Vera didn’t want to leave Caleb behind to face this alone. But there were people in the car depending on her. She took one last deep look at Caleb. Through the rearview mirror, she could see his tall figure shrinking into the distance as the car sped forward. Even as his silhouette blurred, his stance remained firm. Vera blinked back the heat in her eyes and slammed her foot on the gas. The car shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow. The next second, a mob of villagers—armed with hoes and shovels—swarmed around Caleb. *At the local police station, a distress call came in. The officers were stunned when the caller arrived, bringing four rescued women with her. After verifying their identities, it was clear that their bodies bore the marks of prolonged captivity and abuse. “There’s still someone back there! You have to save him!” Vera’s voice was urgent, almost pleading. She had driven all night without stopping.No food. No rest.Only a few
Caleb was startled at first, quickly arranging for Vera to be taken to the hospital for a check-up. When he realized she had simply pushed herself to exhaustion, he sighed, caught between frustration and tenderness. “How could you let yourself get like this?” he muttered at her bedside. But Vera couldn’t hear him. She was still deep in sleep. The hospital had hooked her up to an IV drip, and she wouldn’t wake up until her body had fully recovered. Caleb wasn’t in a rush. She was safe now, and that was all that mattered. He had all the time in the world to sit there and watch over her. *“Caleb!” The hospital room door swung open, and Luna burst in. But the scene in front of her made her freeze. Caleb was sitting beside Vera’s bed, clearly exhausted from a sleepless night, but he refused to leave even for a moment. Even now, when he looked at her, his expression was unreadable. “What are you doing here?” he asked, his tone indifferent. There
“If you had been any later, she might’ve had a kid by now!” Luna had done her homework before coming, so she knew all about Vera’s situation. Her emotions were running high, but at the core of it, she looked down on the women who had been rescued from that mountain village. Some of them had even given birth. Who knew if Vera had been touched during her time there? The thought hit Vera like a blow to the head. A rush of emotions surged through her, and she instinctively wanted to sit up. But just as she moved her fingers, she remembered—she was supposed to be asleep. Opening her eyes too suddenly would make things worse. She had no choice but to stay put. Every second stretched unbearably long. Finally, she heard his voice. “Whether or not that happened doesn’t change how I feel about her.” Caleb’s tone was calm, unwavering. His words landed in Vera’s heart like a stone hitting water, sending ripples through her. Luna’s face paled. “Caleb, are y
Vera had no idea what kind of game Luna was playing. But she had no choice—she had to go. After a brief moment of hesitation, she made up her mind. Fine. It was not like she was walking into fire. Luna’s company was massive—one of the country’s top 100 firms. A company of that caliber naturally had a professional and well-trained front desk. “Miss Mason, Miss Gibson is expecting you upstairs,” the receptionist said with a polite smile, gesturing toward the elevator. “Right this way.” Vera took the elevator up to the third floor, where Luna’s office was located. She assumed Luna would be there waiting. But instead, her secretary greeted her with, “Miss Gibson is currently in a meeting. Please wait a moment.” How familiar. Vera couldn’t help but wonder if Luna was deliberately messing with her. She didn’t want to be petty, but… First, she refused to take her calls. Now that she was here in person, Luna was ‘too busy.’ Wasn’t this just a way to waste
That man was definitely important to Luna. Vera made up her mind—she would keep an eye on it when she got back.“Our Mason Corporation has reviewed your company’s requirements for the HN Tower project, and we have two concerns. First, the compensation doesn’t match the workload. You’re demanding top-tier materials, yet only offering a profit margin of less than ten percent. “Second, we have our own team. As the client, your company shouldn’t have a say in our staffing decisions.” That was why Vera had come today. She was usually easygoing—if a client’s requests weren’t unreasonable, she was more than willing to listen. But this time, Luna was pushing it. Since when did a client get to dictate who the partner company could or couldn’t hire? And less than ten percent profit? What happened to the so-called “win-win” they had promised in the contract? Sounded more like a scam. Luna wasn’t the least bit surprised. “Too much? I don’t think so.” She shrugged. “E
Vera felt a flicker of guilt, like a child being scolded by an elder. “It’s nothing.” Caleb studied her for a long moment, then sighed. “You really think you can hide things from me?” Vera hesitated, unsure how to respond. Caleb didn’t press her. Instead, he changed the subject and gestured for her to sit down and eat. She hadn’t had a chance to grab lunch before rushing out of the office. Not just today—she had been so caught up dealing with the board members that she often only ate one or two meals a day. No wonder Mr. Mason had noticed how worn out she looked. Caleb had picked up takeout from the hospital cafeteria. It wasn’t anything fancy—certainly no match for restaurant food—but it was balanced and nutritious. He had ordered two portions, like he had already planned to eat with her. As she quietly ate, Vera felt an unexpected sense of relaxation. She was so at ease that when Caleb spoke, she almost didn’t catch it. “Rough week?” “A littl
Caleb’s first words were, “Don’t make things hard for her.”They all knew exactly who he was talking about.The excitement drained from Luna in an instant, replaced by a chilling cold that seeped from her head to her toes. Just thinking about it made her shudder.She forced herself to steady her voice. “Caleb, after all this time without a word from you, the first thing you say when you finally reach out is… about her?”“You’ve been pushing things too far lately,” Caleb replied. “I’m not Simon. I can’t handle your feelings, so you should focus on him instead.”“Simon has a kid now. He doesn’t have feelings for me.”Caleb didn’t hesitate. “Neither do I.”Luna had never imagined that words from someone’s mouth could cut so deep.Maybe because she didn’t respond, Caleb spoke again. “You never accepted me. There was never anything between us to begin or end. But whatever’s going on, don’t drag other people into it.”Luna almost laughed. Instead, she asked, “In your heart, Vera is
The door slammed shut with a heavy thud. From the entrance to the living room sofa, Vera and Caleb kissed without pause. When they tumbled down onto the couch, Caleb instinctively placed a hand behind her head to cushion it against the table’s sharp corner. Their lips and tongues entwined, their breath mingling, amplified in the stillness of the room.“Wait a second.” Vera’s voice broke through.Caleb didn’t stop at first—until she pushed against him. “Go downstairs and buy that.”He looked at her flushed face and immediately understood. Still, he teased her deliberately, pretending not to budge. “We don’t have to use it.” His breath was hot against her ear, his voice deep and husky, already laced with impatience.Men who had gotten a taste of indulgence were all the same—once they had it, they never forgot.But Vera was firm. “No. Go buy it.”Caleb had no choice but to sit up. He reluctantly kissed her one last time before grabbing his clothes. “Fine. Wait for me.”Ther
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