Serene's words had no effect on Nash and he did not care to hear her excuses. He had only one point and he voiced it out, “You can't replace Nina, and don't even think about such fantasies!”“Thank you for your guidance, Mr. York. I’ll call the restaurant right away to have the meal redelivered.” Serene still did not dare to look up at Nash.Nash coldly spoke, “No need!” With that, Nash got up and left Serene behind in the office.Even after Nash had left, Serene was still shaken. Nash seemed to think she was scheming to take Nina's place, but Nina had recruited her to fill in her position.Given Nash's attitude, it seemed he might fire her at any moment.She was employed at York Corporation, and if Nash fired her, how would other companies view her resume? Would anyone want to hire her?Moreover, she was dealing with Nash York, the top business tycoon in the capital, the head of the York family!With these thoughts, a resolute flicker crossed Serene's eyes. She must find a way
Julia scoffed dismissively, "If she comes again, I definitely won't let her leave easily! People take advantage of kindness, and we haven't done anything wrong, why should we be afraid of her!"Nina felt a warmth in her eyes. After all, her parents were doing this for her.Nina said in a hoarse voice, "I don't want you to argue with others. I'll handle Sally."Sally had never liked her to begin with. Now that Nash was unwilling to divorce, perhaps Sally could be a point of leverage.After making a meal for her parents, Nina left.Unexpectedly, as she was about to hail a taxi at the entrance of the neighborhood, she saw a black luxury car parked across the street. The window rolled down, revealing Nash's handsome face clearly in her view.His hand rested on the window, his long fingers holding a half-smoked cigarette.Nina hesitated for a moment, then approached. Her action of opening the car door caught Nash's attention.When Nash turned to look at her, Nina had already sat dow
Upon hearing the word "poisoned," Nina was taken aback.Miranda was poisoned while in the hospital! What was going on?Miranda's throat tightened, and she felt a chill at the base of her heart. Nash knew about it but had not come immediately. Nash had changed. The Nash she knew would never have acted like this.Miranda choked up, "Nash, do you think I’m pretending? I’m not, everything is documented in medical reports, and that collagen supplements have been sent for testing."Hearing this, Nina finally understood. Miranda was poisoned because of those collagen supplements she had sent over. Since Sally held Miranda in such high regard and even thought to send her supplements, Sally could not be the one poisoning her. The only possible culprit was Nina herself!Nina said coldly, “I delivered the supplements to the hospital as your mother wished, but I never opened the package. If I had, Miranda would have noticed.”She would not bear the blame for something she had not done.
Nash remained silent. His thin lips pressed into a straight line, his handsome face taking on an especially stern appearance. "Nina, have you also learned to play the victim to get a divorce? Should I consider sending you into show business?" His voice, low and laced with sarcasm, rang in Nina's ears.Nina was incredulous, "In your eyes, am I playing the victim?"After all the time she had spent by his side, even if there were no emotional ties, through their daily interactions, he couldn't possibly have no understanding of her character.Yet, he had uttered such words!Nina was disappointed, "Think whatever you want. We're just married by contract, and what I do in other aspects of my life is my freedom, and you have no right to interfere."Whether she entered the entertainment industry was her choice.As for the poisoning accusation Miranda mentioned, she needed to prove her innocence."Mr. York, are you going to drive? If you're not planning to, then I'll get out," Nina sai
"All this scheming, it could be made into a movie. Truly astounding!"...Nina no longer paid attention to the comments online. She knew that once the evidence was out there, as long as she could prove her innocence, how it fermented online was irrelevant to her.Since she was staying at Riverside Estate, she had left some items there. She gathered what she needed and left behind what she did not. There was not much to pack, and she was done quickly.Just as she opened the door, she saw Nash standing at the doorway. His gaze fell on the items in her hands, and his expression instantly clouded over, becoming stark and cold."I was going to show you those things, but the comments online were too harsh. I just needed to prove my own innocence." Whether Miranda was truly framing her or if she had been poisoned by someone else but mistakenly attributed it to her, everything else seemed irrelevant now that she had proven her innocence. Even if Nash was angry, there was nothing she cou
Nina's eyes, clear and resolute, were full of defiance. She was very different from before."I'll go with you to make an appointment at the district court next Wednesday," Nash coldly declared.Nina was determined. Nina checked the date and it was only Monday today, leaving several days until next Wednesday. Every second counted, especially in the coming days!Nina pursed her lips, "Why can't we make the appointment today? I don’t want to delay unnecessarily.""Miranda’s situation hasn’t been fully resolved yet," Nash coldly dropped this comment, showing his reluctance to continue discussing the topic.His attitude suggested he could not bear another second of seeing her.And his comment—what did he mean by that?Did he think she was involved in Miranda’s poisoning?Even though she had already provided clear evidence, Nash’s attitude still suggested disbelief in the validity of her findings.However, Nash agreeing to make the appointment at the district court was still better
Nash’s father placed his tea on the table, speaking softly, “What’s the use of saying all this? He said he has a clear idea about what to do, so let him handle it.”Sally became even more agitated upon hearing this. "How can you be so indifferent? Leaving him to handle it alone. What if he can't go through with the divorce?"Nash's father glanced up at Sally, replying coolly, "Whether he can divorce or not is his own affair. Why are you so concerned?"“How can I not worry about my son?” Sally emphasized.Seeing her like this, a hint of disgust flickered in Nash’s father’s eyes, but he remained silent.Seeing his reaction, Sally became more agitated, “Do you even consider him your son? All these years, you've never cared. This family might as well not have you at all!”“He’s been doing fine all these years, hasn’t he?” Nash’s father’s tone was as indifferent as ever, as if Nash was not his child.Sally retorted, “He’s not close to us, how can he be fine? It’s all your fault. If i
Nash's words were thrown at her with a cold tone. The things she cherished seemed laughable and indifferent in his eyes. Nina found it ironic. "Just asking, after all, it's a free trip, might as well enjoy it. I don't want to waste any more time with useless chatter. Anything else?"Her implication was clear that if there was nothing else, she would leave.Nash remained silent. Nina did not wait for him any longer and left.What caught Nash off guard was Miranda's attempt to end her life by cutting her wrist. Ruby, her assistant, called frantically, "Mr. York, Miranda said she never intended to throw all the blame on Nina. I witnessed her taking the supplements."I've been with her and I would never harm her. Miranda said she did not want your company to suffer from the backlash. She felt her only option to prove her innocence was through death." Ruby's voice shook violently with genuine fear."How is she now?" Nash's expression was grave.Ruby cried out, "Miranda is still bein
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