Hearing this, Nina instinctively clenched her fists and avoided his gaze. She was afraid she was being too self-centered. "You only want to change because you care. Why do you care so much?"Nash looked at her. "You’re my wife."Nina pursed her lips slightly and poked the tacos with her fork without eating. "Haven’t we already agreed to divorce? Just being your wife isn’t enough of a reason. You never tried to change for me before, so why now?"Nash simply watched her, seemingly deep in thought, without saying anything more.Feeling his gaze on her and seeing that he was not speaking, Nina stopped waiting and began to eat, keeping her head down."I think I’m falling for you.""Cough, cough, cough..."The light comment caught Nina off guard, causing her to choke on the spicy tacos. It burned her throat and made her feel awful.Seeing her struggle, Nash quickly poured her some water. "Are you okay? Drink some water!"Tears welled up in Nina’s eyes, blurring her vision, and she w
She sat on the bed, her gaze drifting toward the door, knowing that Nash was just outside. She could not fall asleep, her mind unable to calm down. She kept thinking about what Nash had said. When it came to this matter, she still felt a bit timid, unable to reveal her true feelings. Yet, she could not help but feel agitated.After a while, the door opened again. Nina looked up to see Nash walking in. She stared at him, just as she had the first time she saw him. She was unable to say a word and was simply looking at him openly.Nash held a cup of milk and placed it in front of her. "Drinking a glass of milk before bed is good for you. It’s sweet and can help relieve stress," he said in a low voice.Nina glanced at the milk and then at his arm, where veins slightly bulged. She felt a sense of déjà vu, as if she had experienced this moment before. Recently, she had felt very off. Not only was she becoming paranoid, but she was also recalling scenes she had not actually experienced.
Seeing that he really did not remember and had no impression of it, Nina felt a bit disappointed. She shook her head. "No, nothing else."Nash did not press further. Nina lay down, turning her back to him, avoiding his face. She had noticed his calm expression earlier. Why didn't he remember that Zac was him? Had he completely forgotten this part of his past? Even if so, he should remember his former name. Where did things go wrong?The more she thought about it, the more she felt trapped in a dead end. Frustrated, her head ached. She closed her eyes, trying to stop thinking. Nash tucked her in, watching her for a while until her breathing steadied. Then he quietly left the room.Taking out his phone, he saw numerous missed calls. He called back, his expression serious. On the other end, someone reported, "Mr. York, the company's stock has dropped several points because of the news about Miranda. We couldn't reach you and didn't know what to do. We need your decision."Na
Only by escaping these troubles could she establish herself in the entertainment industry, and the company would unconditionally stand by her side.Miranda had not walked far before she was recognized. "Isn't that the liar Miranda?" someone shouted.Seeing that she was recognized, Miranda panicked and instinctively covered her face."That's her! She's feeling guilty!"Despite wearing sunglasses and a mask, she was still recognized. One person speaking up drew the attention of many others, and soon she was surrounded."How dare you show your face? Aren't you afraid of getting hit with rotten eggs?""What face does she have left? If she had any decency, she wouldn't have done such despicable things!""Liar! You led your fans to cyberbully others. You deserve to go to hell!"Miranda looked at them, their faces fierce and menacing. Her face turned pale, and her heart trembled. She quickly tried to explain, "I didn't bully anyone online, and I didn't lie..."Smack!Someone grabbed
How could it be him?"What are you doing here?"Nina was still very cautious. She hadn't had much contact with him, only meeting once because of the situation with Miranda. His sudden appearance made her suspicious, wondering if he had followed her or had other motives.Wilfred's expression showed a bit of surprise, but he calmly said, "I live next door."Nina looked at him, not quite understanding what he meant.Seeing her wary and confused look, Wilfred pointed to the adjacent door and explained, "I'm your new neighbor."Nina looked at the open door next to hers and realized the empty apartment had been occupied. She turned back to Wilfred and asked, "When did you move in?""This morning.""I remember when I came to find you before, your workplace looked more like a place you lived," Nina said, thinking he had stayed there."No, I rest there when I'm busy, but I still need a private space."Nina recalled their previous encounters, which seemed a bit too coincidental.To ea
Although she had paid for the information, she still felt indebted."Maybe another time," Nina replied, not rejecting the offer directly. "Wait a moment. You gave me strawberries, so I'll give you something in return."She hurried inside her house. Wilfred did not follow her in, quietly waiting at the door. Nina had not planned on what to give him, but she spotted a few bottles of fresh milk and decided to grab them.Wilfred watched Nina’s retreating figure with a gentle smile and warmth in his eyes. When she turned back around, he quickly concealed his emotions."I don't have much at home, but I really like this milk. It's quite rich. I don't know if you'll like it," Nina said.Wilfred did not refuse, taking the two bottles of milk from her. "Thank you.""It's nothing. You've helped me, and I'll remember that.""You paid for the information. You don't owe me anything," Wilfred replied."Miranda's information wasn't just any information," Nina said. "Since you were willing to s
They walked inside first, with Wilfred following. He hesitated for a moment as he stepped in but ultimately followed through. Yvonne entered, placed her bag on the side, and plopped down on the sofa. Meanwhile, Nina went to the kitchen to prepare three bowls of noodles.Wilfred stood by the door, his eyes scanning the room. He remained silent with a slight smile on his face. Yvonne noticed him standing there and said, "Why are you standing? Come sit."Wilfred glanced at her before walking over. Yvonne poured him some tea, curiosity evident on her face. She could not help but be intrigued by this handsome man. It seemed Nina had a knack for attracting good-looking men."What do you do for a living? How old are you? How many people in your family?" Yvonne asked, sipping her tea like a family member grilling a potential suitor."Doctor," Wilfred replied simply in a casual tone, as he picked up the cup to drink tea.Yvonne noticed a string of beads on his wrist, which looked uniqu
Nina looked at Wilfred and said, "You don't need to go through all that trouble."Wilfred replied, "I don't really like fruits. The strawberries would just go bad if left uneaten, so it's better if you have them."Yvonne's eyes lingered on Wilfred, feeling something was off. He seemed very attentive to Nina."Let's eat the noodles before they get soggy," Nina suggested.They began eating together. Wilfred stared at his bowl for a while before starting to eat, taking his time. When Nina finished, he still had half a bowl left. As she took her bowl to the kitchen, Yvonne followed, nudging her shoulder. "Do you think he likes you?"Nina nearly choked on her noodles. "That's impossible. Including today, we've only met three times and barely talked."Yvonne pondered for a moment, recalling that she had not seen Wilfred around before. "But it feels like you've known each other for a long time by the way he looks at you. And he brought you strawberries. You love strawberries, right? B
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