"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
Seeing Nina brought some comfort to Angel. Nina immediately reassured her, patting her on the back. Glancing at the computer screen filled with pages of text, she said, "Alright, stop crying. This time, I’ll make sure you get your moment in the spotlight."Angel, still sniffling, asked, "What do you mean by 'spotlight'? If I can get back at Michelle, that would be the real victory!"Having been oppressed by Michelle for so long, Angel wanted nothing more than to see her fall and to crush her underfoot."That's exactly what I'm talking about," Nina replied.Angel froze, quickly wiping away her tears. "Nina, I knew you’d come to my rescue. Tell me what to do, and I'll do it immediately!"Nina sat down, ready to work with Angel to expose the truth about Miranda.Meanwhile, Michelle was on her way to Miranda's residence. Miranda had returned home to Riverside Estate, a place where Nash would not visit. She was exhausted and knew she could not rely on Nash to support her. She had
Miranda quickly stood up, her face pale. "What? How is that possible?""I'm not lying. People have already started calling!" Ruby, her assistant, was equally stunned. "They’re saying horrible things. I didn’t know how to handle it, so I unplugged the phone. You shouldn’t listen to them."The shock was overwhelming for Miranda. "Who has my medical records? This is impossible!"She quickly pulled out her phone to check online and see what was going on. The only possible way this could happen was if...No, it could not be. She did not believe it.But when she opened her social media, it was flooded with comments criticizing her.They called her a hypocrite, an actress pretending to be innocent while scheming behind the scenes. They accused her of ruining others' lives for her own gain, saying she was a deceitful woman with a double-faced persona.Miranda had been in the industry long enough to see negative comments before, especially when she was a singer. But those were in the min
"It’s reliable. I'm in the hospital room next to her. I saw the person covered in injuries. I don't know how it happened, but it’s really bad. All because of a few words from Miranda, now she’s badly hurt!""This is so unfair! Just because Miranda is a public figure, a single word or look from her can twist reality. Today the person is admitted to the hospital, and tomorrow, her life could be at stake. The rules in the entertainment industry need to be changed for the better. Artists should embody both virtue and talent. People like her should be severely punished!""Miranda, get out of the entertainment industry!""Michelle, you should stop reporting. You’re feeding on people’s misery!"Michelle's face turned pale. She had not anticipated this would backfire on her as well.Suddenly, she recalled Nina's warnings about valuing her reputation. Michelle's first reaction was to blame Nina. "Could this be Nina's doing?"Miranda was too afraid to check her phone, fearing the comment
Miranda was in shock, unable to believe it could be him. Her world felt like it was falling apart.Michelle, seeing her distress, said, "Miss Miranda, we're in this together now. We need to turn things around. Otherwise, we'll both suffer!"Since she had already reported the news, there was no turning back. The only option was to work with Miranda to find a solution. They needed to regain the trust of the public by creating a new narrative.But Miranda could not process it. "Everyone, leave. I need to cool off to think."Michelle, desperate, continued, "We need to come up with a plan. Cooling off won't help. We've been exposed. Maybe you could accuse them of slander, file a lawsuit, and use legal action to buy us some time..."Before she could finish, Miranda interrupted, "Ruby, escort her out. I need to be alone.""Miss Jacobs, please leave. Miranda needs some time to think," the assistant said, quickly guiding Michelle out.Michelle was furious. She knew her reputation and job
Wilfred did not hide anything, revealing it all plainly.Miranda was shocked. "Why would you do this? Do you realize how much this affects me? I asked you to take care of Nina, thinking her death could save us. But instead, you pushed me into the fire. Why did you do this?"The bread in Wilfred's hand had been eaten by the pigeons. He brushed the crumbs off his coat. "There was no transaction between us. You didn't pay me, and I didn't ask for your money. Nina paid me for your information. Out of respect for the money, I couldn't refuse.""Wilfred!" Miranda growled. "This is not a joke! We’re supposed to be in this together!"Wilfred's slight smile faded, and he replied calmly, "I know exactly what I'm doing. As compensation, I'll restore your hearing.""I don't understand you anymore," Miranda said, almost laughing at the absurdity. "I thought we were the same. I believed you'd always help me, but then you sold me out to Nina. Who are you? Unless there's something between you and
Why did she feel so sad?Nina thought about it for a while but could not figure it out. "How long was I asleep?" she asked."Half an hour," Angel replied. "Nina, have you been overworking yourself lately? You fell asleep as soon as you put your head down on the desk."Nina guessed it might be because of her pregnancy. "Maybe I just didn't sleep well last night."Angel, still looking worried, finally felt reassured once she was certain Nina was okay. She could not wait to share some good news. "The article we posted was well-received. Can you guess the number of views? Over a million!"The internet is up in arms against Miranda, and they’re not sparing Michelle either. We did it!" Angel was eager to share her excitement. "I’d love to see Michelle's reaction. This time, she has hurt Starry Sky TV station’s reputation, and she’ll definitely face consequences!"Nina's main target was always Miranda. "We’ve made some progress, but if this affects Starry Sky TV station, the higher-ups
"Fine," Michelle sneered. "Let's see who the chief editor sides with!""Enough!" Suddenly, Kate was standing behind them, her expression stern and displeased. Seeing them argue without regard for their colleagues' presence made her even more upset.Michelle quickly turned to Kate and said, "Chief Editor, you're just in time. Please judge this fairly. They ruined my work and damaged my reputation. I was about to secure an exclusive interview with Miranda, a rising star, which would have brought tremendous benefits to us. But they...""Enough!" Kate cut her off, her cold gaze fixed on Michelle.Michelle, trying to appear calm but feeling a bit panicked, she stammered, "Chief Editor, I’m telling the truth.""Do you even realize what you've done?" Kate questioned sternly. "Miranda's reputation is already in shambles. Her actions have caused public outrage, and she might even get blacklisted. And yet you're talking about this? Those inaccurate reports you published have severely affect
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