Vicky touched the corner of her eyes and realized she did not shed a tear, despite the reporters' verbal and even physical attacks.Avery watched as the scene unfolded with pleasure. She took in Vicky's disoriented state.She already imagined Vicky becoming the talk of the city and the subject of all condemnation.However, amid her excitement, she sensed something was amiss.She looked up to study the man next to her, only to find him staring at Vicky unblinkingly.His lips were pursed, and his breath was ragged as though he was trying to suppress his anger.Avery's heart sank.Suddenly, he started walking toward Vicky."Tyler..." Avery wanted to catch up, but she saw Tyler suddenly stop.A flicker crossed Avery's brow, and she turned her head to look. Then, she spotted a tall, handsome man who appeared out of nowhere, pushing the reporters surrounding Vicky aside.The reporters were initially stunned, but when they had a clearer look at the newcomer's face, their eyes widene
The reporters only received information that Vicky and Tyler were in the same room, but no one knew what happened."Vicky sent me to my room and ran into Mister Hart, who had too much to drink at the time. Because of my connection with Mister Hart, she couldn't walk away. She asked him about it and realized he felt ill, so she helped him back to his room," Harvey continued.He glanced at Tyler and said, "Setting aside whether Vicky attempted to seduce Mister Hart, Mister Hart and his fiancee have been through so much and emerged as the strongest couple we've ever known. Why would a man like him cheat on his fiancee? If he was truly seduced by Vicky, that would mean he cheated. Wouldn't that make his engagement to Miss Yeager...a joke? If that is the case, Miss Yeager—known to be a prideful noble lady—could never stand by Mister Hart's side so calmly. I suppose she would've ended the engagement if Vicky and Mister Hart had slept together."All the reporters instantly turned their att
When Avery saw the marks on Vicky's neck, it was not difficult to figure out that Tyler must have left abruptly to see Vicky.The thought of that filled her heart with jealousy.She wanted to use this opportunity to destroy Vicky's reputation, but Harvey's unexpected appearance ruined her entire scheme."No. This can't go on!" she mumbled frantically to herself.There were bound to be flaws with hypnosis, and it was evident that Tyler still harbored feelings toward Vicky.She thought back to how Tyler refused to touch her ever since the video of her with another man was publicized at their wedding.'If that's the case...' She thought and narrowed her eyes viciously. 'If Vicky was to be seen sleeping with another man, Tyler would never touch that trash again!'At this moment, Avery desperately wished she could arrange a few beggars to capture Vicky, but she was well aware that the public could not be easily fooled.News of Vicky's affair with an ordinary man would carry low cred
As Aurora expected, Avery had another trick up her sleeve."Could you please prepare a bath for Vicky and help her clean up?" Harvey asked.Aurora looked at Harvey with conflicting emotions in her eyes, then nodded. "Alright."...Hot steam filled the bathroom, and Aurora gazed at Vicky, who sat silently in the bathtub.There were times when Aurora opened her mouth to say something, but she stopped as she was unsure of how to begin.Though Aurora was not there in person, Vicky's disheveled state indicated she had experienced something traumatic.Looking at the bruises and marks on Vicky's body, Aurora's resentment toward Tyler grew stronger."Vicky." Aurora hesitated before speaking, "Have you considered...giving Harvey a chance?" Her voice was gentle. "Harvey has a strong foundation in Stoneford City. Even Tyler won't easily be able to shake the foundation of the Sparks family. Harvey announced your engagement publicly, so maybe...you should consider giving him a chance."Vic
Meanwhile, in Tyler's office at Hart Corporation…"Tyler, you really intend to hand over all three of Hart Corporation's critical projects to Avery Corporation?" Orion sat on the couch, his disbelief evident."The contract has already been signed," Tyler said.Valencia's breath caught in her throat upon hearing this. "You've already signed the contract? Tyler, how could you be so naive?! The Yeagers' interest in these three joint projects is not so innocent! They want to control you and gain power over the Hart family!"Tyler's voice remained calm. "That won't happen. Avery isn't that type of person, I trust her.""She's already cheated on you, and you still trust her?!"Orion's heart ached as he looked at Tyler, and he spoke with frustration, "I urged you to break off the engagement, but you wouldn't listen. You kept saying you believed in her. Now, this venomous woman is scheming to manipulate our entire family!"Tyler furrowed his brow slightly. "Father, Avery is my fiancee.
"The culprit always seemed to be able to know my whereabouts every time I went somewhere. The probability of this being an inside job within our Hart family is quite high." Tyler looked at his parents with a small smile as he looked at them ominously. "Who could harbor such deep-seated hatred against me?""Tyler, you have become the enemy of a lot of members of our family by taking control of the Hart family's power. Many would want to get rid of you," Orion explained.Tyler leaned back. "According to my investigation, however, those who attempted to assassinate me did so under Lincoln's command."Valencia's gaze flickered for a moment before she said, "Someone is framing Lincoln! Their goal is to turn you two against each other, and they'd reap the benefits while you fight."Orion nodded in agreement. "Yes, that seems likely.""I haven't investigated this matter thoroughly yet. I'm not sure whether it's a setup for now." Tyler closed the file in front of him. "Before we learn the
Avery had checked Tyler's schedule and knew he would not be leaving the premises. If he was not in his office, he had to be in a meeting.Avery inputted her fingerprint and opened the door to his office, deciding to wait for Tyler's return.The ability to come and go from the Hart estate as well as Tyler's office felt empowering to her, and she prided herself on it.Yesterday, Avery had been restless ever since Harvey came to Vicky's rescue. For a man as intelligent as Tyler, he should have been able to deduce that those journalists were there at her bidding to humiliate Vicky. Moreover, Tyler had shown a genuine intention to rescue her when it happened at the time, which confirmed Avery's earlier belief that Tyler saw Vicky differently.Avery thought Tyler would question her about it afterward, but he did not. He had not even mentioned Vicky's name and proceeded to drop Avery off at home. He did not even show any trace of anger or suspicion.Avery gradually began to calm down a
Half an hour later, Tyler returned from his meeting.He set the documents in his hand down on the desk and glanced at the documents lying on the coffee table. He narrowed his eyes....Meanwhile, Harvey and Vicky discussed announcing their engagement, but the group chat was as lively as ever.[You two definitely took us by surprise! You literally skipped dating and went straight for engagement. Impressive!] Noah typed.Aurora retorted, [What do you know? Vicky and Harvey were engaged once, and that counts as dating. They've known each other for years, so it shouldn’t be an issue even if they get married right away.][When will the engagement party be?] Jennifer asked.Cece commented, [I agree that they can just get married right away.]Harvey read all the messages and replied, [We haven't started planning the wedding, so it's too rushed to get married now. We will get engaged first and get to the wedding part once everything is in place.][Vicky, I want to be your bridesmaid!]
[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