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