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
Nikki instinctively reached out to grab Vicky to steady herself, but Vicky instinctively moved away from the abrupt movement.Crash! The tower of wine glasses next to them collapsed, and Nikki fell onto the shattered glass."Goodness, what's going on?!" a woman's gasp echoed in the hall.When Vicky turned around, she saw a flash of crimson red charging toward her while screaming, "Oh my god! What happened?! Someone fell! Oh my god... Her hands! Someone call the doctor!"Only a few people noticed what happened at first, but Maria's scream brought silence to the hall as everyone turned to look at them.Vicky's lips curled into a cold sneer when she saw the dramatic act Maria put on.'This woman seems to hate me a lot, huh?' she thought to herself. 'She first tried to frame me, and now she's coming at me on Tyler's birthday.'Vicky turned to look at Nikki, who paled at the pain.'These two are teaming up against me? How do they even know each other?'Once she had everyone's atten
All the noises attracted the other guests, and they began to walk closer to the three of them.Tyler, on the other hand, was nowhere to be found, which gave Maria the boost of courage she wanted."Miss Shaw, is this necessary? Miss Mayland is only here to perform for Tyler. Everyone knows that he likes listening to piano music. It's bad enough that you don't know how to play it. Isn't it too much to forbid others from playing for him?" she spoke, raising her voice.Vicky stood in the middle of the crowd calmly. "Miss Sparks, you've just gotten here, so why are you so sure that this is my fault? Have you stopped being an actress and switched professions to become a director or something?"Maria stilled and glared at her. "I wasn't far away when I saw you approaching Miss Mayland and pushing her toward the wine glass tower to prevent her from performing," said Maria as she turned to look at a certain spot. "Those people saw you as well. They're all witnesses!"Vicky had never laid e
"Today is Tyler's birthday, and everything you do represents not just yourself but Tyler as well. You're embarrassing him." Maria lowered her voice but made sure that she was loud enough for the others to hear her. "How about you apologize to Miss Mayland and we'll all forget that anything ever happened?"Maria and Nikki partnered to paint a picture for the other guests.Not only were the elite members of Stoneford City invited, but there were also wealthy individuals from all around the world present at the hall who were not aware of Vicky's past or the rumors about her.After what Maria and Nikki said, those who did not know what happened in the past started to look at Vicky with contempt.Maria's lips curled into a smug smile when she saw the looks on the other guests' faces. 'So what if Tyler approves of you as his wife? I want everyone to scorn you; spurn you wherever you go!'Vicky listened to them quietly before commenting, "Just like what Miss Mayland and Miss Sparks had s
Vicky was no doubt far superior in terms of looks, and though she came from a fallen family, her family used to hold a position of power in Stoneford City. Even when the glory of the Shaws had faded, their connections in the city remained. Compared to Nikki, who had no power or connection at all, Vicky triumphed over her.As for how much they each mattered to Tyler, there were rumors that he had been to a certain bar to listen to Nikki's performance and had helped her once but was not seen again since then.Whether or not Vicky was involved in stopping Tyler from going, Nikki could not be that important to Tyler if he gave up on her so easily. Moreover, Tyler had invited Vicky to the first dance in front of everyone at his birthday party.Even if it was all but an act, it was enough to draw jealousy toward Vicky for what he had done for her. A man in Tyler's status would not have done such a thing if he did not place importance on Vicky to begin with.Indeed, there was no reason fo
There were no sheets on the piano, and Vicky might not be able to play any song at all even if there were.If she was never good at playing piano before losing her memories, it was unlikely for her to remember how to play without any sort of recollection.Vicky only agreed to Maria's request to buy time because once Tyler appeared, a few of his words would break all accusations toward her.Vicky sat down and glanced around, feeling disappointed when she could not find Tyler anywhere."Miss Shaw, the piano was already adjusted beforehand, so you don't have to test the notes. Stop stalling and play already. Miss Mayland's wounds need to be treated," Maria called out.Vicky sneered coldly as she glanced at the smug expression on Maria's face.'I guess she came prepared,' she thought.It was indeed hard for Vicky to get out of this, but Maria had forgotten about something.Tyler.Even after what happened with the bracelet, Maria still had not come to the realization that Tyler was
Vicky was not only capable of playing decently; she was stellar!People who did not know much about playing the piano would only be impressed by how beautifully she played, but those who had a certain extent of expertise in the regard would know that Vicky was extremely talented.'I thought that Vicky can't play at all? They said that even if she plays, it's so horrible that it's hard to listen to a whole song. Why am I seeing something different?' Sheila thought to herself as her eyes widened in disbelief.Maria, too, gaped at Vicky, unable to recover from the shock.Nikki—who chose to stay to see Vicky embarrassing herself instead of treating her wound so she could push herself to appear as a victim of bullying—paled. With widened eyes, she bit her lower lip and shivered. She shook her head hysterically and mumbled, "No... That's not possible."Nikki was confident in her skill as a pianist. Though she was not one of the very best in the world, she knew she qualified as a profess
"I thought Missus Hart can't play at all! She's...at the level of a brilliant pianist!""My daughter has been learning to play for six years, and she's not even half as good as Missus Hart!""It's no wonder that Mister Hart doesn’t go out to listen to others play. She's much better at it compared to other performers out there!""Didn't someone say that Missus Hart injured Miss Mayland on purpose because she's jealous of Miss Mayland's talent in playing piano? Why would she even be jealous of anyone?"The crowd erupted into a heated discussion, and the majority of them started to look at Nikki with odd expressions."Could it be that...this woman fell on purpose and framed Missus Hart on purpose, all to capture Mister Hart's attention?""Maybe it's just an old trick that only ignorant girls like her would use."Nikki paled at the comments directed at her.Maria's expression darkened as she struggled to believe that Vicky could play piano.'How is this possible?!' she snarled inw
[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