Quincy soon returned with news."Nash, there’s a doctor here, an obstetrician with thirty years of experience."The doctor was a middle-aged woman with glasses, exuding an air of professionalism, which reassured them."Please save my wife. Ensure that both she and the baby are safe. I’ll pay whatever it takes!" Nash pleaded with the doctor, willing to give up everything for their safety."Let me through, quickly!" The doctor, focused and diligent, wasted no time and went straight to Nina.The traffic jam seemed unmovable for the time being.Nina was already bleeding. She had scheduled a C-section and was in contact with her doctor. Today, she planned to deal with Miranda and then head to the hospital for delivery. The unexpected onset of labor meant she had to deliver naturally. She desperately wanted Nash’s presence, her hands reaching out but failing to find him. She grabbed onto anything for support, crying out in pain.The doctor beside her tried to soothe her, "Don’t worr
As Nash spoke, his eyes turned completely red. He did not offer Nina any comforting promises about the baby. Her survival was essential. Nash knew himself well. Whether it was due to his physical condition or his feelings for Nina, he could not face raising a child without her.Nash's words ignited a fire within Nina. She could not afford to give in to despair. Gritting her teeth, she mustered all her strength, fighting against the pain and exhaustion."Nash, you bastard!" Nina growled through her gritted teeth. As she pushed with all her might, she felt the baby finally leave her body. The immense effort left her utterly drained, and she collapsed, her body going limp.A loud cry filled the car.The doctor lifted the newborn, announcing with relief, "It's a boy." The doctor then turned to Nash, showing him the baby. But the sight and smell of blood overwhelmed him. The tiny, defenseless baby, crying and vulnerable, triggered an intense, almost violent reaction in Nash. He clen
Nash immediately strode out with determined steps.---A long time passed.Nina felt like she was already dead. Surrounded by darkness, she couldn’t tell where she was, only that she was terrified. She didn't want to die. She hadn't heard her baby's cry and hadn't seen her baby's face. She didn't know if it was a boy or a girl, alive or dead. She had a strong will to survive, but her body was exhausted.She didn’t know how long she drifted in the void. Suddenly, she saw a dark figure, tall and indistinct, waiting ahead of her. Nina felt a chill of fear and asked, "Who are you?"The figure didn’t respond.Unsure, she asked again, "Are you here to take me to hell?"The figure remained silent.Nina started to think it was a statue. Then, it moved slightly. She felt a flutter of fear but also found it absurd. She was a ghost now. Why should she fear another ghost?She walked toward it. The figure turned around slowly, lifting its head. She saw a face without features, and she sc
Nina felt like she had walked to the gates of hell and scared herself awake. It was unbelievable, like a dream. As she tried to make sense of everything, the door opened again, and Nash walked in. He was dressed in a suit, tall and imposing, with chiseled features and deep eyes."Are you feeling any discomfort?" Nash asked calmly.Nina, excited, got out of bed again. "I'm fine. Have you seen our baby? The nurse said he's in an incubator, but I haven't been allowed to see him yet."Nash noticed she was barefoot and silently walked over, placing slippers in front of her. "I've seen him. He's very cute. His eyes look like yours, his nose like mine. He's quite lively, crying and fussing a lot. I think he'll be a mischievous boy."As he spoke, Nina began to imagine their child. A smile played on her lips as she slipped on the slippers. "Really? A mischievous boy sounds good. He won't get bullied, but we must educate him well so he doesn’t go astray.""Yes, I understand," Nash said, w
Nash gazed deeply at her, gently tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Nina, you've always brought me surprises."Hearing this, Nina felt reassured. She grasped Nash's hand, her eyes welling up with tears. "Please, don’t disappoint me again, okay? The baby and I want a stable family, a healthy environment to grow up in. This isn’t too much to ask, is it? You’ve experienced it yourself, haven’t you?"Nash replied, "You won't forgive me."Nina furrowed her brows. "Why wouldn’t I forgive you? I know you’ve sacrificed a lot for me. Even if there were difficulties, as long as I can understand, I’m willing to believe in you.""Understood," Nash said softly. "Then I'll tell you the truth. You were right. I had held Miranda captive, but she's not here anymore. Don’t worry, I won't face any repercussions. I've made her pay for what she did to you."He smiled as he said this, as if avenging her brought him great satisfaction, making Nina feel uneasy."What did you do?" she asked.
Nina felt deeply touched. "Meeting you has been a blessing for me too. We've helped each other so much!"Seeing that they had a lot to talk about, Nash said, "Scarlett works for me now. Didn't you mention wanting to learn self-defense? Scarlett can teach you.""Really?" Nina's eyes lit up. "I'd love that! Once I’ve fully recovered, I definitely want to learn!"Nash smiled, genuinely happy to see Nina excited. He hoped she could protect herself."You two keep chatting. There's plenty of time," Nash said.Nina looked at him. "Are you leaving?"Nash nodded. "I have a lot to take care of. I'll come back to be with you once I'm done.""Okay." Nina did not want to hold him up.Nash left, gently closing the door behind him.Outside, a well-dressed man in his fifties, looking like a butler, was waiting. He was accompanied by four or five burly bodyguards. The butler bowed respectfully to Nash."Three months is your deadline. Please remember our agreement."Nash's expression was cold
Nina felt puzzled, "Why?"Scarlett thought for a moment and then found an excuse, "He's always busy in the lab and can't take calls. It's best not to disturb him. When he's done, he'll definitely come to see you. This way, he won't be distracted from his research."Nina thought Scarlett made a lot of sense. She did not want Wilfred to be distracted either, knowing he had more important things to handle."Okay, I'll wait until he's not busy," Nina said without thinking much more about it.Scarlett looked at Nina and saw the joyful smile on her face. However, Scarlett was looking a bit uneasy. Worried Nina might overthink things, she hesitated to say more. Instead, she gratefully said, "Captain York has been really good to me. Thanks to you, he gave me a new identity. I owe everything to you and him. I won't ever let you down."She spoke as if making a vow, but Nina responded, "You're being too polite. We're friends. You used to protect me, and now it's my turn to protect you. Eve
"I wouldn't be here today..." Nelly's tears burst forth as she cried openly on stage. "I am especially grateful to one person who couldn't be here today, but this honor belongs to her too. That's Nina. She not only saved me but also saved our entire crew. Without her, I wouldn't be standing here today. Please remember, she is also the director of 'Glory'—Nina!"After she finished speaking, there was another round of applause. Nina, knowing how difficult the journey had been, felt her eyes well up with emotion.Nelly finished her speech, and then Penelope came up to say a few words. She was more confident than ever, perhaps because she now had a solid foundation."Ten years ago, I was a small-time actress," she began. "In the ten years of struggling, I have stood on high peaks and have also fallen. But in the end, I got back up!"Her words were inspiring, and the audience responded with applause. Smiling at the camera, she continued, "Like our director, the person I am most grateful
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