Seeing his indifference, Sally called out, "Nash!" However, Nash did not want to hear her words and he walked away with a cold expression. Sally wanted to talk and patch things up with Nash. However, with Miranda crying and being bullied, she could not leave. She could only go over to help Miranda up, saying, "Miranda, get up quickly, stop crying." Miranda was supported by Sally, burying her face in her arms. "Sally, am I too annoying? Everyone seems to dislike me!" she sobbed. "No, no, I like you, everyone likes you," Sally comforted her, patting her back. Miranda continued to cry in Sally's arms. In this state, even if she was at fault, she turned into a victim, and no one dared to say a word against her. If it weren't for the hospital and so many people around, Nina would have wanted to give Miranda a good beating, tearing off her mask to see how good she was at pretending. Of course, she knew that no matter how much of it was true or false, Sally would still defend
He did not argue with her, simply ignoring all her crying and fussing. To him, Sally's tears were worthless. But as a woman, Sally felt her defenses crumbling under her husband's indifference, leading her to become even more agitated. "Why won't you speak? Do you value Zoe more than me? I'm your lawfully wedded wife, William! You can't treat me like this!" Her eyes almost red with tears and she desperately wanted her husband to show some concern. Even a glance would help soothe her anger and anxiety. Yet William remained silent, treating Sally as if she were a stranger. Nash, observing their dynamic, was unfazed. He withheld any comment. To him, they were only nominally his parents. Growing up in this environment had made him accustomed to everything, even their indifference. Unable to bear Sally any longer, William rose and said to Nash, "I'm going downstairs. Let me know when Zoe wakes up!" Nash kept his gaze low, his eyes cold, offering no response. William did not wait fo
Could he have known all along?She had heard Zoe mention it a few times before, but she had not given it much thought. Perhaps Nash had known all along and just never said anything."Nina," Scott approached her and gently said, "Why don't you take a break? You look exhausted."Nina had been standing for a long time and was starting to feel a pain in her back, but she wanted to wait for Zoe to come out. She sat down nearby and said, "I want to wait until Aunt Zoe wakes up.""I'll stay with you," Scott added.Nina nodded at him.Nash, with his tall frame leaning against the door frame, glanced over. The concern in Scott's eyes for Nina was almost palpable.Nina seemed to readily accept his kindness.A surge of irritation swept through Nash. His gaze turned colder, and he deliberately kicked the chair next to him, creating a noise.It was the chair Scott was sitting on. He looked up, and Nash said in a cold voice, "Sorry, didn't mean to kick it!""No problem," Scott responded
"No," Nina said firmly.Nash's expression changed, and he added coldly, "Soon to be ex-wife!"The doctor was momentarily taken aback by their responses but quickly continued, "The patient has a mild concussion and a fractured hand. She will recover with some rest. There's no need to worry too much."Nina was relieved and immediately said, "Thank you, doctor.""You're welcome."They followed Zoe as she was taken to her room.Nina noticed that Zoe's lips were dry, so she quickly got some warm water and used a cotton swab to moisten them.Nash stayed by her side. No one else was in the room to avoid disturbing the patient’s rest.Nina could not relax, so she sat across from Zoe, keeping vigil. As she watched over her, she grew tired and dozed off, slumping over in sleep.She was jolted awake by a nightmare, finding herself in a dark, confined space. These dreams plagued her often, leaving her feeling unsettled.When she awoke, she realized she was covered with a jacket. It was s
She caught a faint scent of disinfectant.Instinctively, she looked up. The man was wearing a black coat over a sweater, with dress pants and leather shoes. His face bore a slight smile, and he stared at her with his brown eyes. His face was fairer than his hands and he wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses. His lips curved naturally into a soft smile, giving him an approachable appearance, and a small mole marked the corner of his left eye.Despite his friendly appearance, Nina felt a chill run through her.A chill that penetrated to the bone."Ivy..." the man murmured, staring at Nina.Trying to calm her unease, Nina stood up, "Who are you calling?"Seeing no reaction from her, the man stood up too. He looked at her with those deep brown eyes meaningfully as he said, "It seems I mistook you for someone else.""Could you give me my things back?" Nina asked.The man smiled silently and handed her the shopping bags.Nina quickly took them, and the moment she touched his hand, sh
Hearing this, Miranda's expression stiffened slightly, but she firmly retorted, "No, I can’t do that. I'm Miranda, a big star now. How could I stoop to doing such things?""Miranda..." Wilfred repeated the name softly, then suddenly smiled. "That name isn't clean either. You’re dwelling in the darkness but dreaming of seeing the light, hmm?"He asked, tapping his slender fingers on the table.They were both people from the underworld and neither could claim purity.Miranda's face turned pale, and her hands clenched tightly. "It's all in the past. We can be clean now!"She longed to believe she could be clean. No one knew about the things she had done before. Although her hands were dirty, she had washed them clean.Wilfred remained silent.Miranda looked at him earnestly, "I want a normal life. I have a career, and I will have a family. You can have that too. You can live a normal life."Wilfred gazed into Miranda's eyes. He believed that, at this moment, she was sincere.But.
Nina stood at the doorway. She had hired someone to follow Miranda, waiting for this moment. There was no way Miranda would have intentionally made herself deaf. Someone must be helping her. Coming to this place was highly suspicious, and Nina hoped to find some clues.When the door opened, she saw the tall figure before her. "It's you!"Wilfred responded, "What a coincidence."Nina looked at the man dressed as a doctor. It all made sense now. She glanced inside, searching for any sign of Miranda. The person following Miranda said she had entered and never left."Are you a doctor?" Nina asked.Wilfred answered, "Yes."Nina probed, "I think a friend of mine came here...""Miranda?" he interrupted.Nina looked up at him. He did not seem to be hiding anything, and he seemed to know exactly what she wanted to ask. It felt almost too easy."She really came here?" Nina asked."I have the answers you're looking for," Wilfred said directly. "If you want to know, come in."He left
Wilfred's smile remained, the mole at the corner of his eye becoming more pronounced. "Isn't this what you wanted to know? I'm just telling the truth."Nina could not quite read him. With a single glance, she could see the entire space, and she was sure that Miranda was not there. She doubted the truth of his words. "How can I trust what you're saying?""What would I gain by lying to you?" Wilfred looked at the desk. "Here are the records of Miranda seeking my help. You can see for yourself."Nina picked up the medical records and reviewed them. Indeed, it showed Miranda had come to him for help. The regular doctors could not cure her, but he could. His medical skills seemed impressive. He was capable of inducing and restoring hearing loss. Everything fit."You know the truth now, aren't you afraid for your life?" Wilfred had moved close to her, his words dropping from above.Nina looked up at him, genuinely feeling a bit panicked. This man’s background was unknown, and she wa
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