Miranda's gaze softened for a moment, and she forced a smile. "Nash, what are you saying? Don't be so indifferent, okay? I'm scared, I'm already very scared!" Her hands began to tremble.But Nash released her, his eyes filled with coldness. "If you weren't causing trouble for yourself, how could it affect your hearing? Your care for yourself seems fake. You don't care about your career. You just want to torment yourself."The entertainment industry is so easy to navigate, isn't it? Anyone can climb to your position. Since you don't cherish it, I should find someone who does!" Nash's words were harsh, whether she could hear them or not, he made his point clear. He could not devote all his energy to her. She was someone he once raised up and he could just as easily bring her down.With that, Nash made up his mind to leave. Seeing his indifferent expression and realizing he did not care for her as he used to, Miranda became even more anxious. She hurriedly grabbed him from behind. "N
Miranda's head jerked to the side, and she fell directly from the hospital bed. It was a heavy fall, and the sound of bones hitting the floor could be heard clearly. She ended up lying sprawled on the ground in a miserable state.Just as Nash was about to push Miranda away, Zoe took the initiative and slapped Miranda first.Seeing Zoe present, Nash asked sternly, "What are you doing, Zoe?"At that moment, only the assistant rushed to help Miranda up."What am I doing? I'm dealing with the third party. Can't you see?" Zoe retorted coldly, showing no mercy to either of them.Tears flowed even more intensely from Miranda's eyes as she lay motionless, appearing fragile and helpless.Nash frowned, pulling Miranda up from the ground and saying, "She's ill, I just came to check on her.""And who are you to her, that she needs you to check on her?" Zoe disapproved. "She's faking it all. The whole point is to make you feel sorry for her, and you're falling for it!""I'm her boss. Even i
Nash intervened, pulling Zoe back, fearing her impulsive actions might escalate the situation. "What's going on, Aunt Zoe? Let her go!"Zoe shrugged off Nash's hand. "I'm not letting go. Today, I'm going to reveal her true colors and show you all. She's nothing but a liar. She's not deaf at all!""Ah—" Miranda screamed loudly. "You all wish for my death, I'll die then!" In the midst of their entanglement, she pushed past everyone and ran out. She crashed into the wall. Blood gushed from her head, and she fell to the ground unconscious. Nina widened her eyes, watching Miranda's action in shock, her face pale and her body retreating. Zoe was also stunned, not expecting Miranda to be so reckless. No one reacted in time. "Miranda!" The assistant called out in fear, "You gang of tormentors, you're all hurting her!" Nash did not hesitate, and he carried Miranda out directly. "Quick, call the doctor!" The assistant did not have time to argue with them and hurried out to call the d
"Nash..." She had just approached and was just about to call out but Nash turned back. He was still on the phone and he walked past her without noticing. "Block the news. Don't let anyone know about Miranda's condition. It won't look good..." Brushing shoulders with Nash, she felt like she was being treated as invisible. At that moment, Nina felt quite uneasy. While she worried about Zoe, it seemed that Nash was consumed with concern for Miranda, fearing it might affect her future prospects. She should not have thought so much about it, but everything she saw planted seeds of doubt in her mind. Seeing Nash so preoccupied with Miranda, he must have been very worried. Nina did not want to trouble him to find out more, so she headed towards the office. The doctor would surely provide her with accurate answers.Talking to the doctor about Miranda's condition, she learned that Miranda was deaf in both ears, completely unable to hear. She had already known about Miranda's inability
She owed him too much, debts she had not yet repaid."I'm fine," Scott walked in, wiping his sweat with a smile. "I rushed over from home so I didn't even have time to change clothes."Looking at him, Nina smiled. "Sit down, I'll pour you a glass of water.""No need, I'll do it myself!" Scott grabbed it, not wanting her to strain herself. "Is the baby okay?"Hearing him, Nina sat back down. "Has Leonard already told you everything?"Scott sipped his water, smiling but not saying a word.Nina teased, "He tells you everything. I suspect he's your informant. The moment something happens to me, it's immediately in your ears.""No way," Scott placed the glass down. "He and I are just good friends. We chat more because we're classmates.""Good then, or else I'd have no privacy left," Nina joked.Scott's gaze lingered on her belly."The baby's fine. There’s been some bleeding but it's not serious, the doctor told me to rest more," Nina informed him.Scott inquired further, "How man
Upon hearing this, a look of shock crossed Nina's face. Scott hung up after finishing his words. This decision had been on his mind for a long time. He needed to be brave and give it a try. If he did not seize this opportunity, he might never have it again."Scott, what are you saying!" Nina had never expected him to do this. She was not carrying his child, yet he was eager to step in as the father. This was unheard of.Scott explained, 'I'm sorry for making this decision on my own, but I believe it's the only way to make him give up.'"But what about you?" Nina furrowed her brows. "The child isn't yours, yet you're taking on this responsibility. It's not fair to you!"She was mindful of the situation. Scott was still young, with a long road ahead. What would his future wife think? What about his family? She could not let him bear this responsibility for her sake, inviting gossip and criticism.Scott responded, "Fair or unfair, in this life, I'll do what I like. I don't care w
"Scott..."The door slammed open, revealing Nash's grim face as he stormed in angrily."Scott!" Nash grabbed Scott's collar as he approached. "You've got some nerve to say that!"He had been itching to punch him for a while now! Lingering around Nina, it had been fueling his frustration.But for Scott to say something like that today... it was asking for trouble!He landed a direct punch on Scott's face."Nash!" Nina intervened immediately, scolding, "This is a hospital, don't resort to violence!"Nash's voice turned cold. "He's the one I'm hitting!"Despite taking a punch, Scott chuckled. "Go ahead, I owe you this. But once it's done, can Nina be returned to me?"Seeing his relaxed smile, Nash clenched his fists so hard they creaked. "Scott, you're not leaving with a face!""As long as you give Nina back to me, my face means nothing. I'd even give you my life!" Scott wiped the blood from his lip, completely unfazed by how much more beating he might take."You're asking for
Scott knew Nina inside out. Everything became crystal clear to him."Great, you two are on the same page now, and I've become the outsider!" Nash's heart turned cold. His gaze shifted to Nina, a smirk playing on his lips. "You want to tell me this, don't you? You and Scott have the closest relationship!"From that moment on, Nina knew they had completely severed ties. It still hurt her. However, knowing how caring he was towards Miranda, it was an insurmountable barrier even if their marriage persisted. He would never let go of Miranda. For her, it was a thorn in her side, a nagging feeling that would not go away."Think what you will," Nina said. "I've said my piece.""There’s no need for you to say anything," Nash retorted. With icy resolve, he pulled out their marriage certificate from his inner coat pocket.Holding up the certificate, he scoffed at Nina. "Our marriage, you don't want it? Well, neither do I!"Before their eyes, he tore up the marriage certificate. Nina wat
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