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
“You bastard!” Sally's eyes were red with anger, and she gritted her teeth. “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have married into the York family. Seth, you owe me for the rest of your life!”Seth Duncan remembered this favor. “I haven’t forgotten.”He paused before continuing, “However, when I get out, it will benefit both you and your daughter.”Sally’s expression remained cold. “When you get out, just live your life and stay away from me and Miranda. Don’t interfere with her career. That’s the biggest favor you can do!”She no longer expected anything from him. She only hoped he would not cause further trouble.Miranda had worked hard to get to where she was, and Sally would not let him ruin that.She could imagine that giving Miranda to him had not led to a good life.These years had been hard on her, which only deepened Sally’s sense of guilt.Seth said nothing, giving Sally a meaningful look.Sally had come to warn him and had nothing more to say.After delivering her me
The doctor's body stiffened. "Miss Walker, what are you talking about? Are you questioning my professional ability?"Nina clutched her tightly. "Doctors aren't allowed to have manicures. With nails that long and a scent that strong, you can't possibly be a real doctor."The doctor felt a pang of guilt and quickly pulled her hand back.Taking advantage of the moment, Nina bolted for the door.Seeing this, the doctor rushed to grab her. "Where do you think you're going?"She caught Nina by the hair at the door.Her movements were swift and ruthless, and Nina realized she was dealing with someone trained in combat. She had no chance of winning and shouted, "Help..."Before she could finish, the doctor grabbed her neck and injected her with a needle.It was the same syringe she was going to use to draw blood.Nina winced in pain, her hands digging into her thighs as her consciousness began to blur.Seeing Nina calm down, the doctor relaxed, letting her slowly collapse to the grou
It was filled with despair, and there were screams.A pair of warm hands held her, whispering softly in her ear, "Don't be afraid. I will get you out of here."Then another pair of cold hands grabbed her, asking, "Have you ever seen sunlight? What does it feel like?"She could not see their faces. In that dark house, it was impossible to make out their faces. She could only hear the voices."Ivy... I will make sure you see the sunlight.""Miranda—"Nina's eyes flew open in terror, her breathing rapid. She clenched her hands tightly, her body drenched in cold sweat. As she regained consciousness, she found herself still in the cramped, dark space.Trembling, she clutched her head and screamed, "No—"The car came to a sudden halt.Nina's scream had reached the ears of those in the vehicle, causing them to stop instinctively.They thought they had misheard."Did you hear that?" Scarlett asked."I think so. Could she have woken up?" her assistant said.The assistant was a tall
And he was their captain.So, even though Nash was no longer in the military, they still called him Captain York.After that phone call with Nina, he suspected something was wrong when she hesitated to say something. Therefore, he rushed back overnight.To his shock, someone really was trying to kidnap her!There was no way he would let them get away with this."Keep pursuing," Nash said gravely. "There's someone else in their car. Be careful!"Blowing out all four tires would make them stop, but with Nina in the car, he could not take that risk.If anything happened to them, Nina would be in danger too, and she was pregnant.They could only chase at high speed.As they crossed a bridge, Scarlett's assistant said, "We're almost there. Once we cross this bridge, we'll be safe."Scarlett saw the military vehicles closing in, getting nearer and nearer. "It's not going to be that easy."With only three tires, they were much slower.In a few minutes, the military vehicles would
Scarlett looked at Nina, gritting her teeth. "I'm sorry!"Her grip gradually loosened. Nina did not want to let go. She still wanted to live. But suddenly, Scarlett placed Nina’s hands on the railing.Nina stared at Scarlett in shock."Life or death is up to your fate. This is as far as I can help," Scarlett said.Nina grabbed onto the railing with both hands, her feet dangling with no support, struggling to hold on."Nina!"Nash saw her hanging there and rushed forward without a second thought."Captain York, it's dangerous!" his men tried to stop him, but Nash had only Nina in his mind. He knew if he did not go, she would fall.If she fell, she would die!He pushed past them and ran to her.Sawyer watched the scene unfold, a smile creeping across his lips as if he had caught his chance.Scarlett and her assistant quickly fled.They soon reached the area within Sawyer's control."Captain York!" his team shouted as they tried to rush forward, but a burst of gunfire block
She clung tightly to Nash's clothes, too afraid to look back, fearing the worst.Then she heard Nash's deep voice in her ear, "It's okay. Don't be afraid. We'll be safe soon."His words gave Nina the strength to hold on."As long as you're okay, that's good!" Nina said frantically."Captain York!" the man in the camouflage uniform shouted anxiously.During the gunfight, they had been blocked and could not move forward. Only Nash had made it through.They tried to cover him as best they could but did not know his exact situation.They were worried about whether Nash had been injured.Nash handed Nina over to them and said, "Let's get out of here first!"They could not stay there any longer.Sawyer and his group decided to retreat as well, knowing that prolonged chaos would attract more attention.Several vehicles kicked up dust as they sped away.Nina and Nash's group got into their vehicles as well.Nina sat in the car, feeling safe now, but her heart was still racing.Ev
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