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
Her words made Nina pause for a moment.Using her?What could she possibly have to be used for?Someone as clever as Nash, if he were to use anyone, it wouldn't be her.Seeing Nina hesitate, it seemed she still wanted to know. With her chin held high, Miranda smirked, "Don't you want to know what he's using you for?"Being used seemed far-fetched but she was certain Miranda would try various ways to sow discord.She turned around, seeing Miranda still smiling, hoping Nina would inquire further. She had no intention of playing into her hands, so she proceeded as she wished. "You seem more eager than I am to enlighten me."Miranda's face stiffened.Dealing with someone like Nina, who didn't play by the rules, truly irritated her.Nina stared at her directly, her tone cool. "Your aim is to get me to divorce Nash so you can seamlessly marry into the York family, isn't it? Feeling a bit threatened now?"Miranda subconsciously tightened her fist, trying to keep up her façade. "You
Doctor and nurses came over and carried Miranda away. Despite having countless grievances towards Nina, Sally had to stop. She was more worried about Miranda's condition.The moment Miranda was placed on the stretcher, Sally escorted her all the way. At the entrance of the emergency room, she was just as anxious, clasping her hands together. The doctor was discussing Miranda's condition with Nash and had no time to acknowledge Nina. Nina stood to the side, watching them tirelessly attend to Miranda, making her feel even more like an outsider.When Miranda was wheeled out, Sally escorted her back again. Nash didn't enter but noticed Nina walking behind him. He turned back and said to her, "Miranda can't handle any stress right now. Don't spend time alone with her."Nina felt a lump in her throat. Was he blaming her? Blaming her for upsetting Miranda and warning her not to trouble her in the future. Seeing her lower her head and remain silent, Nash thought she might be upset. He
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