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
Julia urged them to have some alone time together. She pushed Nina into the kitchen. At this moment, Nash didn't stop his hands, making sure all the ingredients were thoroughly cleaned. In her memory, Nash wasn't someone who would do these things."Why did you come?" Nash said, "You didn't answer my calls, so naturally, I had to come and ask Mom where you went."Nina washed the vegetables together with him. "I remember you never used to do these things."Nash turned his head with a hint of teasing. "I’m trying to please my mother-in-law.""Stop it.""Why didn't you answer my calls?" Nash asked again.Nina paused. "I was afraid of disturbing you and Miranda."Nash laughed. Nina asked, "What are you laughing at?""Jealous?" Nina denied, "No, it's not the first or second time. If I get jealous every time, I'd be upset all the time."Nash didn't say anything. He just noticed some water splashed on her face. Nina was about to wipe it with her sleeve, but Nash stopped her ha
Scott was surprised and asked, "Mr. York is here too?" Their gazes all turned to Nash. For a moment, they didn't know how to respond to the question. Nina immediately said, "Mr. York is visiting our home today, Scott, please have a seat too." Julia followed, "Scott, I'm cooking, so you're eating with us. Don't even think about leaving." "Okay, thank you, Mrs. Walker," Scott politely replied. Luckily, the sofa was spacious enough for all of them, and Scott sat diagonally across from Nash. Zion and Scott were chatting about their past. It was only then that Nina learned that when they were in school, Scott lived nearby, and he was quite familiar with her parents. How did she not know about this strange connection? Upon hearing this, Nash's face immediately turned cold, showing his displeasure. Sitting here, listening to them talk about the past, he felt like an outsider. At the dining table, Scott showed extra concern for Nina, pouring her a glass of milk. "Here you go.
His words were firm, carrying his possessiveness.How could he not see that this guy named Scott liked Nina? He always appeared in front of her.Then he should let Scott know that he had no chance.Scott looked directly at Nash, and their gazes became heavy in the air. After a stalemate for a while, Scott spoke, "Mr. York, you're speaking too soon."He remained composed, not angry, taking a sip of water before saying meaningfully, "Nobody can predict the future. When fate arrives, nothing can stop it."Listening to this, Nash was displeased, but he instinctively held Nina's hand.Nina also sensed his mood. Since Scott arrived, he had been acting strange, seemingly targeting him at every turn. However, Nina was rational and didn't act impulsively. She withdrew her hand and eased the tension, "What are you all talking about? It was fine before, but now it's all about me. Mom, help Dad go rest. He's had too much to drink and might start saying nonsense again.""Alright." Julia al
Over time, without needing to say much, Scott came to understand her. Maintaining his gentlemanly demeanor, he didn't offer too much explanation: "It's nothing, just go ahead and eat."Yet, there was a twinge of shame in Nina's heart. To her, Scott was merely an old classmate, hardly even a friend, yet he was so attentive to her needs. Picking up her fork, she tried to eat the meat in her bowl. However, she couldn't shake off a nauseating smell, which killed her appetite."What's wrong? Can't eat anymore?" Scott asked.Setting down her fork, Nina didn't want to admit she had lost her appetite. Instead, she replied, "I have a small stomach, and I'm already full."Nash stood up. "Since everyone's eaten their fill, let’s stop here."Nina could sense his displeasure in Nash’s words, so she glanced at him, only to find his cold indifference. Meanwhile, Julia was attending to Zion. With no other choice, Nina had to see Scott off.Seeing Nina's pale complexion, Scott advised, "If you're
She leaned against the wall, feeling extremely uncomfortable, her face deathly pale as she continued to retch, but nothing came out.Seeing this, Nash nervously approached and supported her. "What's wrong? Where does it hurt?"Nina pushed his hand away, tears welling in her eyes. "You just brought up divorce, and now you're asking what's wrong?"Seeing her pale complexion, Nash softened his tone. "Let's go home first. We won't talk about this now."He held her waist and led her outside. Nina didn't refuse; she didn't want to argue with Nash at the doorstep, fearing her parents would see and worry about her. Her marriage might not be happy, but she didn't want her parents to be overly concerned.Arriving at the car, Nash looked at Nina's sickly appearance, sighed, and pulled her into his embrace again. "Nina, what should I do with you?"Nina leaned against his shoulder, her nose tingling. She wasn't sure when she had become so fragile. Perhaps because she found some solace in Nash
"You're just in time. I've made some red raspberry leaf herbal tea for you too," Sally instructed the helper. "Hurry up and bring the tea for Nina."Nina found it somewhat peculiar. With her mind solely focused on Miranda, why would she prepare tea for her?However, Sally's gaze was fixed on Nina's stomach. "This tea has been used for centuries to support reproductive health in women. They say once you drink it, you might conceive."As the helper brought the tea over, Nina took a sniff and immediately felt nauseated again. Her entire body was repulsed, prompting her to push it away. "Take it away. I can't drink it."Seeing her refusal, Sally's expression soured. "Nina, what's wrong with you? This tea was specially prepared for you. Since your stomach's not cooperating; you need to drink to regulate it. Hurry up and drink it for me."The helper presented the tea to Nina again.The nauseating smell was unbearable for Nina. "I can't..." She rushed to the bathroom."Nina, you..." Sa
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