"I have money, please don't hurt me!" Nina's body was soaked in sweat, feeling completely drenched. She immediately opened her mouth to speak, recognizing that her first priority was to save her own life.Her eyes met Xander's, and she took in the chaotic room she was in, her hands bound. Seeing the man standing before her, her face turned pale. "Uncle."Xander stared at her coldly. "Now you're finally willing to call me uncle?"Nina hadn't expected him to be so heartless as to kidnap her, regardless of their family ties. She didn't anticipate him showing any mercy now, but she still asked, "What do I need to do for you to release me?""You mentioned having money," Xander said, holding the card that Nash had given her."Is there money on this card?""Yes, there is money."A glimmer of a smile appeared on Xander's face, as greed sparkled in his eyes. "How much?"Nina inquired, "If I give it to you, will you let me go?"Before he could respond, another voice interrupted, "No!"
With that being said, Xander began to feel convinced. This person had appeared out of nowhere, surely with some ulterior motive to approach him. However, Nina was still his niece. He felt compelled, and had to be concerned about others plotting against him. His gaze shifted towards the woman.She became anxious and indignant. "She's trying to create discord. If it weren't for my advice, would Nina willingly give you the money? We're supposed to be working together!"Despite everything, Xander was certain about his own intentions. He turned to Nina. "Nina, give me the password, and I promise she won't harm you."Nina did not dare to trust him hastily. Just as she hesitated, the sound of a car outside suddenly reached their ears. This made Xander panic.He grabbed Nina, holding a knife to her throat, nervously stating, "Someone's outside!"Nina, staring at the knife in front of her, did not even dare to breathe. The woman realized that things had taken a turn for the worse. "She's i
Exactly. He could transfer two hundred million to her account. So why hesitate over ten million? Nina looked down, feeling a pang of bitterness in her heart. He was good, really good. But each act of kindness felt like a stab to her heart, making it difficult to move on while also causing her pain.Xander smiled and promptly recited his bank account number. Nash took out his phone and made a call. "Transfer ten million to this account immediately!" The woman hiding behind them panicked at the sight. No, this couldn't happen! Nina had to disappear completely!A message alert sounded on Xander's phone. He checked the message: the bank had sent him a notification. He glanced at the balance: ten million! It was more money than he had ever seen in his life. Xander felt excited and happy as he put his phone in his pocket. "How can I be sure you'll let me go once I release Nina?" he asked.Nash replied, "There's a car here. You can drive away. I won't stop you.""Then let me go."Xan
The car Xander was in suddenly exploded, with flames spreading across the sky and the vehicle bursting open instantly. Nina stood frozen in shock, her fair face illuminated by the fire, her eyes wide open. How could this happen? How could the car explode? Even though she wasn't close to her uncle, he was still her blood relative. If someone died in front of her, she would still be afraid. Nina's mind went blank, and tears silently streamed down her face. She stood there for a while, like a zombie, subconsciously moving towards the site of the explosion."Nina!" Nash, still in disbelief, noticed Nina's actions. Concerned for her safety, he firmly grasped her wrist and pulled her into his arms. His gaze was grave as he sternly said, "It's dangerous over there. Don't go!""Quincy, get someone to put out the fire!" Nina, with red eyes, resisted Nash for a moment but then calmly said, "It's okay. I'll just watch from afar. There won't be any danger."She just wanted to see if he had
Nash frowned, his concern evident. "It's clear that you passed out earlier. It's safer for you to get checked." Nina adjusted her clothes, her eyes fixed on the blood staining Nash's hands. "I think you need the check-up more than I do." She hurriedly got out of bed and added, "I just have a small cut on my neck. It just needs bandaging. Doctor, please attend to Mr. York first."Nash squinted at Nina, sensing that something was amiss. She seemed different, as if she were hiding something. She declined the check-up but then secretly went to a private hospital.What could she be up to?The doctor, observing their disagreement, intervened. "Mr. York, allow me to tend to your wounds first." Nash didn't respond directly to the doctor but instead questioned Nina, "You don't want a check-up, yet you sneak off to a private hospital. Is there something you're hiding from me?"His gaze grew cold once more, and his tone became distant.Nina felt nervous on the inside but kept a calm exte
Nina didn't see it that way, even though she had spoken disdainfully to Miranda. She was just protecting herself. "Don't you know there's someone else I like?" Nina said. That sentence shut Nash down completely. She had feelings for someone else. But he had never seen this man! It seemed to become a puzzle between them. Nash's handsome face grew cold and stern, yet he had to say, "You don't need to mention this man. When the contract expires, I'll let you go. Even if you don't give me the divorce papers, I'll deliver them to you!" They could only get their shares when the marriage contract expired. Nina knew that. Without saying it explicitly, she cooperated with him. It was a kind of repayment to him. "Alright," Nina took out her phone and glanced at the calendar. "There aren't many days left. I hope Mr. York will find time when the time comes." Nash didn't reply further.Both of them had their wounds bandaged by the doctor. Nina's wound was just a shallow cut on the skin
She took a sip of the milk, which was still warm. It had a sweet taste with a hint of milk fragrance. It helped to calm her fear but left a slight bitterness."You should take some rest," Nash said, his wound already bandaged."I'll take care of everything with the police." He didn't want Nina to exert herself too much.A serious kidnapping case like this required a thorough investigation. He couldn't afford to rest.Nina lay on the hospital bed, and soon her mother arrived. "Nina," her mother called out. "Mom," Nina responded. Julia rushed to the hospital and saw Nina lying in bed, looking miserable with wounds on her neck.She immediately burst into tears and hugged her daughter. "How could that bastard Xander do such a despicable thing? Threatening and kidnapping you? He's caused you so much suffering! Our family will never associate with theirs again! I've already told your father. He only ended up like this because of brotherly love! He realizes it too. I'll scold Xander la
"Indeed! Some people are simply born with bad intentions. Xander's death was truly tragic; he was killed by his own niece, and there is still no closure. It's really sad.""What did the police say? Are they just going to let it go like that?""People die, they get buried, and that's the end of it.""That's really unfair. One life lost, and Nina gets all the benefits!"These comments caused Julia's face to darken. "They're crossing a line, especially considering they're relatives. Gossiping like this!"They rarely interacted with these relatives, only exchanging greetings on formal occasions. Julia looked at Nina and said, "Nina, don't pay attention to their nonsense. Let's finish paying our respects and leave."She didn't want any trouble. If it wasn't for Nina's insistence, they wouldn't have come. Nina didn't mind, used to being talked about behind her back. Some relatives were worse than neighbors. She wasn't just here to pay respects, but to uncover the person responsible
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