"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
[I wanted to surprise him, but I messed up... He probably hates me even more now. Anyway, happy birthday.]The above was the only post on her social media during that time, and it was not hard to tell that she was walking on thin ice around Tyler at the time.She scrolled through her social media account once again but did not see any mention of pianos.Just as she felt confused, Tyler returned from his phone call and stared at her. "What do you want to do with Nikki?"She looked up to meet his eyes. "What do you mean?""She tried to frame you and has to be punished," he said coldly.She thought about it for a moment and said, "Have her leave Stoneford City, then.""Sure," he said without hesitation.Vicky opened her mouth to speak but was not sure what to say. In the end, she muttered, "Was I…able to play the piano?"He lowered his gaze expressionlessly. "Are you asking me about yourself?""I don't remember anything," she said.After a few moments of silence, he said, "You
"Have you been using that pen for some time?"Tyler quieted down for a few moments before answering, "Five years.""Is it...important to you?""I've just grown used to it."She stared at him wordlessly, knowing that Tyler must have understood that she was trying to inquire if the person who gave him the pen was of importance to him.He stared at the pen in his hand and said, "It's been too long, indeed. It's time to use a new one." He focused his gaze on her once again. "Any other gift apart from the pen?""Other gifts?" She repeated in confusion before noticing the dark look in his eyes.Her heart raced as soon as she read the lust hidden within those dark eyes, and her breath caught in her chest. She tried to calmly pick up another gift box and said, "Cece bought you a gift as well. Let's see what it is."Cece said that it was meant for Vicky, and she had not opened it yet. To ease the tension, Vicky decided to open the gift in front of Tyler.The box was rather big in size
Tyler's kiss was almost predatory, and he seemed different than usual.Rendered helpless, Vicky instinctively wanted to push him away.She had long prepared herself but still could not help feeling nervous. However, Tyler did not let her go like he usually would and simply deepened the kiss.Thus, a passionate night ensued....The next day, Vicky woke up to her phone vibrating.She was so tired that she could barely keep her eyes open as she fumbled for her phone. Once she grabbed it, she forced her eyes open, only to find an unknown number displayed on the screen.She glanced at the time and jolted awake.'Half past twelve?! At noon?! I've been asleep for that long?!'She glanced outside the window and saw the sunlight shining in through the curtains.She was shocked to learn how long she had been asleep and felt both shy and frustrated when she recalled the night before.The call eventually ended because it was not answered, but her phone started vibrating again shortly a
It might seem like harmless advice, but Vicky could not help but blush when she thought of the night she shared with Tyler before.Once she got past the initial reluctance, everything else seemed to happen naturally.Just like his kiss, she was not at all appalled by the intimacy between them.Cece was extremely excited when she talked about the party the night before. "By the way, Vicky, when did you practice playing the piano? Was it supposed to be a surprise for Mister Hart's birthday? It was amazing, and Nikki and Maria were both livid! They were accusing you of being jealous and had their own words shoved back at them the next instant…"Hahaha! Vicky, that was amazing!""Cece." Vicky interrupted her. "Did you not know that I can't play piano?"Cece paused and asked in confusion, "Huh? You can't play? But you played perfectly last night!"Cece did not know much about the piano, but Vicky was different. "Cece, one can't become an expert in an instrument within a few days. Th
Sebastian hesitated."But what?" Vicky asked.After a while, he said, "Gloria was the one who played the best version of The Moonlight Bay.""Gloria?" Vicky felt as though she had heard this name before.Knowing that she would not remember, Sebastian explained, "She's your cousin. Your uncle's daughter. Your uncle was the head of the Shaw family before it fell."Vicky had no memories of her family and rarely heard anyone mention anything about them. All she knew was that she lost both her parents at a young age.Vicky suddenly recalled what Sebastian and Missus Mills had mentioned to her before.Harvey originally wanted to marry Gloria but changed his mind to be engaged to Vicky instead.Sebastian mentioned that she was the one who approached Harvey at first, and though she wondered about who Harvey was, she did not dig deeper into the Shaw family's history.Vicky did not have to ask.As an orphan who lost both her parents, her life in the Shaw family must have been rather to
'So what if Tyler has a past?' thought Vicky. 'Everyone does, but the past is the past. No matter what, it’s enough that he wants to start over with me, not over some song played on a piano.'...Time flew, and a month passed in the blink of an eye.Tyler and Vicky grew closer as time went by after they became intimate, and it even began to feel like they were in a honeymoon phase.On the weekend, the two sat in a restaurant and as soon as they finished ordering, Tyler's phone rang.Tyler answered the call and frowned after a few moments. "I'll be there," he spoke before hanging up.Vicky looked at him. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"He looked at her with a dark expression and said, "Sheila's involved in an accident.""Miss Young? What happened to her?""I've already ordered Harry to look into it.""Where is Miss Young right now?""In the hospital.""I see..." She took a sip of her drink. "If that's the case, you should check on her."Tyler looked at her silently bu
The man was young in his mid-twenties with a slender frame and a height of roughly 1.9 meters, just like Tyler. He had a pair of enchanting eyes that seemed to contain the entire galaxy within them. His long legs were wrapped in tailor-made trousers and the top two buttons of his white shirt were left unbuttoned.His features were in such a state of perfection that he looked as if he was a statue sculpted by God himself.Among all the men Vicky had ever seen, only Tyler was comparable to the man before her in terms of looks."Your documents, mister. Can you check to see if any of them are missing?" she asked politely.The man lifted an eyebrow and accepted the documents before flipping through the pages.Soon, he said with a husky, hypnotic voice, "It's fine."She sighed a breath of relief. "If that's it, I'll be going now."He stared at her in silence and just as she was about to leave, he called out, "Hang on."She stilled. "Is there something else?"The man pointed at his 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