Nina was still a bit groggy and she asked in a hoarse voice, "What made it?""The drama," Nelly said excitedly. "We've made a comeback!"Nina was instantly wide awake. She sat up quickly and grabbed her phone to check the news about their drama. Yesterday it was ranked second, but today it had climbed to first place. The viewership had multiplied several times overnight, and the reviews were getting better and better. It was breaking real-time popularity records.Nina could not help but feel a huge surge of joy. If the popularity continued to rise and the storyline held up, things would only get better. The worry that had been weighing on her lifted, and she felt a wave of happiness. Hard work did pay off. If one put in enough effort, dreams would indeed come true.She quickly got ready to meet up with the others. She ran into Wilfred downstairs, who was driving his car. He rolled down the window. "Where are you headed? I'll give you a ride."Nina, in a good mood, did not
Nina laughed and said, "Have these been authorized?""Yes, they have!" Nelly confirmed. "I can vouch for it. This isn’t a knockoff. It's an official release. These are just samples, and they're already selling well online!""It seems like this isn’t a dream. 'Glory' is actually doing well," Nina remarked. Just that morning, everything had seemed so uncertain, but now their drama's popularity was soaring."We’ve already hit over a hundred million views! I never thought I’d see this in my lifetime," Angel exclaimed.Nina glanced at the numbers. The view count had indeed surpassed a hundred million, with comments praising the thrilling and engaging plot. The positive feedback was overwhelming."My son’s formula milk money is covered!" Nina joked."I think we can surpass 'Demon Bone!'" Angel said excitedly. "'Glory' is trending nonstop, and everyone’s calling it the dark horse that came out of nowhere with minimal marketing.""I keep seeing fan edits with hundreds of thousands of
"Then go see him," Penelope suggested, "not for him, but for yourself. Knowing he's safe will give you peace of mind."---Meanwhile, Miranda had not slept all night, worrying about Nash's safety. She had called Seth for reassurance, but he insisted there was no danger. Still, her instincts would not let her rest.Early in the morning, exhausted and anxious, she stayed alert to every sound, hoping it was Nash returning. But there was no news of him.Miranda was so preoccupied with Nash's safety that she barely cared about the ratings of 'Demon Bone'. Yesterday's ratings were good, and she knew the ratings of 'Glory' had not met expectations and might even decline. This reassured her that she was finally winning against Nina, both in fame and love.Just as she was feeling a sense of accomplishment, she heard a noise at the door. Thinking it was Nash, she eagerly ran to open it. "Nash—" she started, but it was only her assistant with breakfast.The excitement faded from Miranda's
Miranda could not sit still any longer. It was not just Nina. Nash's absence was making her anxious as well."I need to go out," Miranda said, unable to stay put any longer.Her assistant quickly prepared breakfast for her. "Where are you going, Miranda?""Nash hasn't come back yet. I need to go find him."With that, Miranda hurried to change her clothes. "You're not having breakfast?" the assistant asked."No!"Gathering her things, Miranda grabbed her bag and rushed out the door, instructing the driver to take her to Nash's place. Waiting at his place made her feel more secure. She could see him the moment he arrived.On the way, she noticed a familiar car, one that Nina used to drive. As far as she knew, Nash had given it to her. However, this car was not included in the divorce settlement, which had only specified a villa and four million dollars. Compared to Nash's assets, four million plus a villa was a mere trifle. It felt like charity, so naturally, she did not say
"Miranda!"Her assistant finally arrived, holding an umbrella to shield her from the sun. But Miranda's dress was already dirty."Nina has no manners at all. Let me help you clean it," the assistant quickly knelt down, pulling out tissues to wipe the dress.Miranda glared in the direction Nina had left, her eyes wide with hatred. How dare she act so arrogantly when she was so sick! She would beg for mercy when her illness got worse.Miranda took a deep breath, trying to maintain her composure. "Let's go wait at Nash's villa."From the rearview mirror, Penelope saw Miranda's furious expression and could not help but smirk. "Give her an inch, and she'll take a mile. She's spoiled."Nina did not care about Miranda. Honestly, she did not even want to acknowledge her existence. It was Miranda who kept pushing, always trying to harm her."The weather is nice today. How about we set up a tent and go camping?" Nina suggested, noticing the bright sun."I think that's a great idea. Let's
The driver knocked Miranda unconscious, and slung her over his shoulder. He then got out of the car, and moved to another vehicle, disappearing from sight.---Nina was unconscious but vaguely felt the jostling, which almost made her vomit. When she woke up, she found her hands and feet bound and smelled a strong odor of gasoline. She was in a wooden house, and it seemed like there was someone else tied to the pillar behind her.Straining to turn her head, she saw the edge of the other person's clothes and recognized who it was.Miranda!Nina furrowed her brows. Why was she tied up with Miranda? Where were they? Despite her panic, Nina forced herself to stay calm.Since she and Miranda were both bound, it was clear that their captor was an enemy of them both, ruling out the possibility that Miranda had orchestrated this. If someone had a grudge against both of them, it was likely connected to Nash. Could it be related to the female corpse case?"Who is it? Who kidnapped
Miranda's face turned bright red from the slap, stunned into silence."Stop trying to intimidate me with his name. I've wanted to kill him for a long time!" Sawyer snarled. "If you don't want to die, keep your mouth shut, and maybe you'll live."This shut Miranda up completely.Nina's heart pounded, her hands slick with sweat. She was not alone in this. She had a child to think about, so she dared not make any rash moves."I'm surprised you're still alive," Sawyer sneered at Nina. "Looks like Nash has gone to great lengths for you."Nina responded with cold sarcasm, "Nash? What effort? Don't you know he dumped me? I'd love to kill him myself right now!"Sawyer glanced at Miranda again, laughing. "Looks like this woman has some tricks up her sleeve, just like her father!"Nina continued, "I don't understand why you kidnapped me. Even if you have a grudge against Nash, that has nothing to do with me. We have no conflict!""You and I have no conflict," Sawyer admitted, pacing in f
"Shut up!" Scarlett glared at Miranda. "My life belongs to Sawyer. I live only to serve him!""You're insane!" Miranda continued. "He's a fugitive now, and you're just a loyal dog!""Stuff her mouth!" Scarlett ordered immediately.Someone grabbed a dirty, foul-smelling rag and shoved it into Miranda's mouth."Mmmph..." Miranda gagged at the stench, feeling like she might vomit, but she could not break free.Scarlett looked at Nina, who met her gaze and saw a message in her eyes. Scarlett was not planning to help Sawyer this time. She intended to help Nina.Nina furrowed her brows and shook her head vigorously.Scarlett gave a reassuring smile, trying to put her at ease.Nina's heart was uneasy. She knew Scarlett wanted to get the antidote for her. Just like she had promised that day. But would the antidote be with Sawyer?Nina did not want Scarlett to take such a risk and she grabbed Scarlett's arm but Scarlett pulled away. Outside, gunfire and explosions erupted, mingled
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