A mocking smirk played at the corner of Caleb’s lips. Simon’s expression turned ugly, but for Luna, it was downright humiliating. She still remembered how Caleb used to chase after her, so desperate, so pathetic—yet now, he carried himself like he was above everything. The shift in power was something Luna could not accept. “Caleb, maybe think before you speak—and show a little respect while you’re at it. When did I ever try to make myself feel important?” Her expression was dark with irritation. Simon immediately stepped in to defend her. “Caleb, you’re just bitter. Sour grapes, huh? Funny coming from you—weren’t you the one running after Luna like a damn stray dog?” His words were sharp as a knife, hitting Caleb where it hurt the most. And the worst part? Simon wasn’t wrong. There was a time when Caleb really had been that pathetic, orbiting around Luna, showering her with affection—and for what? How did that turn out for him? He had proposed to
Vera had no reason to pick a fight with Luna. Caleb didn’t say a word, but his dark eyes remained fixed on her. She stood there, unwavering, her expression firm and resolute. At first, Caleb had suspected that Vera intentionally used the situation to her advantage. After all, if people assumed they were close, then in a city like this, who wouldn’t be willing to help her? It was a smart move. A calculated one. But looking at her now, so open, so straightforward, he realized something. She wasn’t playing any games. Which meant Luna had deliberately sought Vera out. At that moment, Caleb knew exactly what was going on. Vera, seeing his silence, spoke again. “Don’t overthink this, Caleb. People need to know their limits—and they shouldn’t get greedy. You and your father have already done more than enough for me.” If she kept taking and taking, wouldn’t that make her shamelessly selfish? There was a saying she always remembered—“Greed knows no bounds.”
Besides, what Caleb had with Vera was nothing more than an act—a role they were playing. She wasn’t really his girlfriend. “So, you two still haven’t made it official?” Hunter smirked. “Come on, you’ve already introduced her to us. What’s there to be embarrassed about? She’s a great match for you.” Hunter had teased him before, but in all honesty, he thought Caleb settling down wouldn’t be a bad thing. Caleb was always too busy with work, constantly surrounded by gossip and rumors—having someone by his side wouldn’t be a bad thing. But Caleb didn’t respond. Hunter, never one to let things go, plopped down next to him on the couch. “I know exactly what’s going on in your head right now. But seriously, Caleb, what’s the point of clinging to someone who doesn’t love you? You’re just wasting your life away. One day, you’re gonna wake up and realize you let it all slip through your fingers.” Then, Hunter added pointedly, “Think about Wilfred.” At the mention of Wilfr
Caleb was at a complete loss for words. “You sound just like a bitter ex-wife,” Caleb finally muttered, shaking his head. Hunter shot back immediately. “Well, am I wrong? What, I’m not even allowed to state facts now? Caleb, do you even hear yourself?!” At that moment, Caleb was truly relieved that no one else was around. If anyone had overheard Hunter’s dramatic outburst, they would probably think something was seriously going on between them. Hunter was doing this on purpose. Caleb had annoyed the hell out of him, so naturally, Hunter was going to return the favor—as long as it wouldn’t actually kill them. And if it did end up killing someone, well… it would be Caleb dying from sheer frustration, and that had nothing to do with him. Caleb sighed, his voice calm but cutting. “No one does shameless quite like you, Hunter.” Hunter was unfazed. “What did I even do? Did I say anything that wasn’t true? What, now you’re trying to silence me for speaking facts?”
If she could get this man to stay, then it wouldn’t be a loss for her either.Hunter let out a low chuckle. “Everyone who comes to this club is rich and powerful. If you really want to latch onto someone, you could just step outside and grab the first guy you see. But I’m not some savior—I don’t have the kind of bleeding heart that goes around helping random people.” But the woman refused to let go, clinging to him desperately. Hunter’s patience wore thin, his expression turning cold. It was only now that he actually took a good look at her.She was wearing a black, deep-V gown, and she was thin… almost too thin. But she was pale, almost unnaturally so. Hunter’s brows furrowed. Without warning, he grabbed her by the jaw, forcing her to tilt her head up. Their gazes locked. Her small, delicate face was framed by loose strands of hair, and her wide eyes were filled with an unmistakable haze. “Don’t try to act pitiful in front of me.” Hunter shoved her away
The woman froze for a moment, wondering if Hunter thought the amount was too much. Quickly, she lowered her head. “I know two hundred thousand dollars is a lot, but I—” Before she could finish, Hunter cut her off. His gaze dropped to her delicate features as he spoke, his tone unreadable. “So, for just two hundred thousand dollars, you’re willing to do anything?” A flicker of hope lit up in the woman’s eyes. She nodded eagerly. “Anything. I’ll do whatever you ask.” Hunter’s lips curled into a smirk. “Good. I’ll help you—but in return, you’ll need to do something for me.” The woman nodded instantly. “What is it? I’ll do it.” A faint blush crept onto her cheeks as she shyly got up from the floor, reaching for the buttons on Hunter’s shirt. But the moment her fingers touched the fabric, Hunter’s brows furrowed sharply, and he grabbed her wrist. “What do you think you’re doing?” His voice carried undisguised disgust. The woman froze, caught off guard by
The women who entered the room varied in appearance, each dressed in their own unique style. But without exception, their eyes were filled with desire. Liam barely gave them a glance before losing interest. He had seen far too many women like this—the whole thing was tedious, uninspiring. Lifting his gaze lazily, he looked at the bar manager. “This is the ‘fresh batch’ you were talking about?” The manager’s heart tightened instantly. Liam was one of his best VIP clients—the last thing he needed was to screw this up. He forced a smile and asked carefully, “Is there something you’re not satisfied with, Mr. Hall?” A slow smirk curled at the corner of Liam’s lips. Then, without warning, he grabbed a glass of whiskey from the table and flung it straight at the manager’s face. His gaze turned icy cold. “Do you take me for a fool? You think you can brush me off with this kind of ‘merchandise’?” The bar manager froze for a second before snapping back to real
Liam couldn’t help but laugh, finding the person in front of him adorably naive.He raised an eyebrow. “What do you think?”Yelena studied him. He did resemble Hunter in some ways, but he was far from being his equal. He seemed foolish and arrogant. Getting what she wanted this easily took all the challenge out of it.A fleeting moment of hesitation flashed across her face before she reached out with a slightly trembling hand to pull down the zipper at the back of her dress.As the zipper slid halfway down, revealing a stretch of smooth, fair skin, Liam suddenly reached out and pressed her hand down. “Not here.”It wasn’t every day he came across someone who piqued his interest, and he didn’t want to rush things in such an unworthy setting.Yelena froze briefly but then obediently followed Liam outside.*Meanwhile, Hunter glanced at the photo that had just arrived on his phone. The corner of his lips curled slightly in amusement. He wasn’t the least bit surprised at how easi
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