Just then, a crisp and melodious voice spoke up, "Miss Shaw and Mister Harrisons are such a charming couple that I envy them. Oh my, your bracelet looks wonderful. It's even prettier than the heirloom in my family." Vicky turned around and saw Aurora. Her gaze wavered and she instinctively averted her gaze. Missus Harrisons said modestly, "It's just a bracelet. Your ring, however, is far more magnificent, Miss Starling. I heard that you'll be engaged to Mister Hart." Vicky did not notice it until it was mentioned and finally spotted the identical rings on Aurora and Tyler's fingers. Her breath hitched abruptly. "Tyler and I have called off the engagement," Aurora said. Old Madam Harrisons was taken aback. "You called it off?" Aurora blushed and smiled coyly. "Engagement parties are too troublesome. We've decided to get married directly." Vicky was momentarily stunned and instinctively raised her head, looking toward Aurora and Tyler. As soon as she lifted her gaze, he
Old Madam Harrisons' words were nothing out of the ordinary for prestigious families. After all, no one would willingly offend a more influential family. In the past, when Vicky was married to Tyler, he had never treated her well and rarely took her to social events. Additionally, given his status and position, he no longer needed to please members of other families, so Vicky had not really made an effort to ingratiate herself with anyone. However, being from the service industry herself, she understood the pain of having to please people. It could be said that prestigious families were not as glamorous as ordinary people believed. Vicky nodded in response. "Alright." Soon, Vicky got into Elijah's car and headed to the bridal shop. As everyone was watching, Vicky could not sit in the back seat, so she opened the car door and sat in the front passenger seat. Aurora and Tyler, on the other hand, went in another car. Watching the car ahead, Vicky asked, "Are your parents and
However, for reasons she could not begin to fathom, Vicky's entire body tensed, and she dared not look Tyler in the eye. Considering Tyler's shrewd personality, he would definitely sense that something was wrong if she asked to try on any wedding gown. Although he had not harassed her during this period and seemed to have completely given up on her, she could not predict if he would continue to make unreasonable demands of her once he found out that she was not actually dating Elijah. Just as Vicky was feeling uneasy and restless, Elijah spoke up, "It's the 'Dreamy series' wedding dress that I ordered here last month." The staff immediately showed a look of recognition upon hearing this. "Ah, so it's that wedding dress. Please follow me, both of you." Elijah nodded and said to Vicky, "Let's go." As they moved out of Tyler's line of sight, Vicky whispered to Elijah, "When did you order the wedding dress? Why didn't I know about it?" Elijah replied sheepishly, "I had it cus
Vicky carefully observed Aurora's expression. At that moment, Aurora was clueless as to what happened and she seemed to genuinely believe that Vicky and Elijah had been together last night. Vicky's lips twitched. She wanted to say something, but Aurora asked first in surprise, "Miss Shaw, why are you suddenly asking about this? Could it be that you really did come to deliver clothes for me last night?" Aurora's genuine confusion on her face made it impossible to detect any hint of suspicion. Vicky fell silent for a moment and then said, "Last night… I had a servant send them over, but she said there was no one in your room and came back." Aurora looked puzzled and asked, "How come I didn't hear any knocking on the door? Could it be that she knocked on the wrong room?" Vicky's gaze flickered. "Wrong room?" "The numbering of the Harrisons' rooms is a bit strange. While in most houses, the room numbers increase the further inside you go, the Harrisons' residence is the opposit
The fitting room, though not as spacious as a regular room, covered an area of about 70 to 80 square meters. It was well-equipped, with a bed, a sofa, and a separate bathroom, ensuring the privacy of the shop’s customers. Vicky stood in front of a mirror that was as large as a wall and began to assess the wedding dress she was wearing. The dress fitted her perfectly as if it had been tailor-made for her. For a moment, Vicky was amused by her own thoughts. It did not seem odd that Elijah could order the wedding gown to be tailored to her measurements. After all, he managed to plan his act so well that he even ordered a completely different gown from the one made for his ex-fiance. Vicky was a fashion designer. Although she did not specialize in bridal dresses, clothing, regardless of their style, shared certain similarities in their details. The bridal gown from the Blossom lineup she saw last time was indeed exceptionally beautiful, but it did not suit Vicky's temperament a
Upon hearing those words, Vicky's face turned pale due to her anger. She could not hold back and raised her hand to slap him. However, before she could strike, her hand was intercepted in mid-air. At the same time, the man's icy and chilling voice echoed in her ear, "Vicky, do you know that there are consequences for hitting me?" Vicky did not have a chance to reply before she was forcefully pushed against the cold wall, and Tyler's kiss descended heavily upon her. Her breath was stolen in an instant, and like a starved beast, he threatened to devour her whole. Vicky's struggles and attempts to evade were futile in stopping his plunder. Unable to break free, she bit down fiercely, but Tyler seemed prepared for it. In that instant of her bite, he pinched her cheeks, disabling her from exerting any force, and took the opportunity to deepen the kiss even more. Anger and the lack of breath caused Vicky's cheeks to flush with a rosy hue, a stark contrast to the backdrop of her sno
Just then, there was knocking on the door. "Miss Shaw, did you call for service?" Vicky stiffened and she immediately shoved Tyler away. "The attendant is here." He paused and looked at her. "So?" "Get out of here right now." He smirked. "Get out of here now so that they will see us together?" Vicky was dumbfounded. Knock, knock, knock. When Vicky failed to answer, the staff knocked again. "Miss Shaw, are you in there?" Tyler kissed her cheek, his deep voice tinged with a hint of seductive huskiness, "If you don't want to be discovered in public, then send her away." Vicky knew that once she allowed herself to be controlled by someone, she would continue to be controlled and she refused to comply with his wishes. She tried to raise her voice to call for help. "He- Umph!" Before she could utter a single word, Tyler saw through her intentions and sealed her lips with his own. Vicky could only emit muffled choking sounds, but such sounds couldn't be heard from ou
'Elijah left? If Elijah's gone, no one can stop Tyler…'' Vicky thought, her heart sinking. Feeling uneasy, she said, "I will get to the bottom of what happened. Miss Starling is still waiting for you in a different room. You should go to her." "There's no need to hurry," Tyler said in a hoarse voice, before lowering his head to kiss her once again. ... Apart from the time when they first fell in love, she never had the right to make any decision concerning her relationship with Tyler. Regardless of whether they were divorced or not, Tyler would always treat her as his possession, to be used as he pleased. The unprecedented exhaustion and weariness made Vicky wish she could die because it seemed that death was her only escape from this endless humiliation. The afternoon sunlight was just right, filtering through the ethereal curtains and casting a faint layer of light in the room. Walking out of the bathroom, Tyler caught sight of Vicky lying on the bed like a puppet. T
[Alright.]Aurora sighed in relief. "Vicky, we've been out for quite a while. Shall we head back?"Vicky glanced at Aurora. "Can we finally go back now?""Yes, we can go back... Huh?" Aurora sensed something was amiss. "Vicky, do you...know something?"Vicky smiled. "Every time I go out with friends, Tyler always bombards me with questions about when I'll be back and insists on picking me up. Strangely, he didn't ask me anything today. Also... I remember that it's my birthday today."Aurora was left speechless as she realized Vicky saw right through her act....By the time they got home, it was starting to get dark outside. Inside the mansion, it was quiet and pitch-black. Suddenly, a warm, yellow candlelight gradually illuminated the darkness, revealing a handsome face."Happy birthday, Vicky," Tyler said.Vicky gazed at the flickering candles, feeling a bit dazed.It was then she remembered that during the early days of their relationship, he had prepared a birthday surpri
Tyler showed great disdain when his wish of getting a daughter was let down. What irritated him most was that this son looked remarkably like him.After recovering from childbirth, Vicky accompanied a newly pregnant Aurora on a shopping trip for baby supplies.Upon hearing Vicky's story, Aurora could not help but ask, "Men are usually happy when they have sons, so why does Tyler prefer daughters?"Vicky sighed. "Tyler says that a family is never really balanced and happy unless they have one son and one daughter."Aurora nodded thoughtfully. "Indeed. Now that you have a son, having a daughter would be perfect. Vicky, have you and Tyler considered responding to the national call and having a third child?"Vicky shook her head. "The last time I gave birth, Tyler wasn't around, so he doesn't know what it was like. This time, he was scared out of his wits and had no intention of having more children. A few days ago, he even underwent a vasectomy."Aurora chuckled. "Daughters may be s
However, everything spiraled out of control.Tyler knew his behavior was despicable, but he could not control his emotions.When he loved, every cell within him longed for her. Every time he came to see her, he told himself it would be the last time. However, he found himself appearing at her house more and more frequently.Tyler knew he was in trouble, and it would not be long before he returned to his former self.Vicky was like a drug to him. Even though he knew that contact with her was toxic, he could not bring himself to let go.He knew she was pregnant with his child, and his most primal desires began to surge, making it impossible for him to resist the urge to make her stay.Vicky listened quietly to his confession, and her heart ached.She could not fight off the urge to hold him; her touch was firm and comforting.He only mentioned a few words about the time he regained consciousness, but Vicky knew he had endured a lot of pain. The fact that he was alive was a miracl
Tyler's lips quivered as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he fell silent.What was there to say? It was not like he could apologize. The deed had been done, and his apology would not mean anything. Besides, he had no regrets whatsoever.Vicky stared at him. "You tampered with the surveillance, didn't you?""Yes.""And the servants and nannies. They're all under your control, right?"Tyler lowered his gaze. "Yes."Since all of this was real and not a dream, she must have been unconscious when Tyler returned. No matter how soundly she slept, she should have felt something. Since she had to take care of Lufian, she came home every day for meals, so she guessed that something was added to her food.For the past few days, she pretended to eat at home while secretly disposing of her meals. As it turned out, her suspicions were correct.Vicky repeated the question she asked before. "Why didn't you come to me?"Tyler remained silent once again."Did you come here just t
"Are you planning to leave just like that?"The man's body tensed.Click! The desk lamp was turned on, its warm, amber light illuminating the darkness."Why won't you look at me? Are you brave enough to do it but not to admit it?" echoed Vicky's gentle voice.Tyler snapped out of it and instinctively pulled his hand away from hers, ready to escape, only for Vicky's next words to pin him in place."If you leave now, I'll get rid of the baby in me tomorrow."He swiftly froze in place and turned back to her. "What did you just say?"Even though she prepared herself mentally, seeing the shock on his face made Vicky's eyes widen in shock. In an instant, her eyes welled up with tears. "You..."As Tyler met the shock in her eyes, he came to a sudden realization and turned his face away, looking anywhere but at her.When she learned about her pregnancy and knew she had not been dreaming, Vicky had a hunch about who it was that came and went freely into her home. The only one capable o
Vicky began to feel increasingly uneasy. She was pregnant without even knowing who the father was. That had to be one of the most absurd jokes in the world.Aurora, Noah, and the others were bewildered.They knew Vicky's character well, and she was not the type to casually sleep around. Besides, she still had feelings for Tyler, so she would never sleep with another man.Getting drunk was even more out of the question. After all, she was either working or taking care of her child. She had neither the time nor the inclination to go out drinking.Even Vicky herself was bewildered, and her thoughts were in disarray. "I... I don't know."The others exchanged glances, all noticing that Vicky's first instinct was not to terminate the pregnancy."Vicky, go home and think it over carefully. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call us," Aurora said gently.Vicky nodded absently.Back at home, Vicky reviewed the surveillance footage once more.She had watched it numerous times, but
Just then, a dish that Vicky usually enjoyed was brought to the table by the waiter.The aroma filled the air, but Vicky paled instantly. Before anyone could react, she retched and rushed to the bathroom.Everyone exchanged puzzled glances.Cece blinked. "What's wrong with Vicky?"Jennifer furrowed her brow. "Vicky doesn't look well. Is she ill?"The concerned Aurora chimed in, "Ever since Tyler's disappearance, Vicky hasn't been in the best mood. She even suffered from postpartum depression. Let's take her to the hospital after dinner. We can't afford for her to fall ill again."Everyone assumed that something was physically wrong with Vicky, but Noah, who remained silent, spoke up."I remember when Vicky was pregnant last time... She seemed to be very sensitive to certain smells."All eyes turned to Noah.Jennifer's eyes widened. "What are you trying to say, Noah?! You don't mean to suggest that...Vicky might be pregnant, do you?"Under the curious gazes of everyone, Noah c
As Anthony and Jennifer grew up in Lovian, and their families had deep roots there, they had to stay at Lovian as well. However, whenever they had free time, Jennifer often returned to Stoneford City to meet her friends for gatherings and meals.Vicky's birthday was approaching in a few days, and Jennifer came back early for the occasion.Lufian, on the other hand, became the darling of the group, and everyone loved him. Thus, one of the highlights of visiting Zendonia was to see Lufian.On this day, Vicky had some free time and decided to go to the airport to fetch Jennifer.Harvey held Lufian and walked out of Vicky's mansion.He had also come back early to celebrate Vicky's birthday. Like everyone else, he adored Lufian. His priority the moment he returned was to see Lufian, even though Lufian resembled Tyler most uncannily.Harvey carried Lufian and settled into the back seat, preparing to bond with him during the ride. Vicky sat in the driver's seat.Just as they were about
"Lufian is usually very well-behaved. He doesn't cause a fuss and is easy to handle.""Is his name Lufian?""That's right. Lufian Hart."Gloria's gaze flickered briefly but quickly returned to normal. "Have you given him a nickname?""Not yet," Vicky replied.Gloria did not say anything further.After playing with the child for a while, she carefully placed the necklace she had prepared around Lufian's neck.The baby played for a while and soon fell asleep.Gloria then gently returned Lufian to his stroller.Leaving the nursery, Vicky and Gloria engaged in casual conversation. They had no deep-seated grudges, and over time, their past love and hatred gradually faded away.Vicky smiled and remarked, "You seem to really like children. How about having one yourself? A kid would make a good companion for Lufian.""I'd like to, but I haven't found the right person," Gloria lamented.Gloria had been single for years. It was not because she could not forget Tyler or was waiting fo