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
Simply put, they were a bunch of grown men who didn’t know how to do housework. Vera was momentarily stunned. She hadn’t thought about this at all. But this was a big issue. Housing and meals were the workers’ top concerns. She couldn’t promise them accommodations, only for them to arrive and find that the dorms were unlivable. “Keep them calm for now. I’ll figure out a solution for the cleaning,” she told Stanley, her mind racing for a practical plan. Cleaning itself wasn’t the problem. She could easily hire a cleaning crew to take care of it. But that would be too expensive—not worth the cost. A single cleaner cost a few hundred per day. If she hired multiple, she would be spending over a thousand. That kind of money would be better spent elsewhere. “If I do it myself, at least I can make sure it’s done properly,” she thought. Her eyes lit up with the realization. Without wasting a second, she rushed home to gather supplies. By the time she arrived
As Caleb reached the entryway, he hesitated. Vera was still on his mind. He stopped in his tracks, torn for a moment. Vera glanced at his phone, forcing herself to ignore the strange pang of jealousy that surfaced in her chest. “Dr. Smith, you should go. I’ll be fine.“They wouldn’t dare go too far. This is a society governed by law, after all.” “Alright. Call me if anything happens.” Caleb’s expression softened slightly before he finally left. The villa was now eerily quiet, leaving Vera completely alone. She had spent plenty of time by herself before, but for some reason, tonight felt especially lonely. Even with all the doors and windows locked, a lingering chill crept over her limbs. She shook off the feeling and tried not to overthink it. Instead, she took a hot shower and went to bed early. Thankfully, the night passed without incident. *The next morning, Vera hired someone to remove the red spray paint from her door and the pavement outside. A
Vera didn’t want to trouble Caleb. But then she thought about Mr. Lincoln, about Uncle Zimmer, who had sold her out, and about the threats Mr. Lincoln had made after she injured him. A slight shiver ran down her spine. She was certain—there was no way that man would just let this go. Caleb clearly noticed something was off. Before he could ask, Vera lifted her head and said, “I’d appreciate it if you could take me home.” “Alright,” Caleb replied, his furrowed brows relaxing slightly. She didn’t have to say anything. It didn’t matter. He would keep an eye on her over the next few days, just to make sure she stayed safe. *When they arrived at her place, the sight at the entrance made Caleb’s expression darken. The floor and the door were covered in red spray paint, filled with vulgar insults—words like *whore* and *slut* scrawled across the surface. His jaw tightened. This wasn’t something he could ignore. He turned to Vera. “Who did you piss off recently?
Seeing that Vera didn’t want to talk, Caleb had no choice but to sigh and say, “Let me take care of this for you.” He grabbed some alcohol and cotton swabs. Vera instinctively pulled her leg back, feeling a little embarrassed. “It’s just a small wound. I can do it myself.” But Caleb pressed her down gently, his voice firm. “Don’t move.” Without thinking, she obeyed. The moment the cotton swab touched her skin, she flinched. The cold alcohol sent a sharp, uncomfortable sting through her body. Caleb had only applied it to the surface of her wounds, yet she kept shrinking back. He frowned slightly, wondering if he was hurting her. Vera, however, thought he was upset. “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to. It’s just cold. And alcohol stings when it touches a wound.” She had grown up pampered. Before her father’s accident, he had never let her suffer even the tiniest injury. This was her first time experiencing the sting of disinfectant. “I’ll be more careful,” Caleb sa
“A girl your age should be buying designer bags and luxury goods, not spending every day stuck in a factory dealing with a bunch of dirty workers,” Mr. Lincoln said, inching closer to her without making it too obvious. “Your father dumped all his burdens on you—that’s way too unfair.” A bad feeling crept over Vera. She suddenly shot to her feet. “Mr. Lincoln, I respect you, and I came here today to discuss business. If you have no intention of working with me, then I’ll take my leave.” Mr. Zimmer had introduced her to someone completely unreliable. Once she got back, she would mark down Mr. Zimmer’s contact information as a warning to herself. She wouldn’t be reaching out to him again. But there was no way Mr. Lincoln was going to let her leave. She had already walked into the lion’s den—there was no way he was letting her leave so easily.He grabbed her arm, his grip firm. “Just be with me. I’ll give you ten grand a month. That’s way better than running around, begg
The caller was Mr. Zimmer, a long-time client of the company. Vera had reached out to him yesterday, but he had told her he had no projects at the moment, so she had no choice but to end the call. She wasn’t sure why he was calling today, but she still answered. “Uncle Zimmer, you’re looking for me?” “Vera, I called to introduce you to a potential project,” Mr. Zimmer’s voice came through the phone. “You reached out to me yesterday, didn’t you? Since you came to me for help, of course I’ll do what I can.” Vera felt a bit uncomfortable. She had called to discuss a potential collaboration—something that would be mutually beneficial. How had that turned into her begging for help? But the customer is always king, and she wasn’t about to argue over a single word. She smiled and said, “Then I’ll thank you in advance, Uncle Zimmer.” “Are you free to come over for a meal? I’ll introduce you to the right person. You two should talk it over—if things work out, you can
“If they don’t want to come back, then let them go,” Leonard Quinn said, trying to comfort him. “Their hearts aren’t in it anymore. Even if they do return, they won’t put in the effort.” “I don’t care whether they come back or not,” Stanley sighed. “But Vera’s new project is about to start, and we don’t have enough workers. Overtime is fine for a while, but no one can work around the clock indefinitely—it’s just not sustainable.” The bigger the task, the heavier the responsibility. Since Vera had entrusted him with this, even paying out bonuses in advance, he had to see it through properly. He couldn’t afford to let her down. “I remember there are quite a few people in our village struggling to find steady work,” Leonard suggested after thinking for a moment. “They’re just picking up odd jobs here and there, getting paid by the day. Since we all know each other, why don’t you write down the names of the reliable ones? Later, we can check with Vera, and if she agrees, we’ll
Vera gave Stanley a detailed rundown of the York Corporation project.Having worked as a factory manager for several years, Stanley was well aware of the plant’s production efficiency. After hearing the project details, he told her directly, “Vera, if we can get even half of the old employees back, we’ll be able to meet the production targets on time. But what if more of them want to return—should we take them in or not?”“Of course we should, Uncle Stanley. You guys are all seasoned workers. The company is in a tough spot right now—we couldn’t even pay wages. Yet, despite the hardship, you’re still willing to stay. That means a lot. There will be more projects in the future. As long as the old employees want to come back, I’ll take as many as we can get,” Vera said firmly. She had already made up her mind about this.York Corporation had only granted her this project as a favor to Caleb, which gave her just enough breathing room to keep the factory afloat. But Vera didn’t want
“Already getting paid this fast?” Even with the cash in his hands, Stanley still felt like this was all too surreal. “Vera… where did you get this money?” “Uncle Stanley, I landed a deal recently,” Vera explained patiently. “The partner invested funds, and the first thing I wanted to do was clear everyone’s wages. You all have worked hard. It’s only right you get paid.” She took a deep breath before continuing, “I also wanted to ask—have you found another job yet? If not, would you be willing to return to the factory? We still need a plant manager, and we have orders coming in. The only thing missing is workers.” Stanley was stunned. Was the factory really back in business just like that? Of course, he had always hoped the Mason family would rise again. But never—not in his wildest dreams—did he think the one making that happen would be Vera. She had always been the sheltered youngest daughter of the family, the one never expected to bear any responsibilities.