"It's my fault," he spoke with guilt, bending down to pull me into his embrace. His tone was both self-reproachful and gentle. "I didn't understand you enough before. I only thought you were independent and resilient, but I never considered understanding you from a husband's perspective and caring for you properly.""But I will make an effort in the future."After saying this, as if lacking the courage to wait for my refusal, he added, "I'm going to the office now. Enjoy your breakfast. If you want anything else, just let me know, and I'll bring it to you tomorrow.""Ry..."Before I could say anything, he had already left.Looking at the steaming breakfast on the table, I sat down again and started eating.No matter what, food shouldn't be wasted.For several days in a row, Ryan appeared at my door on time every morning like clockwork.If I didn't open the door, he wouldn't press further but would just leave a note on it.Every breakfast was different and accompanied by a stic
I held the steering wheel tightly with both hands, my knuckles turned pale, and under the threat of the gangster, I had no choice but to step on the gas.Even though we were out of the underground car park, the dagger was still pressed against my neck at an unnoticeable angle.I dared not move, and the fear in my heart was rising.I tried my best to calm myself down. "Who asked you to come?"The gangster snorted coldly. "Don't talk so much nonsense to me, just drive."He was very defensive.I suddenly understood what Ryan meant by what he said in the morning.However, not only did I not expect it, but he probably didn't expect that the other party would act so quickly.At this time on the weekend, there was already a traffic jam.After driving for more than an hour, the car slowly drove out of the city center area along Sky Avenue.Looking at the direction that was getting farther and farther away, I became more and more nervous.The criminal would only give the order at the
"How many times do I have to tell you? You don't deserve him!""Why didn't you believe me?"She covered her mouth and laughed, pinching my cheeks hard. Leaning in, she gritted her teeth and said, "Do you really think I'm going to let you be a stumbling block to getting into the Frost family? Do you think I'm like Jessica, who couldn't even deal with someone like you?""Charlotte, I've never failed to get what I wanted since child.""If I can't have it, my mom won't just sit back and do nothing as I become upset. You're so weak. Why do you get to compete with me?"She said this while glancing at a tattooed gangster nearby. "Call Ryan.""Okay."The tattooed man responded and immediately went to make the call.I frowned and looked at Bethany. "You and Zack are working together. What do you want?""What do I want?"She smiled and clapped her hands as she stood up, looking down on me. "Are you still worried that I'll hurt Ryan? Don't worry. He's my carefully chosen husband. Instea
As I slowly began to suffocate, my consciousness became somewhat blurred. I felt so uncomfortable...So uncomfortable that I wanted to die.Originally, I no longer wished to have any ties with Ryan, but in this situation, he was the only one I could think of.‘Ryan... please hurry... save me...’Just as I was about to lose consciousness, when a bucket of cold water was suddenly thrown over my head.The cold wind was already sweeping through the basement, and now this, not only brought me back to some level of consciousness but also made me shiver uncontrollably.The icy water streamed down my face, sliding into my collar and neck.The cold was bone-chilling.I barely opened my eyes and noticed that Bethany was also tied up to a post nearby.In fact, she had two red handprints on her face and her clothes were dirty, looking quite disheveled.However, she was standing calmly on a chair beneath her feet.I gave a cold smile, my voice a bit weak, "It seems you're quite the act
"Three..."Ryan's aura dropped sharply. He steadily raised the gun, aiming it at Bethany.Bethany desperately shook her head. "No... Ryan, don't..."Ryan, however, showed no signs of emotional disturbance. But in the fleeting moment our eyes met, I saw a deep, suppressed anguish in his gaze.Zack continued to count down. "Two..."Ryan gritted his teeth, lightly shaking his wrist, and chambered the gun with one hand."One..."Bang!In the instant the gun fired, Ryan suddenly changed direction, and with precision, pulled the trigger whilst aiming at me!I was completely frozen, my blood running cold!It turned out that I was the one he abandoned.Even if it meant I had to die.Despair seeped into every part of me in an instant. I stared blankly in Ryan's direction, my vision becoming unfocused.Although the anticipated pain did not come, somewhere within me, a sharp, piercing pain throbbed."It's my own choice...""I'm trying to win you back...""I'll take the remaining n
So, Ryan's thoughts were the same as those of the Shaw family.To him, I was merely a burden holding him back.He must have had grievances for a long time.Otherwise, such heart-wrenching words wouldn't have come so easily.A bitter smile tugged at my lips.I should never have hoped he would save me.Zack clapped his hands. "As expected of Mr. Frost. Very decisive!""Ryan..."Bethany shrank back in Ryan's embrace. "My legs hurt so much. It seems I was injured just now.""Mm." Ryan responded with a single syllable and began to walk away.Zack stopped him. "Mr. Frost, what about Ms. Wilson...?""Do as you please!" Ryan continued walking, casually to the question.It seemed that what happened to me was completely irrelevant to him.His mind and gaze were entirely on Bethany's injury.His tall, upright figure soon vanished from my view.Outside, the sound of tires on the ground resumed, and within seconds, everything was calm again.I squinted, staring at the flickering inc
Zack's previous arrogance was completely gone as he repeatedly assured Frank.Frank smiled faintly, "I don't care about the Shaw or Lawson families. If you mess with her again, I won't mind sending you down there to keep your brother company."Zack immediately fell to his knees. "I'm sorry, Frank. Rest assured, I'll remember for the rest of my life that I've come this far because of you. From now on, I'll call you 'Dad' and Ms. Wilson 'Mom'!"I had initially been confused about why Zack dared to negotiate with Ryan but was so afraid of Frank. Now, I understood.The Frost Group was all above board, with no involvement in grey areas.But the Smith family clearly operated in both legal and illegal worlds."You’re not my fucking son!" Frank cursed. "Get your people out of here, now.""Yes, sir!"Zack quickly scrambled to his feet, calling his people to leave. Before he went, he clasped his hands in front of me and whispered urgently, "Ms. Wilson, I genuinely intended to let you go.
Hearing this, I fell silent.It wasn't until the car was speeding down the dark road again that I turned to Frank."How did you find this place?"Frank unlocked his phone and tossed it to me. "Your husband sent me the address."I glanced at the message from an unknown number. It might not be Ryan.Or rather, I didn't dare believe it was Ryan.Frank seemed to sense my doubt. Casually steering the car, he explained, "The Shaw family must have promised Zack some benefits to reach an agreement. Bethany only kidnapped you to go after Ryan, so this address would be known only to a few.""Zack's men have no connection to you and wouldn't know I knew you. They couldn't have sent me to rescue you.""So, the message must have come from Ryan."This was the first time he had been so patient and elaborate with me.I squeezed my hands together. "Got it, thanks."It was the usual pretense.Sending a message to Frank while Ryan was still shooting at me.At a red-light intersection, Fran
Jane leaned in for a sniff. "Smells so good."Zachary’s worries were unnecessary, she only took a few bites before losing interest.The rest ended up in his stomach.Which then found its way to the toilet, and finally, down the drain.After Zachary rinsed his mouth, Jane peeled an orange for him. "Try this, see if it helps."Zachary ate the orange directly from her hand.It was so sour it made his teeth ache.Still, it seemed to provide some relief.Jane poured him some water."You don’t need to take care of me, I can handle myself.""And I can handle myself too," Jane retorted. "Why are you always doing things for me, then?""It’s different—you’re pregnant."Zachary drank a sip of the water, mostly because she had poured it."I’m just throwing up a little," said Jane.She had experienced it before—constant retching, even with nothing left in her stomach. That kind of discomfort was hard to endure.His voice was hoarse by now, which showed just how bad it had gotten.At
However, the test results showed nothing wrong.Even after being in a coma for those days, his body remained strong thanks to the nutritional IV.As long as he avoided alcohol and irritating foods, his gastritis wouldn't flare up.It certainly wouldn't become severe enough to cause this kind of reaction.Yet Zachary's vomiting was even more intense than her pregnancy nausea.Even though there was nothing left to throw up—not even stomach acid—if he kept going, he might end up vomiting bile.It really didn’t seem like the symptoms of someone perfectly healthy.So Jane contacted Tanner.After hearing her description, Tanner chuckled.Jane felt as though Tanner was gloating."Isn’t this great? He’s throwing up for you, so you can feel a bit better."Jane was taken aback.Over the time she had spent taking Zachary to the doctor, she truly hadn’t felt any discomfort herself.She had thought it was because she hadn’t eaten much, so her symptoms were temporarily subsiding."Dr.
Jane washed her face, took a moment to gather herself, then straightened up and hugged him."Stop reflecting on yourself already, hearing it makes my pregnancy symptoms worse."The tactic worked well, as she didn’t hear any more apologies from him afterward."I feel like eating an orange. Could you peel one for me?"Zachary immediately carried her to the sofa, tucked a blanket over her, and sat beside her to peel the orange.He meticulously removed every single white thread from the orange segments.Resting her chin on her hand, Jane watched him and teased, "You’re treating me even better now that I’m pregnant. Do you love the baby more than me?"Without hesitation, Zachary replied, "It’s because pregnancy is hard on you. If you hadn’t agreed to have the baby, I wouldn’t have kept—"Before he could finish, Jane kicked him, silencing him.He handed her the peeled orange.Jane couldn’t taste her mood anymore, so she focused on eating the orange.Zachary felt his teeth ache jus
"I envy his fiancee so much!""You women are so shallow. Just because he’s buying some raviolis, you think he’s humbled himself for love. Why don’t you think about this—he’s the son of an affluent family. If he hadn’t picked someone from such a poor background, why would he come to this rundown place to buy these commoner foods?"As soon as the man finished speaking, he felt a sharp, cold gaze land on him.The people who had been enthusiastically discussing with him moments earlier suddenly avoided looking at him.But Zachary merely glanced at him.His raviolis were already packed, and he was eager to bring them back for Jane.He didn’t linger long, nor did he feel the need to waste his words on clueless fools like these.Besides, even if he explained, they probably wouldn’t understand—or even care.Meanwhile, Jane had been leaning against the car window, watching Zachary the whole time. When she saw him walking back, she opened the car door for him.“Hurry, get in.”Zachary
They were heading back to their cozy little nest.On the way, her phone rang. When she saw the caller ID, she slapped Zachary’s thigh.“Oh no!”Zachary looked confused.“I forgot about Jordan!”Jordan had mentioned that she would be filming, and Westley had been by her side the entire time to protect her.Jane, preoccupied with her own matters, had assumed that with Westley around, nothing would go wrong.Her return to the country had been a last-minute decision, and she had left in a hurry.She was also dealing with the discomfort of her pregnancy.All the emotions and tasks piling up caused her to completely forget.Sure enough, when she answered the call, Jordan’s voice was full of grievance.“Aren’t we good friends?”“Yes, yes, we are,” Jane replied with an awkward cough. “Something urgent came up, so... I’m sorry.”Jordan, however, was gracious. “I understand your situation is special. Just treat me to a meal to make up for it. I’ll be flying to Jeswood soon.”“Alrig
Madam Collins’ words seemed caring, but in reality, they were meant as a warning.Zachary gently pulled his arm back and said, "No wedding, just getting the marriage certificate."“No way!” Rebecca objected.Madam Collins spoke calmly, “Registering the marriage is also a happy occasion, but it’s not suitable right now. I see your relationship is so strong, waiting a little longer won’t make a difference. The Collins family’s bloodline will never end up being talked about as illegitimate. Don’t worry about that.”Zachary wanted to say more, but Jane tugged on his arm.“I’m feeling a little unwell.”Zachary’s expression immediately changed. Without arguing with the family any further, he carried her straight to the doctor.When they reached the obstetrics department, she patted Zachary’s shoulder and said, “Put me down.”“Aren’t you...” Zachary instantly understood. “You’re trying to get me out of there?”Jane wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled him with her nose.“Pre
"I’m fine. I’ve already recovered quite a bit," Zachary said as he bent one knee to the floor.Jane instinctively wanted to kneel with him, but Zachary stopped her. "You can’t," he said, giving her a meaningful look.Understanding his intent, Jane obediently stood to the side.Rebecca became agitated. "Do your knees mean nothing to you? You’ve knelt once for her, and now again!"Lowering his gaze, Zachary said calmly, "I’m kneeling in front of my parents. There’s no question of whether it’s worth it or not. She is my fiancee, soon to be my wife. If she has caused you any displeasure, it’s my responsibility to bear it. What’s more, she hasn’t done anything wrong."Rebecca wanted to lash out, but Eric intervened. "Do you want to make your condition even worse with this anger?"A flicker of emotion passed through Zachary’s eyes, but his tone remained neutral. "I don’t understand. I only want to marry the person I love and have children. Why must you go to such lengths to oppose it
"Why are your hands so cold?"Zachary became even more anxious. He immediately picked her up, placed her on the seat, added another blanket, and asked the flight attendant to increase the temperature of the air conditioning."It’s not that cold."It was already spring. With all these layers on, Jane was worried she’d end up with a heat rash."I just washed my hands a moment ago," she explained.Zachary brought over a hand warmer for her. "Washing your hands doesn’t make them this cold. Just listen to me."Jane sighed. "It’s normal to feel nauseous during pregnancy. There might even be other symptoms later...""No, there won’t be. Nothing else will happen."Jane wanted to explain some of the facts so he could mentally prepare. When Charlotte was pregnant, Jane had read many books. If he was already this anxious now about the morning sickness, how would he handle what came later?Unexpectedly, he refused to accept any of it.Charlotte, observing the scene, couldn’t help but fee
She changed the topic, saying, "Your mother is ill."After boarding the plane, Zachary called home to check on the situation.Frank, sitting beside him, briefly explained what had happened during Zachary's coma.Zachary thought for a moment, then grabbed a blanket and returned to Jane's side, covering her with it.On the table in front of her were a tablet, fruits, water, and everything else she might need.Even so, Zachary still felt he hadn't taken care of her well enough."Do you feel uncomfortable? I heard your medical results weren’t great. If it might harm your health, then maybe..."Jane stuffed an orange into his mouth before he could finish.The orange was incredibly sour. She enjoyed it, but it made his handsome face scrunch up."Is it good?" she asked, her face full of triumphant delight.Zachary swallowed it whole and said, "Anything you feed me tastes good."Across from them, Charlotte was rendered speechless.Frank showed up just in time, popping a piece of c