Vicky did not pick up and soon after, Tyler sent her a text message.[If you get back here now, I can pretend that this never happened.]Vicky ignored his text and pretended it didn't exist.She thought that Tyler would continue to call or text her to threaten her, but Tyler fell into absolute silence afterward.A peaceful week went by before Vicky received a call from Aurora, who had not contacted Vicky for a while either."Vicky, have you gone home recently?""No," Vicky said."Oh. So you haven't been home either?"Vicky keenly sensed the implications in Aurora's words. "Miss Starling, are you not with him?""Yeah, I went for an audition, remember? The director called me in the evening and said I got the part. I'm on set now." Aurora's tone was light and cheerful.'If Aurora has been filming, then who is taking care of Tyler?' Vicky thought.Aurora quickly answered Vicky's confusion, "Because of the filming, Tyler and I had a big fight. He hasn't answered my calls for a we
Mister Harrisons seemed unwilling to bring it up again, and waved his hand in dismissal. "Never mind, let's not talk about that for now. The main reason we came here today is to take you and your grandmother away from here.""Leave... What do you mean?"Elijah's tone was heavy. "This place has already been mortgaged by us. Tonight will be our last dinner in this old house. After we finish eating, you and Grandma will have to pack your things. We're moving elsewhere."Vicky had not expected the situation to be so severe that they had to mortgage their property. Worried, she asked, "Isn't this old mansion a heritage of the Harrisons? Hasn't it been here for generations? Are we really giving it up just like that?"Mister Harrisons shot her a bitter smile. "In a few days, our family name will be gone, let alone this house. Not ending up on the streets would be considered fortunate for us."As they were speaking, Old Madam Harrisons was also brought down by the servant.When everyone
Moreover, they had been deceiving Old Madam Harrison all along, which made Vicky feel guilty. It felt like she was taking advantage of this opportunity to redefine her relationship with Elijah.With these thoughts in mind, Vicky did not argue and lowered her gaze, before taking the bracelet she was wearing off. "Grandma, please, I should return this bracelet to you..."Old Madam Harrison pushed the bracelet back. "A gift given away should not be taken back. From the moment I offered you this bracelet, it became your possession.""Grandma, this bracelet is a precious heirloom of the Harrisons. I can't accept it."Old Madam Harrison smiled. "When I said it was a family heirloom, it was just to let Elijah know that you are the granddaughter-in-law I have chosen, and that he shouldn't treat you casually. This is a gift from me to you, regardless of the situation... you should accept it."Vicky became even more hesitant about accepting it upon hearing her words. "Even if this bracelet
Past the door, the hall was empty and deserted with nothing but the gentle moonlight shining across the floor, casting a silvery glow.This was the place she had called home for four years, and even with her eyes closed, she could navigate it with ease.She did not turn on the lights, but instead ventured forward in the darkness, ascending the stairs.The house was quiet, and the sound of her footsteps sounded particularly crisp. As she pushed open the bedroom door, Vicky sensed that something was amiss.A scent that did not belong to her room hit her immediately.She widened her eyes, and suddenly caught sight of a tall and slender figure standing by the windows.In the darkness, the crimson flame at the end of his cigarette flickered intermittently.At the same time, a whiff of smoke drifted into her nostrils.Instinctively, Vicky reached for the switch on the wall and light instantly illuminated the room, causing her to squint her eyes until she adjusted to the new scene.O
"That works best, doesn't it?" He caressed her cheek gently. "Look at you. You came back, didn't you?"She slapped his hand out of the way in disdain.She had already lost all expectations and hopes for Tyler. Now that he blackmailed her into compliance, it disgusted her even further.A man of his status had plenty of ways to force her back into the house, but he chose the nastiest way to settle the score."You disgust me, Tyler Hart!" She said coldly.He did not seem to care about the resentment she spewed and chuckled. "Want to stab me again?"With the Harrisons at Tyler's mercy, Vicky dared not to act recklessly. "What on earth do you want, Tyler?""You know what I want."Vicky clenched her fists, raising her gaze. "So, you just wanted to keep sleeping with me?"There was no trace of surprise or satisfaction on Tyler's face, as if everything was just as it should be as he said casually, "Old Madam Harrison is reaching the end of her life and yet has to endure such suffering
Vicky looked up at him. "You don't want to be a murderer, do you?"Tyler stared at her quietly for a moment, before saying, "Seeing how you performed well today, I can let the Harrisons off the hook. For now.""For now?""That's right. If you upset me again, the Harrisons will suffer again."Vicky's heart sank.With Cece and Jennifer gone, Tyler had resorted to using the Harrisons as his hostage."For how long?" She said abruptly."What?""How long do you want me to keep sleeping with you?""Obviously, until I lose interest in y-"Before he could finish, Vicky interrupted him."Our arrangement ends on the day of your wedding." Determination and resolve flickered in her eyes. "If you still want to use the Harrisons to pressure me into doing what you want after your wedding day, then I'll just let you be."Tyler was somewhat surprised. "You don't care about the Harrisons anymore?"Vicky's tone was calm. "I don't want to hurt one person for the sake of another. Besides, if th
Both of them refrained from mentioning their "engagement" as that was conveniently the best way for them to end their arrangement. After a brief exchange, Vicky hung up the phone. After getting up, Vicky went to the bathroom to freshen up. As she looked at the previously empty bathroom, she was slightly stunned for a few seconds. There were some men's items in sight, including towels, toiletries with men's toothpaste, and toothbrushes. Even the bathrobe in the bathroom had an additional one in Tyler's size. Before their divorce, Tyler's belongings were always there even if Tyler did not stay at home often. After they filed for a divorce, Vicky cleared away all of Tyler's belongings. With the absence of those men's items, there was always a sense of emptiness, as if something was missing. However, Vicky had already gotten used to it after some time. Hence, the sight of his belongings somehow showing up in her house once more made her feel uneasy. Stepping out of the bathroom
"Fine. Even if you want to stay in my house to recuperate, why did you move your things into my room? If I remember correctly, your room is downstairs!" Vicky questioned him through gritted teeth. Tyler replied calmly, "The guest room is too small. It's not very comfortable to live in. Since none of you are here, I can naturally choose whichever room in the entire mansion I want to stay in." "Tyler, that house is mine, not yours." "As of this moment, that house is still under my name." It was only then that Vicky remembered. Although they had signed an agreement stating that the house belonged to her, the name on the deed had not been changed. "Would you like for me to move out, then, Mister Hart?" Tyler replied in a flat tone, "There's no need for that. Once my wound is completely healed, I will leave your house." "Tyler, how can you be so shameless?!" "I'm shameless because of you. If you didn't stab me and refused to take responsibility, I wouldn't have resorted to t