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
"That's a bit much, he even finished the soup," Yvonne commented.Nina nudged Yvonne with her elbow, not wanting her to say anything inappropriate, and took the bowl from Wilfred."I like drinking soup," Wilfred replied.Then he added, "I have work to get to, so I won't disturb you two any longer."Nina responded, "Alright."Wilfred nodded to them both before walking out of the apartment. Nina saw him to the door and closed it behind him. As the door clicked shut, Wilfred paused. He turned back to look at the door for a moment, and then finally walked away.Downstairs, a car was parked and waiting for him. Just as he was about to get in, a nearby sports car rolled down its window.A striking woman with red hair, styled in loose waves, leaned out. Her eyes were captivating. She supported her chin with one hand, smiled playfully and asked. "Why did you move without telling me?"Seeing her, Wilfred closed his car door and smiled. "You found me quickly."The red-haired woman stepp
"What's so special about these strawberries?" Nina asked.Nina thought to herself, "Otherwise, she wouldn't be so concerned, following her all the way and saying she's envious."The red-haired woman eyed Nina carefully, examining her closely. The more she looked, the more familiar Nina seemed. "If there's anything special about them, it's that he grew them. No one else is allowed to touch them. Absolutely no one."Hearing this, Nina stopped in her tracks. "I have something to do. I'll be going now," the red-haired woman said, speeding away.Nina stared at the strawberries in her hand, deep in thought. Wilfred had told her all the neighbors had them, but did that mean only she had them?Pondering this, Nina hurried back to her company. After Michelle left, both she and Angel had managed to turn things around. Angel was especially happy, no longer confined to typing at a computer all day. She could finally go out.Nina was busy working on a draft when she suddenly received a
"Blind date?"Hearing this, Nash's expression instantly turned cold, his eyes narrowing sharply. They were not even divorced yet, and she was already thinking about meeting someone new. Did she really think a blind date could find her someone better than him?Nash said icily, "Let's see how good this blind date is!" On the surface, he remained calm, but his hands clenched into fists. He was already imagining killing the man trying to steal his wife.Just then, Wilfred stepped out of his house. Nash looked at him, their gazes locking. Wilfred stared back with a meaningful look. Nash did not back down either. They passed each other without a word, but the tension was palpable.Nash's expression remained cold, and he was on high alert. This man was not simple. And he lived right next to Nina.Meanwhile, Nina was handling the situation in the private room. The man stood up and introduced himself, "Hello, Nina. I'm Carl Lincoln. Do you remember me? Our families used to live next door
These were all their promises made to Julia. Julia knew what kind of life Nina had in the York family. Marrying a wealthy man did not guarantee happiness. Despite the wealth, life could still be miserable. In the end, it all depended on the attitude of the husband's family.Julia did not want Nina to repeat her mistakes. The attitude of the in-laws was crucial when choosing a marriage partner. The other family had maintained a good relationship with them for many years, even while living abroad. That showed sincerity. Julia trusted them and believed they valued Nina. Moreover, if Nina moved abroad, she would not run into Nash anymore, cutting off their last hope of reconciliation. They had been inseparable, and despite not being divorced yet, Julia decided to make the choice for them.She had explained the situation to the other family. They did not mind, showing they genuinely liked Nina. Given this leniency, Nina responded, "Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln, for your kindness, but
The woman had deliberately spoken in a vague and ambiguous way. She had been sent by Summer, with Mrs. Lucas's covert assistance. Together, they had schemed to place a helper in the villa with a simple enough task with their combined influence. But to Jamie, the words carried a different implication. This was Lucas’s territory, which meant this woman had likely been instructed by Ben. If Jamie didn’t drink the soup, she was certain Ben wouldn’t let it slide. A wave of bitterness washed over her. “Fine, just leave it over there. I’ll drink it later when I’m thirsty.” “Miss Lewis, I need to personally see you finish the soup before I can leave. If you’re not ready to drink it now, that’s no problem. I’ll just wait here.” The woman placed the tray on the table, pulled a chair over, and sat directly in front of Jamie. Her stare was unrelenting, her attitude clear. She wasn’t leaving until the job was done. If it had been anyone else in Jamie’s place, the woman wouldn’t da
“Don’t beg me. If begging worked, I’d have begged Ben not to leave a long time ago,” Winnie said as she wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes. “Here’s the deal. I called to make one thing clear. Everything you owe me, I’m going to take back, bit by bit, through Charlie. He’s your son, and they say the sins of the mother fall on the child.” With that biting remark, Winnie hung up without hesitation.Clutching her phone, her chest ached with a deep, lingering pain. The masked man approached, standing by her side. “Winnie, what’s the point of all this? You’re clearly full of hate for Jamie, but instead of taking it out on her, you’re here looking after her kid. I don’t get you sometimes.“If it were me,” he continued, “I’d grab this opportunity and make her suffer. Why are you holding back?”Winnie shook her head. “Charlie calls me his aunt, and besides, it’s not right to blame a child for the mistakes of adults.”She might despise Jamie, but Winnie couldn’t bring herself
On the day of the engagement banquet, Ben’s phone appearing near Jamie should have been a warning sign, but she missed it. Later, she had warmly welcomed Jamie into her home, showering her with care. She had even worried that Ben might dislike Jamie and tried to help them get along. And what happened in the end? While she had been tirelessly caring for them, the two of them ended up in bed together. Now, they were living under the same roof, while she and her child were left with nothing. How could Winnie not harbor resentment? Especially when she looked at Charlie, a chilling thought crept into her mind: If her own child’s life was ruined because of Jamie, then shouldn’t she retaliate by ruining Jamie’s child? An eye for an eye. But she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Every time Charlie called her "Aunt Winnie" with such innocence, it reminded her of the bond between them. How could she be so heartless? “I’m in Ben’s villa. He won’t let me leave,” Jamie
Ben gripped Jamie's chin tightly, his voice firm and unyielding. When Jamie had disappeared from his life, he had exhausted every possible means, called in countless favors, and poured his energy into finding her. But he had failed. Just when he was on the verge of giving up, he had met Winnie. It felt like fate had stepped in, intertwining their paths once more, as if destined for a lifetime of entangled love and hate. If that was his reality, then he would play along with it.“Instead of plotting ways to escape from me, why don’t you focus on apologizing? Show me some sincerity, and maybe I’ll make your life a little easier,” Ben said.Jamie’s lips curved into a bitter smile. She knew what he wanted.He wanted an apology and an attitude of remorse. But she also knew she had no leverage to stay by his side.Even if she played along now, making him happy temporarily, there was no future for them. Mrs. Lucas’s disdain for her was an insurmountable mountain, and she couldn’t see
Unfortunately, Ben couldn’t see through any of this. Summer, however, wasn’t the least bit intimidated. Shaking her head confidently, she said, “I’ve never done anything to upset him. I don’t believe that just exchanging a few words with him would make him kick me out.”Mrs. Lucas opened her mouth, about to say something, but seeing Summer’s confident demeanor, she hesitated. Maybe, just maybe, Ben might actually feel too awkward to reject her outright. And if a little covert manipulation were added into the mix…Suddenly, Mrs. Lucas had an idea. Hearing it, Summer’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Mrs. Lucas, that’s an excellent plan! We should act quickly before he does anything else irrational.” “Alright.” Though the plan was solid, the two of them decided to put it into action three days later. Meanwhile, Ben hadn’t been to the office lately, but he was still keeping track of all the firm’s cases. He was also trying to reach Winnie, but while her phone would ring,
Ben wanted nothing more than to wring Jamie's neck after hearing her cold, cutting words. “I don’t need your lectures,” he growled. Human nature? Didn’t she think he knew enough about it already? He had seen it in every case he handled, and he had learned it the hardest way through her betrayal. When he fell for Jamie, it had been with the intent to marry her, to share a future. But she had stabbed him in the back without hesitation. And yet, when he tried to hate her, tried to wish for her downfall, he couldn’t bring himself to follow through. “Stay here and reflect on your actions, Jamie.” Ben knew her well enough. If she cried, begged for forgiveness, he would soften. But she didn’t. Instead, all she cared about was that child, the child he refused to acknowledge. “Fine,” he thought grimly. “Let’s see how long that bastard can survive.”*Meanwhile, Ben’s mother, Mrs. Lucas, had failed to convince him to cut ties with Jamie. This left her in a tough spot, especial
Ben would never believe the truth, and his mother would never allow Charlie’s existence. Instead of creating chaos and an irreparable fallout, Jamie chose to keep it hidden. She thought that once Ben’s anger subsided, he would eventually let her go.“Even if you figure out who the father is, what difference does it make?” Jamie met Ben’s intense gaze calmly. “We’ve already said everything that needed to be said. Can’t we stop making each other’s lives miserable?”"Your mother offered so much money. Why wouldn’t I take it? I’m not a fool. I gave you up for one million before. After these past four years, do you really think there’s any love left between us? Do you honestly expect me to cry and beg for you?”Jamie’s voice was steady as she stared calmly at Ben. She had been scared at first, but over time, she had come to terms with her reality. Ben wasn’t going to kill her. And as long as she stayed alive, there would eventually come a day when he’d let her go. Right now, his anger wa
The next second, there was only silence on the phone.Ben sent the phone number to his assistant. “Investigate thoroughly.”A thought suddenly struck him. He couldn't let Jamie continue to roam freely outside.*Four days later, Ben's mother came to visit. “You refuse to take over the family business, and now you're going against me by keeping Jamie around again?”Ben didn’t respond, but her anger only grew. “Ben, you’ve seen for yourself what kind of person Jamie is. Why are you still so obsessed with her? The fiancée I arranged for you is far better than the one you’ve chosen!”The Larson family was also one of the prominent families in Birkham. While the Lucas and Larson families couldn’t rival the York family, the Lucas family still held its position as the second most influential family in the city. On top of that, they were relatives of the Scott Lucas. Even Scott, who had initially resisted marriage, eventually followed his parents’ wishes and entered into a family
Jamie closed her eyes briefly, sinking further into despair. She didn’t even notice when Ben had left the room. Her thoughts were scattered, her mind drifting in and out of focus.Though she wanted to leave the hospital, she was constantly watched, making it impossible. By afternoon, a nurse came in to change her dressing.Jamie glanced up absentmindedly. “It’s fine. I don’t need it.”“This is under Dr. Lawson’s direct orders,” the nurse replied gently but firmly. “I can’t afford to cut corners. Since you’re still admitted, please cooperate.”Jamie lifted her gaze slightly, her tone subdued. “I’d like to get some fresh air.”“Of course, once we’re done changing your dressing, I can take you outside. Just make sure not to strain your muscles,” the nurse said patiently.The weather was exceptionally pleasant that day. As she sat in the wheelchair outside, Jamie made several calls to Winnie. The phone was still off, as if Winnie had made up her mind to disappear completely from her