"Other than here, Nina has nowhere else to go," Nash's voice carried a firmness, even a hint of coldness.She sat up abruptly, only to realize that it was already dawn.Yvonne's mocking voice chimed in again, "Nash, don't you think what you just said is ridiculous?"This was not a dream. Nash had indeed arrived.She got out of bed and walked out of the room, only to find Nash and Yvonne standing face to face in the living room. Nash was wearing a smoke-gray shirt today. Yvonne, being only five foot four, stood half a head shorter than Nash."Nash, if you're here to fulfill what I want, then I'll go with you," Nina pursed her lips and spoke, stepping towards Nash one step at a time.Both Nash and Yvonne looked at her simultaneously.Nash noticed her pajamas, and the cartoon pattern made him frown. Nina had never worn this type of clothing before. Additionally, her long hair cascaded naturally down both sides of her shoulders, and with no makeup on her face, she emanated a lazy vi
He could be gentle, he could be cruel but he never brought up divorce. Nina wanted to pull away, but he tightened his grip even more. "Nina, don't be silly."Nina felt even worse. "How is it silly for me to want some clarity? If you and your mother share the same mindset, then I can return the two million to you.""Nina, do you even have two million?" Nash did not believe her. At that moment, the car was moving slowly. The central locking system was engaged, and the doors could not be opened. Nina said hoarsely, "No, I don't, but I can earn it."Nash chuckled lightly. "And how do you plan to do that? If you leave the York family, who do you think will hire you? How much do you plan to pay me back each month?" Before Nina could respond, Nash continued to laugh, "How long do you plan to take to repay this two million?"Nina fell silent. She had not considered all this yet. But now that Nash brought it up, she could take on part-time jobs, borrow some money from Yvonne, work as a
Nina asked quietly, "If I must ensure your happiness, appease your mom, and prevent your aunt from feeling disappointed, then what about me?"Nash responded somewhat resentfully, "Nina, don't forget, it was you who told Grandpa that you wanted to marry me."Nina recalled the promise of two million and the shares. Her head throbbed, and it felt like an invisible hand was squeezing her heart fiercely. For a moment, she struggled to breathe. She did not want to discuss these matters with Nash anymore. Leaning against the car window, she closed her eyes.Nash remained silent, assuming she was tired. Before long, the driver parked the car at the entrance of Riverview Estate.Initially, Nash had not planned to wake her up, thinking she could rest a while longer. Surprisingly, Nina pushed open the car door. Observing her steady steps, Nash suddenly realized she was not tired; she just did not want to face him.He pursed his lips, following her. "You head in first. If everything's fine, w
Although Zoe was of a certain age, she liked being addressed as "Miss York" just like the younger folks.Watching his aunt lead Nina away, Nash opted to adhere to the rules and donned a silver-white metallic mask.By the time he entered, Zoe had already taken Nina to the second floor of the lobby. From this vantage point, one could overlook the entire scene of the ground floor, although outsiders could not see inside.There were many people at the dance, all dressed in their finery, with the youngsters showcasing their enviable figures.Nina did not understand the purpose of Zoe hosting such a dance."Have some juice. Tonight, I can help you test that stinky kid, Nash," Zoe pushed a glass of juice toward Nina, her smile sly.Although Nash claimed that he married Nina for the shares their grandfather promised, Zoe did not believe that there was no affection between them after three years of marriage.Nina hastily grabbed Zoe's hand. "Zoe, please don't try. I've been swamped with
Nash and Nina were both drawn to this voice. They saw a girl in a long pink dress. She was tall with fair skin, hair elegantly pinned up, and adorned with jewels. She was running towards Nash while holding up her skirt. She wore a silver-white mask similar to the one on Nash's face.Most notably, there was a significant height difference between them when the girl reached Nash. Recognizing him even with his mask on indicated a strong familiarity."Who are you?" Nash frowned. He was certain this girl was not Nina. He had no idea what tricks his aunt was up to, and he was unaware that Nina was watching everything.The girl smiled, lifting the corners of her mouth. "Nash, never mind who I am. Can I invite you to dance now? Since my aunt hosted tonight's event, I should make good use of this opportunity, shouldn't I?"The girl's reference to "aunt" piqued the curiosity of Nash and Nina. Who exactly was this girl?Nash coldly declined her offer, "I don't accept invitations from strange
Nina was dumbfounded, unsure why he had such a sudden strong reaction. "Does this feel better for you?" Nina asked him again.Nash looked into Nina's eyes and realized she did not mean it that way. He slightly pursed his lips, closed his eyes, and replied softly, "Mmm, much better." He knew she was changing the subject, so he did not press further.Nina continued to massage him, feeling her hands getting sore. Hearing Nash's steady breathing, she paused and fetched a thin blanket for him. As she stepped out of the office, she ran into Serene."Nina," Serene instinctively greeted her upon seeing her.Nina entered Nash's office and stayed there for over an hour. Last night at the banquet, Nash smashing a wine bottle over Sean's head made it obvious even to the discerning eye that the relationship between Nash and Nina was far from shallow.Nina nodded and returned to her desk. Yvonne sent her a message: [Have you considered my proposal? Do you want to accept?]Nina replied: [I’ve b
"No, today's meeting is with an important client. Just focus on your job at the company." Nash was the kind of person who remained indifferent to everyone. If he truly disliked someone, in a situation where there were no interests involved, he would not allow that person to appear before him. Seeing Serene's silence, Nina added, "Your focus should be on your job, making sure you excel in your responsibilities, rather than worrying about whether he likes you or not."If he doesn't like you, does that mean you'll lose motivation for your job?" Nina's words were sharp and direct.Serene pondered for a moment. "You're right, I see now. I shouldn't be so anxious."Nina calmly said, "Just focus on your tasks." With that, Serene returned to her workstation. Nash went to meet with the person in charge of Jasper Corporation, so she could freely leave work and visit her parents. However, she did not expect to find Sue and Lily there. This time, the mother and daughter did not display th
Nina's breath caught for a moment. She decided to keep it to herself. "I'm not pregnant, just had too much of the same, wanted to change things up a bit."Her mother cautioned her, "It's best if you're not pregnant. After all, you've made a decision. Being pregnant at this juncture could complicate things."There was more that her mother wanted to say, but Nina's father gave her a meaningful look, urging her, "Nina, eat a little more. When it comes to having a child, you young folks should figure it out on your own.""Okay," Nina nodded. Now that she was pregnant, her appetite had changed, and she felt tired easily. After eating, she soon felt drowsy and was about to go back to her room when Quincy called."Nina, Mr. York got drunk.""Where is he?" Nina could not ignore it."I'm with Serene, sending him to the Riverview Estate."Hearing Serene's name, Nina paused. Nash had gone to meet the person in charge of the Jasper Corporation but he only took Quincy."Okay, I'll be right
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