Once Tyler was sure Vicky was asleep, he left the bedroom.Entering his study, he retrieved the knife he had put away.Just two cuts were hardly enough to atone for the pain he caused her.His intention was never to harm himself to gain her sympathy. He felt that he could only comprehend her agony by feeling pain himself.Since she did not like seeing blood, he vowed she would not have to witness it anymore. With that thought in mind, he cut himself again.Strangely, he did not feel any pain. On top of that, the lingering ache in his heart seemed to ease slightly.'Can physical pain really alleviate heartache?' he thought.He was tempted to try again, but instead, he used a handkerchief to clean the blood from the blade before placing it away.He could not risk letting her discover it, or she would despise him even more.Having stopped the bleeding, Tyler returned to the bedroom. As he drew Vicky closer, he realized his heartache had diminished somehow....After Vicky had r
Tyler was exceptionally alert, so Vicky had to wait until he was out of the room before she dared to emerge. Peering through the peephole, she watched as Tyler headed toward the study.'Does he have some work matters to attend to?' she wondered.With this question in mind, Vicky stepped out of the bedroom as soon as he entered the study. She stood at the entrance to the study for a few minutes, and when Tyler did not reappear, Vicky took a deep breath, turned the doorknob, and entered.The desk lamp cast a soft, dim glow. In the reflection of the light, the knife Tyler held glistened with a chilling sheen.Vicky, who had just entered the study, was met with a shocking sight: Tyler was holding a knife and was making incisions into his own body.He was solely focused on the blade in his hand, so Vicky's sudden entrance caught him off-guard, and he seemed stunned.Vicky's eyes scanned the scene, and she instantly noticed the wounds on his body. Her eyes widened, and she questioned s
"No way."Unable to summon the strength to push him away, Vicky closed her eyes and leaned helplessly against his chest. The scent of blood filled her nose, and she felt devastated like she never did before....The night was quiet and peaceful.Vicky looked up at Tyler after tending to his wounds. "Tyler...""It doesn't hurt," he said. "I knew what I was doing."Vicky's lips curled into a cold sneer. "Am I supposed to compliment you on your great skills with knives?""..." Tyler fell into silence."I'm tired of this." She looked down. "Tyler, I can't accept living with a man who tortures me when he loses control and mutilates himself when he's sober."Tyler's heart sank."Let's just—""I won't allow it!" he shouted, interrupting her words.His gaze darkened with malevolence and ferocity. As he looked into her eyes, he pronounced every word with intention."I won't allow you to entertain the idea of leaving me, ever."Frightened by his intensity, Vicky paled and froze.T
Vicky instantly realized what Tyler meant. Before she could say anything, his kisses rained down upon her....The next morning, as Tyler emerged from the bathroom, he spotted Vicky meticulously packing her clothes into a suitcase.His eyes widened.Stepping forward, he gripped her wrist and demanded, "Vicky, where do you think you're going?"Vicky raised her head, her gaze cold. "I can go anywhere, as long as I can be without you."Tyler's eyes dimmed, and his expression turned somber. "Vicky, I've told you, I won't allow you to leave..."Vicky chuckled bitterly, interrupting Tyler without hesitation. "If you only know how to force me to do things and imprison me, don't act all affectionate and respectful. Don't keep saying you'll change. The truth is that you've never respected my boundaries and have always done things I don't want you to do, regardless of how I feel." Vicky's eyes carried evident disappointment as she continued, "If those promises mean nothing to you, continu
Still, Tyler did not want to let Vicky go, feeling as though she would vanish if he allowed her to leave.He wanted to reject her request but could not bring himself to say anything when faced with her bright eyes.Aurora mentioned that he was pushing Vicky away, and he knew about it.Moments later, he muttered, "Okay."Vicky did not show any sign of joy and simply nodded before pulling her hand out of Tyler's hold and continuing to gather her belongings.Tyler grabbed her hand once again, and Vicky turned to look at him with disappointment.Tyler felt a slight pang in his chest but calmly spoke, "You go freshen up; I'll help you pack."Vicky was surprised as it was challenging enough for him to let her go, so she half-expected him to regret his choice immediately. Surprisingly, he offered to help her pack instead.After a moment's contemplation, she nodded and headed to the bathroom to shower. When she emerged, her belongings were neatly arranged in the suitcase."Take a look
Seeing Aurora seated by the window, Vicky walked over. "When did you arrive?""Just now." Aurora signaled for a waiter, and they began to place their orders.After placing their orders, Aurora studied Vicky's expression and whispered, "Vicky, how have things been between you and Tyler recently?"Vicky did not hide anything. "I've returned to my apartment for the time being."Aurora did not show any surprise upon hearing this. Instead, she hesitated and looked at Vicky intently.Vicky frowned. "Do you have something to say to me?"After a few seconds of hesitation, Aurora finally spoke, "There's a talented pianist who has emerged in the entertainment circle recently. Some people have spotted her...entering and leaving the same room and location as Tyler on multiple occasions..."This piece of news had not been made public, but it had circulated in the industry. Many had seen it happen, and a few even managed to capture a couple of photos.Though these photos could not be publish
'Chris Leonheart?' Aurora thought. 'I know about Alex and Sebastian, but I haven't heard of this guy before.'Despite her questions, Aurora did not let it show on her face and glanced at Vicky. Upon noticing that Vicky was not appalled by Chris' presence, Aurora smiled. "I'll go get Vicky some clothes. Please look after her for the time being, Mister Leonheart.""Sure," replied Chris said with a smile.After Aurora left, Chris looked at Vicky and asked, "Vicky, how have you been?"Vicky was slightly uncomfortable that Chris addressed her by her name.When they first met, Chris always addressed her as 'President Shaw'. Since she had just started her studio at the time, she could not bring herself to get used to it and told him he could address her by her name. Still, Chris refused and switched to calling her 'Ms. Shaw' instead. One could easily tell he was a man who kept to himself and respected boundaries.Thus, it felt strange that he would suddenly start calling Vicky by her fi
Chris looked at Vicky intently, and Vicky knew it did not matter if Chris had come to show her the photos on purpose. What mattered was that he was stating a fact.The two fell into silence until Aurora returned with a new set of clothes. "Vicky, go ahead and get changed."Vicky nodded and got up with the bag Aurora handed to her.Since Chris was still around, Aurora could not follow Vicky out. She smiled at Chris and asked, "Have you eaten? Would you like to join us, Mister Leonheart?"She was merely trying to be polite, but to her bewilderment, Chris nodded. "If it's not too much trouble, sure."Aurora froze and maintained a polite smile. "Since Vicky has gone to get changed, why don't you go ahead and order?"With that said, she waved the waiter over.When Vicky emerged, Aurora and Chris were already engaged in a somewhat casual conversation.Aurora had deduced Chris' identity and his connection to Vicky at this point and mentioned she invited Chris for dinner with Vicky. Vi