“That’s true.” Chloe scoffed, then pointed a finger at Vera before leaving. “Listen up. Everyone in this village is on the same page.“The neighbors? We all look out for each other. If you try to run, they’ll tell me right away.“We’ve been nothing but good to you, so don’t blame us if we have to lock you up like an animal.” Vera had only seen threats like this on TV. She never imagined she would experience this kind of madness in real life. For now, she had no choice but to play the obedient daughter-in-law. In a situation like this, the more she fought back, the worse things would get. “I won’t run.” She forced a smile, pretending to affectionately ruffle Alice’s hair. But her other hand, hidden behind her back, was clenched into a fist. “This little girl saved my life.“I need to stay and properly repay your family.” She kept smiling, warm and sincere. Chloe didn’t notice anything unusual. She simply huffed again before leaving. “I hope you’re
Leonard stared at Vera eagerly, his eyes full of anticipation. Vera said, “That’s right. Mrs. Watson is always saying how capable you are, a real manly man. I don’t know why, but for some reason, your wife just doesn’t appreciate you.“A man like you deserves better.” It was the first time someone had ever spoken highly of him, and Leonard slapped his thigh with excitement. “That ungrateful woman!“A man like me!” Leonard huffed, growing more indignant. “You won’t find another like me, no matter how hard you look.“If only more people had your kind of good sense.”Vera smiled without saying a word and casually glanced inside the house. “By the way, where’s your wife?” Leonard snorted, his expression instantly darkening. “That ungrateful wench is locked up out back. She never listens.” Vera’s expression hardened immediately. “Why even bring her up? Just ruins the mood.” Leonard quickly perked up and waved Vera inside. “You’re already here, but you haven
Vera shuddered at the thought of the woman locked up, beaten like an animal. How many others were trapped in this village, suffering the same fate? It was unbearable to think about. By the time Vera had finished her water and eaten most of the pastry, Leonard returned—dragging a woman behind him. Her head was bowed, her frail body swallowed by a coarse, tattered dress. Her hair was a mess, and she didn’t even dare lift her eyes. Leonard shoved her forward. “Go on! The girl wants you to teach her how to cook.“Behave yourself, or you won’t be eating when you get home.” Vera’s heart twisted in pain at the sight of the woman trembling. She gripped the chair for support as she slowly stood up. Stepping forward, her lips trembled slightly as she gently took the woman’s hand. “I just got married into the family. I don’t know how to cook yet.“Would you be willing to teach me?” The woman didn’t say a word. A single tear slipped down her cheek, hitting
“Everyone in this village is in on it. There's no way to escape during the day, and at night, they lock us inside the houses.“There's no chance to get out.” Even as the woman spoke, Vera’s eyes remained firm with determination. “You can’t think like that. As long as we escape, there’s hope.” The woman let out a bitter laugh. “You’re too naive. There was another woman who was sold here before. She tried to run.“She actually made it to town—only to be caught and dragged back.” Vera stood up, her fists clenched. “We can’t give up. If someone made it that far before, then there’s still a chance. We just have to be smarter.“For now, you should just play along.” Vera turned to her, her expression serious. “If you keep resisting, they’ll just keep beating you.“It’s better to make them lower their guard first.” The woman didn’t respond. Instead, she changed the subject. “Didn’t you ask me to teach you how to cook?“Let’s do that now. We can talk about escapi
Vera tilted her head, looking up at him with an obedient expression. Peter grinned, his crooked teeth showing. As he set down the basket of supplies, he chuckled. “You really know how to read the room.“Who would’ve thought I’d get this lucky?” He patted his bad leg and let out a loud laugh. “Even with this bum leg, I still managed to land a beautiful, obedient wife.” His eyes darted around the room. “Where’s my mom and Alice?” Vera pointed outside. “A doctor came to the village—he’s doing free check-ups.“Everyone lined up to see him. Your mom went too. She said he’s really skilled, and there’s a chance he could fix your leg.” Peter’s eyes widened in shock. “You’re serious? If he can actually fix my leg, my life would be perfect.” Vera nodded, playing along. “Yeah, you should go check it out.” “Good idea.”The thought of finally having his leg fixed filled Peter with excitement. He hurried toward the door but paused to issue a warning. “
“First, we get a free doctor for my son, and now, a beautiful wife just lands right in our lap!“God must really be smiling on the Cooper family!” Caleb’s frown deepened at the mention of a "wife." He had read enough news stories to know how these situations usually played out—women lured into remote villages, tricked, and trapped with no way out. He decided to dig deeper. “That’s some unbelievable luck. Where exactly did this beautiful wife come from?” Alice perked up, practically beaming. “She got lost in the mountains! I found her and brought her home.“My brother’s crippled, and no woman wanted to marry him, so I asked her to stay and repay us by becoming his wife.“She agreed!” Caleb’s expression turned colder as he listened to their casual justifications. This was nothing but moral coercion. Chloe beamed with excitement. “It’s just a shame she’s got such delicate hands—doesn’t look like she’s ever done a day of real work. We’ll have to break her i
Vera put on her best obedient act. “Of course, I know that. I was just making conversation. I’ll be sure to keep my distance from him.” That was all Chloe needed to hear to feel reassured. She was starting to think she had made the right call by letting her son bring this woman home. After ordering Vera to wash the rice, Chloe busied herself with other tasks. By the time Vera finished, the sky had already darkened. Her thoughts drifted to Sera’s situation, and her chest tightened. Tonight was the night. If she didn’t act now, who knew how long these women would remain trapped here? *That evening, Vera carried a few bottles of liquor up from the cellar. Chloe’s eyes widened in distress. “What are you doing with those? Put them back! “We only drink those on holidays and special occasions.“It’s not like we’re throwing a wedding right now. This is a waste!” Vera hesitated deliberately. “But I heard the doctor say he can fix Peter’s leg.“I though
Vera watched as Leonard stumbled out of his house in nothing but a pair of pants, rushing toward the fire. Disgust churned in her stomach, but more than that, she worried about Sera’s safety. The darkness of the night concealed the emotions on her face, and no one noticed anything unusual. Women in this village were nothing more than tools for childbirth—no one paid them much attention. Especially now, with the fire raging, no one was thinking about her. The village chief had come by to ask how the fire started, but she had convinced him with a quick excuse. With all the men busy putting out the flames, Vera quietly slipped away toward Leonard’s house. Inside, Sera had been startled by the commotion outside. But the moment she saw Vera rush in, she understood immediately. “Was this you?” Sera’s eyes widened. “You set the fire?” Vera grabbed her hand. “There’s no time to talk about that!“We have to go—now. Do you know where the other women are being held?
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