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
He set down his spoon with a firm 'clack'.Vicky looked at Tyler with a hint of lingering fear in her eyes.Tyler's gaze darkened. "Don't even think about divorce. As for hypnosis... That's never going to happen either."With those words, he stood up—leaving his breakfast untouched—and walked away.As she watched him leave, Vicky fell into deep thought.After Tyler's departure, Vicky immediately dialed Isabella's number."Since Mister Hart had an episode after seeing you, it indicates his condition hasn't improved," said Isabella.To call it a 'condition' was not entirely accurate, but to solely attribute it to hypnosis would be wrong as well. Tyler had indeed been hypnotized, but the influence of drugs could not be dismissed.Hearing Isabella's words, a trace of disappointment seeped into Vicky's heart. "So, his clarity was just a random occurrence?""It wasn't random."Vicky was taken aback. "What was it, then?""Missus Hart, did you and Mister Hart argue yesterday?"Vick
'Tyler remembers me without resorting to any aids?' thought Vicky, feeling overwhelmed by various emotions.Vicky put his phone back where it belonged before Tyler finished his shower....The bar's lights flickered wildly, accompanied by booming music that reverberated in the ears.Vicky leaned against the couch in her booth, holding a glass of wine.She absentmindedly sipped on it while watching the performances on the stage.Sitting opposite Vicky, Jennifer and Cece exchanged glances and read the concern in each other's eyes."Vicky, it's getting late. Aren't you going back?" Jennifer whispered gingerly.Vicky's gaze shifted slightly, and she glanced at the time on her phone. "It's only ten..." she murmured. "It's still early. Let's stay a bit longer."As soon as she spoke, Vicky's phone buzzed.Seeing the incoming call number on the screen, Vicky averted her gaze indifferently and ignored it.The phone rang for a long time before the call was automatically disconnected.
"His name is Chris Leonhart." Cece glanced at Vicky before adding, "He used to be Vicky's assistant when the studio first opened."That surprised Jennifer even more. "So you two knew each other?""Sort of. He only worked in the studio for a month before quitting. He prefers to keep to himself, but he's quite capable in his job," replied Cece.Even though it had been years since Cece and Chris worked together, her impression of him still ran very deep."Back then, the studio didn't really have much business… And when we're finally about to close a deal, it eventually fell through due to my and Vicky's lack of experience… When Chris realized what happened, he told us our way of negotiating with the customer was wrong. In the end, we managed to close the deal thanks to his pointers."Cece looked at Chris, feeling a little emotional. "He might not say much, but he was always spot-on whenever he did. What's more…"Jennifer was listening rapt with attention, but when Cece did not conti