Nash's dark eyes were tinged with a chill. "Where did you find this person?"She had found someone so quickly. Next it was time for her to leave him. He had not even agreed, yet she had arranged everything so confidently! Nina pushed him, her hand moving involuntarily. "It was a normal recruitment process, Nash. Did not you admire her?""If you don't want to work, I'll allow you to resign. You can just focus on being Mrs. York at home," Nash's voice was low and chilling. With a slight pressure from his hand, Nina was forced to look up, and in that moment, their eyes met. Nina frowned. "Why? Do you think I don't want to work and just want to be Mrs. York at home? Have you forgotten what you said when we got married? Know your place, don't overstep boundaries. When the three-year deadline is up, we'll divorce! Why are you so unwilling to divorce me?""Shut up!" Nash clenched his teeth, barely containing his patience. He did not want to hear the word "divorce" again. Nina did not w
"This makes sense. But Nina, with that face and figure, is truly stunning!"Nina was still unaware that she had caught someone's eye. Because of what Nash had said, she was doing her best here to help the newcomer, Serene. Serene was by her side, aware that Nina was not feeling well today, and even took the initiative to help block the alcohol. She had a strong tolerance and carried herself with grace and confidence. Since Nina did not drink, Serene could indeed share a lot of responsibilities with Nash on behalf of her. Serene was also able to address the issues raised by the collaborators one by one, and even earned praise from them. They were praising Nash. "Mr. York, where did you find such a gem?""Mr. Larson, have you ever heard of the saying 'A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials'?" Serene effortlessly countered with just one sentence. She likened herself to a stone, shaped by both Nina and Nash, while also flattering Mr. Larson.
Her wrist suddenly felt a force, pulling her backward. The next moment, she fell into a warm embrace. The subtle scent of alcohol and tobacco prompted Nina to take a deep breath."Sean Zimmer, I'm not dead yet."The stern words pounded down from above Nina's head. Sean, seeing Nash on the other side, was taken aback. So many people were gossiping about Nina behind her back and Nash even brought a newcomer along. But now, Nash was here defending Nina? Whatever the case, addressing the situation with Nash was the main point now!Sean locked eyes with Nash and flashed a strained smile. "Mr. York, even though we haven't worked together yet, I believe we have a promising future ahead."Nash stayed quiet, his lips forming a thin line. A chill seemed to emanate from his black eyes.Nina could tell that this was a sign of his growing anger.Nina cleared her throat, about to say something when Nash grabbed a nearby bottle of alcohol and viciously aimed it at Sean's head—"Ah!"The ago
"Why did you stop me just now?" Nash gritted his teeth.With raging anger burning within, he could not contain himself. He grabbed Nina and pulled her close before she could react, his large hand immediately restraining her.Nina's voice was hoarse as she replied, "The other party is, after all, the CEO of a company. As he said, there's a long road ahead for you two. Plus, there were many people around at the time. Your actions could lead to negative publicity...""So I'm just supposed to stand by while another man makes a move on my wife?" Nash cut her off with a cold smirk before Nina could finish her sentence. His smile did not reach his eyes, which were now filled with a chilling hostility.Ignoring him, Nina said, "Anyway, we're secretly married."They were in a secret marriage, bound by a three-year agreement to keep it concealed. Since Nash would not deliberately seek media attention, and if she did not disclose it, who would know she was Nash's former wife?Nash sneered,
As Nash shoved her, he also tapped the answer button. Nina was right next to him, so she could hear perfectly well."Nash, I'm so scared... Can you come? I feel like I've seen Linda again, ah—!" "Beep beep!" After Miranda's fearful scream, the phone emitted a busy tone. Nash put away his phone and then spoke to the driver ahead, "Take me to the hospital first, then drop Nina off at Riverview Estate." His tone brooked no objections. "Okay." The driver followed his instructions and changed the route. In less than forty minutes, the driver pulled up to the hospital entrance. Nash looked at Nina sitting beside him and said calmly, "I'll be back later. When I come back, I hope to see you!" It was not a plea, but a command. With that, he turned and walked away. The tall, aloof figure left a sharp sting in Nina's eyes, piercing her heart. But in an instant, she was already bloody and battered. He got jealous when he saw her with other men. But what about him? Even though Mirand
Nash furrowed his brows, striding towards her. "You're overthinking it. Linda brought this upon herself; it has nothing to do with you. Why do you want to make yourself miserable?"Miranda quietly pinched her palm, lowering her head, murmuring, "That's a real human life. I saw it, I can't just pretend I didn't see anything... Nash, life is so fragile!""Everything has its cause and effect. If you keep this up, I'll have to find you a psychologist." Nash stood not far from her with his 1.88-meter height looming over her. His gaze conveyed a coldness with a hint of detachment.Miranda became anxious with her voice breaking, "Nash, please, don't. Don't find a psychologist. If you do, what about the film I'm shooting? How could a film crew possibly accept someone who's crazy? I can't sing the way I used to anymore, I don't want to lose this one chance to be in the spotlight, I beg you..."Miranda half-knelt on the sickbed, reaching out to grab Nash's wrist.Her voice grew more choked
The next moment, Caleb was already on his feet. Approaching Nash, he extended his hand in a gesture to check Nash. Nash, with a look of disdain, dodged his hand. "Find a reliable psychologist for Miranda," he said. As soon as Caleb heard it was related to Miranda, his expression darkened."Bro, you've been married for three years already! Doing this, aren't you worried Nina might misunderstand?" Nash responded lightly, "Just lending a hand." He had always maintained a distance between himself and Miranda. Caleb did not believe it. He sneered, "In a marital relationship, it all starts with lending a hand. Once married, it's destiny. Cherish it!" Caleb patted Nash's shoulder.This time, he spoke a bit too much. Nash gave a faint "Hmm" in response, his expression aloof. Since he had come and spoken, Caleb could not refuse to help. While Caleb was making contacts, Nash kept his eyes on his phone screen. But not a single message popped up on his phone. Meanwhile, Nina had been
Nash did not let any of it bother him. A cold, mocking smile flickered across his lips. "Temporary kindness can't erase past grievances." With that remark, he did not even look back at her as he walked past her and headed upstairs. Sally's face turned livid with anger.If things continued this way, Nina would take over as the lady of the house.Nina not only had the favor of Nash's grandfather but also now had Nash's support.No, this could not be allowed to happen!Instantly, a determined gleam flashed in Sally's eyes.--Nina had already arrived at Yvonne's apartment. Yvonne could immediately see the look on Nina's face, distracted and troubled. "If you’re already divorced, then you need to ease your mind. It's just a temporary effect, you have to learn to let go. If you’re not divorced yet, then you need to think about how to end this marriage."Yvonne led Nina to the sofa and then opened the takeout box. She had not eaten much for dinner as there were some incidents at t
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