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
"Why is there a swimming pool here?" Nina thought to herself.Just as Nina was puzzled, she heard a splash in the pool. Startled, she raised her hands to shield her face from the water droplets. Once the water settled, she noticed someone swimming in the pool. The swimmer's tall, muscular physique was evident even through the rippling water.Wasn't the CEO of Grand Era Corporation over fifty? How could he have such a young and fit body?As Nina tried to make sense of the situation, she realized that the swimmer's body seemed increasingly familiar. When the man swam closer and emerged from the water, Nina was stunned."Why is it you?" she exclaimed.The man wiped the water from his face and looked at her with a confident, almost smug, expression. "Why couldn't it be me?"Nina scanned the surroundings again, her expression growing cold. "Where is the CEO of Grand Era Corporation?"She was here for an interview, not to play games with him.With a slight smirk, Nash leaned against
Nash was not wearing any clothes, his disheveled hair still dripping water. His deep-set eyes and chiseled features were accentuated by the droplets trailing down his jaw, over his neck, and disappearing into his chest. Even though she had known Nash for seven years and had been his wife for three, seeing him like this still made her feel uncomfortable.She maintained a cold demeanor, but her eyes avoided looking directly at him. "Why didn't you let me know earlier? Someone else took the assignment, and I couldn't go against the editor's decision."Nash did not continue the topic but asked, "And this time?""Well, now that I'm here, you should know I'm sincere about this interview," Nina replied.She reminded herself that they were no longer married. No, they had never truly been a couple. They just had a piece of paper saying they were. She had never experienced happiness or joy in their so-called marriage."Alright then, let's begin," Nash said.He was still in the pool, comp
Nina was startled and instinctively wanted to scream, but she did not fall completely into the water. Nash had one hand supporting her hips and the other under her back, keeping her head above water. She was not choking, but she was entirely soaked. The pool water was warm, not cold. Nina was furious and was glaring at him. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders to avoid falling into the water."What are you doing?!" Nina's tone was sharp.Nash pinned her against the pool's edge, his hands still holding her hips, their eyes level. "You wouldn't have come over otherwise."Nina pushed against his chest, but he was as immovable as a wall. "You said we could work, but what are you doing now? Are you trying to end the interview? Mr. York, your mind clearly isn't on business. If you're not serious, then I'm leaving!"She struggled to get out, but Nash grabbed her hand. "We'll get to work, but sometimes you need to relax."Nina retorted, "Getting dragged into the wa
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