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
Nash was in the midst of work when he glanced up, giving her a cold look, then unexpectedly took the documents from her hand. To her surprise, he began to review them. Nina's heart skipped a beat as she heard him say, "These few are good, they can stay." Nash set aside the approved resumes and added, "Have them come in for interviews tomorrow."His prompt decision caught Nina off guard, but she quickly responded, "Okay, I'll call them right away."Nash then said, "If there's nothing else, you can go."Watching Nash's indifferent expression, Nina found him rather strange, but since he had spoken, she had no choice but to leave.However, Quincy entered briskly, "Mr. York, there's been an accident at the construction site in the east of the city!"At Quincy's announcement, Nash frowned and headed out with Quincy. Sensing the urgency, Nina instinctively followed suit.As they exited, Nash halted and glanced back at Nina, then turned his gaze toward Paris's position. "You follow. Ni
"Yeah, you're just afraid that Mr. York will be implicated. Then you will have no legitimate source of income, so you're trying to twist the truth here!"...These folks redirected all their fury at Nina. They charged at her like they were possessed.Paris observed, feeling satisfied. Under her breath, she muttered, "Let them beat her up." It would serve Nina right to get a good thrashing, to learn her lesson.However, Nash grew tense. Struggling against the police officers nearby, he found Nina guarded by another group of officers. Simultaneously, Quincy also made his way toward Nina.In that moment, Nash breathed a sigh of relief and followed the police.Nina immediately approached Quincy and said, "Focus on investigating Mr. Clementi and Serene."Nash publicly criticized Mr. Clementi at the shareholders' meeting and Serene had been by Nash's side recently. These two had the highest suspicion.However, the investigation into this matter did not progress as quickly, and the pu
Mr. Clement stirred up the other shareholders. Now that Nina has spoken up, the other shareholders dared not say anything.Paris initially tried to provoke a conflict between Nina and Mr. Clement, but it did not go as planned. Now, even she was hesitant to speak up.However, with Nash absent this time, it was the perfect opportunity to make a move!---Nina sat for a while, planning to lure the snake out of its hole. She deliberately called Quincy, "I'm going to see Mr. York now. I need to hand over some important evidence to him." As soon as she hung up, Paris walked over to Nina. She asked tentatively, "Nina, I just heard you say you're going to give important evidence to Mr. York. Do you know who framed Mr. York?" Nina nodded, "It's those people from York Corporation." "Whom do you suspect?" Paris continued probing. While Paris continued probing, Nina's suspicions were already set. Since the incident involving Mr. Nash, everyone at York Corp has been worried about whethe
"What?" Paris was utterly baffled.As Mr. Clement rose to leave, Quincy and Nina had already arrived outside the door with a swarm of bodyguards and police officers.Paris's face turned as white as a sheet. "Nina, are you setting me up?"Nina smirked coldly, "I'm not setting you up. You're the one who's showing your true colors."Mr. Clement and Serene were her main suspects. She had planned to bait them out, but before she could act, Paris approached after overhearing her conversation with Quincy. Nina had been cautious, hoping it would lead to Paris.If Paris was involved, that would be perfect. She could follow the trail back to Paris.If Paris wasn't involved, then it would be Paris trying to steal her credit, in which case she would have to apologize later.But who would've guessed that the truth would come out so soon?Indeed, people were greedy and would easily lose their composure.And just like that, both Paris and Mr. Clement were escorted away by the police.With t
"Mr. York." Nina nodded in acknowledgment as she greeted him. However, Mr. York did not respond. Instead, he walked steadily toward her, his imposing figure casting a strong sense of pressure over Nina. His expression was tense.Nina did not understand his current demeanor until he furrowed his brows and asked, "Nina, why did you help me?"He had heard from Quincy. He knew about Nina's plan, how she swiftly orchestrated everything, ensuring his quick release and exposing the schemes of Clement and Paris.He clearly told her not to go, but she went anyway and acted so swiftly. Was it out of concern for him or afraid that something might happen to him?Nina had not expected Mr. York to question her like this. Though momentarily taken aback, she quickly responded, "Mr. York, I'm your secretary. As long as I'm with York Corporation, I'll always help you through thick and thin."Her tone was calm, devoid of any extra emotion, her clear eyes revealing nothing.A hint of sarcasm tugge
Upon hearing this, Caleb immediately sensed an opportunity. "We're in the Chroma Room 409. Hurry up and come over. I'm on duty tonight, so I have to leave early.""Alright."Even if Caleb had not mentioned being on duty, since the call was made to her, she could not just ignore it when it came to Nash.Hearing the busy tone on the phone and realizing that Nina had hung up, Caleb slipped the phone back into Nash's pocket, giving a knowing look to Hunter and Ben before they all left.But as soon as they left, Nash opened his eyes. His deep black gaze showed no signs of drunkenness.---Nina arrived at the Chroma Room an hour later. It took her an hour to get from Nash's place to the Chroma Room by taxi, but she encountered traffic along the way, causing delays.Having been Nash's secretary for seven years, Nina was no stranger to such places. However, as she walked down the corridor, she encountered a man stumbling toward her.His eyes were squinted, clearly indicating he was dru
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