Nikki was drowning in despair when a pair of crimson heels appeared before her eyes.Nikki looked up dazedly at the person standing in front of her, who had a seemingly vicious smile on her face."Miss Nikki, I know what you want to do. I can help you."...Rumors about Vicky never ceased. Some said that she destroyed Sheila's hands and did the same to Nikki. Some said that she and Tyler were working on their marriage, and some said they were about to get a divorce.Vicky paid no mind to the rumors and slowly got used to being by Tyler's side.She would cook for him when she had the time and remind him to eat even when she was busy.Tyler's name soon faded from scandals with other women, and he would return home every day with the only exception of working overtime.A month had passed, and Vicky had grown accustomed to his presence and even struggled to fall asleep when he went on a business trip....Tyler's birthday was approaching and after spending half a day in the mall,
The woman in the mirror was dressed in a crimson dress that outlined the alluring curves of her body. The makeup on her face emphasized her delicate features, and she looked as bewitching as a siren.Cece stood behind Vicky and scanned her from head to toe in contentment. "Perfect!"Vicky, having rarely dressed in such a bold color, frowned. "Don't you think this is too revealing?"The dress Vicky wore was made by Cece.Cece had grown into an extraordinary fashion designer under Vicky's guidance, specializing in gowns. When she was told that Vicky would be attending Tyler's birthday party, Cece burnt the midnight oil to produce an exquisite gown."Today is Mister Hart's party and as his wife, you need to stand out and intimidate other women so they won't dare seduce Mister Hart!" Cece deadpanned.Since what Cece said made sense, Vicky nodded thoughtfully.Just then, someone knocked on the door, and a majestic man stepped in."Mister Hart," greeted Cece before leaving.Vicky wa
It seemed she had underestimated Tyler's charm.'This man...means nothing but trouble!' Vicky grumbled to herself.There were few women who could escape his grasp, if he so desired.She shot him a glare. "Tyler, are you trying to make a fool out of me again?"Tyler's dark, smoldering gaze met hers. "What?"Though she was upset when she recalled what happened the time before, she realized that she could not bring herself to be angry at him when she looked into his eyes.She muttered, "You deliberately ruined my dress and forced me to change into something horrendous at Senior Hart's birthday celebration. You just want others to laugh at me, don't you?"Vicky knew that wearing such an outfit to the party would make her a fool.Tyler's expression darkened. "I want others to laugh at you?""Am I wrong?"She would have caught all the attention during the party before had Cece not been in trouble."That won't happen again." Tyler's voice was low and husky, laced with lethal tempta
She even spotted the storm of emotions in his eyes that disappeared within a moment.It felt as though she had dropped into a pool of ice-cold water, and the happiness she felt earlier all faded away into emptiness.'Is he really looking at me?' She thought and blurted out, "Ty—"The daze in his eyes vanished, as though it had all been her imagination, as he agreed, "Alright."She froze, her thoughts too jumbled for her to snap out of her mind.Seemingly unaware of the odd look on her face, he said, "Go ahead and fix your makeup. I'll go downstairs to check on the others."He let her go and smoothed his hand down her ruffled hair before strolling away.The door closed between them, and she stood still as she turned to study her reflection once again.'Was he looking at someone through me?' she thought. 'If that's the case, how exactly do I resemble that person he is thinking of? If I resemble that person so much, why has he ignored me for three whole years? Am I just imagining
Vicky snapped out of her reverie and placed her hand into Tyler's palm under everyone's watchful gazes.The two of them stepped into the dance floor.She was beautiful and charming, and he was handsome and elegant. This combination was harmonious beyond description.At this moment, they gazed into each other's eyes.From a distance, they looked like lovers deeply in love with one another.However, the majority of the guests knew what their relationship was like and was only impressed by how great the two were at acting.The melodious music echoed in the brightly lit banquet hall, and other guests began to follow their lead as they stepped into the dance floor."What's wrong?" Tyler looked at Vicky and asked, "Are you not happy?"Vicky was not one who was used to showing her emotions, but she was incapable of hiding her emotions seamlessly. Tyler was sharp enough to notice Vicky's emotions."No." Vicky said, "I'm just afraid I'll forget how to dance and embarrass you."Tyler s
The sorrow Vicky somehow faded because of what Tyler said."If you want a divorce, you're more than capable of doing it, even if I'm against it…" she muttered, before coming to a sudden halt as though she was reminded of something.Tyler studied her delicate features, and his voice deepened. "Are you that reluctant to let go of me?"Vicky knew he already knew the answer to his question. "Do you not know just how reluctant I was in letting you go?"Her love for him ran so deep before she lost her memories that she could hardly survive without him.He stared at her intently. "What about now?""What?""Are you willing to let me go now?""..."Vicky did not want to answer his question, but he kept his eyes trained on her as though he would not give up until she did.She narrowed her eyes and smiled. "Well, do you like me better now, or before?"Tyler fell into silence as well.Vicky was surprised. She had thought that Tyler would say that he preferred her character after losing
Tyler merely glanced at Maria's gift and made no moves to accept it. "Okay."Maria was undeterred as she opened the gift before him. "Tyler, I saw this necktie at the mall and thought it was perfect for you. Why don't you put it on and see if it suits you?"Once she had the necktie in her hand, Maria walked toward Tyler to put it on for him but was stopped by a slim figure before she could approach him."I'm sorry, Miss Sparks, but he doesn't like your gift."Maria acted as though she had just noticed Vicky and said, "Miss Shaw, Tyler didn't even say that he doesn't like it. I don't think it's appropriate for you to make the call without asking him what he thinks about the gift, is it now?"Every guest who attended the party, including Tyler, referred to Vicky as 'Missus Hart', but Maria was the only one who called her 'Miss Shaw'.Vicky smiled. "He is my husband, and I'm the host of this party. We're a couple and what's his is mine, so my thoughts represent his as well." She pau
Before Vicky could get closer, the person seemed to have sensed her presence and turned.The woman was not surprised at all and smiled at Vicky before greeting her with a soft voice. "Miss Shaw, it's Mister Hart's birthday today. Why aren't you by his side?"Displeased by the way she was addressed, Vicky deadpanned, "Why are you here, Miss Mayland?"Nikki was dressed in a light blue gown, and her features looked enchanting with makeup. "You must be curious as to how I got in without an invitation, Miss Shaw." Nikki tugged her hair behind her ear and smiled. "I'm in no position to be invited to a party like this, but I'm here...as a performer.""A performer?""That's right."In an extravagant venue, all guests looked elegant in their splendid clothing.It was a world where Nikki did not belong."You've been to enough parties like this, and you should know that performers are often hired for these occasions to play the violin or piano. So, I'm here to perform," she said, before s
[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