"We're leaving," Nina said."Alright, hope to see you again next time," the director replied.Before leaving, Nash looked at the group of children and did not forget to ask, "What should you call us?""Nash and Nina!" the children chorused in unison, very polite.Nash continued, "If not, what else should you call us?""Mr. York and Miss Walker!" the children responded promptly, showing that they had understood well. They had been taught this many times and remembered.Nina's gaze turned to Nash. She could see that the children's response pleased him, and a smile appeared on his face."Mr. York and Miss Walker, may you be happy together forever!" the children said in unison again.Nina was taken aback. "What do you mean?""Just now, Mr. York mentioned that you're his wife, so we have to address you correctly. If it's not Nash and Nina, then it's Mr. York and Miss Walker. We can't have one addressed as Mr. York and the other as Nina," the children explained to Nina.Nina was le
"This place is remote. If you get off here, you'll have to walk several kilometers to reach the bustling city. Don't act on impulse. Being rash isn't your forte," Nash leaned against the car window, his gaze drifting outside as he spoke nonchalantly.Nina surveyed the secluded road, realizing that she would indeed have to walk for several hours. It was already evening, and there might even be wild animals lurking around. For safety reasons, she refrained from making any more fuss. Sometimes, a wise man would adapt himself to circumstances.The car stopped at the entrance of the television station. Nash looked at the signboard atop the building and asked softly, "I heard your television station will be interviewing me soon.""Is that so?" Nina responded.Nash's deep gaze turned towards her. "Why isn't it you?"Nina did not mention that she had declined. "Interviewing you isn't my responsibility yet. I've only been here for less than ten days, and all I can do is write a few words
Scott was at a loss for words. Nina looked at Nash in surprise. How could he carry the marriage certificate with him? She could not understand him! Nash held it in his hand, unwrapping layer after layer until the marriage certificate finally emerged. He held it up high for Scott to see. "This is Nina and my marriage certificate, Mr. Lucas. Do you see it?" Scott pursed his lips, his gaze deepening. He sensed an unfamiliar sense of triumph in Nash's eyes, as if he were gleeful about having a marriage certificate with Nina. But if he was in a contractual marriage with Nina, shouldn't he be eager to end it? Initially, Scott thought Nash, as a man, might have his pride at stake, especially after all these years of not acknowledging Nina as his wife. Now, he felt Nash was displaying an unprecedented level of childishness. Who would wrap a marriage certificate so securely and flaunt it in front of others? "Mr. York, this marriage is destined to end anyway," Scott calmly stated. Na
He picked up the nearby bottle of wine and took a sip. He had always been rational. Rationally, he stayed by Nina’s side, and rationally he maintained their friendship. Even admitting his feelings for her came under the influence of alcohol, using it as a means to express his inner turmoil. But he could not go any further. He knew Nina liked Nash. He did not want to burden her, yet he wanted to give her enough respect. He never had the same courage as Nash. Perhaps only the one being loved could be fearless. He envied Nash, being able to have Nina's love. Scott smiled bitterly, refilling his glass and gulping it down in one go. His phone beside his left hand kept vibrating. He glanced at it sideways, then turned his head. He showed no intention of answering, just continuously drinking in silence.Nina left the restaurant, ready to take a taxi home. There were no empty taxis nearby. Glancing at her phone, she noted that there were over thirty people waiting. It looked like she wo
Nash surveyed the area, which was still smaller than their bedroom. He walked in, noticing that there was only Nina's stuff inside. Nina had always been neat, and the apartment was spotless. The sight of the fluffy bunny-patterned slippers at the door surprised him. He glanced at Nina.Nina felt a bit uncomfortable and quickly put away the slippers. "Have you finished looking?" she asked.Nash glanced at the sofa where they both sat and said in a low voice, "Are you accustomed to living here?""It's alright.""This apartment is so small, and the furniture is incomplete. It's not as good as our home, where we have helpers attending to us. I think you won't be comfortable living here," Nash said, taking her well-being into consideration. "Since this divorce won’t work out anyway, why not just go back home?""Do you even know that I want a divorce from you? I moved out, not because we had a fight and I stormed out!" Nina hoped he would understand, rather than assuming that he could w
Whatever Nash said now, Nina felt it was abnormal. She added, "There's no space here for your things."Nash looked around and immediately opened the closet door, finding a small space inside. He said, "There's room here, I don't mind!" He then commanded, "Quincy!""Yes!"Quincy promptly hung up the clothes.Their movements were swift, as if hesitating for a second would mean losing the spot to someone else.Nina suddenly felt that their relationship had changed, yet remained the same. She hadn't divorced, nor had she severed ties with Nash. On the contrary, he seemed to be infiltrating her life more forcefully.Soon, Quincy finished organizing and left.Seeing Nina silent, Nash asked again, "You didn't eat anything just now. Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?"Nina was already full of frustration and couldn't eat anything. "I'm not hungry.""Even if you're not hungry, the baby in your belly needs to eat," Nash said, aware that she was upset.Nina touched her sto
She didn't want to pay any more attention to Nash, ready to leave. Just as she turned, she caught Nash looking at her. He said, "It'll be ready soon. Are you hungry?" Nina halted her steps, facing him squarely. "I only care about when you're leaving," she replied. Nash evaded the question, saying, "We'll eat in ten minutes." Nina saw him turn away, focusing on the dish he was preparing, evidently avoiding addressing her question. Ten minutes later, Nash emerged with a small pot of chicken soup. Placing it on the table, he wiped his hands with a towel and looked at Nina. "Come over, it's ready," he said. Nina observed the chicken soup Nash had meticulously prepared for two hours, sticking to the pregnancy recipe. It appeared as if he had come to terms with the child growing in her belly.Silently, she approached and took a seat opposite him. Nash lifted the lid off the pot, releasing steam infused with the savory scent of meat."Not bad, huh?" he asked, content with his cr
Nash frowned, his tone turning cold again. "Can we please not bring others into our issues?"Nina couldn't help but chuckle. "You didn't mention it was someone else when you were involved with Miranda, did you? Nash, your actions are beyond my comprehension. I've already made things easy for both of you, what more do you want?""Are you talking about these two plane tickets?" Nash pulled out the plane tickets Nina had left behind. She had talked about going to Frangelia with him, yet she had booked tickets for him and Miranda."You didn't go," Nina replied nonchalantly.In front of her, Nash tore up the two tickets and laid them on the table, his cold gaze fixed on her. "You think you're making things easy for me, but you're only making things easy for yourself, aren't you?" He looked around the small apartment she had described as "small but complete," his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Nina, what exactly do you gain from this? You're living in this tiny apartment and stuck with a
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