“Does this look strange on me?” Karina asked hesitantly, glancing at her reflection in the mirror. Wilfred stepped forward, placing his hands gently on her shoulders. His gaze was steady and full of admiration. “Strange? Not at all. You look absolutely stunning, like this dress was made just for you. When the photos are done, everyone will be blown away.” The photographer chimed in enthusiastically, “Don’t worry, miss. This outfit brings out all the elegance. Just follow my directions later, and you’ll have magazine-worthy shots in no time!” Reassured, Karina finally relaxed and gracefully walked to the photo setup. Wilfred, now dressed in a vintage suit, exuded a polished elegance that perfectly complemented her look. After capturing a series of vintage-style portraits, they switched to a casual modern shoot. Dressed in their newly purchased matching outfits, they posed playfully—making silly faces, leaning into each other, and laughing freely. The camera’s shutter c
Thick smoke filled Karina’s lungs, choking her until she felt she might suffocate at any moment. Even with a damp towel pressed against her nose and mouth, she knew their time was running out. If rescue didn’t arrive soon, they wouldn’t last much longer. She turned slightly, looking at the man beside her. Wilfred was holding her tightly in his arms, his body a protective shield against the flames that danced dangerously close. Her nose stung, and an overwhelming wave of emotion surged through her. For the first time in years, she felt the urge to cry. If this truly was the last moment fate would allow them, it felt cruelly short. She might lose consciousness at any second, and there was no guarantee either of them would wake again. It wasn’t logical, but Karina couldn’t stop herself. In a voice barely audible, hoarse from the smoke, she whispered, “In our next life, I still want to be with you.” She felt a firm squeeze on her waist—it was Wilfred’s hand, strong and
Karina stared off into the distance, lost in thought for a long time. It really was remarkable how differently people recovered. Though they had both been rescued from the fire, Wilfred bounced back much faster than she did. And Wilfred… he was truly incredible at taking care of her. Sometimes, when she looked at his gentle, focused face, Karina couldn’t help but feel like he was her entire world. *After she was discharged, Karina still had a few days of medical leave. Wilfred suggested they go out for some fresh air, taking her on leisurely strolls to lift her spirits. Their fingers intertwined as they walked side by side. Everything seemed to be back to normal, yet Karina couldn’t shake the feeling that something had subtly changed. The evening breeze was a bit cool. Karina frowned slightly, sensing that something felt off. She brushed her fingers against Wilfred’s palm and teased, “Are you sweating?” It was an offhand remark, but Wilfred responded with a soft
Throughout the entire wedding dress fitting, Karina wished she could find a hole to crawl into. Wilfred’s gaze was just too intense, too obvious. Even the staff helping her try on dresses occasionally glanced in his direction, their curiosity piqued. Karina, already feeling shy, was even more flustered. While changing into another gown, one of the attendants loosened the laces for her and commented with a tone full of envy, “You two must really love each other.” Karina paused, unsure how to respond. The attendant continued, “I’ve worked here for years, and I’ve never seen anyone look at their bride-to-be the way your fiancé does.” It was as if a jar of honey had tipped into her heart, rippling with sweetness. Karina tried to appear composed, but the corners of her mouth betrayed her, curving upward uncontrollably. “Is that so?” Realizing that his gaze was a sign of their deep connection, she stopped feeling embarrassed or avoiding it. When Wilfred looked at her
As Karina expected to coax a bit more out of Wilfred through the cracked door, he suddenly teamed up with his groomsmen, and together they pushed hard, forcing their way inside. Even though it hadn’t been long since they last saw each other, seeing him now in this setting felt completely different. Dressed to the nines, holding a bouquet, and surrounded by a crowd cheering him on, Wilfred took one step at a time toward her. Karina’s heart began to race. Yvette stepped forward, blocking Wilfred’s path with a playful smirk. “You think you can take our Karina this easily? Not a chance!” With a snap of her fingers, the bridesmaids joined her, speaking in unison, “After you’re married, who controls the finances?” Wilfred glanced at Karina and confidently replied, “My wife does!” The bridesmaids continued, “And who gets the final say at home?” “Her, of course!” Laughter filled the room, but the questions kept coming. “Who’s doing the housework?” “I will!” The
Karina looked at Yvette, smiling as she shook her head, then glanced down at the bouquet in her hands. A decision had already taken root in her mind. It seemed she wouldn’t need to agonize over who would catch it after all. The earlier ceremonies wrapped up smoothly, and soon it was time for the bouquet toss. In her flowing white wedding dress, Karina raised the bouquet, teasing the crowd with a few feints. Everyone tensed, their eyes glued to her every move, only to relax when she didn’t let it fly. Then, just when they thought they could breathe, Karina suddenly changed direction, aiming the bouquet directly at Yvette’s position. At that moment, it was as if everyone around Yvette had an unspoken agreement—they all scattered, leaving her completely exposed. The bouquet arced gracefully toward Yvette, who instinctively stepped back, trying to avoid it. But with the area around her now empty, the bouquet was destined to hit the ground if she didn’t catch it. As it
Karina let out a small sigh of relief as she thought about Yvette. “Good thing she softened up and caught the bouquet in the end. Otherwise, all my planning would’ve been for nothing.” She had carefully arranged everything, ensuring that the people standing near Yvette were prepped and ready to move out of the way when the bouquet was thrown. The goal was to leave Yvette no choice but to catch it. Who knew Yvette would almost dodge it anyway, nearly ruining her plan? “Speaking of that,” Karina suddenly remembered something and glanced at Wilfred. “Who was the guy who caught her when she fell? Is he single? If he’s a good match, maybe we should introduce him to Yvette.” Wilfred frowned slightly. “It’s our wedding, and you’re busy checking out other men?” Karina rolled her eyes at his obvious teasing, about to snap back when Wilfred straightened and replied seriously, “He’s a friend of mine. Solid guy, no doubt about his character. He’s been focused on research in biotechn
Karina didn’t want to interrupt Yvette, who seemed perfectly content chatting with Wilfred’s friend. Instead, she turned to Wilfred, exchanging a knowing smile. When the wedding finally wound down and the guests departed, Karina was exhausted from the long day but relieved to finally catch her breath. Back at the home they had carefully decorated together, she felt a deep sense of peace she had never experienced before. Every corner of the house carried traces of her efforts, and it felt truly hers. “Long day, huh?” Wilfred’s hands suddenly rested on her shoulders, applying just the right pressure to massage away her tension. Karina tensed instinctively, her hand moving to cover his. Wilfred gently moved her hand aside. “Relax. No need to be on edge.” Taking a deep breath, Karina reminded herself that things were different now. They were married. “Thank you,” she said softly. Wilfred raised a brow, teasing her, “Are you planning to keep being this polite with me
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
“Yes, it’s in that mountain area. If you’re worried, you can go check it out yourself. But as for anything else, we don’t really have much more information.”Compared to everything else, this was the most baffling situation.“You make a good point. But given the current circumstances, I think it’ll be difficult to pull off.”Vera was speaking with the private investigator. Deep down, she was more worried than anything else.“Don’t worry,” the private investigator reassured her. “Aside from what we discussed earlier, nothing else seems too extreme. Plus, we’ve already looked into it pretty thoroughly.”By the time he finished speaking, his expression had grown more complicated.“Alright. I understand.”After hanging up, she anxiously looked straight ahead. If she had been mentally prepared before, now she was starting to feel uneasy. “What’s going on?” Caleb asked while driving, glancing at her. Vera hesitated, debating whether to tell him or not. But seeing the strange
“I only had one surgery today,” Caleb said as he drove, his voice calm but firm. “Now that it’s done, I want to know why this happened.” After that, he said nothing more. Vera sat in silence, her heart uneasy as the car pulled up in front of an upscale club. Even though her hand was already bandaged, she still felt a sting of pain every time Caleb showed concern. “So this is what it feels like to have someone care,” she thought to herself.Back when Vera had been stepped on, her only concern had been the contract—whether the deal would fall apart and if her suffering had been for nothing.If it had been anything else, she probably wouldn’t have cared as much.But Caleb’s concern made it impossible for her to brush aside.It kept lingering in her mind, refusing to let her feel indifferent.“Don’t overthink it,” Caleb said, his voice firm. “Whatever happened between Luna and me doesn’t change the fact that this concerns me too—and I owe it to you to make things right.”
“Oh? So this is the apology you wanted?” Vera’s forehead was covered in cold sweat from the pain, but the two women standing over her barely reacted. As if this was normal to them. As if humiliating her was just another game. “I asked you a question.” Vera remained half-crouched on the ground, her hand still pinned under Luna’s heel. Helena smirked. “Yeah, I’d say that’s good enough.” She hadn’t expected Vera to be this stubborn, but it didn’t matter. With an exaggerated sigh, she casually scribbled her signature onto the contract. The deal was officially secured. Vera didn’t waste another second. She cast one last glance at the two women. “I have no interest in getting involved in your personal drama. As for Caleb and me, that’s between us. We both made our choices.” Luna’s expression twisted slightly. “I won’t bother commenting on your relationship,” she said, voice dripping with disdain. “But don’t think for a second that this will ever earn
The moment Vera heard her assistant’s words, her expression darkened. Her previously calm tone turned firm. “If that’s the case, I understand. But I still have to go. This is my responsibility, and no one else can handle it.” If she didn’t take the lead, the other party would only grow bolder. However, the moment she glanced at the name on the negotiation list, she couldn’t help but frown. Because the person she was supposed to meet wasn’t just anyone. It was Helena Xander. Vera had encountered her before—back when her relationship with Caleb hadn’t yet escalated. Even then, Helena had openly mocked her, saying that since Caleb had been Luna’s devoted lapdog for years, he should know his place and never overstep. She had also thrown a few sharp words at Vera, telling her to recognize her own status—as if warning her that getting involved would only bring trouble. Back then, Vera hadn’t taken it seriously. She never thought she would cross paths with the
“Alright, enough of this. If you’re serious about investigating, you’ll need proper psychological evaluations,” Caleb said nonchalantly.“The best way to assess something like this is through clinical observation—watch for behavioral inconsistencies, memory gaps, or personality shifts. If you can, gather video footage of his daily life. That’s the only way to get a clearer picture. Otherwise, it’s just speculation.”Caleb made the remark casually, then swiftly issued a dismissal.“You came all the way here just to mess with me? What about your own situation? How’s that going?” Caleb’s sarcasm was dry and pointed. Hunter let out a long sigh. “What else could it be? Business as usual. Compared to others, I’m probably the only one with enough patience for this mess.” He was, of course, referring to his ongoing battle with Liam. Caleb gave him a small nod. “Alright, you should get going now. I need to rest. Don’t loiter around here.” Without hesitation, he waved his hand
Vera forced an awkward smile at Hunter before quickly retreating back into the bathroom to change. Hunter, watching her leave, couldn't help but smirk. “You’re really living the good life, huh?” he teased. “Didn’t expect you to have such luck.” Caleb rolled his eyes, clearly uninterested. “Enough with the nonsense. Why are you here? And who exactly were you talking about over the phone?” He didn’t want to entertain pointless banter, especially not about women. If he was being honest, even he couldn’t fully explain his feelings toward Luna. He wasn’t sure what was left between them—was it love, or just the remnants of something that had long turned sour? That pitiful look in her eyes earlier had shaken him. For a fleeting moment, he had wanted to pull her into his arms, to comfort her like he used to. But after so many years of being humiliated and pushed aside, he had forgotten how to even speak to her anymore. So instead, he did what was easiest—he change
Hunter spoke casually, his tone light. “Just someone, that’s all. Do you really need all these details?” Caleb was now certain of his suspicion. “Hunter, did you forget what I do for a living? I’m a doctor. If you’re asking me about this, I need to get a clear picture before I can give you an answer.” Hunter exhaled lightly. “That’s fair, but some things can’t be diagnosed right away.” Based on the information Yelena provided earlier, Hunter was only speculating about Liam. But Caleb was an expert in this area, so he specifically called to ask him.Still, explaining everything over the phone wasn’t going to work. “Forget it,” Hunter said. “This isn’t something I can explain over a call. Where are you? I’ll come over.” Caleb hesitated for a moment before glancing at Vera, who was still beside him. In the end, he gave Hunter the address to his villa. Hunter chuckled. “Haha. I’m surprised. You actually do go home to rest.” Caleb ignored the jab and tossed his p
“Call me Liam.” Before Yelena could finish speaking, Liam cut her off with a sharp, angry voice. She quickly nodded and corrected herself. “Liam, don’t worry. I’ll do exactly as you say. I’ll be good. I won’t make you angry again.” But Liam didn’t care. With a violent shove, he threw her to the ground. Yelena barely had time to brace herself before hitting the cold floor hard, pain radiating through her limbs. Liam, however, just looked down at her with a twisted grin, laughing like she was nothing more than a ridiculous joke. “You’d better learn fast,” he sneered. “And leave your hand broken for a few days—feel the pain properly.” “Alright.” Her voice was quiet, submissive. But Liam wasn’t listening. Without another glance, he turned and walked away. As she watched his retreating figure, Yelena felt a deep sense of dread rise in her throat. Liam wasn’t human. He was something far worse. Her future with him would be nothing short of hell.