Vicky's brow furrowed. "Are you saying that..."Lincoln nodded. "Either someone has been watching you on my mother's orders, or someone is tipping her off. However, because of my persistent injury, my mother has been devoting most of her time to taking care of me, so she probably hasn't had the chance to arrange for someone to spy on you.""So you're saying someone might be informing her of my whereabouts?" Vicky asked.Lincoln looked at her. "Vicky, when you and Miss Starling were walking around the mansion, did you encounter anyone?"The base of where the Harts resided was in Molivia, so there were not many people living in the mansion in Zendonia.Vicky considered for a moment and was about to say that she had not encountered anyone when something suddenly struck her, and her eyes widened.Lincoln noticed her change in expression and asked, "Vicky, did you think of something?""I did not encounter anyone, but...Aurora and I did see Tyler and Avery. However, we only caught a g
Valencia pointed at the sofa and said, "Sit."After Tyler sat down, Valencia said, "Tyler, I'm elated that you finally see that woman's true color. For your sake, I'm willing to spare her from death this time. However, that doesn't mean her deeds should go unpunished. Leave her to me, and I'll make sure she learns her lessons."Tyler was sitting lazily on the sofa and seemed a little absent-minded. "I'll make Vicky apologize to you for what happened this time."Valencia did not even have time to be smug about that before Tyler's tone turned sharp, "However, I hope you have a good reason for beating her up and wanting to take her away?"Valencia's face immediately changed. "What are you trying to say, Tyler?"She thought Tyler had finally come to his senses, so she was understandably upset by what he implied. How could she not understand what he was trying to say when she had been entangled in the Hart family's conflict for so long?The only reason Tyler would make Vicky apologize
Valencia wanted to refute Tyler's claims, but she knew clearly that he must have had solid evidence to say something like that. In other words, it would be useless for her to play dumb.After a few minutes of silence, she stiffly said, "It's true. I did force her to break up with you, but so what? It wasn't like she put up any fight at all. In fact, she caved in after I applied some pressure. Unlike you… You wouldn't give her up no matter what we did to you, and what does this mean? It means she doesn't love you as much as you love her."This time, it was Tyler who fell silent as no matter what, he was tied by blood to the Hart family, so he would need to endure more physical and emotional stress than Vicky.Regardless, he could take it all in strides. What he truly could not accept was Vicky demanding a breakup.Valencia snuck a peek at Tyler, and she instantly understood what his cold expression meant. After all, she had been through the same thing in the past. It would be normal
Tyler stood up slowly; his tall, strong figure gave off an oppressive aura. He smiled faintly at Valencia and said, "Make me angry, and Lincoln will suffer the consequences."Valencia's gaze quivered. "You dare to threaten me because of Vicky? How could you do that to your mother?!""Then do you plan to keep this up?"Valencia fell silent. She was so angry that she nearly blacked out. 'Tyler shot Lincoln not that long ago. God knows what else he'll do to him if he's seething. Lincoln might even end up dead this time.'She was not bold enough to risk Lincoln's life for a bet.Valencia started hyperventilating, and Tyler knew then that his message had gotten across to her. Instead of forcing her into the corner, he simply said, "Think about what I said. I'm going to head out now."Tyler strode out of Valencia's room and went straight to Vicky's room. However, just when he reached her door, he saw Lincoln coming out from her room, causing his face to immediately darkened."What are
Tyler sneered. "I haven't even left for that long, and you're already taking his side?"He and Vicky fought even before he left, and even when he returned, the fight only resumed where they left it.Vicky did not want to continue fighting with him, so she simply said, "Tyler, let go of Lincoln."Tyler's hand, the one grabbing Lincoln's collar, subconsciously tightened, and it caused his knuckles to go white. "And what if I don't? Are you going to go to hell with him?""Tyler, can you please stop being so unreasonable?" asked Vicky in a tone that sounded like she was trying to suppress her anger."Oh, so I've become unreasonable after you had a little chat with Lincoln, huh?" Tyler's gaze turned steely. "Vicky, don't tell me you've fallen for this ugly piece of sh*t!""Tyler, can you please stop being so rude? Lincoln is not an ugly piece of sh*t. The hives are just from his allergic reaction, and they'll be gone soon enough.""And what if they don't?"Vicky's eyelids twitched o
Vicky had no love or expectations toward Lincoln, so she could easily forgive him. Nonetheless, she had made up her mind, even though she did not show it—she had to get out of the Hart family's house as soon as possible.Tyler was displeased by how Vicky treated Lincoln since he never got that kind of treatment from her, so he asked her, "Vicky, aren't you going to say something?""Like what?" retorted Vicky nonchalantly."He lied to you.""So? Can you let go of him?"Tyler's face tensed, and his entire demeanor turned menacing.At that moment, Valencia had just finished changing into something more comfortable and had come out of her room to look for Lincoln. Her eyes immediately widened in shock when she saw Tyler had a grip on Lincoln's collar."Tyler, what are you doing to Lincoln? Let him go this instant!" Valencia's voice pulled Tyler back to his senses. He glanced at Vicky and saw she was looking coldly at him, and it made him release his hold on Lincoln's collar.The ne
"What are you talking about?!" Vicky thought Tyler was talking nonsense.The anger in Tyler's eyes burned even brighter when he noticed how impatient Vicky visibly was. 'How can she be so testy with me when she's so gentle and patient with Lincoln? She didn't even blame Lincoln when she found out he was lying…' Tyler was no doubt jealous of how forgiving Vicky was to Lincoln.His gaze turned hostile as he ripped off Vicky's clothes. Then, he turned on the shower, cranked it to full blast, and washed every inch of her body, starting with her head. She was frightened by how cold and focused Tyler's eyes looked when he wiped down her body.Vicky shivered due to how cold the water was, and she was worried Tyler would get a perverted kick out of this.Since Tyler had a thing about cleanliness, he started to clean Vicky from the top again after he was done washing her for the first time.Vicky looked at Tyler's handsome face as he repeated the same motion, and it felt like she was with
Once Vicky's hair was dried, Tyler carried her to the bed. "Stay with me tonight?" he asked in a low voice.Still, Vicky did not say anything. It was as if she had not heard him. Tyler did not mind, though. He brushed her swollen lips with his fingers and, in a hoarse voice, said flirtatiously, "Why aren't you talking? Do you still feel cold?"Vicky knew very well what he meant. She immediately raised her head and glared at him. "Why ask when you don't intend to let me go back to my room?" Her voice was hoarse, too.As expected, Tyler said nothing, which made Vicky chuckle drily. Their conversation stopped at that point. 'He's not asking me out of respect. No…he's asking for the sake of asking. His true colors have been revealed after pretending to be a gentleman for so long,' thought Vicky.After turning off the lights, Tyler got into the bed and hugged her. He had not slept like that in a long time, and frankly, it was painful for him to sleep without her. However, what was the p
[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