Nash glanced at Nina, then coolly stated, "Let her in." Nina pursed her lips, about to say something, when Miranda stepped in from outside in her high heels. Nina did not look at her, but Miranda's voice echoed nearby, "Nash, I've brought you some clothes." Miranda walked up to Nash. She had already changed into a light green dress, paired with her voluminous and wavy hair. Miranda appeared tall and beautiful. "You didn't have to make a special trip," Nash said. Nina glanced at Nash. Nash's expression remained cold, with little change. But his words... Miranda softly spoke, "I couldn't let it rest without coming. I didn't expect you two to be having dinner. Was it Nina who cooked?" "Yes," Nash replied flatly. Suddenly, Miranda looked at Nina with anticipation. "Nina, may I have a taste of your cooking? I came by today and happen to have some time. Can I learn some cooking skills from you?" Nina declined, "I can get you a set of utensils, but learning cooking is out of
With each word, she tore her apart, leaving her in the dust. Her face contorted into the ugliest expression imaginable, fueled by burning rage. Yet, reason urged her to remain calm."You don't need to be happy either. Nash hasn't publicly acknowledged you as Mrs. York, and besides, he's more inclined to support me," Miranda snapped, grabbing a fruit knife.Handing it over to Nina, she said, "Nina, why don't you teach me how to chop vegetables now?"Nina frowned, glanced at Miranda, but did not respond.She called for Mary, "Miss Miranda, I have no patience. Mary, you have patience. You teach Miss Miranda."Miranda's face turned icy.Nina would even acknowledge her or give her lessons! Her expected plan crumbled, and she lost interest. She casually dropped the knife onto the cutting board. "Forget it, just remembered I've got something else to do. I'll swing by another day to learn."Mary was puzzled, finding Miss Miranda's irregular approach to learning truly peculiar!---Mir
This remark had an impact on Nina and Miranda.For Nina, having been by Nash's side for seven years, she knew his temperament well. Being his secretary and standing right there, it was obvious that Nash would ask her to help Miranda up but he did not. Clearly, Nash was favoring Miranda. However, Nina remained calm. Throughout the ordeal, she held onto her phone, not intervening. A clear conscience would speak for itself. Watching the surveillance footage would only reinforce her belief that Miranda was merely putting on a show.As for Miranda, Nash's actions felt like rejection. Especially his icy words, it was evident he no longer trusted her. She was also taking a gamble. About two minutes later, security retrieved the surveillance footage. The footage showed Miranda passing by Nina, just at the moment when the camera was blocked. In almost an instant, Miranda fell backward, clearly pushed by someone.Nash's cold gaze swept over Nina. "Apologize." It was a command. Although
Nina noticed that but kept quiet so Miranda assumed Nash was going to give Nina trouble and left feeling smug. "Then why didn't you mention it earlier?" Nash furrowed his brows.Nina's words made him realize the issue too. A touch of sarcasm crossed Nina's lips. "Would something you've already decided change just because of a few words from me?"With that, Nina shrugged off Nash and left him with her back turned. Nash did not pursue or try to stop her, but his black eyes remained fixed on her retreating figure.---Just as Nash lit a cigarette, Miranda's call came through. He put it on speakerphone. Miranda's voice sounded hoarse on the other end. "Nash, don't make things difficult for Nina. I know it's my fault, and I'll control how often I reach out to you in the future.""It's best that way," Nash's icy words cut through, leaving Miranda stunned.Didn't Nash believe that Nina pushed her? There was no footage. And just a few minutes ago, Nash even made Nina apologize to her
Nash pushed the food towards Nina. "Do you want me to feed you?"His words were calm.Nina did not believe he would actually feed her.Nina responded coldly, "I don't want to eat. Don't I have the freedom to decide?"Nash remained silent. But the next moment, he really brought the food to Nina's lips.At that moment, Nash's dark eyes quietly watched her. His gaze lacked its usual sharpness.Nina was stunned.He then spoke slowly, "You still need to eat." His tone was gentle.Nina was surprised by his kindness and quickly took over, "I can do it myself."She was afraid that Nash might try feeding again so she symbolically took a few bites.Nash also considerately handed her some water, "Don't choke."Nina did not choke, but she was startled by Nash's actions.Before she could say anything, Nash spoke first, "I had Quincy book the tickets.""Tickets to Frangelia?"Nina could not believe it.Nash nodded. "Yes."He continued, "Make sure you tell your parents. I don't want t
Nina found it rather ironic that Nash brought up something that had not been mentioned before, "I'm your secretary, with all those cars in your garage, what do I need a car for now?" Judging by Nash's current behavior, it seemed like he was trying to use these things to persuade her to stay."You can't possibly expect to keep using my car for every outing, or rely on taxis."Nash sat in the back seat, and since Nina was driving, his view was fixed forward, unable to see her facial expression. Yet, from her tone, Nash could sense that she was not at all interested in this matter."I use your car for work-related purposes. If I were to buy a cheap car for personal use, wouldn't people think poorly of me as your secretary? Would you not feel embarrassed by that?" Nina's words were delivered with clarity.Nash pursed his lips slightly. But before he could respond, Nina cut in again: "And if I were to buy a luxury car, given my position, wouldn't I be ridiculed?"She did not own a car,
After a moment's thought, Nash decided to accompany Stella. "Let's go," he said. And that was how Nina was left behind. She had no intention of staying in the private room to face Stella's assistant, especially considering that Peter's son's first celebration party was also scheduled for today. Yvonne would surely come, so Nina started contacting Yvonne while heading out. But before she could reach Yvonne on the phone, someone spotted her."Hey, isn't this our classmate, Nina? Now that she's Mr. York's secretary, she's lost even the most basic human decency!""That's right! First, she brushed off our classmate Mike with 1,000 bucks, saying she had something else to do and couldn't make it. And now she's here.""Didn't you see her just coming out of the private room?""Tsk! She doesn't want to see classmates, but she's got plenty of time to serve the big boss!"...Nina originally did not want to pay attention to these people, but their words became increasingly offensive. The
Even if these people could not be sent to jail, they could at least be criticized and educated."Nina, you've reached a new low in being malicious!""The real malicious ones are you all! If it weren't for me, you would've already ganged up on her!" Scott scolded these women discontentedly.Never did he imagine that women could be this wicked towards each other."Are we not allowed to defend ourselves?" The woman with short hair remained brazen.Scott was about to say more when Nina grabbed his arm. "There's no point in reasoning with these inhumane creatures," she said.Scott felt a flutter in his heart.Because Nina had reached out to pull him!Although it did not necessarily signify anything, but to him, Nina was the girl he fancied the most, the one he loved but could not have. The simple fact that Nina could make such a gesture towards him filled him with immense joy.However, this scene was observed all too clearly by the returning Nash. The coldness in his eyes and the h
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