'Tyler brought up Noah again. Didn't Isabella tell me Tyler's condition was improving? Why would he suddenly have an episode? Was Old Mister Hart right? Does the mere sight of me trigger some kind of disturbance, leading to memory confusion?' she thought.Before she could make sense of it all, the sound of the door opening reached her ears from the entrance.A man dressed in black clothes and black trousers, carrying a tray of food, approached her with a stern expression.Catching a glimpse of his menacing demeanor, Vicky's eyes widened, and she involuntarily shrank back.She had fainted the day before. Furious with her, Tyler had slept with her, and upon discovering she was not a virgin, he became even more enraged, convinced she slept with Noah.She fainted at some point, and she found herself here when she finally woke up.The scene before her was familiar. She even experienced it before as Tyler's first reaction to this sort of situation was always to hide her away where no o
Noah's reaction was equally swift. He sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the strike.Noah's father had served in the military for years and disliked those who lacked strength. Despite Noah's preference for the arts and his usual display of gentility, he was trained in combat skills and remained unscathed so far despite all the things that happened in his life.However, the opponent's skills seemed to surpass his.Another knife was sent at a tricky angle, aiming directly for a vital organ.Noah, who evaded the first attack, had no time to adjust his posture. Just as the knife was about to pierce into his body, the cat in his arms emitted another piercing scream.In a flash, the cat pounced toward the assailant, who evaded the attack. The knife directed at Noah deviated slightly, leaving a streak of blood on the black fur of the catThe blade flew past Noah with a tint of blood on the blade.Noah was momentarily stunned, his eyes reddening with distress. "Ruby!"The black cat had sav
Vicky had no idea where Tyler had gone.Being in a dim environment for an extended period tended to induce drowsiness, and her consciousness quickly started to blur.Just as she was on the verge of falling asleep, Vicky heard the door opening, and her senses sharpened instantly. She raised her head and turned her gaze toward the door.Footsteps drew closer, and a tall figure soon appeared in the doorway.Tyler's silhouette was cast upon the wall as he entered the room with his head hung low. His black attire made it look as though he blended into the darkness.Instantly realizing that Tyler was in a foul mood, she could not help but worry about him. "What's wrong?"Upon hearing her voice, Tyler's footsteps paused for a moment. He slowly lifted his gaze to look at her, his eyes tinged with confusion.Feeling uneasy from the unusual look on his face, she asked, "Is something wrong?"Tyler approached her and embraced her.Vicky was taken aback as he whispered into her ear, "Vicky
Vicky did not know what to say.After a few moments of silence, she said gently, "Untie me first."Vicky's reluctance to answer his question sounded like an affirmation to Tyler. Instead of letting her go, he pulled her closely into his embrace and became agitated. "No! I won't let you leave me."Sensing something was wrong with his tone, she frowned in concern and said, "Tyler..."Before she could say another word, Tyler lowered his head and sealed her lips with a kiss....In the bathroom, Tyler held Vicky and gently lowered her into the comfortably warm bathwater. Vicky kept her gaze lowered, her emotions hidden from view.Tyler opened his mouth to speak a couple of times but ultimately remained silent.His movements were cautious and hesitant with the weight of knowing he had once again forced himself on Vicky.When his fingers made contact with her body, Vicky reflexively flinched for an instant, but she did not continue to shy away.Steam wafted through the bathroom, bl
Tyler grabbed Vicky's hand and held onto it for dear life as though that was the only way to prevent her from slipping away.His dark gaze was fixated on her face as he tried to think of ways to explain himself. In the end, all thoughts boiled down to a single sentence. "I can...get treated."He hated doctors and never accepted treatment on his own accord. In the past, he merely tolerated treatment when Vicky proposed them.He clearly ditched his pride and admitted he was mentally ill by accepting treatment, and Vicky came close to relenting.At the very last moment, she snapped out of it and reminded herself that agreeing to his request would hurt him in the end. She was never the cure to his illness nor his salvation. She was the poison that pushed him deeper into despair and pain."Come back to me when you're fully recovered, then." She forced a bitter smile. "Just look at yourself. You're back to your old self from five years ago! You locked me in this pitch-black basement, fo
Tyler gazed longingly at Vicky and fell into silence.Tension filled the air and loomed over the two."One year," Tyler finally spoke. "Give me one year. If I haven't recovered by then, I'll let you go."Vicky smirked. "Tyler, haven't you stalled enough? It's a year now, but when that time comes, you won't be willing to let go."Tyler's frustration rose. "Do you have to divorce me?""You want me to wait for a year? Sure. Once I give you my word, I'll definitely wait. Even if we're divorced by then, I won't go back on my word." Vicky's tone remained indifferent. "After one year, I'll still need to observe you for a while. What if you haven't truly recovered and simply lied to me about being cured, only to stall again? What would I do then? Of course, Mister Hart, with your immense power and influence, I won't have any means to divorce you if you won't agree to it. Haven't you done that before?" she said mercilessly.Forcibly seizing something was only necessary when the other part
Vicky stared at the reflection in the window and said calmly, "I've seen everything you wanted me to see. What do you want me to do next?""Tyler's condition is mainly caused by you. He'll become normal again once he forgets about you."Vicky recalled the words Isabella had once said, and she began to piece things together. "So what's the specific plan?""I'll arrange for a hypnotist to work on Tyler. Hypnosis won't succeed if he resists. It's only possible if he willingly accepts the hypnosis from the hypnotist." Old Mister Hart continued, "When he forgets you, the hypnosis Avery has done on Tyler will lose its effect as well. Even if she tries to control Tyler with drugs or hypnosis, it's unlikely to work."After a moment of silence, Vicky simply replied, "I understand." With that, she ended the phone.Vicky then dialed Isabella's number. This time, she talked to Isabella for almost half an hour before finally ending the call.Just as she was about to rest, Vicky received a tex
"I assume you remember what you did to keep me around in the past. It's been so many years now, yet you haven't changed. Moreover, our marriage was nothing but the result of your schemes. Logically speaking, you should've hated me at that moment—despised me even. It wouldn't surprise me if you wanted to torture me as revenge, yet you chose to marry me. I then suspected you were stuck in the past. You can't stand that I left you, and it hurt your pride. Your desire for conquest is at play, and you can't accept this outcome."Vicky's words flowed calmly. "I know that obsessive-compulsive disorder is also a form of mental illness. Perhaps you won't be so fixated on me once you recover. While you're still ill, it might be impossible to get a divorce. However, once you're hypnotized and forget about me, you should be able to accept the divorce."They were not that far from each other, yet Tyler felt so distant from her."Everything I've done for you is all just my obsessive-compulsive di