Nina also blamed herself, wondering why she couldn't endure a little longer. If she hadn't been so impulsive, Zoe wouldn't have found out. "I'm sorry." In truth, Nina didn't want to cause trouble for Nash, but words couldn't be taken back once spoken. Nash's deep gaze simply watched her, contemplating many things before speaking, "Do you really want to divorce me?" Nina pondered. Did she truly want to divorce Nash? In reality, she wanted a fresh start for herself. The current situation seemed hopeless, devoid of any prospects, and she didn't want to dwell on it any longer. Seeing her silence, Nash asked again, "Would being with me cause you a lot of trouble?" Hearing this, Nina couldn't hold back her emotions, her eyes growing hot as if tears were about to fall. If he had been angry and blaming her, perhaps she wouldn't have felt this way. But his gentle words instead made her emotions spiral out of control. Rather than saying it was troubling, it was more accurate to say
Seeing this, Taylor took the wine and said, "Mr. Lincoln, Nina doesn't drink. I'll drink in her place."Mr. Lincoln was not pleased. "That's not good enough."Taylor felt a bit embarrassed. She lacked social experience and couldn't be as smooth, feeling nervous and afraid of making mistakes, which made her timid."Nina, your drink can't be drunk by your subordinate."Both of them were women, giving Mr. Lincoln more courage to speak less politely. "You're representing Mr. York and he always drinks with us. How can you refuse to drink? Since you're here, you should blend in with us. That's the proper thing to do."Here, let me fill your glass. Let's drink heartily tonight."Others chimed in, "Nina, don't embarrass yourself. Mr. Lincoln asked you to drink, so drink. Stop making so many excuses for yourself!"Don't ruin our mood. If Mr. York finds out you're not handling things properly, you'll get scolded when you go back!"Nina disliked this type of gathering. Just because Nash c
His touch instantly disgusted Nina, she couldn't accept it and pushed him away forcefully. "Mr. Lincoln, please show some respect!""What more respect do you need? You're just one of Nash's mistresses, who knows how many times you've been slept with. Giving you the chance to drink with us is already giving you face, so don't act like you have any dignity!" Mr. Lincoln's malicious intentions persisted. Despite her repeated refusals, his patience wore thin, and he approached Nina, embracing her. "What Nash has given you, I can give you too. I'll give you a villa, so you won't have to worry about anything in the future. Be my mistress, it'll be much better than being with Nash...""Get off!" Nina couldn't hold back either, she slapped him hard. "Don't touch me!"Mr. Lincoln, now slapped, his eyes burning with rage, glared at Nina. "You little slut, how dare you hit me! I'll make sure you regret it!"Taylor was terrified beyond measure. Nina also feared for Taylor's safety. Sitting n
Nash embraced Nina tightly, wishing he could envelop her completely to protect her from all harm. Resting his chin on her head, he responded to her deep with remorse, "I'm here, Nina, you're safe now, you're safe!"Nina buried herself in his chest, her body still trembling uncontrollably. She choked out, "Why did you only just come? I almost, I almost... thought I wouldn't see you again!"Nash held Nina, her lips drained of color, and clenched his fists tightly, anger evident in his eyes. However, he patiently comforted Nina, wanting to provide her with enough security to ease her recent pain. "I'm sorry I'm late. Don't be afraid, I'll never leave you alone again!"He was worried about Nina, so he came over, but he was still late!Nina broke down in tears, expressing her anxiety, fear, and resentment towards She clenched her fists and lifted them, pounding them onto his chest. "You'll abandon me, just like you always have. In the past, and now too."She couldn't remember how many
After he left, there were only desperate cries inside. Nina had a long dream where a demon was chasing her. She wanted to run but couldn't move. Overwhelming fear enveloped her, making it hard to breathe, as if she was about to die. She sobbed, tears still streaming down her face. Nash saw this and wiped the tears from her eyes. Nina had a high fever. Taylor cried on the side. She had wanted to call for help but encountered Nash at the door. Luckily, he arrived in time; otherwise, the consequences would have been unthinkable. She cried, "Mr. York, it's all my fault. I didn't take care of Nina properly. She has a fever. Let's take her to the hospital." At this moment, Nash was very indifferent, like a block of ice, devoid of any compassion. He simply said, "No need, Quincy, take her home!"With that, Nash carried Nina into the car and left.Meanwhile, Taylor continued to blame herself incessantly, crying uncontrollably. Quincy advised, "Stop crying, let's go home. With Mr. Yor
Opening the bathroom door, Nash saw Nina sitting in the bathtub, vigorously rubbing her body, not making a sound, fearing he might hear her. "Nina, stop!" He hurried over and grabbed her hands that were hurting herself. Nina's eyes were red, caught by him, just avoiding him, struggling hard. "Don't touch me, I'm dirty...""You're not dirty," Nash said softly, wrapping his arms around her body to prevent her from hurting herself. "You're not dirty at all."All Nina could think of was the image of being pressed against the table, feeling nauseous all over. Even a slight touch from Nash made her feel unclean. She shook her head. "Stop comforting me. I know I'm dirty. I even feel disgusted with myself!"Nina continued rubbing her reddened body."Nina."No matter how Nash called out, Nina couldn't hear him. She washed every inch of her body, muttering repeatedly, "I'm dirty, I need to clean myself."I..." Nina repeated the same words, but suddenly stopped, her mouth trembling, her
Nina wrapped her arms around his neck, "I want you to stay with me.""I won't go anywhere," Nash caressed her cheek, "Your skin is all red. When you sleep, try not to move too much to avoid aggravating your wounds, okay?"Looking at him, Nina finally understood how it felt for Miranda to show vulnerability to him.The crying baby gets the milk. She showed a bit of vulnerability, and Nash was indeed very gentle with her."Okay," Nina reluctantly let go of his hands.Nash tucked her in and sat on the edge of the bed, "Are you feeling cold?"Nina shook her head, "No, I'm not.""You have a slight fever," Nash said with concern, "Let me cool you down with a towel.""Okay, you're so good to me," Nina looked at him, speaking from her heart.Nash smiled, pinching her nose. Nina didn't flinch, just gazed at him affectionately, wanting to remember his kindness forever.However, Nash said, "Little girl, don't easily praise others."He added some ice to a towel and placed it on her fore
Taylor said, "It's not like that at all. I barely made it back in time. It just happened that I ran into Mr. York rushing over. Nina, Mr. York seems to have a sixth sense. I could tell he was really worried about you."As she spoke, Taylor found it strange and continued, "Nina, you wouldn't believe it. When Mr. York arrived at the scene, he was like a completely different person. He completely lost his temper, took down Mr. Lincoln, and even got into a scuffle with those involved. Mr. York was furious, held you close, and wouldn't let anyone near you."Taylor's words made Nina pause for a moment. She picked up a nearby glass of water and took a sip."Nina, does Mr. York care so much about his subordinates? I've never seen it before. If it were me injured, would he care like this?" Taylor seemed perplexed, as if she was searching for something, murmuring to herself, "Even for subordinates who have been by his side for so many years, he's never shown this level of concern. Nina, could
Hunter took a bite of the biscuits and ravioli she had made. The taste was surprisingly good. It wasn’t on the level of a Michelin-starred chef, but it had something even more special—the taste of home. And of course, there was the oatmeal. He took one spoonful after another, finishing the entire bowl. *Meanwhile, Vera still hadn’t found her brother. Disappointment weighed heavily on her as she prepared to leave. But just then, her phone buzzed. An anonymous message. She tapped it open and stared at the image attached. It was a watch. Alone, a watch meant nothing. But this watch was her brother’s. Vera immediately zoomed in on the photo, carefully inspecting the engravings inside. There they were—his initials. No mistake. This was his watch. Below the image, a location pin was attached. The place was nearby. Vera’s eyes filled with determination. If she had found nothing, she would have simply left. But now, she had recei
When Yelena woke up again, she was shocked to find that she wasn’t at the club. She sat up abruptly, looking around in confusion. Then, she got out of bed, slipped on her slippers, and pushed the door open. “Where am I?” “At my place,” Hunter replied casually. He was working in the living room when he saw her wake up. “You slept for a long time. I couldn’t just leave you alone at the club, so I brought you back here.” Seeing the uncertainty on her face, he added, “It’s already late. Just stay here for the night. I’ll take you back tomorrow.” Yelena nodded. There was no other choice now. “There’s food in the fridge. If you’re hungry, heat something up. There are also snacks in the drawer—take whatever you want.” “Alright.” She really was hungry. She opened the drawer, grabbed a few small bread rolls, ate them quickly, and then went back to her room to rest. *The next morning, Yelena woke up early. Thinking about everything Hunter had done—treatin
Yelena quickly lowered her arm, letting her sleeve fall over the mark to cover it. “It’s nothing. Here’s your cocktail. Please enjoy.” “Yelena.” Hunter grabbed her wrist without warning. He pulled up her sleeve, revealing the deep, ugly scars on her arm. His brows knitted together instantly. “Who did this to you?” The force behind it was brutal—downright inhuman. Yelena remained silent. Who else could have done this besides Liam? But she had agreed to this. She had willingly accepted Hunter’s request and entered Liam’s world. She had no right to complain. Her silence gave Hunter all the confirmation he needed. “Liam did this to you, didn’t he?” Yelena nodded. “It’s nothing. The wounds have already started healing. They look worse than they feel. Give it some time, and they’ll fade.” “Wait here.” Hunter stood abruptly and walked away. Yelena had no idea what he was doing, but since he told her to wait, she didn’t argue. A few minu
Then again, it made sense. How could a normal person possibly empathize with a lunatic? If Yelena could understand Liam, that would make her just as twisted. *For the next few days, Yelena stayed home to recover. During that time, Liam came back a few times, bringing her flowers and food. Like a child showing off a treasure, he placed the food in front of her. “Yelena, these are your favorite honey crullers. I got them fresh from the bakery. Try them and see if you like them.” “I’m not really hungry.” She didn’t want to eat anything he gave her. She couldn’t even stand looking at him. But she had made a promise. So, she had to force herself to stay. Liam’s expression darkened. “Are you really not hungry, or do you just not want to eat what I give you?” For someone like him, once he had lost his temper once, the second time would only come faster and smoother. With a heavy thud, he slammed the honey crullers onto the table. “Yes, I hit y
If Liam had been a normal person, Hunter never would have sent her here in the first place. But of course, Yelena could only think that. She wasn’t suicidal enough to say it out loud. Instead, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. “I was really just messaging an old classmate. If you don’t believe me, go ahead—check my phone.” She wasn’t worried. Whenever she contacted Hunter, she deleted each message immediately. She had even forged an entire fake conversation just in case Liam ever got suspicious. So, no matter how thoroughly he checked, there would be nothing for him to find. Liam narrowed his eyes. “Is that so? Then why do I still feel like you’re lying? Women like you—nothing but liars, every last one of you.” Then, he struck her again. Yelena screamed. The pain was relentless, merciless. She had no idea how long it lasted—only that by the time he finally stopped, she was barely breathing. Her body slumped against the floor
Suddenly, footsteps sounded behind Yelena. She spun around, her heart hammering in her chest. Liam was walking toward her, a faint smile on his lips—but the coldness in his eyes told a different story. Memories of his past cruelty flashed through her mind, sending a shudder down her spine. She forced herself to stay calm. “Who are you messaging?” He was getting closer. So close that when he finally stopped, they were nearly pressed against each other. Then, without warning, his fingers clamped around her chin, gripping tighter and tighter. Pain shot through her jaw, and Yelena winced. “No one. Just an old classmate. I ran into her a few days ago while I was out.” “Oh? Is that so?” Liam’s voice softened, almost gentle. To anyone watching, he might have seemed like a kind, easygoing man. But Yelena knew better. He would never let her off that easily. And sure enough— In the next second, he grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her hea
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.“Haven’t I been just fine lately?“Or do you think my hand isn’t injured enough? If that’s the case, go ahead—do it yourself. “You already know I wouldn’t fight back no matter what.” Without warning, Yelena stretched out her injured hand, an act that instantly enraged Liam. “What the hell is wrong with you?” He snapped. “I was just making a casual remark. Is that really what you think of me? I already told you—I’m not going to lay a hand on you.“It wasn’t intentional before, and you know it. We both do. Stop acting like you’re above all this when we both know who sent you here.” Yelena felt a pang of sadness. They had spent so much time together, yet this was how he treated her—always choosing to hurt her. “I know—I wasn’t someone you chose, and none of this was intentional. But after all this time we've spent together...“I thought maybe I was a little different to you. But I guess I was wrong. Nothing has changed at all.
“Why do you even care about what happens to other people? Haven’t I made myself clear enough already?“Whose card is this—yours or mine?” His assistant immediately apologized upon hearing Caleb’s tone. “I hope you won’t hold this against me. I really wasn’t thinking clearly at the time—I should have considered this more carefully.” Caleb didn’t bother responding. After hanging up, he focused entirely on investigating Vera’s brother. *Meanwhile, Vera was deeply worried. If things had been somewhat under control before, now they were completely off track. The situation on both sides was far more complicated than she had anticipated. “Don’t worry. That’s exactly how it is. If you don’t want to go in person, I can go for you—but it won’t be cheap,” the private investigator said.Since Caleb had warned her about the private investigator, Vera started testing him, probing for inconsistencies. And sure enough, his story had too many holes. “Why are you so sure my b
As Caleb spoke, he looked at Vera with a hint of helplessness. After all, her hand had been injured because of Luna. “Don’t feel guilty about this. Honestly, it’s nothing to me.“And I’m not the type to carry burdens over things like this.“Besides, it’s been so long. If this had happened back then, I might have cared. But now? I just don’t think it matters anymore.” Vera’s voice was steady and sincere. But Caleb’s expression darkened. “Why would you say that? Why do you think it doesn’t matter? Do you really see me as just the same as everyone else?” For some reason, at this moment, Caleb took it personally. Vera couldn’t help but laugh. “Of course not. You’re different from the rest—so obviously, I wouldn’t see it the same way.“You’ve helped me so much. The least I can do is acknowledge that, instead of stubbornly nitpicking about what’s right or wrong, don’t you think?“Besides, whatever happened between you and Luna, that’s none of my business. It’s in