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
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