She smirked slightly, a cold smile playing on her lips, as she looked into Nash's icy gaze. She told herself it did not matter. After all, she had also benefited from this marriage. But deep down, she was deeply hurt, realizing she was just a tool for Nash. Some things could be left unsaid, and she did not need to dwell on them. After all, she had also gained advantages from it. It was not necessary for her to bring the embarrassment to the surface.Nash furrowed his brows, his tone icy. "When did you find out?""Does it matter?" Nina replied coldly. "Just know that I know everything, and I don't want to continue this marriage anymore."Nash's expression turned cold as he tightly grabbed her hand, his voice harsh. "What if I don't want to?""Don't want to? Who are you to decide?" Nina's emotions surged. "These are your rules of the game. I followed them, completed the task, and now you should let me go. Nash, I'm not playing with you anymore, and you shouldn't play with me either
Nash gave her butt a sharp slap with his hand. A searing pain. "It seems you haven't learned your lesson yet!" Nash's voice was cold.After a while, Nina could not bear his torment any longer. She was still too tender, and soft pleas escaped her lips, "Stop... please... please, spare me..."Nash observed Nina, limp and delicate on the table. Her disheveled hair framed her flushed cheeks while small beads of sweat glistened on her forehead. Her blouse hung loosely around her waist, her stockings ripped off, and her skirt pushed up to her thighs. Tears flowed continuously down her cheeks, her nose red from crying and her sobs making her look like a pitiful little thing being bullied.He could not bear it either, gathering her up in his arms and sitting her down. Nina's mind was now clouded. Her cries were too intense, making her throat hoarse and her vision blurry. She was like a broken doll in Nash's arms, devoid of resistance.Then, Nash dressed her, cradling her in his arms. All t
He was curious about this man named Zac. What kind of magic had made her hold onto him for so many years? What if this man was not good? Would it make her give up, stop thinking about divorcing him altogether?---Nina had a nightmare, where she found herself bound hand and foot, locked in a cage, completely becoming a bird in captivity. There was no one around, and no one cared about her. She struggled in the darkness but could not break free from the chains. Waking up from the nightmare, she was panting slightly, her face covered in cold sweat. Sitting up, she touched her face, calmed down for a while, then looked around. She found herself in a strange place. The room was heated, she was covered in a thin down comforter, and she was wearing a camisole dress, exactly like the one in her dream. This made Nina panic, wondering if she was really locked up. She hurriedly got out of bed and ran to the door. Opening it, everything here was unfamiliar, she had never been here before.
She did not know what Nash was up to. But she did not want to sit around here and wait for doom either. A caged bird was not her style. She was not willing.Nash looked at her, noticing her emotional turmoil and her heightened caution and wariness towards him Frowning, he said, "Nina, get this straight. You're my wife in name. How can you call yourself a pet? Being with me is perfectly normal."They had been together like this before, and she had never been this agitated. What could have changed her? He could not figure it out either.Nina gripped the bedsheet tighter and asked, "When are we going to the district court to get divorced?""Are you in a hurry?" "Yes," Nina said firmly. "When we set a date, we shouldn't keep delaying it. Do you understand?"Nash's deep gaze locked onto her. Her words had no hint of warmth. She was not the same Nina as before. Now she just wanted to escape from him, which inevitably made him wonder, "Is it because of that guy called Zac?"Nina hesit
He suddenly changed his tone, his voice deep and calm. "You don't have to say anything. Just stop talking about divorce and stay put here honestly!" Nina was taken aback. How could he say such a thing? Her emotions flared up. "Nash, what do you mean?" "Be good," Nash said softly, with a hint of indulgence, as he stroked her hair. "You haven't eaten yet, are you hungry? I've asked the helpers to prepare your favorite meal. Go downstairs and eat." Nina was surprised that he was not buying into her expectations. She wondered if she had misjudged Nash or if she simply did not know him well enough. She had expected him to explode, unable to tolerate the thought of her loving someone else, and immediately divorce her. After all, they both had their own loves. But he preferred to confine her rather than divorce. Nina was anxious. She wanted a divorce, not to continue staying by his side. "Nash, why don't you want a divorce? Tell me, what needs to happen for us to get divorced?" Na
"No need. Food tastes the same no matter who cooks it, and it's all good. I'm just a bit hungry today, so I ate more than usual," Nina did not want him to fuss over her so much. Putting too much focus on her was not good. The more effort one puts in, the deeper the cost might be."I'm tired, can I go rest now?" Nina asked."Mm," Nash softly replied.Nina finally breathed a sigh of relief and hurried upstairs. Tomorrow, she could go to the company and maybe she would not have to stay here anymore. After work, she could go home. Back in the room, Nina relaxed, but unexpectedly, Nash followed right behind her. Seeing the door open, Nina stepped back and asked, "Why are you coming in too?""This is the master bedroom, if I don't come here, where else can I go?" Nash said matter-of-factly.Nina said, "Then I'll go to the guest room."She tried to leave, but Nash grabbed her hand, looking at her as he said, "Do you need to avoid me like this now? We've been together for so long,
Her actions were too intense, which made Nash could not help but feel puzzled. "What's wrong?" he asked.Nina was a bit flustered, her hand instinctively caressing her stomach. Had her stomach gotten slightly bigger? It was not time for that yet.As Nina locked eyes with Nash, she saw his suspicious gaze upon her, which made her even more nervous. She said, "Maybe I ate too much. I want to sleep early. Let's go to bed."After speaking, Nina lay down, closing her eyes, not wanting to face Nash's questioning.Nash looked at her, then glanced at her voluptuous figure. Indeed, she looked much better than before when she was thinner. But Nina's reaction was significant, casting doubt on him again.Nina had become different from before. But now, she was different in too many ways. For instance, she was not as devoted to him, wanted a divorce, and even considered quitting her job.It seemed like, in the blink of an eye, she had changed completely. It was really something he was not used
Nina glanced sideways.On the notebook, there was a note about a white T-shirt. She had not remembered wrong. It was his simplest attire back then, full of youthful vigor. Why would she have it noted in her notebook? The notebook had been around for some time, maybe she had not had the chance to cross it out."Nina?" Serene noticed Nina's absent-minded look and called out to her.Nina snapped back to reality, lips curling into a slight smile. "Cross it out, I remembered wrong.""Okay," Serene replied.She thought, how could someone like Mr. York, who dominated the business world, have a habit of wearing a white T-shirt?Serene was a recent graduate, but she had a strong ability to learn. Nina thought she was very suitable for Nash.She found the right assistant for Nash. Now that she had found the right one for him, he should finally be willing to let her go.She sat at her desk, lost in thought.Serene noticed her gaze and asked, "Nina, are you feeling unwell?"Nina smiled w
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