"Penelope…""I've been through so much to get where I am today. Even if no one watches the dramas I'm in and my popularity declines, it's my own problem. The entertainment industry is vast. Does everyone who's better than me have to be seen as a threat?" "That's not true. It's because Miranda relies on her patron...""Let's not speak ill of others. I don't want to hear that kind of talk. You know me well. I've made plenty of mistakes in the past, so now I need to cherish myself more and protect my reputation."Penelope cherished her future immensely. What she despised the most was using jealousy of others' achievements to elevate oneself. She and Miranda were fundamentally different. She had climbed up from the bottom and understood the hardships within. Miranda, on the other hand, was born with a silver spoon, born into unfairness. Without that privilege, Penelope relied on her own efforts to strive for what she wanted. She believed that one day she would reach the peak.---
She found herself in the ocean, struggling to breathe as she attempted to swim to the surface. But a massive rock pinned her down, leaving her trapped and facing imminent death. As panic gripped her, she screamed, "I don't want to die!""Wake up, miss," a voice called out.Wiping away tears, she realized it was all just a nightmare. Her pillow was soaked with tears, and she was back in the hospital.Fearing for her unborn child, she touched her belly, asking about its well-being. The nurse reassured her, "The baby is fine. Despite signs of miscarriage when you arrived, timely medical attention saved the child."Relieved, she nodded gratefully. "That's a relief. As long as the baby's okay."The nurse then asked if she wanted to inform her family. Looking around, she considered the situation. It was not the same hospital as last time, where acquaintances of Nash might discover her pregnancy. She decided, "Yes, please make a call for me."In less than half an hour, Yvonne arrived, v
Hearing her words, Yvonne's eyes welled up with tears. She had never felt such deep concern for her before. Facing everything alone, without her husband's support, Yvonne could not imagine enduring it herself. What kind of karma led to Nina's marriage being like this?Yvonne hugged her, gently patting her back. "You still have me. Everything will be alright," she said, her heart aching.Nina leaned against Yvonne's shoulder, feeling comforted. Fortunately, she was not completely alone. She still had many things to hold on to. It was just that she could not have Nash anymore.Nina was discharged from the hospital after finishing her IV drip. The doctor advised her not to overexert herself and to avoid strenuous exercise. There was not anything major to worry about.Yvonne stayed by her side. "Do you... want to go back?" she asked.Nina thought for a moment. "Let's go back," she replied.Yvonne helped Nina into the car, and as she drove, she said, "Alright, keep in touch. If you ne
"Mr. York, we haven't found Nina yet. Today, the wind was strong and the waves were high. It's highly likely that she might have been swept away. The chances of her being alive are very slim."Hearing this news, Nash could not bear it anymore. It felt like a knife had been thrust into his heart. He grabbed the person and coldly interrogated, "What did you say? Nina won't die!"The person tried to calm his emotions, saying, "Mr. York, I know you're anxious, but you need to calm down. If we haven't found Nina yet, there's still a chance she might have been rescued in time. Let's think positively and hope for the best.""Yes, she might have been rescued." Nash dared not think of the worst. He had never imagined Nina leaving him in this way. She could not possibly be dead."Today, many fishing boats returned to shore, and I heard they rescued several people. We don't know if Nina was among them," the person continued, trying to console Nash.Nash refused to believe that Nina was still
The couple rushed into the hospital room. Seeing her daughter lying pale and unconscious in the bed, Mrs. Jasper broke down in tears, collapsing to the floor. "My daughter, how could this happen to you? My poor, unfortunate daughter! If only I hadn't let you come back to the country, look at the suffering you're enduring!"Mr. Jasper helped his wife up, trying to console her. "Our daughter will be fine. Don't be too upset. She's been wronged, and we'll make sure she gets justice. If you collapse from crying, how will we help our daughter?"Hearing her husband's words, Mrs. Jasper cried a little more softly but with determination in her eyes. "My daughter didn't fall into the sea. She was pushed!"Outside the hospital room were members of the Jasper Corporation and Taylor. It was Taylor who first found Stella. Not having seen Nina for a while and knowing that Stella was following Nina, Taylor went to look for them but could not find them. She panicked when she saw Stella struggli
She had never seen such unreasonable parents before. They accused Nina of harming Stella without any evidence, and if something were to happen to Nina, her parents would have nowhere to turn to for justification. The thought made Taylor feel even more bitter. Nina had raised her from scratch, and she believed in Nina's kindness. She could not have done such a thing. As for Stella, she was cunning enough to be capable of anything. Taylor did not need evidence to believe it. As for Stella being harmed and falling into the sea, that was just retribution. She deserved it!"Do you even have the right to speak?" Mr. Jasper rebuked Taylor sharply, "The York Corporation has all sorts of people, and even a lowly employee dares to interrupt me!"Nash's gaze at Mr. Jasper was extremely sharp. He casually put his hands in his pockets to control his displeasure and sneered, "Mr. Jasper, you live abroad after all, where democracy and freedom are valued. What's wrong with my employee expressing
Not far away, Nina looked at the figure of Nash and called out softly. Yvonne was beside her. Yvonne, worried about her, accompanied her to the hospital, only to see such a chaotic scene.Nash heard the voice and instinctively froze, turning back to see Nina standing unscathed before him. In that moment, he felt incredibly moved. The person he almost lost was suddenly back by his side, a feeling he had never experienced before. He quickly hurried over and hugged Nina tightly.Nina did not expect such a strong reaction from him, her hands unsure where to go. She only felt his grip tighten, almost making it hard for her to breathe.In that moment, Nash realized just how afraid he was of losing her. He never wanted to lose her again! With her by his side, he felt a sense of security he had never felt before.Nash reached out and stroked her hair, his voice becoming hoarse but gentle, as if afraid to startle her away again. "Where did you go? Do you know how worried I was about you?"
"Didn't you hear what Nina said? She fell into the sea too. You're painting your daughter as the victim, but it's Nina who's the real victim here. She didn't even mention your daughter, yet you're the one pointing fingers first!" Yvonne could not hold back against the unreasonable accusations.And then, Mrs. Jasper added, "How could my daughter possibly harm anyone? Right now, it's her lying in the hospital bed, not this woman. That only proves she's the one behind my daughter's condition. I refuse to believe it was just an accident! Maybe she's fabricating the story of her own fall to cover up her crime!"She was convinced it was Nina's jealousy that led her to push her daughter into the sea. After all, nobody saw it happen, so Nina could easily lie."You're being utterly unreasonable. Fine, let's call the police. Let them investigate!" Yvonne retorted."Sure, let them investigate. I want to see how she'll play her cards!" Mrs. Jasper declared aggressively.Nina looked at Mrs. Ja
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