"You knew it was dangerous, so why did you still step in?" "I..." Nina began to respond, but Nash interrupted her and continued, "What if help hadn't arrived in time?"Nina had not thought about this question. She believed she could handle the situation at the time and she did not want to worry Nash. She casually replied, "I timed it right, there wouldn't have been a problem.""Nina, have you never been seriously injured before?" Nash's expression was grave, his brows furrowed tightly. Each of her defenses felt like a stab to his heart.If something happened to her, it would be too late.Nina paused, not sure how to answer him, and sincerely contemplated his words.Her life had been quite comfortable from childhood to adulthood.Except for that one kidnapping incident.But she had not been injured during that time, and Nash had already endured the worst of it."I probably haven't had any serious injuries, but I've had my fair share of bumps and bruises," Nina said."What if
Nash responded, "Hmm, if the car's broken down, we'll just get a new one. It'll make things easier for you.""Okay."They had a bunch of cars at home. It would be more convenient for her to switch to an ordinary one, especially the car used by the helpers for grocery runs.After cleaning her wound, Nina walked out of Nash's office. She was getting ready to leave work.Eve was waiting outside, and as soon as she saw Nina, she immediately called out, "Sister-in-law!"Her voice immediately drew everyone's attention. The people in the office were still there, and upon hearing Eve's voice, they all looked at her with confusion.With so many eyes staring at her as if trying to see through her, Nina instinctively tensed up. Before Eve could say "sister-in-law" for the second time, Nina covered her mouth."Mmm..." Eve did not understand why Nina did not let her speak."Don't call me that," Nina whispered, "This is a workplace."Eve did not understand, "Why can't I call you sister-in-l
In the car sat Eve and Nina, with Nash in the driver's seat, his expression dark as he glanced at them holding hands in the rearview mirror.When did they become so close?He did not want Eve tagging along with them."Nash, thank you for your hard work. Let's have dinner together," Eve urged Nash to drive, oblivious to his grim expression. She was famished.Nash coldly replied, "Did I say I'd take you home? Where's your driver? Get him to pick you up."He was not going to chauffeur them around.But Eve clung to Nina, insisting, "We promised to have dinner together. You can't chase me away."Nina explained, "We're going to my parents' place. I've already arranged for friends to join us for dinner.""Oh, to your parents' place? Do I need to bring something?" Eve worried about making a good impression on Nina's family."Don't worry about it. My parents are very easygoing, and they cook well," Nina reassured her.Going back to the villa would mean just the few of them, probably a
Julia glanced at Nash, her warmth now replaced with a distant politeness. "No need, you're a guest, just sit there."Before, Julia used to like Nash quite a bit. Love begets love. But after all the facade shattered, she had regrets, yet she did not want to blame them. Their marriage was their business. If they were divorcing, she could not treat him the same as before. Now, when Nash came to their home, he could only be treated as a guest. No more favors. Nash knew it would come to this and his image in their hearts had taken a big hit. He wanted to redeem himself, especially in front of Nina's parents."It's no trouble to lend a hand when I’m idle," Nash persisted despite Julia's standoffishness, taking the initiative to help her. Julia wanted to refuse, but Nash had already walked into the kitchen, just as he used to, understanding her hardships and volunteering to help. Julia sighed inwardly as she watched him.Before, she used to be happy. She only had Nina as her daughter.
She meant well by talking to him. No matter how satisfied she was with him before, nothing mattered at the moment their marriage became a transaction. She wanted her daughter to be happy, not trapped in a loveless marriage. Nash did not pause his actions as he had expected what Mrs. Walker would say. He replied solemnly, "Mom, I'll give you an answer." Mrs. Walker said, "Nina also needs her happiness. I hope it won't take too long." Her words were clear. After divorce, with Nina's qualities, she would find someone who genuinely liked her. They were getting older and they could not accompany Nina forever. If Nina wanted to find a good match, get married, and have children, she hoped no one would stand in her way. During dinner, the family was harmonious. Although Eve had eaten with many people before at her grandfather's birthday or major holidays, it felt different this time. Mrs. Walker had heard from Nina that Eve had never been loved by her parents since she was young. As
She envied Nina for having such caring family members. She knew it was because she was Nina's friend that they treated her with such care."Come on, don't shed tears. A girl's tears are precious," Mr. Walker could not bear to see a girl cry.But Eve could not stop.Nina was the kind of person who easily empathized with others. She knew that Eve had no parents, only Grandpa George as her sole relative. Feeling sympathy, she wanted to introduce her to her own parents."Don't cry. Haven't you shed enough tears today?" Nina did not want to see her cry.Eve wiped away her tears, sniffled, and hugged her milk tea. "Thank you, Mr. Walker and Mrs. Walker. I'll come again next time."Zion and Julia saw them off at the door. As Eve descended the stairs, she could not help but cry again. Nina handed her a tissue.Nash, on the other hand, remained indifferent. "If you cry like this, and your grandpa sees it, don't blame Nina for bullying you."Nina was trying to comfort the girl, but Nash
She handed the bag to Eve.Eve, however, had some concerns and asked, "Weren't you next to me making a phone call yesterday? I turned around and you were gone. Are you sure it was me who disappeared?"Stella did not tell the truth. She did see Eve being bullied, but she did not lend a hand. Being a girl herself and not having anyone with her, intervening would have brought trouble upon herself. She could only watch coldly, waiting for an opportunity to slip away unnoticed.She could not let Eve know that she was aware of the danger she was in but acted as if nothing had happened. She smiled and said, "Yes, I was in an important business call. It lasted for over half an hour, and after I hung up, I didn't see you anymore. I thought you couldn't wait and went back first, but your bag was left with me, so I brought it over.""What happened, Eve?" Stella asked as if she knew nothing.In the past, Eve would have believed Stella's words without question. Stella was her senior schoolma
Stella's words left her momentarily at a loss for how to respond. Based on her understanding of Eve, she was simple-minded. As long as someone was kind to her, she would reciprocate that kindness tenfold. Yet, she had asked such a question. However, Eve's words did make sense. When they were still abroad, Stella did not know that Eve was Mr. George Gibson's granddaughter. Eve was young and inexperienced in the outside world, with significant differences in lifestyle habits. She was not accustomed to it, lacked friends and often kept to herself. She was said to have grown up without parents, making her seem vulnerable and helpless, with a much more tragic background than most. In contrast, Stella came from an affluent background, leading a comfortable life from childhood, and was doing well abroad. Someone like Eve needed help, and Stella could earn her admiration by providing it. Eve saw her as a support, and Stella felt a sense of accomplishment from that. She had always felt
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