Nina was stunned.Nash had never been this gentle with her before. If it weren't for the three years in the agreement and the presence of Miranda, she might have reignited the desire to stay by his side because of his actions and words.Nina nodded. "I know Caleb won't bite, but I really didn't find any major issues. Nash, why don't you trust me? Do I look sick to you?"Or do you think I look pregnant?"This time, Nina took the initiative.Although Nash had mentioned it before, she had always denied it. This time, she brought it up first, hoping Nash would dispel the idea.Nash did not respond.However, his gaze fell on her again because of Nina's words.He had noticed she had gained weight recently. But these days, he felt her complexion was not as good as before, and she seemed a bit thinner."I'll have the helper make you something delicious to replenish your energy later. I've made an appointment. You'll stay here for now," Nash said slowly, his voice husky.Nina nodded.
She whipped up oatmeal, flipped pancakes, and even simmered some chicken soup. Once everything was done, the helper assisted in setting it all out on the outdoor dining table. Nash happened to descend from upstairs, and Nina called out to him, "Come on, breakfast's ready."In that moment, sunlight draped Nina in a beautiful golden hue, making her appear radiant. Nash felt like everything was right again, as if they were back to their old selves. But it was only fleeting because after breakfast, they had to head to the district court to schedule an appointment.Nash was not really feeling breakfast, but he could not avoid it. Nina was a skilled cook, and everything she made was delicious and comforting.After breakfast, they headed out together. Nash did not call for the driver or Quincy. He drove himself, with Nina in the passenger seat, just like the day they got their marriage certificate. Though the weather was not as good that day.At the district court, there were not many peo
Nina was not pleased, but she had no choice. "Yes, I'm very happy," she replied, though her words did not match her true emotions.Nash had already seen through everything. "Your idea of a better method involves hiring a lawyer, doesn't it?" Nina did not deny it. But after a moment of silence, she told Nash, "Mr. York, our paths diverge here." She was going to consult with a lawyer. Nash sensed her intentions and was not about to be so kind as to give her a ride. He simply remarked, "York Corporation has a lot on its plate.""Oh," Nina responded tersely, deciding not to say anything more.At York Corporation, one went to the CEO's office while the other returned to their workstation. Serene was taken aback to see Nina. "Nina, I thought you weren't coming in today."Nina's attention was drawn by Serene's voice. Serene looked sharp in her professional attire, especially given Mr. York's favoritism toward her. Moreover, Nina had brought Serene in, fully aware she would event
"Head to the hotel and greet the representatives from Jasper Corporation. Then, sort out the lunch spot for today and set up tonight's arrangements at the club," Nash instructed without even bothering to look up."Yes." She could not refuse Nash's orders. After getting the hotel address, Nina planned to head to the underground parking lot to get her car. But just as she was about to open the car door, a hand suddenly grabbed her wrist, startling her. The next moment, she heard Serene's voice."Nina, I'm the one you brought in. Don't you know me well enough? When I ask those questions, there's no hidden meaning. I genuinely want your advice. Can you plead my case to Mr. York?"Serene did not want to be dismissed like this. She waited in the parking lot, ready to humble herself in front of Nina, Quincy, or Nash, hoping they would let her stay.However, Nina was unsympathetic. "Mr. York has already let you go. And you know his temperament. Do you really think he'll reconsider?"Nin
After Stella's remark, she promptly turned her back on Nina. Failing to connect with the Jasper Corporation's representative, Nina promptly reported to Nash, "They've requested your personal presence, citing dissatisfaction with our frequent personnel changes."Nina did not waste time with small talk. If Nash wanted to salvage the partnership, he would have to handle it himself. If not, he could simply ignore it. Meanwhile, Nina could use the opportunity to consult a lawyer.Unexpectedly, Nash directly demanded, "Come back." His tone was low and serious, emphasizing that he was not joking."Okay," Nina replied succinctly.Returning to Nash's side, Nina found him no longer seated at his computer. He stood by the expansive floor-to-ceiling window, a cigarette held between his fingers.Maintaining a strictly businesslike demeanor, Nina inquired, "Is there anything else you need me to do?"Exhaling a plume of smoke, Nash's face remained obscured in the haze. But his voice cut throu
A man dressed in professional attire sat at the computer desk and asked her, "Ma'am, as you've mentioned, you've already made an appointment with the district court. You just need to wait patiently. If your spouse doesn't want a divorce, we can only proceed according to the process."Nina's expression was serious. "I'd prefer it to be done as soon as possible."How much money would you need for me to help you get the divorce?" Nina was anxious. She could not afford to wait for two months.The man observed Nina's reaction keenly. "You're in such a hurry for a divorce. Is your spouse unwilling, or have you found someone else while married?"Nina denied, "I haven't cheated. It's a marriage of convenience, and my spouse has genuine feelings. We're in a secret marriage. I'm just tired of this loveless marriage now. We have no property to divide, no children. I just need to move on with my life."A secret marriage. Those words caught the man's attention. Only elites chose secret marriag
Nina was at the career fair.With the York Corporation label, there was a crowd coming to check it out and submit resumes. She went through them one by one, sending them to Nash, but got no response.Not a single resume caught Nash's eye. It was clear he was intentionally making it tough for her, unwilling to let her leave.Nina felt drained, both physically and emotionally. She made a decision. She would stay here for another hour and collect a few more resumes. If Nash still did not find any suitable, she would give up.It was hot, so she went out to buy herself a bottle of water. As she walked back, with the blazing sun overhead, she felt dizzy. She immediately dared not move forward. She sat on the edge of the flowerbed by the roadside, gasping for breath."Nina." Suddenly, a somewhat uncertain male voice came from beside her.Nina subconsciously looked over and saw Scott, standing beside her in a tall and well-fitted silver-gray suit, slightly bent over.Nina was startled.
Nina fully agreed with him, "You're right, eventually you'll move on naturally. I'm feeling that way right now."However, Scott didn't know how to respond. She was essentially saying she had moved on. Scott fell into contemplation. Had she really given up after all these years of liking Nash?Years ago, when he returned once, he worried about Nina and went to see her. She was in high school at the time, and he secretly watched her from behind a tree. As long as she was okay, he felt relieved. But he saw Nina laughing, her gaze fixed on Nash nearby. At that moment, he thought it was natural for Nina to like someone like him. Nash was a popular figure at school, handsome, and academically successful—someone many girls pursued. Meanwhile, he was overweight back then and didn't have the courage to show up.He looked at Nina, the girl he had liked for many years, and hoped she could be happy."Nina, look here!" Nina turned to see Scott suddenly making a funny face at her. She was take
After that, they decided to walk around the mall for a bit. It had been a long time since they last saw each other, and now that they were finally out, neither of them wanted to head back too soon. But neither of them expected what would happen next. “Someone’s robbing the place! Stop him!” A man suddenly dashed through the crowd. Vera instinctively stepped aside, but Yelena wasn’t quick enough. Before she could react, the man had grabbed her, pressing a knife to her neck. “Stay back!” he growled. Vera reached for her phone to call the police. The man noticed and barked, “No calls! If you try anything, I’ll kill her right here!” “Okay, okay, I won’t call,” Vera said cautiously, afraid he might actually go through with it. She slowly put her phone down and raised her hands. “Don’t do anything reckless. This is a human life—we’re talking about murder. You don’t want that, do you?” It was hard to tell if her words got through to him, but at least he didn’t esc
The door slammed shut with a heavy thud. From the entrance to the living room sofa, Vera and Caleb kissed without pause. When they tumbled down onto the couch, Caleb instinctively placed a hand behind her head to cushion it against the table’s sharp corner. Their lips and tongues entwined, their breath mingling, amplified in the stillness of the room.“Wait a second.” Vera’s voice broke through.Caleb didn’t stop at first—until she pushed against him. “Go downstairs and buy that.”He looked at her flushed face and immediately understood. Still, he teased her deliberately, pretending not to budge. “We don’t have to use it.” His breath was hot against her ear, his voice deep and husky, already laced with impatience.Men who had gotten a taste of indulgence were all the same—once they had it, they never forgot.But Vera was firm. “No. Go buy it.”Caleb had no choice but to sit up. He reluctantly kissed her one last time before grabbing his clothes. “Fine. Wait for me.”Ther
Caleb’s first words were, “Don’t make things hard for her.”They all knew exactly who he was talking about.The excitement drained from Luna in an instant, replaced by a chilling cold that seeped from her head to her toes. Just thinking about it made her shudder.She forced herself to steady her voice. “Caleb, after all this time without a word from you, the first thing you say when you finally reach out is… about her?”“You’ve been pushing things too far lately,” Caleb replied. “I’m not Simon. I can’t handle your feelings, so you should focus on him instead.”“Simon has a kid now. He doesn’t have feelings for me.”Caleb didn’t hesitate. “Neither do I.”Luna had never imagined that words from someone’s mouth could cut so deep.Maybe because she didn’t respond, Caleb spoke again. “You never accepted me. There was never anything between us to begin or end. But whatever’s going on, don’t drag other people into it.”Luna almost laughed. Instead, she asked, “In your heart, Vera is
Vera felt a flicker of guilt, like a child being scolded by an elder. “It’s nothing.” Caleb studied her for a long moment, then sighed. “You really think you can hide things from me?” Vera hesitated, unsure how to respond. Caleb didn’t press her. Instead, he changed the subject and gestured for her to sit down and eat. She hadn’t had a chance to grab lunch before rushing out of the office. Not just today—she had been so caught up dealing with the board members that she often only ate one or two meals a day. No wonder Mr. Mason had noticed how worn out she looked. Caleb had picked up takeout from the hospital cafeteria. It wasn’t anything fancy—certainly no match for restaurant food—but it was balanced and nutritious. He had ordered two portions, like he had already planned to eat with her. As she quietly ate, Vera felt an unexpected sense of relaxation. She was so at ease that when Caleb spoke, she almost didn’t catch it. “Rough week?” “A littl
That man was definitely important to Luna. Vera made up her mind—she would keep an eye on it when she got back.“Our Mason Corporation has reviewed your company’s requirements for the HN Tower project, and we have two concerns. First, the compensation doesn’t match the workload. You’re demanding top-tier materials, yet only offering a profit margin of less than ten percent. “Second, we have our own team. As the client, your company shouldn’t have a say in our staffing decisions.” That was why Vera had come today. She was usually easygoing—if a client’s requests weren’t unreasonable, she was more than willing to listen. But this time, Luna was pushing it. Since when did a client get to dictate who the partner company could or couldn’t hire? And less than ten percent profit? What happened to the so-called “win-win” they had promised in the contract? Sounded more like a scam. Luna wasn’t the least bit surprised. “Too much? I don’t think so.” She shrugged. “E
Vera had no idea what kind of game Luna was playing. But she had no choice—she had to go. After a brief moment of hesitation, she made up her mind. Fine. It was not like she was walking into fire. Luna’s company was massive—one of the country’s top 100 firms. A company of that caliber naturally had a professional and well-trained front desk. “Miss Mason, Miss Gibson is expecting you upstairs,” the receptionist said with a polite smile, gesturing toward the elevator. “Right this way.” Vera took the elevator up to the third floor, where Luna’s office was located. She assumed Luna would be there waiting. But instead, her secretary greeted her with, “Miss Gibson is currently in a meeting. Please wait a moment.” How familiar. Vera couldn’t help but wonder if Luna was deliberately messing with her. She didn’t want to be petty, but… First, she refused to take her calls. Now that she was here in person, Luna was ‘too busy.’ Wasn’t this just a way to waste
“If you had been any later, she might’ve had a kid by now!” Luna had done her homework before coming, so she knew all about Vera’s situation. Her emotions were running high, but at the core of it, she looked down on the women who had been rescued from that mountain village. Some of them had even given birth. Who knew if Vera had been touched during her time there? The thought hit Vera like a blow to the head. A rush of emotions surged through her, and she instinctively wanted to sit up. But just as she moved her fingers, she remembered—she was supposed to be asleep. Opening her eyes too suddenly would make things worse. She had no choice but to stay put. Every second stretched unbearably long. Finally, she heard his voice. “Whether or not that happened doesn’t change how I feel about her.” Caleb’s tone was calm, unwavering. His words landed in Vera’s heart like a stone hitting water, sending ripples through her. Luna’s face paled. “Caleb, are y
Caleb was startled at first, quickly arranging for Vera to be taken to the hospital for a check-up. When he realized she had simply pushed herself to exhaustion, he sighed, caught between frustration and tenderness. “How could you let yourself get like this?” he muttered at her bedside. But Vera couldn’t hear him. She was still deep in sleep. The hospital had hooked her up to an IV drip, and she wouldn’t wake up until her body had fully recovered. Caleb wasn’t in a rush. She was safe now, and that was all that mattered. He had all the time in the world to sit there and watch over her. *“Caleb!” The hospital room door swung open, and Luna burst in. But the scene in front of her made her freeze. Caleb was sitting beside Vera’s bed, clearly exhausted from a sleepless night, but he refused to leave even for a moment. Even now, when he looked at her, his expression was unreadable. “What are you doing here?” he asked, his tone indifferent. There
Vera didn’t want to leave Caleb behind to face this alone. But there were people in the car depending on her. She took one last deep look at Caleb. Through the rearview mirror, she could see his tall figure shrinking into the distance as the car sped forward. Even as his silhouette blurred, his stance remained firm. Vera blinked back the heat in her eyes and slammed her foot on the gas. The car shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow. The next second, a mob of villagers—armed with hoes and shovels—swarmed around Caleb. *At the local police station, a distress call came in. The officers were stunned when the caller arrived, bringing four rescued women with her. After verifying their identities, it was clear that their bodies bore the marks of prolonged captivity and abuse. “There’s still someone back there! You have to save him!” Vera’s voice was urgent, almost pleading. She had driven all night without stopping.No food. No rest.Only a few