"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
Nash dropped to one knee, followed by the men behind him, creating an imposing scene that filled the room with tension. Julia stumbled back a few steps in shock. Even Nina was stunned.Julia had initially been full of righteous anger, but seeing Nash kneel, her fire diminished. "Nash, what are you doing? Get up now!" she said, her tone softening.Nash kept his head bowed. "Mom, please entrust Nina to me."He used force with others, but with Nina's family, he was always respectful. No matter how dissatisfied Julia was or how little faith she had in their marriage, seeing Nash humble himself like this made her reconsider. She found herself conflicted."Julia," Mrs. Lincoln interjected, noticing the unresolved tension, "Hasn't Nina gotten a divorce yet?"Julia felt embarrassed. "They were supposed to divorce. I didn't expect this.""It's alright, we understand. This gentleman seems sincere," Mrs. Lincoln replied kindly. "If there's a chance to save the marriage, we shouldn't interfe
Nash's expression became complicated, and his expression looked grim. Nina did not care how harsh her words were. Once she decided to leave, nothing he said could change her mind. She turned her head and calmly left the restaurant. Nash remained where he was, rooted to the spot.As Nina stepped out of the restaurant, she felt a sudden sense of relief. Leaving Nash was the right choice. Despite his declaration of love, how much of it could she believe? Trusting in a man's love might only lead to deeper hurt later on."Mr. York, aren't you going after her?" Quincy asked, seeing Nash standing there. Quincy was stunned and more anxious than him.Nash replied, "Didn't you see how much she resented my attempt to keep her? If I chase after her now, she’ll only hate me more.""So what should we do? Just let her go?" Quincy questioned.Nash, determined to find a solution, said coldly, "Doesn't Starry Sky TV station want to interview me?""What? What are you talking about?" Quincy hadn
Nina noticed the red-haired woman's disheveled appearance and couldn't help but think along certain lines. But the noise shouldn't have been that loud, should it?The red-haired woman crossed her arms and suddenly understood. "So that's it. You live next door.""What do you mean?" Nina asked, puzzled. "Is everything okay now?"The red-haired woman asked, "Was the noise very loud?""A bit.""Sorry for disturbing you," the red-haired woman said with a smile. "It's all settled now. You can go back to sleep."After exchanging a few words, the red-haired woman gave Nina a meaningful look before walking away slowly. Once she was sure there were no more noises from next door, Nina closed her door. During the day, Wilfred had injury on his hand, and at night this woman came over, making a lot of noise. It seemed more complicated than it appeared. But ultimately, it was someone else's business. Why should she worry about it?Nina quickly got back into bed to sleep.The next day, Nina
She had never considered that goal before. Maybe Angel had pure intentions, wanting to make a name for herself in journalism. For Nina, it was more of a passion, a way to speak for others. She did not have grand ambitions for achievements.Looking at Angel's innocent expression, Nina smiled, "I haven't thought about it yet. You're different from me.""Yeah, you and I are different. You've already accomplished so much. You were Nash's senior secretary, practically the third in command at York Corporation. And you still chose to resign. Your thinking must be way ahead of mine," Angel said admiringly. Nina excelled in everything she did and had the ability to uplift those around her, something Angel greatly admired and wanted to learn from."We're all just ordinary people. Don't put me on a pedestal," Nina said. "I've been working for years, and you're just starting out. When I was your age, I was just like you. Once you gain more experience, you'll be even better than me.""You're
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