Quincy did not push further. "I'll take the documents back, but the legal process has already taken effect."Nina's brows furrowed even more. She asked again, "Where is Nash? Why isn't he here to explain this himself?"She had asked three times, and Quincy still had not answered."Do you think I won't get suspicious if you don't answer?" Nina pressed.Scarlett knew they could not keep this from Nina forever. She would find out sooner or later. It was better to tell her now than to let her imagination run wild."Captain has already left," Scarlett said.Nina turned her gaze to Scarlett, seeing the seriousness in her expression. "Where did he go?""He went to the Yaren territory," Scarlett replied."What?" Nina was shocked. "Why did he go there? Is it to get the antidote?""No," Scarlett shook her head. Seeing Nina's confusion, she continued, "Nina, haven't you noticed your health improving?"Nina was taken aback. She had found it strange, but after so long without a cure, she
Nina's throat tightened with endless bitterness, and she muttered to herself, "Is this what I wanted?"Quincy remained silent. He had witnessed the journey of Nash and Nina over the years. Nina had given her all to Nash, and Nash had done the same for her. In this moment, Quincy did not know how to respond.Nina became more agitated, her smile turning increasingly self-deprecating. "This isn't what I wanted at all!"Her voice grew louder, her emotions becoming more intense and distorted. Quincy was stunned. Mr. York had given her everything he had. What more could she want? Wasn't this a sign of his love? But Quincy could not understand that what Nina desired was Nash's presence, facing life's challenges together, not his repeated departures.Scarlett watched Nina, feeling deeply pained. She took a tissue from the bedside table and gently wiped Nina's tears. "Nina, you need to stay calm. You shouldn't cry or get upset while you're in recovery."Quincy also felt a pang of
Before Nash left, he made sure to put everything in order. He instructed Quincy to follow his directions and to take good care of Nina. A few minutes later, Quincy was gone for good. Nina remained silent, and Scarlett did not know what to say. The room was eerily quiet.Seeing Nina like this, Scarlett grew worried. "Nina, say something. You’re scaring me.""I'm fine," Nina replied. Though deeply pained, she was not someone who would simply wallow in sorrow."How about I take you out for a walk, or should I call some friends over?" Scarlett asked, seeking her opinion.Nina lay back down, turning to face away from Scarlett. "I don't want to see anyone right now.""Okay, then rest for a while," Scarlett said, deciding not to disturb her further.Scarlett walked over to the small sofa in the room and sat down. She considered leaving but thought better of it, worried about what might happen if Nina had dark thoughts. She could not just leave her alone.Scarlett waited for over five
"Mr. York contacted me..." Quincy dared not lie. Moreover, it was the truth.Nina fell silent. Nash had contacted Quincy but not her. He had truly cut her out completely!Nelly walked over and took Nina's hand. "Nina, last time you couldn't come, but this time our drama won another award. I've booked a big room at Moonlight. Let's all go celebrate!"Before Nina could respond, a cheerful female voice approached. "Looks like I arrived just in time."Everyone turned to see Angel coming over with a bouquet of flowers.Nelly laughed heartily. "Then join us.""Wait!" Scarlett's sharp eyes caught Quincy trying to leave. She fixed him with a steely gaze. "Hand over your phone."Everyone was surprised.Quincy exchanged glances with Nina, realizing what was happening. He quickly took out his phone, unlocked it, and handed it to Nina, showing her the call log.Nina glanced at it. The first number was Nash's, with a call lasting only a few seconds.Nina did not say a word. Everyone
In that moment, Nash's face flashed in her mind, and her heart ached intensely. But then she suddenly thought of their dead child, a child she never even got to see...There were some things she could not think about, because once she did, she could not control her emotions."I need to go to the restroom," Nina said.Standing next to her, Penelope immediately noticed something was wrong. She saw the redness in Nina's eyes and followed her.Penelope found Nina leaning on the sink, silently crying. It was as if an invisible hand was gripping her heart, and Penelope felt it too."Nina..." Penelope walked over.Nina did not expect her to follow. She had thought she could control her emotions, but now she could not hold back anymore."Penelope, I have fame and fortune now, and you're all celebrating with me. I know I should be happy. But I can't. I feel so empty, so hollow..."She pointed to her heart as she spoke.Anyone who saw Nina and Nash's interactions would have said they
Nina did not respond. In that moment, it felt like she had swallowed razor blades, and as the pain intensified, everything around her became incredibly clear.She remembered she had the KA48 poison in her system, but she did not have any symptoms after giving birth.Nash had arranged everything meticulously, covering every detail, including Miranda, her confusing memories and the death of their child. Initially, Nash had not known the child was his. He had lost control, gotten angry with her, yet still chose to keep the child. His deep feelings for her were evident in everything he did, including leaving after making all these arrangements and not contacting her for days.She understood why. He did not want her to be hurt and he wanted her to be safe. But she wished for his safety just as much."Nina, you have to take care of yourself. Otherwise, all the efforts Nash put in for you will be in vain," Penelope said, trying to encourage Nina.Penelope had been an observer thro
"Nina, you must come back safely," Angel pleaded, tears streaming down her face. This set off a chain reaction, and soon everyone else was crying too.Scarlett stepped forward and patted her chest confidently. "Don't worry, with me around, I'll protect her." It was her duty, a task assigned by Nash and a wish from Wilfred.Penelope, Nelly, and Angel were all drunk, while Yvonne stayed sober. Nina could not drink, and Scarlett needed to stay alert."Yvonne, can you make sure they all get home safely? I need to go," Nina said, looking at Yvonne.They understood each other without needing many words. Yvonne nodded, taking off a small cross necklace from her neck and placing it around Nina's. "Nina, be careful on your way.""Will do," Nina replied.They parted ways, but Nina did not head straight to the Yaren territory. Instead, she pulled Scarlett aside to teach her some combat skills. Scarlett understood this was Nina's preparation for the Yaren territory.Considering Nina's condi
Meanwhile, Quincy was still at York Corporation, where he had been handling many affairs single-handedly in Nash's absence. He was overwhelmed with work.When Nash's number flashed on his phone screen, he jolted and quickly answered, "Mr. York."The phone emitted a faint static sound. The signal on Nash's end wasn't good. The Yaren territory was a conflict zone, with frequent gunfire and fights."Quincy, how is she doing lately?" Nash's clear voice finally came through. The person he cared about most was always Nina.Quincy reported truthfully, "Madam has been cooperating well and completed her recovery. After being discharged, she had a gathering with friends and then started learning combat skills from Scarlett..."Before he could finish, the line went dead. Quincy immediately tried calling back but was met with a mechanical voice, "The number you dialed is currently out of service. Please try again later..."There was no signal. Quincy clenched his phone, his expression seri
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