"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
After speaking, Nina rushed into the bedroom and closed the door, shutting out the noise from outside. The living room was now silent. Nash sat in the chair, unable to regain his composure for a long time.He couldn't understand Nina, why she wanted to keep this child. What was it about that man that she liked?That man didn't know she was pregnant, didn't know she was living in this tiny apartment, and had never cared about her. At the same time, Nash felt a sense of frustration. No matter what he did, Nina would never be satisfied.He had made chicken soup for her with his own hands, but she suspected it was poisoned and didn't take a single sip. Looking at his scalded hand, he felt like he was being foolish, trying to please a heartless woman.Nash's expression grew colder as he stood up and walked towards the door. Quincy was still waiting outside, and he looked surprised to see Nash coming out. He had been eagerly waiting to be with Nina, and now Nash was leaving?Quincy as
On the day of the engagement banquet, Ben’s phone appearing near Jamie should have been a warning sign, but she missed it. Later, she had warmly welcomed Jamie into her home, showering her with care. She had even worried that Ben might dislike Jamie and tried to help them get along. And what happened in the end? While she had been tirelessly caring for them, the two of them ended up in bed together. Now, they were living under the same roof, while she and her child were left with nothing. How could Winnie not harbor resentment? Especially when she looked at Charlie, a chilling thought crept into her mind: If her own child’s life was ruined because of Jamie, then shouldn’t she retaliate by ruining Jamie’s child? An eye for an eye. But she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Every time Charlie called her "Aunt Winnie" with such innocence, it reminded her of the bond between them. How could she be so heartless? “I’m in Ben’s villa. He won’t let me leave,” Jamie
Ben gripped Jamie's chin tightly, his voice firm and unyielding. When Jamie had disappeared from his life, he had exhausted every possible means, called in countless favors, and poured his energy into finding her. But he had failed. Just when he was on the verge of giving up, he had met Winnie. It felt like fate had stepped in, intertwining their paths once more, as if destined for a lifetime of entangled love and hate. If that was his reality, then he would play along with it.“Instead of plotting ways to escape from me, why don’t you focus on apologizing? Show me some sincerity, and maybe I’ll make your life a little easier,” Ben said.Jamie’s lips curved into a bitter smile. She knew what he wanted.He wanted an apology and an attitude of remorse. But she also knew she had no leverage to stay by his side.Even if she played along now, making him happy temporarily, there was no future for them. Mrs. Lucas’s disdain for her was an insurmountable mountain, and she couldn’t see
Unfortunately, Ben couldn’t see through any of this. Summer, however, wasn’t the least bit intimidated. Shaking her head confidently, she said, “I’ve never done anything to upset him. I don’t believe that just exchanging a few words with him would make him kick me out.”Mrs. Lucas opened her mouth, about to say something, but seeing Summer’s confident demeanor, she hesitated. Maybe, just maybe, Ben might actually feel too awkward to reject her outright. And if a little covert manipulation were added into the mix…Suddenly, Mrs. Lucas had an idea. Hearing it, Summer’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Mrs. Lucas, that’s an excellent plan! We should act quickly before he does anything else irrational.” “Alright.” Though the plan was solid, the two of them decided to put it into action three days later. Meanwhile, Ben hadn’t been to the office lately, but he was still keeping track of all the firm’s cases. He was also trying to reach Winnie, but while her phone would ring,
Ben wanted nothing more than to wring Jamie's neck after hearing her cold, cutting words. “I don’t need your lectures,” he growled. Human nature? Didn’t she think he knew enough about it already? He had seen it in every case he handled, and he had learned it the hardest way through her betrayal. When he fell for Jamie, it had been with the intent to marry her, to share a future. But she had stabbed him in the back without hesitation. And yet, when he tried to hate her, tried to wish for her downfall, he couldn’t bring himself to follow through. “Stay here and reflect on your actions, Jamie.” Ben knew her well enough. If she cried, begged for forgiveness, he would soften. But she didn’t. Instead, all she cared about was that child, the child he refused to acknowledge. “Fine,” he thought grimly. “Let’s see how long that bastard can survive.”*Meanwhile, Ben’s mother, Mrs. Lucas, had failed to convince him to cut ties with Jamie. This left her in a tough spot, especial
Ben would never believe the truth, and his mother would never allow Charlie’s existence. Instead of creating chaos and an irreparable fallout, Jamie chose to keep it hidden. She thought that once Ben’s anger subsided, he would eventually let her go.“Even if you figure out who the father is, what difference does it make?” Jamie met Ben’s intense gaze calmly. “We’ve already said everything that needed to be said. Can’t we stop making each other’s lives miserable?”"Your mother offered so much money. Why wouldn’t I take it? I’m not a fool. I gave you up for one million before. After these past four years, do you really think there’s any love left between us? Do you honestly expect me to cry and beg for you?”Jamie’s voice was steady as she stared calmly at Ben. She had been scared at first, but over time, she had come to terms with her reality. Ben wasn’t going to kill her. And as long as she stayed alive, there would eventually come a day when he’d let her go. Right now, his anger wa
The next second, there was only silence on the phone.Ben sent the phone number to his assistant. “Investigate thoroughly.”A thought suddenly struck him. He couldn't let Jamie continue to roam freely outside.*Four days later, Ben's mother came to visit. “You refuse to take over the family business, and now you're going against me by keeping Jamie around again?”Ben didn’t respond, but her anger only grew. “Ben, you’ve seen for yourself what kind of person Jamie is. Why are you still so obsessed with her? The fiancée I arranged for you is far better than the one you’ve chosen!”The Larson family was also one of the prominent families in Birkham. While the Lucas and Larson families couldn’t rival the York family, the Lucas family still held its position as the second most influential family in the city. On top of that, they were relatives of the Scott Lucas. Even Scott, who had initially resisted marriage, eventually followed his parents’ wishes and entered into a family
Jamie closed her eyes briefly, sinking further into despair. She didn’t even notice when Ben had left the room. Her thoughts were scattered, her mind drifting in and out of focus.Though she wanted to leave the hospital, she was constantly watched, making it impossible. By afternoon, a nurse came in to change her dressing.Jamie glanced up absentmindedly. “It’s fine. I don’t need it.”“This is under Dr. Lawson’s direct orders,” the nurse replied gently but firmly. “I can’t afford to cut corners. Since you’re still admitted, please cooperate.”Jamie lifted her gaze slightly, her tone subdued. “I’d like to get some fresh air.”“Of course, once we’re done changing your dressing, I can take you outside. Just make sure not to strain your muscles,” the nurse said patiently.The weather was exceptionally pleasant that day. As she sat in the wheelchair outside, Jamie made several calls to Winnie. The phone was still off, as if Winnie had made up her mind to disappear completely from her
“You're the patient, and I'm the doctor. Taking care of you is my job,” Jay said with a light smile, handing her the utensils. “Go ahead, try it.”Jamie was indeed hungry. She hadn’t felt like eating, but she couldn’t refuse his gesture. Besides, she needed to regain her strength quickly if she hoped to find Charlie. She picked up the utensils and was just about to take a bite when footsteps sounded outside the room. The door swung open, revealing Ben. His expression darkened instantly, his face stormy as he took in the scene before him. “So, Dr. Lawson, is this how you treat all your patients, or is this a special case?” Ben’s tone dripped with sarcasm. “Just giving an old classmate some extra care. What’s the harm in that?” Jay replied, his words laced with subtle defiance. The room's atmosphere froze, tension thick in the air. Ben’s sharp gaze flickered between Jamie and Jay before finally settling on Jamie’s pale face, his expression unreadable. Jamie, sensing th
“Wake up, Charlie.” Winnie held him tightly, panic overwhelming her. She wanted to take him away, not harm him! Just then, the sound of a car pulling up broke through the darkness. Footsteps approached, slow and deliberate. A tall man emerged from the shadows and stopped in front of her. Tears streaming down her face, Winnie looked up. The man’s sharp, angular features were obscured by the dim light, adding to his air of mystery. But she immediately recognized him. It was the same man who had told her the truth about Jack Green being Ben Lucas. Winnie glared at him with fierce determination. “Why are you here? Are you happy now that things have come to this?” “You foolish woman, do you think being deceived feels any better?” the mysterious man sneered. “The truth is nothing but a bloody wound. I’d rather…” Winnie’s voice faltered, unable to continue. “Stop lying to yourself,” the man said with a slight shake of his head. “What do you want?” Winnie asked