"No need," Nina said. "I'll drive myself. If you're busy, go ahead and attend to your matters. I'll come by another day to apologize.""Don't be so formal," Leonard replied. "This beating wasn't in vain. I believe in your abilities, and I'm sure they'll bring me greater benefits!"After treating his injuries, Leonard bid farewell to Nina and left early. Once he got into the car, he messaged Scott. "Do you know Nina is pregnant?"Scott was at home, looking disheveled and casually dressed. He glanced at the message, his hand hesitating for a moment. "I didn't know," he replied.Leonard was surprised. "Well, your path just got harder. Nina is carrying someone else's child. Looks like she's fallen for someone else. How do you plan to win her over?"Scott's expression changed several times before he finally responded with resignation. "If she's happy, then I'll offer my blessings... but only if she's genuinely happy.""But she's pregnant now, and judging by her current state, she does
She lifted the bowl and approached him with a spoon, ready to feed him. Seeing this, Scott just wanted to keep his distance. "It's okay, I'll drink it myself," he said."Take it slow, it might be a bit hot," Yasmine said, not insisting further, but watching attentively from the side.Scott took the spoon and took a couple of sips. "How is it?" Yasmine asked eagerly.Looking at her, Scott smiled politely. "It's not bad," he replied.Yasmine happily said, "You haven't tried my cooking yet. I'm really good at cooking. Everyone who's tried my food says it's delicious. I have a talent for cooking. Next time, I'll come to your place. I've asked your parents, and I know what you like to eat. How about I come over and cook for you?""No need!" Scott immediately refused. "I'm busy with work and rarely at home.""When you have time," Yasmine insisted.Seeing Yasmine so enthusiastic, Scott found a good way to refuse her. "Yasmine, you don't need to worry about me so much, and don't listen
Nina turned around to see Michelle storming towards her, furious. Without a word, Michelle slapped her. Fortunately, Nina reacted quickly, anticipating her move, and caught her hand. Michelle tried to resist, cursing, "You despicable woman! You set me up! While I wasn't paying attention, you cozied up to the powers that be. Not only did you receive donations, but you also managed to get your project noticed by the chief editor. Why? What right do you have to steal my spotlight?" At this point, if Michelle caused trouble for the orphanage, she would only be causing trouble for herself. The station would surely fire her if they found out. Moreover, she had people protecting her, so if she offended others, she would not get far in the future. Thus, she had no leverage against Nina.While Michelle was in a frenzy, Nina looked at her with a cold smile and shook off her hand. "You're allowed to scheme against me behind my back, but I can't defend myself? Besides, didn’t I help you s
Nina looked down and saw blood on her pants. Her face immediately paled, her stomach had been bothering her since yesterday, but she was too caught up in work to pay it much mind.Lacking experience, she ignored the discomfort, and now her stomach was hurting even worse. Instinctively, she clutched her abdomen, bending over in pain. Her face was pale and she was covered in cold sweat.Seeing her bleeding, Nash's expression changed drastically. He hurried over and grabbed her, saying, "Nina!"Nina was in so much pain that she almost fainted. This delayed reaction intensified the pain. She grabbed Nash's arm and said weakly, "The baby..."Without hesitation, Nash lifted her into his arms. "It'll be okay, I'll take you to the hospital!""Quincy, drive quickly!"Quincy was terrified, encountering such a situation for the first time. He quickly opened the car door for them. Nash placed Nina in the car, got in himself, and laid her head on his lap. Seeing her deathly pale face, he wa
Nash followed all the way to the operating room, watching as Nina was wheeled inside. He could only stand at the door, his anxiety mounting. He felt as if the weight of the world was pressing down on him. Suddenly, he remembered something and added, "Save her, and also save her child!"As Nina disappeared through the door, a sense of darkness enveloped Nash. He stood at the entrance to the operating room, panting heavily. Sweat dripped from his forehead, his chest heaving as he remained rooted in place for a long time. It felt like countless threads were pulling at his heart, making it hard for him to breathe. He felt a bit scared.Scared that Nina might be in danger.Scared that if Nina lost the child, she might resent him.In that moment, he truly felt it. Though he could not accept the child, he was even more afraid of losing Nina.Nash remained silent, not uttering another word throughout. He was sitting in a nearby chair, his head bowed, his face filled with worry. His palm
Upon seeing this, Miranda's pupils contracted slightly, revealing a mix of shock and anger. She directly threw her phone to the ground! Her assistant, witnessing the scene, asked, "What happened, Miranda? Why are you so angry?"The phone kept ringing, but Miranda's entire focus was on the news of Nina's pregnancy. Whose child was she carrying? Why was she pregnant? Didn't they agree they hadn't been intimate? Why would Nina be pregnant?Miranda clenched her fist tightly, her knuckles turning white. As the assistant approached, Miranda pushed her away, saying, "Don't touch me!"The assistant was startled by her reaction. Seeing it was Ruby, Miranda's face softened a bit, tears welling up in her eyes, appearing pitiful. She buried herself in the assistant's arms, crying."Why, after all I've done, is he still not satisfied? Has he forgotten my kindness to him?" Miranda sobbed.The assistant could not bear to blame her, seeing her so broken.---As Nina was wheeled out of
Nina woke up in the middle of the night. Feeling a weight on her hand, she opened her eyes and saw Nash sleeping soundly beside her, tightly holding her hand. His hair was disheveled, and his face showed signs of exhaustion, indicating he had not slept well. His usually clean-shaven face now had some stubble, which caught Nina off guard for a moment. Countless emotions surged within her.After a while, Quincy came over, holding various items in his hand. "Madam, you’re awake," he whispered softly. Nina nodded in acknowledgment. Quincy glanced at the sleeping Nash and continued, "Mr. York stayed by your side all night. I told him to get some rest, but he insisted on staying with you. He only fell asleep in the morning."Nina felt a lump in her throat and hoarsely asked, "The child..."Quincy replied, "The child is safe. It was a close call, but luckily the child is fine. Otherwise, it will be over between you and Mr. York. The moment you went into the operating room, Mr. York w
"Nash..." Nina's words were cut off as the door suddenly swung open. Zoe hurriedly walked in, her gaze landing on Nina with a hint of joy. "Oh my goodness, my dear, you're pregnant and you didn't tell me. You've made me the last to know! If I had known earlier, I wouldn't have gone on that trip. Tell me, am I the last to find out?"Zoe still held a suitcase, wearing a headscarf and sunglasses, looking like she had just gotten off a plane. Her skin appeared significantly tanner than before and she was carrying many things with her.Nina's words to Nash were interrupted by Zoe's arrival. Nina quickly sat up, calling out, "Zoe!"Seeing Zoe, Nina was overjoyed, as if all the clouds had dispersed. Zoe dropped her suitcase and walked over, pushing Nash aside to embrace Nina. "My dear Nina, you've worked hard, carrying the flesh and blood of our York family. It must have been tough."Nina hugged her, feeling either deeply moved or overwhelmed by recent events. She sniffled softly. "Why
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