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
"It's me!" Nash grabbed her hands.Nina looked up and saw Nash standing in front of her. "What are you doing here?"Nash's expression was dark. "I should be asking you that. What are you doing here?"Nina still had the medical records in her pocket and could not let Nash find out. If he knew, he might destroy them. She quickly responded, "I came to see a friend.""Do you think I'll believe that?" Nash retorted."What else would I be doing here?" Nina countered."You went to the fourth floor," Nash said coldly. "Do you know the consequences of entering a stranger’s territory?"Nina replied, "But I came out just fine!"Seeing her lack of concern, Nash's brows furrowed. "Nina, if something had happened, you could have lost your life. Do you realize how serious this is?"Nina studied Nash, wondering why he was here. Was it for the same reason as her? She could not be sure. Maybe their purposes were different. Regardless, she had what she came for. She softened her tone. "I und
"Isn't the child yours too?" Sally retorted.William looked at her coldly. "I don't even want this marriage, so why would I want a child?"Sally's face turned pale. "I knew you would say that, William. Why did I ever marry you? I regret it. If I could start over, I would rather have never married you!"William's tone was equally harsh. "Didn't you use every trick in the book to marry me? Did you think I wanted to marry you?"Sally's heart felt like it was tearing apart, her eyes reddening. "Yes, I used every trick, and you've been punishing me ever since!"He stayed out all night, rarely came home, and never treated this place as his home since they married. She felt like she was living a life of emotional deprivation."Punishing you? That's putting it lightly," William said with cold eyes. "I never even saw you as someone worth my time."Sally's heart grew colder. What had she been hoping for? That one day William would have a change of heart?No, she had not. She just could n
At that moment, she felt like she had lost everything. No one would be by her side.---Nina returned to the hospital.By this time, Zoe had woken up. She looked tired, lying motionless on the hospital bed."Aunt Zoe," Nina called softly, carrying several bags.Zoe turned her head and smiled, "Nina, it's you.""How are you feeling? Any better?" Nina asked. "If you're uncomfortable, let me know."Zoe glanced at Nash standing behind Nina and hesitated before saying, "The pain is still there, but it's manageable. Don't worry, I'll be fine in a couple of days."Nina nodded, acknowledging her words."Nash," Zoe turned her gaze to Nash, feeling a bit guilty about what happened at the cemetery. "I'm sorry, I spoke without thinking. Don't take it to heart."Although she was angry with Nash, she felt she had said too much, which could have affected him.Nash looked at Zoe and said in a low voice, "It's in the past. Don't dwell on it."Zoe sighed, her face filled with sorrow. "It mus
"When I left the York family, I didn't take it with me, so it’s not mine anymore!" Nina retorted.Nash pursed his lips, his eyes sharp, and his fists clenched tightly."Let's go," Scott said to Nina.Nina followed Scott. Nash, watching their retreating figures, did not stop them but his gaze remained icy.In the basement parking lot, Nina said to Scott, "I found out the reason for Miranda's hearing loss. Now I need to make a call."With the online discussions heating up, she needed to clarify things to restore Zoe's reputation.Scott immediately opened the car door. "Do you need to go to the TV station?""Yes, I need to go back," Nina replied.Scott promptly drove her to the TV station. Nina had recently taken some leave. Originally, Michelle had failed to get an exclusive interview with Nash and had sabotaged Nina's news story, causing a scene at the TV station. The chief editor found out about all of it and gave her a good scolding. As a result, Michelle left a poor impress
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