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
"It won't happen," Nash said, panting and wincing in pain. "I won't die. If I die, who will protect you? So, I won't die."Nina could not bear to hear such words, and she cried even harder.Nash, with a gentle look in his eyes, patted her back to calm her down.He was afraid, too. He was afraid of dying, afraid of leaving her alone. If something like this happened again, who would protect her? He also feared that the so-called Zac would come to take her away or deceive her. He worried she might get hurt or fall for another man.His possessiveness made him worry about these things, though he knew he would be ridiculed if he admitted it.Nash's lips curved into a bitter smile.Nina wiped her tears away, though she could not stop herself from crying. It was not the time for tears.Her eyes, red from crying, locked onto his. "It's a promise then. I believe you."She found no other way to comfort herself.Nash stared at her with a smile, not a bitter one this time, but one of
Yvonne furrowed her brows and said sternly, "Have you lost your mind? What do you mean by self-protection? Can you match a man in strength? Do you have superhuman martial arts skills? Be realistic. You're not a superhero. You're a woman, and a pregnant one at that. Blaming yourself won't solve anything while the real criminals are still out there. Pressuring yourself with guilt won't fix the problem!"Nina blamed herself for being too weak, while so many people wanted her dead. She felt powerless and guilty for putting others at risk.Yvonne's words made sense. No matter how upset she was, the real criminals were still free.Nina hugged Yvonne, leaning on her shoulder. "I'm scared. I feel like this isn't just a simple kidnapping. I can't fight them!"She had felt this fear in the trunk. The experience had put immense physical and mental pressure on her.Yvonne's expression softened, and she gently comforted Nina. "Don't be afraid. I'll be by your side, and we'll face and solve thi
As her superior, Sawyer was sipping tea, indifferent to Scarlett's fate. It was only when she collapsed that he put down his teacup and fixed his sharp gaze on her. "Are you trying to let that woman go on purpose?"Scarlett lay on the ground, her eyes open as she struggled to crawl towards him. "I didn't..."Sawyer said, "You were clearly about to throw her off, but you hesitated. I have to suspect that you're having second thoughts."Scarlett's face was pale and she looked disheveled. She grabbed the bottom of his pants with all her strength. "She grabbed my hand. I tried to throw her, but I couldn't. Please forgive me this time. I promise I won't fail again!"Without mercy, Sawyer kicked her away.Scarlett groaned in pain, the taste of blood heavy in her mouth, making her nauseous. But what she wanted now was to survive. "In the end, the plan worked out. Your target was the man, and he's been shot. He's at death's door. I've done my part."At this, Sawyer walked over to her and
Sawyer's anger subsided as he met Wilfred's gaze, narrowing his eyes slightly. "That depends on your sincerity."Seeing this, Scarlett turned pale. "Wilfred knows nothing about my plan. He had no idea. Please, spare him this time."Sawyer reached for Wilfred's hand, but Wilfred withdrew it. Wilfred then said meaningfully, "Let's have a drink tonight."All of Sawyer's rage dissipated, and he smiled. "Alright, I'll be waiting."With that, Sawyer let Scarlett go and left with his men.Scarlett struggled to her feet, despite her body being covered in whip marks. She endured the pain and, with urgency in her voice, said, "You're insane! Don't you know he's a pervert? Going there is a death sentence!"Now, it was just the two of them.Wilfred's gaze shifted to Scarlett, and he used a disinfecting wipe to clean the hand that had touched Sawyer's face. A flicker of disgust appeared in his eyes.He despised it, but there was no escape."Don't worry," Wilfred said calmly.Scarlett in
Wilfred looked at her with a gentle smile, but there was a hint of sadness in his eyes. Why did his sadness affect her so deeply? She recalled the harsh words she had said before, realizing they might have hurt him. Suddenly, she understood that Wilfred likely would not harm her. Perhaps he had his own reasons.She wanted to cross the street to reach him, but she had to wait for the light to turn green. As cars passed by, her eyes followed Wilfred, hoping he would not leave before she could get to him.When the light finally changed, Nina hurried across the street. But when she reached the other side, Wilfred was nowhere to be seen. Instead, she found a basket of freshly picked strawberries on the sidewalk.Nina stood there, stunned. She picked up the basket and looked around, calling out, "Wilfred! Come out, I need to talk to you! Why are you hiding from me?"She was so close to getting answers, but he had vanished, leaving behind a basket of strawberries. What did this mean
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