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
Nina's words were appropriate for the situation. In the future, if they were to divorce, it would give others plenty to gossip about.However, Nash felt that Nina was being overly cautious. He helped her, yet she seemed more concerned about attracting suspicion from others. Or was she apprehensive about people discovering their relationship?Suddenly, Nash's face turned cold, revealing only iciness and detachment. "Are you that afraid?" Nina observed his displeased expression and gently explained, "I'm concerned about causing you any inconvenience. If there were to be a divorce and rumors began circulating about any connection between us, I believe you wouldn't want to hear such gossip. Additionally, my reputation isn't exactly great right now. I wouldn't want to drag you into it."Nash frowned, his tone tinged with sarcasm. "Nina, why are you being so meticulous about this little matter, especially when your reputation isn't great right now?"His sarcastic tone left Nina momenta
Miranda didn't shy away from wearing it a second time. If she were to caught on camera, she would surely be ridiculed. She paid no heed to how the media would spin it.Having endured this trial, Miranda had shed considerable weight, appearing noticeably more delicate. But despite this, she faced the cameras and flashes without fear, sporting her trademark friendly smile.At first, reporters inquired about her recent near-death experience. Miranda dramatized the situation for them, sharing her ordeal and emphasizing her optimistic outlook, pledging not to repeat the same mistakes again.She observed the flood of comments, with everyone offering sympathy and acknowledging the hardships she had faced. Yet, despite the outpouring of support, some reporters delved into her privacy, noting that she had worn the gown twice.Miranda responded gracefully, "I believe facing the camera again is like a new beginning. This gown holds immense significance for me. When I wear it, I feel alive, re
Taylor's righteous indignation prompted Nina to chuckle. "Why does it seem like, in your eyes, Mr. York and I are in a romantic relationship?"Taylor couldn't determine if it was her own misperception, but she sensed the delicacy of their relationship."Mr. York does care a great deal about you," Taylor reflected for a moment. "Maybe you both don't realize it, but observers see it clearly. We can't let Miranda interfere and ruin your relationship."In Taylor's view, Nina and Nash were the perfect match."You little rascal, don't take sides recklessly," Nina tapped Taylor's head gently. "Between Mr. York and me, everything is innocent. Don't listen to gossip from others. It's none of my concern whom Mr. York wants to be with. Let's refrain from spreading such talk; it will only fuel baseless rumors."Taylor rubbed her forehead. "I won't talk to others about it, but I'm not discussing these things with you because of idle gossip."Even if the company were circulating rumors that Ni
"No, that's not what I meant. You don't know me at all? How could I blame you?" Nina clenched her fists, then released them. "It's just that this marriage was a contractual one from the beginning.""What?" Yvonne's eyes widened in shock as she stood up. "You never told me about this. Why would Nash have a contractual marriage with you? This doesn't make sense!"Nina explained, "I've told you before, Nash's grandfather had a liking for me, so he arranged for me to marry Nash. And I only agreed because I had no other options at the time."At that moment, Yvonne hadn't fully grasped the situation. She knew Nina liked Nash, but Nina had never considered marrying him despite harboring that crush for so long. How could she suddenly end up marrying him? Now she understood there was a reason behind it."Give me a moment to process this," Yvonne said, still trying to recover from her shock. "You and Nash had a contractual marriage, and it was orchestrated by his grandfather. Nash doesn't ev
Up ahead was a village. “Miss, it’s really late today, so I’ll take you home first. My parents and brother will take good care of you, and you can get a good night’s sleep at our place. Once you’ve rested, we’ll take you to town tomorrow.” The young girl tightened her grip on Vera’s hand. “My mom is a great cook! She’ll definitely make a big meal to welcome you.” It really was late. The sky was completely dark, and Vera’s phone battery was nearly dead. The girl was still so young. She had already gone out of her way to bring Vera back from the deep mountains. It wouldn’t be right to ask her to take her all the way to town tonight. Vera still had some cash in her pocket. After covering the cost of transportation, she decided she would leave the rest for the girl’s family. If it weren’t for the girl, who knew how long she would have been wandering in the mountains? “My house is just ahead. It’s not in great shape, so don’t mind it too much. Next year, whe
Vera’s nerves tensed up again. A sudden sound in the middle of nowhere was never a good sign. If it was a snake or some other large animal, she would be in serious trouble. Her ankle was swollen, and she couldn’t run fast. Would this be where it all ended for her? She had to leave quietly. But the ground was covered in thick layers of fallen leaves, with dry branches hidden underneath. Crack. As she stepped back, her foot snapped a twig, the sound piercing through the silence. Only one thought filled her mind—this was it. The rustling nearby grew louder. Vera squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself. Then, a voice suddenly spoke beside her. “Miss, why are you here alone? Didn’t your family come with you?” It was a person. Not an animal. Vera’s eyes flew open. A young girl stood in front of her. Fear dissolved in an instant, replaced by relief. She was saved.“I came here alone. Little one, do you know how to get out of here?” Ver
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.