"Okay," replied Nina softly.Seeing her lack of reaction, Michelle initially wanted to say something but then felt she was giving too much importance to this newcomer. She withdrew her gaze, maintaining her haughty posture, picked up the files, and turned on her high heels to leave.Watching Michelle's departure, Angel made a face.Noticing Angel's antics, Nina could not help but ask, "What's your issue with Michelle?"Angel replied, "She's rubbed many people the wrong way, not just me. They're angry but silent because she's the best performer here!"Nina remarked, "There's a reason she's the top performer. She dares to seize opportunities and work hard!""It's not just that. She's ruthless," Angel continued. "I had a good project before, one that could have been my way out of typing all day here. Even though success wasn't guaranteed, I deserved a chance. But Michelle snatched it away. She doesn't want to give newcomers a chance. She wants to be the perennial favorite at the TV
Michelle took the water bottle and smiled, "This time I'll succeed for sure. I'll definitely get a promotion and a raise. I've heard internal news that the chief editor position is opening up, and my performance stands out the most. The chief editor position will be mine. When that happens, I'll groom you two to be the next me, and I won't forget your contributions!""That's wonderful! Thank you so much, Michelle!" The two girls were delighted. Their prospects depended entirely on whether Michelle could ascend to the chief editor position.Michelle made several calls to York Corporation again, using the same excuses as before. She did not want to wait idly anymore, with no results. Based on her past experience, she knew she had to fight for it herself.After a four-hour drive, they arrived at the entrance of York Corporation's building. Michelle had also bribed the security guard, repeatedly asking, "Are you sure Nash will leave from here at 5 p.m.?""Absolutely. Mr. York usually e
“I'm from Starry Sky Television Station!” Seeing Nash responding to her, Michelle felt delighted. She quickly pushed aside the security guard's obstruction and approached Nash. "Here's my identification. You can take a look. I'm from a legitimate TV station. I've interviewed many prominent figures. Mr. York, as long as you accept my interview, I guarantee it will bring you both fame and fortune…"Michelle kept boasting about her accomplishments, emphasizing how she could bring more benefits to Nash. However, Nash's focus was on the TV station. If he remembered correctly, Nina was working at this TV station. Nash still could not understand why Nina would choose this job, undoubtedly starting over again. After all these years by his side, climbing to this position, she had good connections and resources. There was no need for her to stay at a TV station. Actually, he was worried if she would be at a disadvantage there. After all, she had long outgrown her days as a naive young g
"The other girl has an idea," she said, moving closer to Michelle. "Do you know that newcomer came from the York Corporation?"Michelle looked at her. "Who?""It's Nina," she replied. "I heard she used to work for Mr. York. Maybe she can help."Michelle was surprised. She had no interest in the backgrounds of people at the television station. If it did not help her work, she did not need to know. Besides, she had been at the station for four years and had not seen a more outstanding reporter. She could handle any challenge, and the chief editor valued her abilities. If she could solve the problem of interviewing Mr. York, the chief editor would surely be pleased, and she wouldn't worry about promotion. It was no wonder the chief editor had given such an important task to Nina. The chief editor valued Nina's previous experience at the York Corporation, and Michelle could not underestimate her.--The next day, Michelle's first stop at the television station was Nina's desk. N
She was not naive.She had learned about Michelle's personality from others. Michelle always wanted to be the best at everything and would never let a newcomer steal her spotlight.Being exposed and seeing Nina's insightfulness, Michelle was not only losing face but also feeling furious inside. "Stop with the nonsense. You must come with me!"However, Nina replied calmly, "I have other matters to attend to. Goodbye!"She walked past Michelle, refusing to be manipulated by her.Michelle stomped her foot in frustration and shouted, "Nina!"Nina paid her no mind at all.This scene left everyone in the office speechless.Nina was the first person to show such disdain towards Michelle.Leaving the TV station, Nina hailed a taxi and headed to the address of the orphanage.The urgency of the orphanage's situation had its reasons. Located in a remote area far from the city center, the roads were difficult to traverse and hardly noticed.Upon arrival, Nina got out of the taxi. The
After getting some insights, Nina stepped out and saw a little girl, about three or four years old. She was sitting under a tree, clutching the candy that Nina had given her and just staring at it. Seeing this, Nina walked over and sat beside her."Nina," the little girl called sweetly, lifting her round eyes.Nina asked her, "Why aren't you eating the candy?"The little girl lowered her gaze, holding the candy in her hand and shaking her head. "I don't want to eat it."“Why?” Nina inquired.The little girl explained, "I overheard them saying that this candy is really delicious, the best they've ever had! I'm afraid if I eat it all, there won't be any left, so I want to save it. I'll just lick a little bit, and then it'll last me a long, long time."She carefully licked it once.Hearing this, Nina felt a pang in her heart. To her, this was just an ordinary piece of candy, something she used to eat often when she was little.Nina patted the little girl's head. "You're still youn
His words might have been biting, but his deeds were remarkable. Despite the York Corporation's involvement in various charitable endeavors, Nash had never personally intervened like this before.Nina chimed in, "It's not that I'm the only one who can come here. It's just that after I arrive, you follow with supplies. Such coincidental occurrences naturally raise suspicions. Since it's not you, I won't inquire further."She had many things to do and could not focus on competing with Nash. Moreover, he seemed very dissatisfied with her. Seeing her indifferent attitude, Nash frowned slightly. He was harboring plenty of dissatisfaction towards her. And now, seeing her remain so aloof only added to his discontent."Sir, sir!"Suddenly, Nina saw dozens of children running towards them. They ran fast and did not fear falling.Nina knew they were calling for Nash. She could not help but turn around.She saw the children leaning against the car window, their eyes filled with curiosity
Seeing this, Nash's expression changed, not knowing what he had done. Nina quickly brought them together and comforted, "Okay okay, Mr. York is not the Big Bad Wolf, he's a good person. Didn't he just bring you supplies? Don't be afraid, crying isn't cool at all." They wiped away their tears again, still sniffling, "We can't cry, we're the bravest kids, we can't cry!" But when they saw Nash, they would still pout. They were holding back their tears but still afraid. Nash glanced at Nina, who was very gentle with the children, as gentle as water. He coughed twice and approached the group of children. But the children, still frightened, quickly hid behind Nina. Nash's expression darkened, completely unexpected that these children were so scared, seeing him as if they had seen a ghost. "You guys, hurry inside. If you don't, the Big Bad Wolf will come in!" Upon hearing this, the children hurried back inside. Nina followed behind them. Nash observed their departure, unsure of wh
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