As time passed, he became more mature and composed.Nash noticed her gaze and smirked, "What are you thinking while staring at me like that?"Supporting her chin, Nina, caught off guard, shifted her gaze nervously, "Nothing.""You were clearly stealing glances at me just now," Nash countered.Nina countered back, "If you didn't look at me, how would you know I was stealing glances at you?""Well, I did indeed steal glances at you," Nash admitted frankly. He couldn't help but notice her every move unintentionally.This left Nina unsure of how to respond, feeling her heart pounding rapidly.Nash sliced the steak and handed it to her, "It's cut. Go ahead, eat."Nina cherished his thoughtful care, feeling warmth in her chest instantly. As long as Nash took a step toward her, she felt the world was a much better place.She picked up her fork and knife, saying, "Do you know what I was thinking when I was looking at you just now?"Taking a sip of wine, Nash asked, "What were you thi
For her, it was a memorable experience etched in her heart.For Nash, it was hardly worth mentioning.She felt a bit sad, wondering what was truly memorable to Nash."Why are you silent?" Nash was feeling irritated, seeing her remain quiet. He lifted her chin. "Have I struck a nerve?"Looking into his cold eyes, Nina asked, "Nash, do you have any deeply ingrained memories?"Nash gazed at her, momentarily lost in thought. In his mind, only a vague image of a girl appeared. He shook his head and tightly grasped Nina's hand. "You haven't answered me. Do you really like him that much?"Nina replied, "I do indeed like him very much."This statement ignited a flame of anger in Nash's heart."But..." Before Nina could finish her sentence, Nash angrily kissed her.This came as a surprise to her. Her eyes widened as Nash, consumed by anger, kissed her passionately, his hands gradually moving to her waist.His body was hot, like scalding water, gradually enveloping her."Nash..." Nina
The noisy ringtone added a sense of calm to the scene. Nash got off Nina, his eyes filled with desire, staring at her complexly.The man she liked was named Zac. So he shouldn't take away her most precious thing. He took a deep breath, calming his inner turmoil, then picked up his phone, saw the name on it, and muted it before putting it in his pocket.He became more rational, his voice low and hoarse as he said, "I'm going to take a shower." With that, he headed for the bathroom, the sound of the shower falling soon following.Nina lay quietly on the bed, pretending not to feel disappointed. He could resist temptation, even when it was right in front of him, all to stay faithful to Miranda.Although he didn't say it, she knew the person calling incessantly was Miranda. She had seen the name on the screen.Even drugged, he could maintain his composure. Just how much did he like her?Nina sat up slowly, adjusted her clothes, and got off the bed. Seeing her haggard self in the mirr
Clearly, she liked him very much.The next day, when Nina woke up, she saw Nash tying his tie. Seeing her awake, Nash advised, "There's milk by your bedside. Drink it when you get up."Nina instinctively glanced at the bedside and asked, "Where are you going?" She hadn't forgotten; he had mentioned last night that they would go home once they woke up."I have some things to take care of," Nash replied, looking at her. "I'll have the driver take you home first."Nina sat on the edge of the bed, quietly observing Nash. Nash finished getting ready, and seeing Nina still silent, he approached her, took the milk from the bedside, and handed it to her, saying softly, "Drink it while it's warm."Nina took it and pursed her lips. "I remember you saying before that you don't like this.""It's fine if you like it," Nash replied.Nina looked up, surprised to hear those words from him. At one point, he would frown upon seeing it, or the helpers would inform her that he didn't like milk. Aft
So they were married.He had to show more respect now, unlike before.Nina knowingly asked, "Has Mr. York gone in?""Mr. York... He just went in not long ago," Quincy hesitated to speak. Nina looked at the reporters at the door, and sure enough, it was as she expected. For Miranda, he always went all out, without any reservation or avoidance. Quincy was concerned that she would overthink things, and explained, "Mrs. York, please don't misunderstand Mr. York. He came to the hospital for work."Nina smiled and said to him, "I didn't misunderstand, you don't need to explain." Quincy breathed a sigh of relief, "That's good." There were reporters at the front entrance, so Nina still paid attention to privacy and entered the hospital through the back door.Taking the elevator upstairs, she saw Miranda's assistant, and probably knew which ward she was in. Miranda was staying in a VIP room, relatively quiet. As she walked past, she heard Miranda choking and crying, "What's the p
The assistant's words startled the two inside. Nash looked over and saw Nina standing at the door, immediately letting go of Miranda. Nina, feeling exposed, felt a bit lost, lowered her head, and started to leave. Nash hurried to catch up as she walked away. "Nina!"Nina walked quickly, unsure how to face Nash. But Nash caught up and grabbed her hand. Nina turned around, her eyes slightly red, staring blankly at Nash. Nash reached out to wipe the tears from her eyes, but Nina turned her head away. "Go take care of Miranda, you don't need to worry about me.""Why are you at the hospital?" Nash didn't respond to her words but asked, "Are you feeling unwell? Or is the rash getting worse?" He rolled up her sleeve, wanting to see her arm. This only saddened Nina more, and she pulled her hand back, refusing to let him see."I'm fine." Nina looked towards the ward. "The important matter you mentioned yesterday was about Miranda, right?" To him, Miranda came first. If she had any prob
How could he say such words?Stricken by his statement, Miranda stopped crying and stared blankly at Nash, utterly astonished. This was not the person she knew. Previously, he had cherished her the most, never allowing her to suffer any grievances. But now he was different, showing no pity, not even knowing how to comfort her anymore. She couldn't believe this was Nash. There must be a reason behind his actions.Miranda let go of his hand, trying to force a smile but failing miserably. "Be even? How could you possibly make things even between us?" Nash replied, "By curing your ears." "I don't want that! I might as well be dead!" Miranda became more agitated, grabbing a nearby fruit knife, intending to cut her wrists.Seeing this, her assistant quickly intervened, holding her back. "Please don't do this, Miranda..." Miranda, with red eyes, exclaimed, "Nash, everything I've done is for you. I love you so much, I'd even sacrifice my life for you. You owe me, and that debt can
After graduation, Nina became busy with work and had her own family. Her parents hesitated to bother her and rarely called. Likewise, she neglected them in her busy schedule. Returning home, it was Zion Walker who opened the door for her, holding a newspaper in his hand and wearing reading glasses. His typically stern face lit up with a smile at the sight of Nina. "Nina, you’re back. Come in quickly."Nina stepped inside, and Zion handed her a pair of slippers. "Your mom knows you're back and she's making your favorite dishes. You're in for a treat today.""Great, I'm craving mom's BBQ ribs," Nina said, linking her arm with Zion's. "And I also want to eat the wild fish dad caught.""You're such a glutton," Zion chuckled.Nina took off her coat, rolled up her sleeves, and said, "I'll go help mom in the kitchen...""Oh no, you don't have to," Zion tried to stop her.But before he could say more, Nina saw that the kitchen wasn't just occupied by Julia, but also by a tall figure. H
Hunter took a bite of the biscuits and ravioli she had made. The taste was surprisingly good. It wasn’t on the level of a Michelin-starred chef, but it had something even more special—the taste of home. And of course, there was the oatmeal. He took one spoonful after another, finishing the entire bowl. *Meanwhile, Vera still hadn’t found her brother. Disappointment weighed heavily on her as she prepared to leave. But just then, her phone buzzed. An anonymous message. She tapped it open and stared at the image attached. It was a watch. Alone, a watch meant nothing. But this watch was her brother’s. Vera immediately zoomed in on the photo, carefully inspecting the engravings inside. There they were—his initials. No mistake. This was his watch. Below the image, a location pin was attached. The place was nearby. Vera’s eyes filled with determination. If she had found nothing, she would have simply left. But now, she had recei
When Yelena woke up again, she was shocked to find that she wasn’t at the club. She sat up abruptly, looking around in confusion. Then, she got out of bed, slipped on her slippers, and pushed the door open. “Where am I?” “At my place,” Hunter replied casually. He was working in the living room when he saw her wake up. “You slept for a long time. I couldn’t just leave you alone at the club, so I brought you back here.” Seeing the uncertainty on her face, he added, “It’s already late. Just stay here for the night. I’ll take you back tomorrow.” Yelena nodded. There was no other choice now. “There’s food in the fridge. If you’re hungry, heat something up. There are also snacks in the drawer—take whatever you want.” “Alright.” She really was hungry. She opened the drawer, grabbed a few small bread rolls, ate them quickly, and then went back to her room to rest. *The next morning, Yelena woke up early. Thinking about everything Hunter had done—treatin
Yelena quickly lowered her arm, letting her sleeve fall over the mark to cover it. “It’s nothing. Here’s your cocktail. Please enjoy.” “Yelena.” Hunter grabbed her wrist without warning. He pulled up her sleeve, revealing the deep, ugly scars on her arm. His brows knitted together instantly. “Who did this to you?” The force behind it was brutal—downright inhuman. Yelena remained silent. Who else could have done this besides Liam? But she had agreed to this. She had willingly accepted Hunter’s request and entered Liam’s world. She had no right to complain. Her silence gave Hunter all the confirmation he needed. “Liam did this to you, didn’t he?” Yelena nodded. “It’s nothing. The wounds have already started healing. They look worse than they feel. Give it some time, and they’ll fade.” “Wait here.” Hunter stood abruptly and walked away. Yelena had no idea what he was doing, but since he told her to wait, she didn’t argue. A few minu
Then again, it made sense. How could a normal person possibly empathize with a lunatic? If Yelena could understand Liam, that would make her just as twisted. *For the next few days, Yelena stayed home to recover. During that time, Liam came back a few times, bringing her flowers and food. Like a child showing off a treasure, he placed the food in front of her. “Yelena, these are your favorite honey crullers. I got them fresh from the bakery. Try them and see if you like them.” “I’m not really hungry.” She didn’t want to eat anything he gave her. She couldn’t even stand looking at him. But she had made a promise. So, she had to force herself to stay. Liam’s expression darkened. “Are you really not hungry, or do you just not want to eat what I give you?” For someone like him, once he had lost his temper once, the second time would only come faster and smoother. With a heavy thud, he slammed the honey crullers onto the table. “Yes, I hit y
If Liam had been a normal person, Hunter never would have sent her here in the first place. But of course, Yelena could only think that. She wasn’t suicidal enough to say it out loud. Instead, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. “I was really just messaging an old classmate. If you don’t believe me, go ahead—check my phone.” She wasn’t worried. Whenever she contacted Hunter, she deleted each message immediately. She had even forged an entire fake conversation just in case Liam ever got suspicious. So, no matter how thoroughly he checked, there would be nothing for him to find. Liam narrowed his eyes. “Is that so? Then why do I still feel like you’re lying? Women like you—nothing but liars, every last one of you.” Then, he struck her again. Yelena screamed. The pain was relentless, merciless. She had no idea how long it lasted—only that by the time he finally stopped, she was barely breathing. Her body slumped against the floor
Suddenly, footsteps sounded behind Yelena. She spun around, her heart hammering in her chest. Liam was walking toward her, a faint smile on his lips—but the coldness in his eyes told a different story. Memories of his past cruelty flashed through her mind, sending a shudder down her spine. She forced herself to stay calm. “Who are you messaging?” He was getting closer. So close that when he finally stopped, they were nearly pressed against each other. Then, without warning, his fingers clamped around her chin, gripping tighter and tighter. Pain shot through her jaw, and Yelena winced. “No one. Just an old classmate. I ran into her a few days ago while I was out.” “Oh? Is that so?” Liam’s voice softened, almost gentle. To anyone watching, he might have seemed like a kind, easygoing man. But Yelena knew better. He would never let her off that easily. And sure enough— In the next second, he grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her hea
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.“Haven’t I been just fine lately?“Or do you think my hand isn’t injured enough? If that’s the case, go ahead—do it yourself. “You already know I wouldn’t fight back no matter what.” Without warning, Yelena stretched out her injured hand, an act that instantly enraged Liam. “What the hell is wrong with you?” He snapped. “I was just making a casual remark. Is that really what you think of me? I already told you—I’m not going to lay a hand on you.“It wasn’t intentional before, and you know it. We both do. Stop acting like you’re above all this when we both know who sent you here.” Yelena felt a pang of sadness. They had spent so much time together, yet this was how he treated her—always choosing to hurt her. “I know—I wasn’t someone you chose, and none of this was intentional. But after all this time we've spent together...“I thought maybe I was a little different to you. But I guess I was wrong. Nothing has changed at all.
“Why do you even care about what happens to other people? Haven’t I made myself clear enough already?“Whose card is this—yours or mine?” His assistant immediately apologized upon hearing Caleb’s tone. “I hope you won’t hold this against me. I really wasn’t thinking clearly at the time—I should have considered this more carefully.” Caleb didn’t bother responding. After hanging up, he focused entirely on investigating Vera’s brother. *Meanwhile, Vera was deeply worried. If things had been somewhat under control before, now they were completely off track. The situation on both sides was far more complicated than she had anticipated. “Don’t worry. That’s exactly how it is. If you don’t want to go in person, I can go for you—but it won’t be cheap,” the private investigator said.Since Caleb had warned her about the private investigator, Vera started testing him, probing for inconsistencies. And sure enough, his story had too many holes. “Why are you so sure my b
As Caleb spoke, he looked at Vera with a hint of helplessness. After all, her hand had been injured because of Luna. “Don’t feel guilty about this. Honestly, it’s nothing to me.“And I’m not the type to carry burdens over things like this.“Besides, it’s been so long. If this had happened back then, I might have cared. But now? I just don’t think it matters anymore.” Vera’s voice was steady and sincere. But Caleb’s expression darkened. “Why would you say that? Why do you think it doesn’t matter? Do you really see me as just the same as everyone else?” For some reason, at this moment, Caleb took it personally. Vera couldn’t help but laugh. “Of course not. You’re different from the rest—so obviously, I wouldn’t see it the same way.“You’ve helped me so much. The least I can do is acknowledge that, instead of stubbornly nitpicking about what’s right or wrong, don’t you think?“Besides, whatever happened between you and Luna, that’s none of my business. It’s in