Aurora and Vicky were friends, and inviting Aurora to Vicky's birthday celebration was a must. Meanwhile, Noah, who shared a good relationship with them and was Vicky's senior, should also be included in the invitation list.However, considering the strained relationship between Aurora and Noah due to the cat incident, it became questionable if the two should be invited altogether.Vicky pondered. "Let's first ask Aurora and Noah. We'll see how they feel about it."For her past birthdays, Noah avoided attending to avoid suspicion, but whether he should be invited at all was a separate question.Jennifer agreed with the idea and said, "Sure. I'll call Noah later to ask."Jennifer, too, believed Noah might not come.However, when Jennifer called Noah in the evening to discuss the matter, he asked, "Is Aurora going?"Jennifer was taken aback. "I haven't asked Aurora yet...""Ask her now."Jennifer knew very well that Aurora would most likely agree to come. However, she would not
Aurora sent a series of videos again, showing the black cat's face and even including a shot of the calendar and time to prevent any claims of deception.Noah retorted. [You must've gotten a fake cat from somewhere to fool me. I'm telling you right now: I won't believe it unless you bring my cat to me.]Aurora grew frustrated. [Do you want us to video call right now?][You're an actress, a master of acting. I won't be fooled by your performance! If you don't bring my cat, it just proves you're hiding something!]Growing angrier, Aurora sent more videos and photos, clearly showing the cat's growth after being rescued.[I won't believe it! I won't believe it! I won't believe it!] Noah persisted.As expected, they began quarreling in the group chat.At that moment, Harvey, who rarely spoke up, suddenly chimed in. [You guys are having a party? When?]Clearly, he had not received an invitation to Vicky's birthday.Amid his busy responses, Noah managed to reply. [On Vicky's birthday
[If Tyler is nothing but an ordinary man, he might be able to spend the rest of his life with Vicky, but he can't stand that. He's ambitious and managed to build his very own empire. Right now, the Harts are hoping to restore their glory with Hart Corporation's connections and resources. He is valuable, so the Harts will never let him go. Even his parents and that adopted brother of his won't spare him. And what did he do? He transferred his shares to Vicky, making her the target of envy from practically everyone around her. To those people, Vicky is a tool they can use to control Tyler, and she's also their competitor. Tyler isn't himself right now, so he'll have to return to the Harts sooner or later.]'Not himself, huh?' Aurora thought to herself.There were things everyone kept quiet about, but the truth was that they all knew what was happening. It was clear to everyone that Tyler and Vicky could never be together....Later in the evening, Jennifer contacted Noah and Aurora,
Vicky displayed a subtle smile. "I still have the freedom to make friends, don't I?" Vicky pulled his fingers away one by one, before pushing him away. Tyler took a few steps back from her push and did not continue to stop her. Vicky turned her head and said to Chris, "let's go." Chris glanced at Tyler and nodded. Being the gentleman, he opened the car door for Vicky. Chris returned to the driver's seat and started the engine. Tyler stood still, watching the departing car. The setting sun cast its glow upon him, he remained motionless for quite some time. Cece and Jennifer exchanged a glance, and sighed simultaneously. ... After another day at work, as Vicky stepped out of the studio, she spotted a familiar figure waiting at the entrance. "Vicky." Chris's voice suddenly sounded from the side, catching Vicky's attention. Only then did Vicky notice Chris. She averted her gaze and nodded at him before walking in his direction. However, Tyler suddenly intercepted he
The two arrived at a Mexican restaurant. Vicky did not intentionally act intimate with Chris and the two maintained a distance like normal friends would. As soon as they were seated, Tyler stepped in, glanced around, and walked toward them. Vicky flinched at the sight of him and whispered, "he might come to sit with us..." Before she could finish, Tyler found his seat at a table behind them. Vicky froze and choked on her voice. Chris, too, was surprised that Tyler did not forcefully join them. Tyler's possessiveness was overpowering; one could easily discern from the incident years ago when he drove Chris away how incredibly petty Tyler could be. Vicky had cautioned Chris that Tyler might resort to violence, a belief Chris fully shared. Yet, Tyler's sudden shift to rationality and silence caught Chris off guard. Vicky only hesitated for a few seconds before realization dawned on her. She lowered her gaze, her heart growing even heavier as she thought to herself, 'is h
They stopped living together and rarely saw one another. He had not harmed her, but it became apparent that he was still harming himself. Dazed, Vicky was lost in her thoughts. Just then, the light above the surgical room went off and she snapped out of it. "Doctor, how is he?" She asked. "He will live." The doctor took off his mask. "However, he suffers bone fractures all over his body and I'm afraid he will have to be on bed rest for a while." She nodded. "Thank you, Doctor." ... Vicky spent an entire night at the hospital, only leaving once Chris had regained consciousness. Before departing, she called Cece, asking her to watch over Chris for a while as she made arrangements to hire a nurse. After enduring so much and not sleeping for another night, Vicky felt weary. Standing by the roadside, she hailed a taxi. She gave the address of her apartment and closed her eyes for a moment's rest. However, that brief slumber turned into an extended one. When she finally o
Her protest morphed into broken sobs that echoed in the room as a fleeting thought crossed her mind. 'Is he having another episode again?' The room was pitch-black, void of daylight. Here, there was no sunlight, no sense of time, only boundless darkness. Tyler had become unrecognizable, which led Vicky to surmise that his illness had indeed resurfaced. What set this episode apart was his silence. He did not question her or show any signs of pain or injury; he remained wordless from the moment he had bound her here and had not spoken a single word to her regardless of what she said to him. Apart from bathing, sleeping, and using the restroom, he kept her locked to the bed all day. The fridge seemed to hold ample food, so he rarely ventured outside. Five years ago, when he had imprisoned her the same way, he would stay in her room reading. But now, he did nothing of the sort. His daily routine involved sitting by the bedside, watching her, and nothing else. At first, Vicky
He had tried and worked hard, but it was all in vain. He knew that he was not changing himself willingly and was merely trying to suppress his urges. He could not stand seeing her alone with other men, nor could he tolerate seeing her laughing with another man. The accident where she tripped was nothing but a triggering point; even if that did not happen, it was only a matter of time before he snapped. Through the mist in the bathroom, Vicky looked at him. "So you didn't bring me here because you are having another episode, is that right?" "Yeah." "Why?" "No reason." Seeing that Vicky had exposed his disguise, he decided to tell the truth. "I've always wanted to do this. Right now, I'm just following my heart." The warmth in the bathroom gradually dissipated, and Vicky's blood ran cold. "Following your heart?" She slowly repeated those words. "Is your heart telling you to lock me up?" "Yes." Tyler chuckled. "I've been thinking of doing this since we got together." Low
[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