but laugh. “Of course not. You’re different from the rest—so obviously, I wouldn’t see it the same way.“You’ve helped me so much. The least I can do is acknowledge that, instead of stubbornly nitpicking about what’s right or wrong, don’t you think?“Besides, whatever happened between you and Luna, that’s none of my business. It’s in
“I didn’t mean to just now. Besides, you’ve been acting all sneaky lately—so really, who else is to blame?” Seeing Yelena in tears, Liam, who had been furious just moments ago, felt a small pang of guilt. He was never good at expressing emotions. But watching her like this made him a little uncomfortable. “Go get your hand treated. Otherwise, people who don’t know any better might think I’ve been abusing you.” With that, he turned and walked away. Yelena watched his retreating figure, feeling a bit helpless. This wasn’t something she could decide on her own. Installing surveillance? It wasn’t as easy as it sounded. Liam was naturally suspicious. If he caught wind of it, the consequences would be disastrous. But she had no choice. She had a mission to complete, and there was more at stake than just this moment. Letting out a deep sigh, she finally decided to head to a clinic to get her hand treated. *“What happened to you? That’s a serious injury. You
And just like that, the conversation fell into a brief silence. Meanwhile, on the other side, Hunter received a call from Yelena. “What did you just say?” Yelena told him that her hand was broken, and on top of that, Liam seemed to be getting suspicious. She wasn’t sure what to do, so she called Hunter for advice. “I don’t really care what happens to you, but at the very least, take care of yourself.“Otherwise, if something else goes wrong later, I’ll have to step in and clean up the mess. Don’t you think so?” Hearing this, Yelena was a little taken aback. “It’s not just about my injury. The real problem is, I’m scared of what he might do now.” Sure, she had taken the two hundred thousand dollars, but she had to stay alive to spend it. At this rate, she wouldn’t even make it through in one piece. “I already told you—protect yourself. If you need anything else, I’ll try to provide it. But right now, I need you to do something for me.” Hunter had been look