Her actions caused Nash to furrow his brows deeply. He retracted his hand and asked coldly, "Am I that scary?"Nina just looked at him, unable to utter a word.Her rejection of him stirred up a sense of irritation in Nash's heart. His expression turned extremely cold as he dismissed her, "If there's nothing else, leave."It took Nina quite some time to calm down after the recent ordeal. Only then could she ease herself from the shadow of what had just happened. After expecting the child, everything seemed different. She couldn't allow him to harm their child.Nina stood up, took a few steps back, and respectfully said to Nash, "I will take care of the tasks you assigned, Mr. York. Please rest assured."With that, she left the office without looking back. Her words left Nash with a displeased expression, the more he thought about it, the more irked he became.After a while, Quincy came in. "Mr. York, the meeting is still ongoing...""Get out!" Nash growled lowly.---Nina walked out, h
"Linda Clark."The girl named Linda had long hair that gave off a delicate, timid vibe. She was thin and shy. Though her physique resembled Nina's, her face resembled Miranda's, innocent and pure—a type of beauty that men couldn't resist.The lady boss introduced her to Nina: "This is our new girl. She's beautiful and still undergoing training. She hasn't started working yet. She's from a rural family. Her mother is sick back home and in urgent need of money. Her background is clean."Nina felt she couldn't have found a more suitable candidate—youthful, beautiful, and evoking a man's protective instincts. She seemed like the type Nash would like."She's the one," Nina said.Linda didn't know why they called her over or what they wanted from her. Fear flickered in her eyes, and she seemed a bit flustered as she stuttered, "What do you want from me? I've just arrived, but I won't sell my body. I won't do anything that compromises my integrity."Nina understood her panic and didn't
"This girl is beautiful and young. What man can resist such temptation?" Yvonne expressed some concern. There would be no man in this world who would not be swayed by such allure. Even the most disciplined would feel some impulse upon seeing such a young girl.Given the current situation, Nina had no other options left. "I have no choice," Nina could only muster a forced smile. "Even so, I must do this. Otherwise, I will surely regret not making this decision today."She couldn't risk her child.Yvonne wasn't entirely clear about Nina's intentions, but since she had chosen this path, there must be a hidden reason behind it. Yvonne didn't press her for details. If Nina wanted to share, she would.However, seeing them reconcile not long ago and now encountering this situation, it must be something serious. Yvonne sympathized with her. If not for the obstacle of Nash, Nina would have been quite happy.Yvonne just offered a caution, "Be careful, not only with Nash but also with this g
The two of them shared a laugh. Yvonne had another meeting to rush to, so they went their separate ways after chatting for a while.Instead of heading home, Nina found herself wandering aimlessly, her mind blank, unsure of her thoughts. Almost instinctively, she ended up at the middle school she had attended over a decade ago.As society had progressed, the middle school had seen significant changes, with renovations and expansions resulting in several new buildings. However, the stone at the entrance, weathered by time, remained unchanged, still bearing the inscription "Bright Middle School."This was where she had spent her middle school years, the place where she had first encountered Nash.She would never forget that day, August 13th, when she had come close to death.It happened right at this school gate, just after noon dismissal. Like most of her classmates, she had walked out of the school gate when several masked kidnappers appeared, carrying large bags on their shoulders
She had a conviction back then, believing she had to find the young man who had saved her, refusing to be forever trapped in the shadows. Taking a six-month hiatus from school, she later returned, diligently scouring for information about the young man.Eventually, she discovered his name was Nash and he attended the city's top high school. His name lacked the letter "Z," yet people called him Zac. She found it odd but figured it might be his nickname.She worked hard and managed to gain admission to his high school. However, she merely observed quietly from afar, never intruding on his space. He excelled in basketball, academics, and came from a wealthy family. He was so outstanding that she felt she wasn't worthy of him, so she just kept silent. Even as she passed by him, he wouldn't spare her a second glance, having long forgotten the girl he once rescued."Nina."Nina was lost in her thoughts, reminiscing on the past with bitterness, excitement, and affection, until her thoug
"You're too kind. It's an honor for me to give back to my hometown, especially to my alma mater," Scott replied.Wallace was very pleased. His students had achieved success, bringing glory to their alma mater.Since starting work, Nina hadn't visited the school much. Encountering them now, it wasn't easy to leave, so she could only listen quietly.Nina admired Scott's donation of ten million to the school. Despite furthering his studies abroad, he hadn't forgotten his roots. If it were someone else who had succeeded elsewhere, they might not have come back."Nina, I heard you're now working at York Corporation," Wallace suddenly turned his gaze to Nina.Nina was taken aback.Wallace asked with concern, "Are you doing okay?"Nina was surprised. "You know about that, Mr. Wallace?"With so many students, it was impossible for him to remember what each one was doing.Wallace explained, "I've met Mr. York a few times. He mentioned you, so I knew you've been at York Corporation, alt
Perhaps he was worried about her. But she was fine now, so why did he still have such a look in his eyes? However, what surprised her was that he knew about it the second year. "It seems the news had spread to Estaland," Nina responded.Scott continued. "That year, I came back once."Nina stared at him, unsure of what he was about to say, but he went on, "But I quickly returned to Estaland, without even getting a chance to say hello to you.""It's okay. We weren't that close back then," Nina replied.Scott just smiled. "Yeah, we weren't close like we are now. But looking back, I regret it. If I hadn't gone abroad, things might have been different. I could have protected you when you were in danger, preventing you from getting hurt. They couldn't have kidnapped you if I was there.""You have quite the sense of humor," Nina didn't take his words too seriously as they carried a half-joking tone. "I heard from Mr. Walker that you later developed post-traumatic stress disorder and to
Moreover, he had only recently returned to the country, which made the situation even more unlikely.Nina matched his pace as they walked side by side.Scott relished the feeling of walking with her, a subtle smile adorning his lips.However, their tranquil moment was abruptly interrupted by a passing car.As the vehicle approached directly towards them, Scott, fearing it might collide with Nina, instinctively moved to push her to the side, walking along the outer edge of the road.This scene unfolded directly in front of Nash, who observed it through the rearview mirror."Mr. York, Nina is also here, accompanied by a man," Quincy noticed through the rearview mirror and felt compelled to alert Nash.Nash's frosty gaze locked onto Quincy.Initially, Quincy hadn't fully grasped the situation, but Nash's demeanor made it clear that this was not a favorable development.He mentally berated himself for his oversight.Men's possessiveness and selfishness often couldn't tolerate the
Jamie struggled desperately to free herself from Ben’s grip, but it was futile. Ben watched her attempts with a mix of frustration and curiosity. Beyond her anger and resistance, Jamie showed no other emotions. Yet, according to Caden, she had risked everything to obtain the recording. His mother had also confirmed it was Jamie who had handed it over. Still, she had never used it to threaten him. Ben’s voice dripped with sarcasm as he stared her down. “What’s your angle, Jamie? You risked so much to get that recording, you ignored your son’s safety, and now you’re here telling me to take care of your sister and build a happy life with her? Are you really that noble?” His sharp, icy gaze bore into her, as though he wanted to rip her apart piece by piece. Jamie hadn’t expected Ben to know the truth, but it didn’t matter. She had done what she felt was right and had no intention of using it against him. “My sister is carrying your child, and the two of you are engaged
Ben didn’t respond, drinking in brooding silence. Just as Hunter was about to press further, Nash shot him a glance that made him hold his tongue. Ben drank heavily, while Nash and Quincy eventually excused themselves, and Caleb hurried off to handle work. In the end, it was just Ben and Hunter left in the private lounge. Hunter patted Ben on the shoulder. “If you can’t forget her, then maybe it’s time to accept her. Even if things don’t turn out as expected, as long as you’ve done your best and have a clear conscience, that’s enough. You’re the one building a life with her, so why get hung up on something so trivial?” He was referring to Jamie’s past. And if Ben really wanted to count, he was her first man.But no man could truly tolerate betrayal.What Ben couldn’t get past wasn’t Jamie’s past, but her abandonment and the way she had betrayed him.“I’m done talking about Jamie,” Ben said coldly. “I’ll settle the tab. You stay and enjoy yourself. I’m heading home.”
Ben did not reply and left without looking back. True to his word, he wasn’t going to see Jamie or Winnie. Instead, he arranged to meet Nash and the others at the most exclusive club in the city. However, when Ben arrived, Nash was busy on a call, Quincy was glued to his phone, and Hunter and Caleb were drinking quietly. Ben, already agitated, couldn’t hide his irritation. “You two, it’s rare we get together, and this is how you spend your time? Do you ever get tired of it?”He took a sip of his own drink, frustration bubbling as thoughts of Jamie occupied his mind. Quincy, sprawled casually on the couch, grinned. “Tired? Never. You don’t know what you’re missing. It’s pure bliss.” “I used to think love and relationships were just a burden,” Quincy continued, his expression turning soft. “But now I’ve realized, there’s nothing better in this world.” Since reconnecting with Lydia, Quincy’s perspective on life had shifted entirely. Traveling the world hand-in-hand with
Ben’s lips pressed into a thin line. He didn’t know how to describe what he was feeling at that moment. The Jamie he knew was someone who could easily abandon their relationship for money. He had even done a paternity test on Jamie’s child, confirming there was no biological connection between them. Now, she had gone to such lengths for him. Was this her conscience finally surfacing? Ben didn’t want to dwell on it. “Your grandmother is innocent. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of her situation,” he said. “Thank you.” Caden lowered his head in gratitude. Ben nodded slightly and walked past him without another word. ……After leaving, Ben returned home to find Mrs. Lucas waiting for him, ready to perform a series of superstitious gestures to "clear away bad energy." He went along with her routine without protest. Once she was finished, he got into his car. “Who did you reach out to that managed to get me released so quickly?” Ben asked, recalling Caden’s earlier
It was a battle between good and evil.“Charlie is already sick, and your sister never thinks about you. So why should you care about her? Besides, people who don’t look out for themselves are doomed to fail!”Evil began to chip away at her reason.Justice pushed back. “No, he’s just a child.”But evil whispered again. “Winnie, if you don’t take steps to protect yourself, do you want to see your own child disappear?”Winnie couldn’t bear the thought of losing her child. Over the years, she had worked hard and sacrificed so much, yet Jamie had never acknowledged her efforts. Instead, Jamie had gotten entangled with Ben, even on the day of her engagement party. Ben was her fiancé, and her child was Ben’s child! Yes, only her child had the right to call Ben “Daddy.” This thought filled Winnie’s eyes with an icy determination.……Meanwhile, with the recording as evidence, the prosecutor’s office and the police launched an investigation into Caden’s actions. The invest
Mrs. Lucas showed no sympathy as she watched Jamie break down in tears. Her only concern was securing the recording to help clear Ben’s name.But Jamie’s emotional state made Mrs. Lucas suspicious. “Why does everything line up so perfectly?” she questioned.Jamie raised her hand as if swearing an oath. “I ran into Caden while working a part-time job, and the recording was pure luck. Mrs. Lucas, I’d never joke about my own son’s safety.”Jamie’s firm tone, coupled with her tear-streaked face, carried an air of desperation. As a woman and a mother herself, Mrs. Lucas could read Jamie’s emotions clearly. But deep inside, a new thought began to form. If Jamie’s child were gone, it would break Jamie completely. If she were to lose her mind or even die from the grief, how could Ben possibly continue to hold on to any lingering feelings for her?Mrs. Lucas’s resolve hardened as an idea took root.“Give me the recording,” she said, her tone steady. “I’ll make sure something is done t
“You don’t need to give me anything. Just don’t hurt my family. That’s my only request,” Caden said firmly.The masked man let out a low chuckle. “Someone who doesn’t love money or power? How rare.”Caden’s expression remained impassive. “Just promise me this, and from now on, don’t come looking for me. I won’t help you with anything again.”The masked man clearly had no intention of letting Caden off so easily.In the next moment, he slid a list across the table. “Get these people released for me, or I’ll expose how you framed a top lawyer. What do you think? Will the public forgive you? Will the government?”Jamie, recording everything from the side, was satisfied with what she had captured. She turned to leave quietly, but before she could slip out, Caden spotted her.“Jamie? What are you doing here?”The masked man’s gaze turned icy.Jamie reacted quickly and bolted for the door, running as fast as she could.She didn’t know how she had ended up in the middle of Caden’s de
After speaking, Winnie ran off. Jamie didn’t chase her. She understood that Winnie couldn’t accept this, and if their roles were reversed, neither could she. Right now, she had to find Mrs. Lucas. She flagged down a taxi and directed it to the Lucas family estate. It was her second time coming here. The first time had been by Mrs. Lucas’s invitation, a meeting designed to show her the opulence of the Lucas family estate and to offer her a million to leave Ben. Jamie had sworn then that she would never set foot there again. But today, she was here for Winnie. At the gate, the security guard stopped her. “Who are you?” “My name is Jamie Lewis,” she said calmly. “Tell Mrs. Lucas I’m here to see her. She’ll agree to meet me.” Jamie hadn’t chased after Winnie because she wanted to give her some time to process everything. But she couldn’t leave Winnie alone for too long. Time was of the essence. Seeing her composure, the security guard decided to pass along
Although the van slowed down, Winnie was suddenly shoved out, hitting the ground hard. The physical pain was intense, but it couldn’t compare to the ache in her heart.She watched as the van sped away into the distance. Trembling, she pulled out her phone and called Jamie.“Jamie, what are you doing right now? I need to ask you something in person.” Winnie’s tone made it clear that she knew something was wrong.Hearing her voice, Jamie immediately sensed the weight of the situation. Winnie must have found out the truth. There was no way Jamie could focus on work until they cleared the air.Without hesitation, Jamie dropped what she was doing and rushed to meet her.When she arrived, she found Winnie sitting on the curb, her face blank and her eyes hollow.Jamie ran over quickly. “Winnie, what happened?”At the sound of her voice, Winnie lifted her head. A bitter smile played at the corners of her mouth. “Don’t you know what happened, my dear sister?”She deliberately emphasized