Vicky paused. "It's just too messy. I'm just going to move a few things back.""Do it tomorrow," Tyler said calmly. "No one is here, so there's no rush."After a few moments of silence, she stopped and said, "Alright. Let's go home, then.""Yeah."After getting dressed, the two returned home right away....The next day, when Vicky arrived at the studio, she found her room immaculately arranged.She cringed as she gazed at Harvey, who was busy working on his laptop, not knowing how to face him."Hey." Harvey looked up from his laptop, offering his usual smile as he greeted Vicky. He showed no hint of awkwardness as if yesterday's events never occurred."Yeah," Vicky muttered. "How's your injury healing?""I've almost fully recovered." Harvey shifted his gaze away from the laptop. "I should be able to leave tomorrow.""Tomorrow?" Vicky furrowed her brow. "Isn't that a bit rushed?"If Harvey had been hospitalized, two weeks would have been ample time for recovery. However, si
At 10 a.m., Vicky walked Harvey—who was fully covered by sunglasses, a face mask, and a hat—out of the building. The car that came for Harvey had long been waiting downstairs.Harvey stopped and said, "Vicky, this is goodbye."She studied him with a conflicted look on her face. "I'm sorry...for all the trouble I've caused you.""I told you that you never need to thank me.""If you need help, call me anytime," she added."Sure," replied Harvey.He turned to leave before pausing as though he thought of something. "Vicky."She looked at him. "What is it?"Harvey walked to her side and pulled her into his embrace, much to her shock.His deep, magnetic voice echoed in her ears. "If there comes a day that you want to leave this place, you can always come to me. This time, I won't lose you again."Vicky had not managed to utter a word when applause resonated from behind them."What a delightful scene we have here; a great romantic drama between a loving couple."Vicky stiffened at
Unlike Lincoln who constantly attempted to divide Tyler and Vicky, Harvey appeared indifferent and sincere."It's because I am threatening Vicky.""With what?"Harvey chuckled. "If I tell you that, I won't have the leverage to leave here alive. I can let you in on a little detail, though... It's a secret I learned about Vicky during the time we were engaged."Tyler turned to study Vicky, spotting a mixture of shock, anxiety, and bitterness on her pale face, and he instantly narrowed his eyes."The secret I know is enough to make Vicky do anything for me."Tyler sneered. "Harvey Sparks, do you take me for a child who can't tell lies from the truth?"Harvey lifted an eyebrow and mockingly continued, "Tyler, can't you tell that I'm giving you an excuse to move on? Do you plan on breaking up with Vicky today or something?"Tyler pursed his lips and his expression grew grim, but he remained silent."Alright. You're going to let me go now, and Vicky will obediently return home with
Vicky smiled at Tyler. "We've been married for years. I know what kind of a person you are.""Are you saying you want to share Harvey's fate?"Vicky did not bother to explain herself and said, "I guess you can say that.""Very well." Tyler sneered. "I didn't expect you to be so fearless for Harvey's sake. Back when my family forced you into breaking up with you, you've never shown such perseverance."Vicky’s gaze wavered."Vicky." Harvey shook his head with disapproval, signaling her to stop arguing with Tyler."This won't work," she said. "He won't let you go.""That's for me to worry about, not you.""So you knew he won't let you out of here alive all along, right?" she questioned.Harvey fell silent.Vicky smiled bitterly. "Do you think I can still be with him if you die in front of me? If he secretly kills you, can he and I continue as if nothing's happened?" She turned her head and gazed into Tyler's eyes. "Even if you manage to deceive me for a while, secrets aren't mea
However, Tyler calmed down very quickly."Vicky, come home with me," he spoke calmly.Vicky looked at him quietly as if she wanted to figure out his truest thoughts, but Tyler's handsome face was as cold as ever.Disappointed, she thought it would be futile to talk some sense into him. Nevertheless, she wanted to give their relationship one last chance. "I'll go back with you if you let Harvey go."A sinister glint flashed across Tyler's eyes. He could not control his emotions anymore."It's always Harvey! Is he the only person you care about? Just who am I to you, Vicky?"Suddenly, he took out a gun and pointed it at Harvey. "What if I insist on killing Harvey today?"The bright sunlight reflected off the cold metal of the gun.Vicky's pupils shrank. A second later, she threw herself in front of Harvey. "You'll have to kill me first if you want him dead!"Harvey's expression faltered. "Don't be rash, Vicky!""I'm not being rash." Vicky looked straight into Tyler's eyes, thou
"Let's go," said Vicky to Harvey.Harvey opened his mouth but then closed it again. It looked as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he simply said, "Okay."Just when Vicky was about to walk away, she saw Tyler raising his gun again from the corner of her eyes.Her expression swiftly changed. "Harvey, watch out!"The words had not even left her lips for a second before a loud bang was heard.Harvey quickly dodged to the side, but Tyler shot him again.The sound of the bullets being fired threw the whole scene into chaos as men from both sides of the party came rushing in.Vicky stood where she was as she stared at the men fighting around her.Harvey had a gun too. He fired a few shots at Tyler in retaliation, but he was able to deftly avoid the bullets aimed at him.Harvey quickly pulled Vicky away while Tyler was dodging the bullets."Vicky, it's too dangerous here. Let's go."His voice snapped Vicky out of her shock. She nodded and immediately followed him out.
Tyler was not surprised Harvey would use Vicky to threaten him since he predicted he would pull this stunt on him. However, Harvey was right; Tyler was not willing to bet on Vicky's life at all."Let Vicky go," said Tyler calmly, "and I'll let you walk away.""As if I'll believe that. You even lied to Vicky before, so why should I believe you?" Harvey was no fool. "Put down your gun, and ask your men to leave."Tyler's eyes darkened. After a few seconds of silence, he ordered his men to withdraw. Thus, the men who had Vicky and Harvey surrounded retreated."Your gun, Tyler," reminded Harvey.Tyler's gaze never left Harvey while he put his gun down on the ground."Kick it over here," said Harvey.Tyler did exactly as he asked.After making sure the gun was out of Tyler's reach, Harvey—still holding Vicky hostage—walked outside.However, everything changed in a split second when Harvey walked past Tyler. Swiftly, Tyler grabbed Harvey's hand that held the gun.Harvey did not exp
This time, the bullet pierced Tyler, and his blood swiftly stained his shirt. Stunned, he looked down at his chest and froze.After some time, he slowly looked up at Vicky's unforgiving expression.Her eyes wavered a little when their eyes met."Tyler, I've told you to stop," she forced herself to say calmly.Tyler smiled mockingly. He looked at the half-unconscious Harvey and was about to punch him again when another bullet hit him in the chest.Blood spurted everywhere and he staggered back involuntarily, causing more blood to drip down to the floor. It was as though red flowers bloomed wherever his blood landed.Vicky quickly ran up and helped up Harvey, who had fallen to the ground. "Harvey, are you okay?""Never better," said Harvey weakly."Tyler is too hurt to summon his men back for the time being. Let's get out of here quickly."With Vicky's support, she and Harvey left the place without a second thought.Tyler clutched his chest and looked at Vicky's retreating figu
[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