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
Hearing this, Nash's expression finally changed, the words striking a nerve."Do you really have to bring this up?" Nash's tone grew colder."I'm saying this to minimize the harm to both of us."Nash stared at her intensely, struggling to accept what she was saying. He had been trying hard to forget these unpleasant truths, yet she insisted on bringing them up. "Just get rid of the baby," he said."I don't want to."Nash's lips tightened as he took a step back, offering a compromise. "I can give you time to think about it."Nina looked up at him, her eyes firm. "There is no time left."Nash pressed further, "Then tell me, whose child is it?""It's Zac's."Nash's fists clenched with veins bulging on his forehead. He asked coldly. "Who is Zac? Does this person even exist, Nina?""He does," Nina said, her eyes locked with his. "I've told you before. He's my hero. He saved me."A surge of heat rushed to Nash's head. He had heard this name countless times, but had never seen any
Nash's eyes fixed on Nina.Feeling uneasy under his intense gaze, Nina asked, "Are you done swimming? If so, can I leave now?"Nash's eyes darkened further. "Are you lying to me?"Nina's heart tightened, as if bound by an invisible string. She met his gaze and said, "No."Nash's brows furrowed slightly, and he slowly released her. "You've lied to me once. I won't allow you to lie to me again."Nina remained silent. Given their current situation, whether she lied or not seemed irrelevant. Sometimes, lying was a way to protect herself.Nash did not press her further but instead let her go to the changing room to put on a fresh set of clothes. He had prepared everything in advance.Inside the changing room, a female secretary handed her a comfortable, loose-fitting tracksuit. "Miss Walker, Mr. York asked me to bring this for you."Nina's clothes were soaked through, and her hair was half-wet. She planned to towel it dry. "Alright, you can leave now."The secretary suggested, "Wou
Nash let out a cold laugh, "Have you ever seen such mutual affection?"The other person was left speechless. They were all adults and should be responsible for themselves, not easily deceived. It seemed to him that Nash was overreacting. However, it was understandable. Worry could cloud judgment, and Nash's concerns weren't entirely unfounded.Nash pulled back the curtain and gazed outside, his eyes deep with worry. "She hasn't interacted with many men. What if someone tricks her with a few sweet words? It's not impossible."Anything was possible. He could not afford to let his guard down for a moment.After hanging up the phone, Nash walked back to the changing room. Nina was already out, and seeing Nash come in right on time, she reached for the hair dryer. "I'll do it myself."Nash didn't insist. He looked at her and said, "I have some business to attend to. You'll have to come back another time.""Alright." Nina turned her back to him as she dried her hair, not meeting his
Reporters were not the only ones arriving here. With the rapid development of the internet, everyone was racing to be the first to publish news. Whoever reported first and with the highest accuracy would get the best ratings.Though the fashion show was not exactly breaking news. It was a live event. Everyone was vying for that first wave of traffic.Some models were already walking the runway, and several celebrities were seated in the audience. Nina was busy looking for the best angles to take photos."Miss Walker."She turned around at the sound of her name and saw Penelope behind her. She looked around. It was all staff here, while the celebrities were in the main area. "Ms. Zimmerman, what are you doing here?"Penelope responded warmly, "You don’t need to call me Ms. Zimmerman, just call me Penelope."Nina had a good impression of her. "What are you doing out here? You should be in the main area. It’s all staff here. You might get mobbed by photographers!"She knew how craz
Compared to Miranda's knack for maintaining her controversial fame, Penelope's high standards and refusal to take on bad roles set her apart. The entertainment industry was like a fast-food market these days, with new talents constantly emerging and old ones easily forgotten. Some people became famous with just one show, but without a follow-up success, even top-tier stars could quickly fade into obscurity. In such a competitive field, Nina, despite not being in showbiz herself, understood these harsh realities. Taking on bad roles or gaining a bad reputation did not matter as long as it drew attention. In this sense, Miranda was a successful product."You’re a great actress. Not only is your acting superb, but you also stay true to yourself. It's rare to see someone like you," Nina said to Penelope. "You’re bound to have your moment of explosive success."Penelope looked at Nina, genuinely pleased with her praise. "I guess I should call you Reporter Nina now. Thank you for you
Nina was going to take some photos of Penelope. Although she was not famous for her looks, her acting skills were top-notch, and she had helped many male actors rise to fame. Nina admired her for her humility and composure.As the fashion show was wrapping up, Nina brought the photographer over to find Penelope.Seeing Penelope, Angel let out a loud squeal, "Penelope! I can't believe I'm seeing her in person!"Nina, amused by Angel's reaction, asked, "Why are you so excited?"Angel replied, "Of course I'm excited! I've watched so many of her dramas. Is this real? I'm meeting my idol! I adore her!"Penelope approached them and said, "Hello, I'm Penelope Zimmerman," extending her hand to Angel.Angel, feeling like she was dreaming, shook Penelope's hand, "Am I dreaming? I've seen all your dramas. I know your story, how you came from a small town and fought your way through the entertainment industry. I'm your fan..."As Angel spoke, her voice choked with emotion.Penelope quickly
Miranda was still a part of Nash's company. If she got into trouble, the company would protect her. In recent days, there had been a lot of articles aimed at rehabilitating Miranda's image. Nina looked at her outfit and commented, "Trying to imitate, huh?"Nina's words hit Miranda's pride, but this time, she was not backing down. She wanted to win, so she smiled and said, "Nina, you're not in the entertainment industry. How would you know what the audience likes? Whoever is prettier gets more attention. Do you really think there's a need for me to imitate?”She implied that she was more beautiful than Penelope. But Penelope's acting skills far surpassed hers. She was a true talent and did not need to compete based on looks alone. Penelope stood there with a cold expression. She did not utter a word of rebuttal, seemingly unwilling to argue with Miranda.Nina decided not to argue with her either. She wanted Miranda to realize that relying on others was futile. "If you want it so
And just like that, the conversation fell into a brief silence. Meanwhile, on the other side, Hunter received a call from Yelena. “What did you just say?” Yelena told him that her hand was broken, and on top of that, Liam seemed to be getting suspicious. She wasn’t sure what to do, so she called Hunter for advice. “I don’t really care what happens to you, but at the very least, take care of yourself.“Otherwise, if something else goes wrong later, I’ll have to step in and clean up the mess. Don’t you think so?” Hearing this, Yelena was a little taken aback. “It’s not just about my injury. The real problem is, I’m scared of what he might do now.” Sure, she had taken the two hundred thousand dollars, but she had to stay alive to spend it. At this rate, she wouldn’t even make it through in one piece. “I already told you—protect yourself. If you need anything else, I’ll try to provide it. But right now, I need you to do something for me.” Hunter had been look
“Yes, it’s in that mountain area. If you’re worried, you can go check it out yourself. But as for anything else, we don’t really have much more information.”Compared to everything else, this was the most baffling situation.“You make a good point. But given the current circumstances, I think it’ll be difficult to pull off.”Vera was speaking with the private investigator. Deep down, she was more worried than anything else.“Don’t worry,” the private investigator reassured her. “Aside from what we discussed earlier, nothing else seems too extreme. Plus, we’ve already looked into it pretty thoroughly.”By the time he finished speaking, his expression had grown more complicated.“Alright. I understand.”After hanging up, she anxiously looked straight ahead. If she had been mentally prepared before, now she was starting to feel uneasy. “What’s going on?” Caleb asked while driving, glancing at her. Vera hesitated, debating whether to tell him or not. But seeing the strange
“I only had one surgery today,” Caleb said as he drove, his voice calm but firm. “Now that it’s done, I want to know why this happened.” After that, he said nothing more. Vera sat in silence, her heart uneasy as the car pulled up in front of an upscale club. Even though her hand was already bandaged, she still felt a sting of pain every time Caleb showed concern. “So this is what it feels like to have someone care,” she thought to herself.Back when Vera had been stepped on, her only concern had been the contract—whether the deal would fall apart and if her suffering had been for nothing.If it had been anything else, she probably wouldn’t have cared as much.But Caleb’s concern made it impossible for her to brush aside.It kept lingering in her mind, refusing to let her feel indifferent.“Don’t overthink it,” Caleb said, his voice firm. “Whatever happened between Luna and me doesn’t change the fact that this concerns me too—and I owe it to you to make things right.”
“Oh? So this is the apology you wanted?” Vera’s forehead was covered in cold sweat from the pain, but the two women standing over her barely reacted. As if this was normal to them. As if humiliating her was just another game. “I asked you a question.” Vera remained half-crouched on the ground, her hand still pinned under Luna’s heel. Helena smirked. “Yeah, I’d say that’s good enough.” She hadn’t expected Vera to be this stubborn, but it didn’t matter. With an exaggerated sigh, she casually scribbled her signature onto the contract. The deal was officially secured. Vera didn’t waste another second. She cast one last glance at the two women. “I have no interest in getting involved in your personal drama. As for Caleb and me, that’s between us. We both made our choices.” Luna’s expression twisted slightly. “I won’t bother commenting on your relationship,” she said, voice dripping with disdain. “But don’t think for a second that this will ever earn
The moment Vera heard her assistant’s words, her expression darkened. Her previously calm tone turned firm. “If that’s the case, I understand. But I still have to go. This is my responsibility, and no one else can handle it.” If she didn’t take the lead, the other party would only grow bolder. However, the moment she glanced at the name on the negotiation list, she couldn’t help but frown. Because the person she was supposed to meet wasn’t just anyone. It was Helena Xander. Vera had encountered her before—back when her relationship with Caleb hadn’t yet escalated. Even then, Helena had openly mocked her, saying that since Caleb had been Luna’s devoted lapdog for years, he should know his place and never overstep. She had also thrown a few sharp words at Vera, telling her to recognize her own status—as if warning her that getting involved would only bring trouble. Back then, Vera hadn’t taken it seriously. She never thought she would cross paths with the
“Alright, enough of this. If you’re serious about investigating, you’ll need proper psychological evaluations,” Caleb said nonchalantly.“The best way to assess something like this is through clinical observation—watch for behavioral inconsistencies, memory gaps, or personality shifts. If you can, gather video footage of his daily life. That’s the only way to get a clearer picture. Otherwise, it’s just speculation.”Caleb made the remark casually, then swiftly issued a dismissal.“You came all the way here just to mess with me? What about your own situation? How’s that going?” Caleb’s sarcasm was dry and pointed. Hunter let out a long sigh. “What else could it be? Business as usual. Compared to others, I’m probably the only one with enough patience for this mess.” He was, of course, referring to his ongoing battle with Liam. Caleb gave him a small nod. “Alright, you should get going now. I need to rest. Don’t loiter around here.” Without hesitation, he waved his hand
Vera forced an awkward smile at Hunter before quickly retreating back into the bathroom to change. Hunter, watching her leave, couldn't help but smirk. “You’re really living the good life, huh?” he teased. “Didn’t expect you to have such luck.” Caleb rolled his eyes, clearly uninterested. “Enough with the nonsense. Why are you here? And who exactly were you talking about over the phone?” He didn’t want to entertain pointless banter, especially not about women. If he was being honest, even he couldn’t fully explain his feelings toward Luna. He wasn’t sure what was left between them—was it love, or just the remnants of something that had long turned sour? That pitiful look in her eyes earlier had shaken him. For a fleeting moment, he had wanted to pull her into his arms, to comfort her like he used to. But after so many years of being humiliated and pushed aside, he had forgotten how to even speak to her anymore. So instead, he did what was easiest—he change
Hunter spoke casually, his tone light. “Just someone, that’s all. Do you really need all these details?” Caleb was now certain of his suspicion. “Hunter, did you forget what I do for a living? I’m a doctor. If you’re asking me about this, I need to get a clear picture before I can give you an answer.” Hunter exhaled lightly. “That’s fair, but some things can’t be diagnosed right away.” Based on the information Yelena provided earlier, Hunter was only speculating about Liam. But Caleb was an expert in this area, so he specifically called to ask him.Still, explaining everything over the phone wasn’t going to work. “Forget it,” Hunter said. “This isn’t something I can explain over a call. Where are you? I’ll come over.” Caleb hesitated for a moment before glancing at Vera, who was still beside him. In the end, he gave Hunter the address to his villa. Hunter chuckled. “Haha. I’m surprised. You actually do go home to rest.” Caleb ignored the jab and tossed his p
“Call me Liam.” Before Yelena could finish speaking, Liam cut her off with a sharp, angry voice. She quickly nodded and corrected herself. “Liam, don’t worry. I’ll do exactly as you say. I’ll be good. I won’t make you angry again.” But Liam didn’t care. With a violent shove, he threw her to the ground. Yelena barely had time to brace herself before hitting the cold floor hard, pain radiating through her limbs. Liam, however, just looked down at her with a twisted grin, laughing like she was nothing more than a ridiculous joke. “You’d better learn fast,” he sneered. “And leave your hand broken for a few days—feel the pain properly.” “Alright.” Her voice was quiet, submissive. But Liam wasn’t listening. Without another glance, he turned and walked away. As she watched his retreating figure, Yelena felt a deep sense of dread rise in her throat. Liam wasn’t human. He was something far worse. Her future with him would be nothing short of hell.