For her, there was only one way out.---Nina had no idea how she survived the night. It was excruciatingly long and torturous. She lay on the sofa, wide awake the entire time. When she finally became fully alert, it was already the break of dawn.She was exhausted and feeling completely drained.Dragging her weary body to the bathroom, Nina washed her face and looked up, only to be startled by her reflection. She thought she was seeing a ghost. Her eyes were bloodshot, her face haggard and colorless, resembling someone gravely ill.She touched her face in disbelief, questioning how she had come to look like this. Was a broken heart enough to completely bring her down? Could she not live without Nash?The answer was no.Hadn't she already contemplated severing ties and divorcing him long ago? It just so happened that he initiated it this time. She had to move on and live a better life, a hundred times better than before.Nina made up her mind. One night of sadness
Her life was fortunate in many ways. She had a harmonious family and many people who cared about her. Her misfortune lay in her love life. Perhaps her life was too stable, and there had to be some turbulence, which manifested in her romantic failures.Her words made Wilfred laugh. He sat by her side, watching over her, his brown eyes exceptionally gentle. "You didn't exactly risk your life for me, but you did give me life," he said. He decided not to hide and face the truth with her. "You'll understand when you remember."He had saved her multiple times, and she believed he would not harm her, despite his complex identity. Now, the only person who stayed by her side was Wilfred."Do you have friends?" she asked."No.""None of you have friends?""I don't need friends," he replied."What about your parents?""I don't know who they are.""You must feel so lonely, without friends or family. Life must be dull," she said, suddenly feeling pity for him.Fate had not been enti
Wilfred's expression was complicated. If she knew what he had done, she would not say such things. He did not dare touch her hand, let alone tell her about the darker parts of his life.Wilfred did not refuse her this time, letting her hold his hand. They sat quietly for a long while. The beads in Nina's hand seemed to deepen in color, the red tint becoming more prominent. She noticed this and asked, "Are these beads changing color?"Wilfred's eyes darkened. "Are they?"Nina held the beads up to the sunlight, confirming the brightening red. "I thought the beads might darken over time from wear, but this red seems to be getting brighter. These are your beads, right? Haven't you noticed?"Wilfred instinctively clenched his wrist, then smiled. "Maybe they're fake. I never had them tested."Nina's gaze fixed on Wilfred. "Would you wear fake beads for so long? I'm not saying they're fake, just that it's strange to have blood inside them."She sniffed the beads. "They smell of
"It’s my first time," Wilfred said.Nina raised an eyebrow. "Not bad for a first attempt. Let's see if you have a natural talent."Half an hour later, Wilfred emerged from the kitchen. There was no smell of smoke, which meant he had not blown up the kitchen. But when he set the dishes on the table, Nina was taken aback.She stared at Wilfred in horror.Wilfred, sensing her confusion, calmly explained, "This is chicken heart, and this is chicken liver… both are internal organs. This part is the chicken breast, and the legs have the most tender meat..."Listening to Wilfred's descriptions felt like a lesson in anatomy rather than a meal. She could almost picture Wilfred performing a dissection on the chicken while cooking. Instead of feeling hungry, she felt nauseous.Seeing Nina not touching the food, Wilfred asked, "What's wrong? Does it not look appetizing? I tried to keep it all intact.""It's not that..." Nina replied. "You didn't have to keep it so intact. Do you have anythi
Wilfred flinched, clearly not wanting to be touched. This only made Nina more suspicious. "Why are you still bleeding?" she demanded. His injury had been there for a while. Even if it had not fully healed, it should not still be bleeding unless he had a new wound. Wilfred tightened his sleeve, but the few drops of blood were hard to ignore. Forcing a smile, he made an excuse. "I cut myself while cooking. It's nothing serious."Nina was not convinced. "You've handled surgical tools for years. How could you accidentally cut yourself? You can't fool me! This doesn't look like a cooking injury. What really happened?"Wilfred remained silent. Seeing his reluctance, Nina took his hand and saw the hastily wrapped bandage around his wrist. It was not well done, likely because he had to do it himself with one hand. "It's just a minor injury," Wilfred said softly. "You've seen worse on me. This is nothing."He hoped she would drop the topic, but Nina's suspicions only deepened. "Did
Her gaze shifted back to Wilfred. He looked at her with a casual, unbothered expression. This was no longer surprising to him. Nina understood that the place Wilfred had come from was far from legitimate or transparent. As he said, they lived in darkness, away from the light.Even so, Nina was still deeply shocked, unable to fathom how people could live such different lives. "How could you give me your blood?" Nina's voice was filled with reluctance. "I would have woken up eventually. You didn't need to cut your wrist to help me. It's harmful to you. I don't need you to do that."Wilfred smiled, as if this was the easiest thing he had ever done. "It's just a bit of blood. It won't kill me.""You can't say that. You mustn't do it again!" Nina firmly opposed. "With me, you are a person who deserves respect, not an animal, and certainly not someone who needs to sacrifice themselves for anyone else. You are free. Don't bind yourself."Nina wanted to convey that he did not need to
Yvonne felt like she was in a dream, her head spinning. She could see that they loved each other, so how could they divorce so easily? Yvonne asked, "What happened? Nash is such a jerk for changing so quickly. I have to go confront him!"Nina had already accepted the reality. "There's no need. It's better this way. Look, now I have money and a house. I'm a rich lady now. Even if I never work again, I won't starve. You should congratulate me.""That just benefits the other woman!" Yvonne fumed, imagining herself in Nina's position. How could she bear it?"How much can she benefit, really?" Nina said. "Don't worry about it. It's over now.""Got it. I'm just worried about you. Are you okay? Do you need me to keep you company? I've been calling you, and you didn't pick up. I was so worried." Yvonne was genuinely concerned, but she knew Nina was resilient. Otherwise, Nina would not have stayed by Nash's side for so many years like an unyielding weed."If it were me, I'd divorce suc
"Alright," Wilfred said, watching Nina as she left.Nina pedaled her bicycle towards the city center, not far from her home. Nash had left her the most valuable property. It was a busy time, and she stopped at a red light, waiting to cross the street.When the light turned green, she pushed her bicycle across the street. Suddenly, a young man offered, "Let me help you."Nina glanced back and saw a young man pushing her bicycle from behind, seemingly noticing that she was pregnant and might be struggling. Today, she was dressed casually, with her hair in a braid, wearing a straw hat, and a loose dress that revealed a slight baby bump. Apart from her outfit, there was little to indicate she was pregnant.She was not weak enough to need help, but not wanting to waste his goodwill, she said, "Thank you." Once she crossed the street, the young man headed in the opposite direction. She continued riding her bicycle along the non-motorized vehicle lane.For some reason, she noticed th
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