Nina smirked. It hurt, so this wasn't a dream after all. Nash was really massaging her feet. Noticing her expression, Nash thought he might have pressed too hard and instinctively asked, "Did I hurt you?"Nina shook her head. "No, you didn't." She paused, her nose slightly moist, and said, "I just didn't expect you to be like this." To her, his tenderness was surprising. Nash lifted his deep gaze, noticing her bright yet somewhat pitiful eyes, and he softly said, "I'm sorry you had to endure this."Nina shook her head and remained silent. She wasn't enduring anything. She just loved him but couldn't have him. As Nash rubbed her feet, the warmth of his touch eased Nina's discomfort. She focused on gazing at him, soaking in his tenderness while remaining clear-headed.Her eyes fell on his deep gaze, his prominent nose bridge, and then his rosy lips... At that moment, she felt overwhelmed with emotions, and finally, she couldn't resist calling out, "Nash." At the sound of her voice
"You can still call me Nina," Nina said, "You suddenly changed how you address me. I'm a bit uncomfortable, especially since we're outside and there are many people watching."Quincy didn't understand. They were clearly husband and wife, so why keep it a secret?But it was their business, and he didn't want to pry.He simply complied with Nina's request, "Okay, Nina."Nina finished eating and headed towards the auction area.Suddenly, she bumped into someone. Following her professional habit, Nina apologized first, "Sorry for bumping into you.""It's okay, Nina, thank you for that glass of lemon water."She looked up and surprisingly, it was Penelope.Nina politely greeted, "Penelope."Penelope smiled faintly and shook hands with her warmly, "Nina, you look beautiful today. No wonder Mr. York is infatuated with you."Nina immediately clarified the situation, "No, Penelope, please don't misunderstand. I'm Mr. York's secretary, just his companion. Mr. York is already married. I
The main gemstone was ten carats, with additional diamonds of over one carat each as accents. A style worthy of collection.Nina glanced back and caught Miranda's gaze, noticing the smirk and subtle challenge in her eyes. Indeed, Miranda had every reason to flaunt.After marrying into the York family, Nina couldn't recall a single occasion when Sally had bought her anything. Finally, Sally bid six million without any hesitation. The gemstone was placed in front of Miranda. With so many people watching, it gave Miranda plenty of face, making her very happy. "It's so beautiful, Sally, you have such good taste."Sally's indulgent look: "As long as you like it, everything is worth it."As Miranda held it, bystanders looked on with envy, and one person quickly remarked, "Miranda seems to be quite favored by Sally, treating her like her daughter.""Her daughter? Clearly, she's being treated like her daughter-in-law.""But didn't Nash mention he's married? How could she be her daughte
In the box lay the emerald bracelet Miranda liked.Nina walked in and spotted them all. She politely inquired, "Mr. York, what do you need from me?"Nash glanced her way and beckoned, "Come here."Nina approached.Nash retrieved the box, opened it, and, amid their watchful eyes, slid the emerald bracelet onto Nina's wrist.At that moment, Miranda's expression shifted.Sally was taken aback and exclaimed, "Nash, wasn't this meant for Miranda?"But Nash retorted, "Don't you already spoil her enough?"Sally pursed her lips, feeling unsettled.Nina was taken aback. Suddenly, her hand felt considerably heavier. This was a twenty-million-dollar emerald bracelet.Wasn't this too much for her?She'd never worn such an expensive item before and felt it wasn't right. "It's alright, it's too valuable. What if I accidentally damage it? I should take it off."She hurried to remove it.But Nash held onto her hand, saying with significance, "I got it for you. Take good care of it and don'
With those words, Nina was frozen in place, a chill creeping up from the soles of her feet, leaving her ice-cold and lifeless.What did Zoe say?Did Nash marry her for the shares his grandfather held?Nina's gaze went blank as she turned away, peering through the half-concealed crack to see the scene inside. She saw Zoe standing, her emotions a bit agitated, while Nash sat with his legs crossed on the sofa, his eyes showing no hint of emotion."Yeah," he simply replied.Nina's face turned deathly pale, shock evident in her eyes.No wonder he married her; it was all part of a deal.No wonder on their wedding night, he said there would be no intimacy between them, and he made her realize her status.She was just a pawn from the beginning.Once he got what he wanted, he could let go, hence the three-year contract.Zoe said, "I knew you wouldn't compromise easily, but is this fair to Nina? You're hurting her."Nash's eyes remained calm, and his lips barely moved. "I will compens
Nina was gasping for breath, letting the cold wind hit her, yet she remained oblivious to the chill as she was too consumed by her need to escape.She didn't know how long she'd been running. Exhausted, she finally stopped, panting heavily.With her hands on her knees, tears streamed down her face, falling to the ground without her noticing.In that moment, Nina realized her cheeks were soaked with tears, each warm droplet turning icy, stinging her skin.Why did it have to be this way?Why?Nina silently questioned herself, why did all the good things turn out to be lies?She believed that Nash's most tender and attractive demeanor was merely a facade of compensation and guilt.Finally, she grasped the meaning behind Miranda's words.Nash had married her only to exploit her.He showed no empathy and no hint of affection towards her.Nina sank to the ground, feeling her heart grow cold, her arms tightly wrapped around herself.She wished she had a shell to retreat into, wher
The person on the other end hesitated for a moment. "Someone did see Nina in the office, but no one was keeping watch, so we can't guarantee she was there the whole time."It was a mystery.He had once questioned Nina's suspicion.In his memory, Nina had always maintained her boundaries with him, never making any mistakes, so he didn't have too many doubts.Recalling the moment, Nina seemed quite flustered.She was the only woman who could get close to him.But he was certain it couldn't have been Miranda.Nash hung up the phone, shut down the computer, and left the study.In the bedroom, the lights were on, but Nina wasn't inside.Even her phone was left on the bed.He searched around but didn't find her, then asked the helper, "Where is Nina?"The helper replied, "Mrs. York was seen going downstairs just now."Nina was nowhere to be found in the villa, and she hadn't taken her phone, which worried Nash. He quickly made a call, "Nina's missing, find her!"---Nina woke u
"Quarrels between husband and wife happen all the time; it's just part of marriage. What's the big deal? I'll let Nash know you're in the hospital so he won't worry himself sick about you."Nina internally resisted. "Please, don't tell him.""Didn't you hear what the nurse said? You need to notify your family. Without that, you can't leave the hospital," Caleb insisted.Nina glanced at Caleb. "I hope you stay out of this."Her complexion was dreadful, and she was stubborn, but her tone mirrored Nash's. Truly like a married couple.Caleb continued, "Nash has been searching all over for you. I've already reached out to him, and he'll be here at the hospital soon."Nina pursed her lips tightly. She didn't want to, but Caleb was Nash's friend, surely biased toward him.Afraid that Nina might try to escape, Caleb kept a close eye on her until Nash arrived at the hospital.He was out of breath. Upon seeing Nina, he finally relaxed and walked over briskly. "What's wrong? Where does it
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