"What?" Nina was stunned. She immediately pulled her hand away and stepped back. "What nonsense are you talking about? You want me to abort the baby now? I won't do it!"Nash's eyes bore into hers with a stern intensity. "Your body is not fit for pregnancy. If you terminate the pregnancy, it won't drain your nutrients, and you might live longer. The longer you live, the more chances you'll have. Do you understand?"His words were urgent and decisive. He wanted to save her first. There could always be another child.Nina, however, wasn't listening. The moment he mentioned abortion, she wanted to get as far away from him as possible. She didn't want to answer him, so she turned and walked away."Nina!" Nash called out sharply.Nina turned back, yelling, "Didn't the doctor say I can make it until the baby is born? Isn't that enough?""You're risking your life!" Nash retorted. "What happens to you after the baby is born?"Nina's eyes widened with emotion. "And if I abort the bab
The thought that the poison had no cure made her despair even more. She did not want to regret it again. Gathering her resolve, she spoke softly, "Nash, I don’t expect you to love him much, but please, don’t harm him. That’s my final wish."At this moment, Nash saw the determined look in Nina's eyes, and it broke his heart. He couldn't bear to imagine, much less think about, the worst outcome. His fists clenched, hands trembling, and his lips pressed tightly together as he struggled internally. He wished she didn’t have to endure such suffering."Are you sure about this?" Nash finally asked in a soft voice."Yes, I’m sure."Nash made a concession. He no longer insisted on aborting the baby. With Nina threatening her own life, what else could he do? All he wanted was for her to be safe and happy.Seeing Nash's sorrowful and worried expression, Nina offered him a reassuring smile. "Don’t see me as so fragile. I’m stronger than you think. Trust me, I’ll be fine. I will be fin
Nash replied, "Starting a new life means letting go of the past. Nina is part of the past now. Once you finish this drama series, we’ll get married. We can then meet each other’s parents. You already know my mother well, but I haven't met your father yet. Gaining our parents' approval will make our marriage complete."Miranda's eyes lit up, and she quickly wrapped her arms around his. "Your thoughts align perfectly with mine," she said, beaming with joy. "Thank you, Nash. I feel like the luckiest woman in the world!"She hugged him tightly, She rested her head on his shoulder with her eyes closed, savoring the moment of happiness. There was nothing more gratifying than him accepting her back into his life. Her efforts had paid off. She knew Nash still liked her and that Nina was just a temporary distraction. She believed that as long as she continued showing him how much she cared, he would eventually come back to her. Soon, she would truly be happy.Nash held her gently with one
Their relationship was the talk of the industry, making many people envious. At various events, Penelope often heard rumors about Nash and Miranda's relationship. Gossip columns were filled with headlines like, "Nash York Deeply in Love with Miranda Lewis." It irritated her even more than Miranda’s attempts to undermine her."Stop looking at that!" Nina said, taking Penelope’s phone away. "Staring at it won't change anything.""You sure seem to be handling this well," Penelope replied.Nina sat down beside her, munching on a plate of fruit. "I've come to terms with it. Right now, the only thing I care about is my baby. As for everything else, I'm not concerned. Oh, and of course, making sure our drama does well. That’s my focus.""Do you really think that?" Penelope asked. "I still think you love him.""Love isn’t my whole life," Nina said with a smile. "I’m not limited to loving just one person."Penelope could not accept it. It felt like all the good things were going to the
The sudden outburst caught everyone's attention. They heard Nelly exclaiming that their drama series could not get aired on television. This news dealt a heavy blow to everyone’s confidence.Penelope, sobering up quickly, rushed over. "Nelly, what does this mean? Didn’t we pass the review?"Nelly’s expression was grim. "They said our drama is too dark and isn’t suitable for prime-time TV. We’ve put so much effort into this. We can’t let it go to waste. I need to get some answers. I won’t accept this without a fight!"They had high hopes for the drama's broadcast success. This news felt like a cold bucket of water poured over their heads, leaving them all stunned and disheartened."I’ll go with you," Nina offered.Unlike the others who were panicking, Nina remained relatively calm. She had anticipated various challenges. Things were not as dire as they seemed. There was always hope. Nelly’s expectations had been very high, and she held herself to equally high standards. From the
After half an hour, the office door finally opened. As soon as the door cracked open, Nelly sensed there were people inside."Chief, I must treat you to a meal sometime," Miranda said, her face beaming with a smile. "Your advice today was invaluable. I really must thank you."She never missed an opportunity to get close to influential people."Of course, if it's a meal with Nash around, I'll certainly be there!" the broadcasting bureau chief replied, indicating his willingness to accommodate Nash.Nash shook hands with the chief and said softly, "Miranda is one of my artists. She'll be invaluable in many projects moving forward."The chief chuckled and teased, "Is she an artist or your girlfriend? Nash, at this point, there’s no need to hide things from me. I understand why you'd get involved personally."Miranda blushed slightly but maintained her composure. "Chief, you have a keen eye. When Nash and I get married, you must come!"She clung to Nash’s arm as she spoke."Absolut
The chief originally did not want any friction between them over this matter and planned to discuss it in detail with them. However, the director’s words made him a bit embarrassed.Nina had considered that Miranda might say something or play some tricks behind the scenes, but why did Nash get involved?Naturally puzzled, Nina said, "So it was Mr. York who had objections to our drama series."Nash’s gaze finally landed on her, but to Nina, he seemed like a stranger. After their separation, he was no longer the Nash she knew. He now belonged to Miranda."Modern dramas are scrutinized more strictly by the broadcasting authority. Themes of violence and revenge are indeed not suitable for prime time as they affect the values of teenagers," Nash said coldly, directly criticizing their series. "I think your drama shouldn’t just aim to thrill. Target audiences, especially impressionable teenagers, can be significantly influenced.""That’s impossible!" Nina retorted. "Our drama is about c
The chief looked at Nina and her team, clearly wanting to end the confrontation quickly. Nina stopped engaging with Miranda, realizing she could not expect any answers from Nash. His actions showed he was fully on Miranda's side, making their already difficult path even more challenging.Once inside, the door closed firmly behind them. Miranda grumbled, "She's just trying to curse me, wishing me ill!"Then she turned to Nash, feeling pleased, "Good thing you stood up for me, otherwise I'd be bullied."Nash reassured her, "Don't worry, their drama series won't make it to TV."Miranda felt a sense of satisfaction, "Nash, you're so sharp. You found a flaw that kept them off the air."Nash remained silent. But Miranda was immersed in her love for him and continued, "I talked to my dad, and we should have dinner together sometime."Nash squinted slightly, "When?""I'll check with him and let you know."Meanwhile, in the chief's office, Nina asked again, "Chief, is there really
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