The mission was accomplished!But before she could smile for even three seconds, she noticed a car following closely behind her.It was tailing her tightly.She sped up.The road was busy with traffic, and despite her increased speed, the car stayed right on her tail, seemingly reckless in its pursuit.Realizing the risk of a serious accident, she could not accelerate any further.The car caught up.After a long standoff, they reached a large bridge, and her car was forced to the edge, on the verge of falling into the river below.She slammed on the brakes to stop.The other car performed a sharp drift, blocking her path to prevent her escape.Wilfred stepped out of the car without hesitation.The woman in the car took a moment to adjust herself, then got out and demanded, "Why did you follow me? Didn’t you say you had an urgent matter? You’re always punctual, never early or late. Are you more in a hurry than I am?"Wilfred, eyes narrowing dangerously, asked, "Is the pregna
Scarlett could not understand.She had worked with Wilfred for so many years, but she had never seen him like this before.Wilfred did not say anything. He placed Nina in the back seat, then drove away without looking back.Scarlett watched his car leave, feeling a twinge of sadness. He did not even explain himself to her. Had he really become indifferent to life and death?But she could not just watch him throw his life away.Scarlett clenched her fists tightly, calming herself down before releasing her grip. She then casually brushed her red hair as if nothing had happened, got into her car, and left the scene.Wilfred took Nina straight home.Since he did not know the code to her apartment, he carried her into his own home.He laid her on the sofa. After ensuring she was not injured, he sat quietly beside her, waiting.His gaze lingered on Nina’s face, his eyes filled with emotion. The bandages on his exposed arm were clearly visible.He waited like this, doing nothing.A
Wilfred lowered his eyes and said, "I won’t hurt you."Nina stood up, distancing herself from him. "I don’t know if I should trust you, but you don’t seem entirely clean. I hope we don’t have too much contact."She did not dare get too close to him.Protecting herself was the most important thing.Wilfred offered a bitter smile and looked at the strawberries he had picked earlier. He picked them up and handed them to her. "These are the strawberries you like. I just picked them today. Take them."Nina did not accept them and instead said, "Thank you, but no thanks."With that, she quickly walked out.Her palms were sweating.One moment she wondered if Wilfred was pretending, planning to kill her. Everything was uncertain.Now she wondered if she should move.Living next door to him might be dangerous.She could not risk her life.She hurried away as if he were a virus.Wilfred remained alone in his apartment, the basket of strawberries still in his hand.His expression wa
The middle-aged man snorted disdainfully and left.Scarlett collapsed to the ground, finally relaxing.She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. One side of her face was swollen, losing its usual refinement, and her eyes showed a fear that was not there before.It was clear she was scared.They were people who lived in the shadows and could not leave the organizationLeaving meant the only path left for them was death.She began to worry about Wilfred. His current actions were directly opposing the organization.If he was discovered one day, what would happen?A hint of sorrow appeared on Scarlett’s face. No matter what, she had to complete the mission.It was not only to save herself but also Wilfred.She had no time to waste, just one week.This was their countdown.Scarlett stood up, covered the red mark on her face with foundation, tidied her hair, and left looking as if nothing had happened.She arrived at the riverbank.Wilfred was already waiting there."S
"I still remember when you were a bit shorter than me, and now you’re a head taller. You've grown into quite a handsome man. Seeing you makes me as happy as if I were seeing my own son," Mark said, patting Nash’s shoulder and looking him up and down.In the past, Nash had been under Mark’s guidance.Back then, Mark was not yet a colonel, just a small squad leader.They had shared life-and-death experiences, forming a deep bond.Even though Nash had left the military for many years, they both remembered the old camaraderie.Given their age difference, Nash could have been Mark’s son, and Mark regarded him as such.They chatted for a while, reminiscing about past experiences. When the moment was right, Nash said, "I came because I need your help with something."Mark immediately responded, "Whatever you need, just say it. If I can help, I will. But I have to ask, do you have any plans to return to the military?"He hoped Nash would consider staying."I’m not considering that for
"Hello?"Nash was sitting, and hearing Nina’s voice made his eyes flicker with emotion. In a raspy voice, he said, "I miss you."For a moment, Nina tightly gripped her phone but could not find any words to respond.Having just nearly been kidnapped today, Nina was still shaken. With Wilfred living next door, she was not sure how safe she was. Talking to Nash helped distract her.She could not help but talk a bit more. "Where are you?"Nash looked outside at the people doing exercises, the loud commands making him shut the window tightly. "Out of town.""You're out of town?" Nina remembered that when they parted ways, Nash had something urgent to attend to, but she had not known he would be leaving town."Yes, I had some things to take care of." He did not elaborate, not wanting Nina to worry.Nash asked, "How have you been? Eating regularly?"He was still very concerned about Nina.Nina thought for a moment, her worries evident. "I’m fine."Nash wanted her to talk more.
She came in carrying a lot of things. When Nina saw Yvonne, she felt as if she were seeing an angel and immediately hugged her. “Thank goodness you came. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to sleep well tonight.”“What’s going on?” Yvonne asked. “No wonder Nash called me and asked me to come check on you. Something must have happened.”Nash would not have asked her to check on Nina for no reason.She was worried and came over right away.“He called you?” Nina was a bit surprised.Yvonne replied, “Nash must be tied up and couldn’t come himself, so he asked me to keep you company.”She touched Nina’s face. “Look at you, you’re pale. Did something scare you?”Nina held her hand and explained, “I don’t know who I’ve offended, but I was almost kidnapped today.”“What?” Yvonne was shocked. “Why didn’t you tell Nash? If he knew, he would have made sure the kidnapper was caught. And why would someone want to kidnap you? Think about it, who could you have offended?”Nina thought for
"She's doing well," the assistant replied. "She's been very busy with work lately and hasn't been able to visit you.""Busy with work, huh," Sally felt a twinge of disappointment but said, "That's good. Being busy with work is a good sign. She's a big star now, and she'll only get more successful. Having lots of work means she has a bright future. I'm really happy for her.""Alright, Sally, I have to get back to work," the assistant said."Okay." Sally could not see Miranda in person, but she looked at the thermos bottles in her hand and quickly handed them to the assistant. "I made this chicken soup myself. She must be too busy to eat properly. Please give it to her so she can have it when she has some time."The assistant took the thermos bottles. "Sure, I'll make sure she gets it."With that, the assistant went back inside.Sally stayed at the entrance for a while, hoping to catch a glimpse of Miranda, but it was in vain. After lingering for a long time, she finally got into h
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