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
"You guys just don't get it, do you? Nina's aiming to climb the social ladder. She's Mr. York's secretary, but she can't secure the role of his official wife. Over the years, she's probably considered finding another route. Banking on her looks, she's aiming to become Mr. Lincoln's lover. Perhaps she couldn't even pull that off, so she went ahead and falsely accused Mr. Lincoln of rape, ruining him in the process. He could even wind up behind bars!""I always thought Nina was so kind, but it turns out she's quite cunning. Just look at how she's made Mr. Lincoln suffer. It's no surprise she's always hovering around Mr. York; she's probably schemed her way into that position!""Hmph, you guys are just realizing Nina isn’t as simple as she seems? I figured that out long ago. Look around—among the company's early employees, who isn't more capable than Nina? Our manager, Paris, has the skills and experience, far exceeding Nina's. But just because Nina relies on her flirtatious charm to se
Mabel had no chance to resist, her face flushed red as she screamed in agony. She had never experienced such humiliation before, and she was absolutely livid!Nina spoke icily, "If I hadn't hit you, you wouldn't even know how to survive at York Corporation."“Nina, who do you think you are to lay hands on me?"The commotion attracted a crowd, and when Paris rushed over, she found her subordinate being slapped by Nina. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she pulled them apart.Nina's action of slapping her subordinate was akin to slapping Paris's own face.Seeing help arrive, Mabel burst into tears, "Paris!"She ran to Paris, covering her face, "She hit me, it's too much!"Paris pulled Mabel behind her, seething with anger. "You've completely lost your mind, becoming more arrogant by the day. Do you think York Corporation belongs to your family, that everyone should listen to you? And hitting someone, completely disregarding me!"Nina felt her hand stinging from the impact and shoo
While the drama unfolded, bystanders couldn't help but sympathize with Nina. Being just a secretary, her authority paled in comparison to the vice president's, so trouble was inevitable for her!Soon enough, the vice president, distressed for his niece, hurried over with Mabel, demanding answers, "Who, who dared to bully my dear niece?"Mabel pointed at Nina in the pantry, "It's her, she hit me, Uncle. No one has ever hit me from childhood till now!"Paris, watching from the sidelines, played the role of the pitiful good person, "Mr. Green, I'm truly sorry. I couldn't take care of Mabel properly. My influence in this office is just too limited."Her words also implied to the vice president that she and Nina were on equal footing, but she was being unfairly oppressed.Nina was too audacious in this office.The vice president had long heard about Nina's bad reputation, but since she was close to Mr. York, he hadn't intervened. Now that it affected his family, he wouldn't let it sli
Nash walked in from outside, followed by a group of people. His imposing presence exuded a cold aura, keeping people at bay. Paris had been planning to thoroughly deal with Nina, leaving her no chance to turn the tables, but Nash happened to return. Her hand paused mid-air, reconsidering how to punish Nina.The moment Nash arrived, she felt a sense of fear and refrained from delivering the slap. "Mr. York!" People in the office cleared a path as Nash approached. Surveying the chaotic scene and the suppressed Nina, his brows furrowed, his expression icy. His gaze swept around the room. "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would have thought this isn't my company, but your territory, Mr. Green."Mr. Green's expression shifted, his arrogance diminished by Nash's words. He could only respond cordially, "No, that's not the case, Mr. York. It's just that my niece was hit by Nina. She's cherished in our Green family, and no one has ever laid a hand on her before. She's endured so
He grabbed Mabel, not wanting to stir up more trouble. Afraid of saying too much facing expulsion from the York Corporation, he immediately played along, "Mr. York, it was my oversight. I didn't grasp the situation clearly. This time, Nina was wronged."Nash stood with one hand in his pocket, his emotions unreadable, yet his words carried a firm tone. " Mr. Green, I see that you've understood, but does your niece understand the situation?"Mr. Green pulled Mabel up, "You've been disrespectful to Nina. Apologize to her right away. And don't gossip about her behind her back again."Mabel, surprised that she had to apologize after being slapped twice, protested, "Uncle, why should I apologize to her? I won't apologize!"She started crying and causing a scene again.Mr. Green looked at Nash again, seeing his furrowed brows, indicating he was running out of patience. In the York Corporation, he knew Nash was a man of his word. If he didn't want trouble, he should stop this situation ri
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