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
Zoe was greatly surprised, left only with anger and disappointment. At that moment, Nash emerged from the hospital room and spotted Zoe with Nina. He politely called out, "Aunt Zoe." "Don't call me that!" Zoe's temper flared as she launched into a tirade against Nash. "Do you still see me as your aunt? How could you not discuss something as significant as divorcing Nina with me? Have you forgotten Grandpa's advice to take care of Nina? Is this how you take care of her? Nash, I've watched you grow up. How could I not know you're so irresponsible, wanting a divorce? You're completely disregarding the marital bond for this mistress pretending to be sick in bed!""Zoe, mind your words. What mistress? What irresponsibility? Can you not drag this into the conversation?" It was the first time Sally stood up to Zoe upon hearing her harsh words. "If Nash wants a divorce, it's their business. What does it have to do with you? You're just using your seniority to reprimand my son like this!"N
Nina also blamed herself, wondering why she couldn't endure a little longer. If she hadn't been so impulsive, Zoe wouldn't have found out. "I'm sorry." In truth, Nina didn't want to cause trouble for Nash, but words couldn't be taken back once spoken. Nash's deep gaze simply watched her, contemplating many things before speaking, "Do you really want to divorce me?" Nina pondered. Did she truly want to divorce Nash? In reality, she wanted a fresh start for herself. The current situation seemed hopeless, devoid of any prospects, and she didn't want to dwell on it any longer. Seeing her silence, Nash asked again, "Would being with me cause you a lot of trouble?" Hearing this, Nina couldn't hold back her emotions, her eyes growing hot as if tears were about to fall. If he had been angry and blaming her, perhaps she wouldn't have felt this way. But his gentle words instead made her emotions spiral out of control. Rather than saying it was troubling, it was more accurate to say
Seeing this, Taylor took the wine and said, "Mr. Lincoln, Nina doesn't drink. I'll drink in her place."Mr. Lincoln was not pleased. "That's not good enough."Taylor felt a bit embarrassed. She lacked social experience and couldn't be as smooth, feeling nervous and afraid of making mistakes, which made her timid."Nina, your drink can't be drunk by your subordinate."Both of them were women, giving Mr. Lincoln more courage to speak less politely. "You're representing Mr. York and he always drinks with us. How can you refuse to drink? Since you're here, you should blend in with us. That's the proper thing to do."Here, let me fill your glass. Let's drink heartily tonight."Others chimed in, "Nina, don't embarrass yourself. Mr. Lincoln asked you to drink, so drink. Stop making so many excuses for yourself!"Don't ruin our mood. If Mr. York finds out you're not handling things properly, you'll get scolded when you go back!"Nina disliked this type of gathering. Just because Nash c
His touch instantly disgusted Nina, she couldn't accept it and pushed him away forcefully. "Mr. Lincoln, please show some respect!""What more respect do you need? You're just one of Nash's mistresses, who knows how many times you've been slept with. Giving you the chance to drink with us is already giving you face, so don't act like you have any dignity!" Mr. Lincoln's malicious intentions persisted. Despite her repeated refusals, his patience wore thin, and he approached Nina, embracing her. "What Nash has given you, I can give you too. I'll give you a villa, so you won't have to worry about anything in the future. Be my mistress, it'll be much better than being with Nash...""Get off!" Nina couldn't hold back either, she slapped him hard. "Don't touch me!"Mr. Lincoln, now slapped, his eyes burning with rage, glared at Nina. "You little slut, how dare you hit me! I'll make sure you regret it!"Taylor was terrified beyond measure. Nina also feared for Taylor's safety. Sitting n
Nash embraced Nina tightly, wishing he could envelop her completely to protect her from all harm. Resting his chin on her head, he responded to her deep with remorse, "I'm here, Nina, you're safe now, you're safe!"Nina buried herself in his chest, her body still trembling uncontrollably. She choked out, "Why did you only just come? I almost, I almost... thought I wouldn't see you again!"Nash held Nina, her lips drained of color, and clenched his fists tightly, anger evident in his eyes. However, he patiently comforted Nina, wanting to provide her with enough security to ease her recent pain. "I'm sorry I'm late. Don't be afraid, I'll never leave you alone again!"He was worried about Nina, so he came over, but he was still late!Nina broke down in tears, expressing her anxiety, fear, and resentment towards She clenched her fists and lifted them, pounding them onto his chest. "You'll abandon me, just like you always have. In the past, and now too."She couldn't remember how many
After he left, there were only desperate cries inside. Nina had a long dream where a demon was chasing her. She wanted to run but couldn't move. Overwhelming fear enveloped her, making it hard to breathe, as if she was about to die. She sobbed, tears still streaming down her face. Nash saw this and wiped the tears from her eyes. Nina had a high fever. Taylor cried on the side. She had wanted to call for help but encountered Nash at the door. Luckily, he arrived in time; otherwise, the consequences would have been unthinkable. She cried, "Mr. York, it's all my fault. I didn't take care of Nina properly. She has a fever. Let's take her to the hospital." At this moment, Nash was very indifferent, like a block of ice, devoid of any compassion. He simply said, "No need, Quincy, take her home!"With that, Nash carried Nina into the car and left.Meanwhile, Taylor continued to blame herself incessantly, crying uncontrollably. Quincy advised, "Stop crying, let's go home. With Mr. Yor
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