Unexpectedly, just as they entered the foyer, they saw Nash's mother, Sally, sitting on the sofa with a dark expression.“You all stir up public opinion, and yet you seem quite carefree yourself.”At the Harris Corporation’s banquet, Nash had defended Nina, and the incident was still trending.Nash gave Nina a look. Nina understood but still greeted Sally, “Mom, breakfast is ready. If you haven’t eaten yet, I can have the helper prepare a portion for you.”In the villa, the helpers knew their duties well. Since Nina had not gone to the kitchen herself, the helper would prepare breakfast when it was time.However, Sally did not even look at Nina, “Nash, I’m talking to you!”Nash responded calmly, “The fact that Nina and I are married will come out sooner or later. Besides, everyone talks.”So many people, so many mouths. He did not see the need to bother.Sally’s chest heaved visibly. She suppressed her anger, “I heard your little aunt invited you to a masquerade?”Nash’s tone
Nash did not want to engage further, "Nina's already taken care of delivering the items for you. If you need anything else, just give us a call."The implication was clear which was not to come over unless absolutely necessary. Nash's dismissiveness was palpable. It seemed Sally would have to step up her efforts with Miranda!Sally did not want to argue with Nash there, "I am the lady of the York family, your father's wife."But Nash could not be bothered to continue the conversation, walking away without another word.—Nina carried the health supplements to the hospital to see Miranda. When Miranda heard the door open, she thought it was Nash.So, when she saw Nina, the joy that appeared on her face instantly froze. “Why is it you?”Nina calmly responded, “My mother-in-law wasn’t feeling well, so I came to deliver this as a favor.”Saying this, Nina walked to Miranda’s bedside and placed the health supplements on the nightstand. Nina left the room as soon as she put down the
The voice was so familiar that it made Nina tense up. She turned around, trying to conceal her emotions.To her surprise, it was her college classmate, Mike Denver. She remembered Mike well.Three months ago, he had joined York Corporation's technical department, and Nina had personally interviewed him. Beyond their shared college background, Mike not only aced the interview but also met all the qualifications impressively.Nina managed a small smile. "What a coincidence." Perhaps her desire to keep the baby made her feel guilty, as if she were a thief."I took the day off for a health check at the hospital and did not expect to run into you here. Hey, Nina, are you going to our class president's baby boy's first celebration next Friday?" Mike glanced at Nina as he spoke slowly.The class president was a down-to-earth and honest guy from a small town in the countryside. He was renowned around campus for his unwavering helpfulness and kindness to all, ever ready to lend a hand to
Then she phoned Yvonne. Yvonne's voice sounded sleepy, and Nina felt apologetic. "I'm sorry if I disturbed your rest. But I'm on my way to the mall now, near your place. I'll find a spot and wait for you there.""Okay," Yvonne didn't decline.Upon reaching the mall, Nina located a popular boba tea shop and ordered two drinks. When Yvonne arrived, she spotted Nina from a distance, seated at a small cream-colored round table, cradling a cup of milk tea."Why did you decide to call me out today, and to such a trendy spot? What's your motive?" Yvonne teased Nina with a sidelong glance. Despite her playful tone, she pulled out a chair and seated herself opposite Nina.Nina smiled, "No particular reason, just wanted you to join me for a stroll, and then... Nash told me that Quincy has already settled the matters with the exhibition center."Yvonne's mood had been fine, joking around with Nina, but the mention of Nash reminded her of the veiled threats in his words and Nina’s leniency to
This was her rival, Mia Lloyd. Whenever she held an art exhibition, Mia would quickly follow suit. If she released a design, Mia would too. Whatever she did, Mia would imitate. Some salespeople just gravitated towards those who seemed more influential. How could Nina allow someone to take clothes out of Yvonne’s hands that she had picked for her?Nina immediately pulled out the black card Nash had given her from her purse. "Charge it, I'm buying this dress." Holding Yvonne’s hand, Nina came out of the fitting room. Clearly, there was no need to try it on. The intention was to outclass Mia in every respect.When Mia and the salesperson saw the black card, their eyes widened, especially Mia, who was infuriated. "You, just a mere secretary, dare to flaunt your boss’s black card here?" She was the top VIP here! As for Yvonne, while talented, she could not compete with Mia in terms of wealth and influence. And Nina was just a secretary! “Watch your mouth!” Yvonne could not hold
"Stop arguing! Whether someone got hit or is a mistress, it has nothing to do with us! We should mind our own business!""A mistress flaunting a black card? That's hilarious. I wondered how she became the CEO's secretary at such a young age; turns out it's all thanks to her 'bedroom skills'!""Nina is quite something. Last time at the banquet, Mr. York was furious defending her, and you guys don’t know, she even pushed out Mr. York’s first love!""Really? If Nina is so capable, why didn’t Mr. York marry her?""Is it that easy to become the wife in a wealthy family?"...As the online discussion unfolded, blame shifted towards Nina, with some going as far as creating a photoshopped black and white obituary photo of her, depicting her in a derogatory light.Meanwhile, Miranda seemed especially satisfied with the turn of events. During this period, she orchestrated a scene, deliberately unwrapping the package of health supplements Nina had sent her. These were collagen supplements
Seeing this, Sally could not remain calm; her anger skyrocketed. She immediately signaled to her bodyguard, "Follow Nash and Nina."With Nina detained, Nash could not simply ignore the situation. Indeed, Nash had already rushed to the police station.Nina, Yvonne, and Mia were held in the same interrogation room. Mia had people to bail her out, so she could leave the police station as soon as someone arrived for her. She had deliberately requested to be in the same room as Nina and Yvonne. Because only then, when she was bailed out, could she dampen their spirits.Unexpectedly, the first to arrive to bail someone out from Nina's side was none other than Nash, the CEO of York Corporation!Nash was dressed in a smoke-gray shirt and black trousers, standing tall at 188 centimeters, his presence commanding and solitary. However, his piercing gaze was not to be overlooked.The moment Nash appeared, it spoke volumes. Regardless of whether Nina was his mistress, at that moment, it was cl
Mia could not refuse. "Okay," she reluctantly agreed.Nina then added, "Just saying it isn't enough. You need to write an agreement promising not to oppose Yvonne.""Okay." Mia, realizing she had no choice but to comply to avoid accountability from Nash, reluctantly agreed.In less than three minutes, Mia had drafted the agreement and even stamped it with her fingerprint for authenticity.However, when she handed it to Nina for approval, Nina pointed out, “Your promise is to Yvonne.”Reluctantly, Mia passed the agreement to Yvonne. Yvonne quickly glanced over it, surprised at how quickly Mia had written it.Unexpectedly, Nash added, "Quincy, take action. For openly inciting public opinion, detain her for a few days!""Yes." Quincy quickly complied.Mia was stunned. She was a fashion designer, a somewhat famous painter, and even the daughter of the wealthy Llyod family. Being detained for a few days would make her the laughingstock of her social circle.“Mr. York… Nina, Miss Ni
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