"Ruby, you’re talking too much,” Miranda interrupted, then turned to Nash and said, "I'm fine."Nash glanced over and noticed that her ankle was red. He called out, "Quincy, take her to see a doctor.""Okay, Mr. York,” Quincy responded, walking over.Miranda said, "There's no need to see a doctor. It's just a minor injury. A little cooling spray will do. We often get injured on set, much worse than this. Quincy, could you buy me some medicine?"Quincy looked at Nash, waiting for his response.Nash calmly said, "Go get the medicine.""Yes, Mr. York,” Quincy replied before hurrying out.Even after all this time apart, Miranda still missed him. She restrained herself partly for the sake of her career and partly out of resentment towards him for embarrassing her with Nina. But this visit proved to be useful; at least Nash still remembered her kindness. It put her mind at ease.Miranda took the knife and began peeling an apple for him. "You got hurt and didn't even bother to call me
She turned off the car engine and waited for Miranda to approach.Miranda, holding the food she brought, smirked coldly. "Why didn't you come inside? Feeling uncomfortable seeing Nash and me chatting?"Nina turned to face Miranda. "Is there something you need?" she asked, meeting Miranda's gaze as she approached."You haven't answered my question yet," Miranda replied.Nina withdrew her gaze and calmly stated, "You know, there's this feeling of pretending to have something when you actually have nothing. The more you flaunt, the less you gain." She knew Miranda was trying to mock her, probably just to flaunt in front of her. Miranda's expression turned cold, clearly disliking Nina's composed demeanor."You're pretending to be unaffected, but deep down, you're hurting. No matter how far apart Nash and I are, he still has a place for me in his heart."You know very well that he established the entertainment company for me. When I expressed my interest in acting, he immediately ar
Nash avoided all contact with others. Quincy stood at the doorway, politely informing Miranda, "Miss Lewis, Mr. York is resting. He said you don't have to worry about him and should go back to the set."Miranda responded, "That's alright. I've already taken a leave of absence and the director has approved it. I'll come back after he's discharged."Quincy found himself in a dilemma. He gently commented, "Mr. York needs rest."Miranda glanced at the ward, understanding what he meant.She wasn't upset and said, "Could you please give this to Nash for me? I'll bring over Sally's cooked meals when I return.""Of course, Miss Lewis," Quincy replied, taking the document.When he saw the bold letters on the paper, he too was shocked. Miranda said goodbye and left. Her assistant asked, "Why didn't you go inside? It's a rare opportunity.""No rush," Miranda replied. "There will be plenty more opportunities in the future. I should go back to the York residence first."She had more importa
She refused to release Nina, holding onto her tightly. Her intention to harm Nina was evident."I always knew you were a bringer of bad luck. We would have been fine without you. Zion would have supported me, and our family could have lived happily. It's because of your interference that Zion abandoned us. You're a heartless witch. I will kill you!"Nina's hair was disheveled by Lily's grip. Instinctively, Nina tried to evade her and push her away. Lily's slightly long nails scratched Nina's cheek, leaving a few marks."Madam, this is a police station. Your actions could result in your arrest!"Consumed by rage, Lily lost control of her senses, saying, "Arrest me if you want. As long as I can kill her, even if it means death for me! Even in death, I will drag her to hell!"Lily thrashed about, but the police had no option but to restrain her, forcing her to the ground. Despite being restrained, she glared at Nina with intense anger.Sue, pale-faced, shed tears and pleaded, "Mom,
Sally quickly added, "Since you've already met, that's even better. Miranda, this is Linda."This is Miranda," Sally introduced.Linda carefully examined Miranda, her expression turning somewhat grim as she suddenly realized, "Sally, could this be... the girl who captured Nash's heart?"She had thought Sally would accept her child and, by extension, accept her as well. But she had obviously been mistaken.Miranda rather liked being addressed this way and amiably responded, "Hello there. Sally has already told me about you, and she said you're carrying Nash's child and taking care of it at home."Linda had concerns and instinctively covered her stomach, fearing that they might harm her child. Miranda sensed her worry and reassured her, "You don't need to be afraid. Since it's Nash's child, I'll naturally treat it well. You don't have to worry. Once you give birth, things will only get better."Linda wasn't sure and asked, "Will you really let me have the baby?"Miranda spoke ge
Even if she wouldn't accept, Sally would accept it. She couldn't go against her wishes. And she definitely wouldn't stoop to being the villain.After a while, there was a knock on the door. Linda, in her room, asked, "Who is it?""It's me, Miranda," came the reply.Linda hesitated for a moment but still went to open the door. Miranda stood there, holding a bowl of soup, smiling gently at her. "Since you didn't come down, I brought you some soup. Sally made it, and it smells delicious.""I'm not really hungry," Linda said.Miranda placed the soup on the table and turned to look at her. "Did you lose your appetite because you saw me coming?"Linda hurriedly denied, "No, don't think like that.""That's good then," Miranda said, affectionately taking her hand. "You're young, so call me sister from now on. If you need anything, just let me know. As long as I can, I'll help you."Her warmth made Linda feel a bit overwhelmed. "I...""Don't be shy. I'm an only child and always wanted
This struck a chord with Linda. Nina's fondness for Nash made it difficult for Linda to comprehend how she could bear to divorce him. Could it be that Nina was trying to confuse her and lower her guard? Nina had previously cautioned her against developing an infatuation with Nash, yet it seemed that Nina herself had developed feelings for him.With a child on the way, Linda worried that Nina might plot against the child in the future.Feeling apprehensive, Linda held her belly tightly. She was determined not to let Nina succeed and harm her child.Observing Linda's expression, Miranda decided to end the conversation. "You should rest well. Remember to drink the soup; it's good for the baby. I'll leave now."With that, Miranda walked out, a faint smirk playing on her lips. Linda felt unsettled by Miranda's words. She knew she had to take action. Suddenly, she thought of Nina's aunt and cousin. She wondered how they were doing.—Nina had just finished giving her statement at the
Xander frowned as he continued to smoke. "Don't speak so harshly. If I have money, wouldn't I repay it? I'll pay you back in the future, as long as you lend it to me.""I don't have money to lend you," Nina replied. "If there's nothing else, I won't chat with you anymore."Nina walked away without even looking back, leaving Xander feeling disregarded. He threw the cigarette on the ground and menacingly said, "Nina, don't force me. It won't look good if things turn ugly!"Nina drove away directly.She knew exactly what her uncle wanted. Their family was like a bottomless pit—once she gave in, there would be endless requests for money in the future.Coincidentally, Linda, who was hiding in the corner, witnessed this scene.Observing Xander's frustration and hostility towards Nina, Linda thought of another way.If Nina were to disappear from this world, no one would threaten her or her unborn child anymore. If she defeated them, she might even be able to secure the position of Mrs.
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