Noah silently stared at Aurora thoughtfully.Feeling chills down her spine, Aurora questioned, "Hey, why are you looking at me like that?"Noah thought for a moment and said, "Your parents want you to get married, and I share that same predicament. Since we're already in a scandal, why don't we...work together?"Aurora stared at him warily. "What...do you mean by that?""I mean, our families are of equal status. Neither of our parents wants us to marry just anyone, so why don't we just pretend like we're together? That way, you won't have to go home, and I can keep doing what I like!"The more Noah elaborated, the more convinced he was sure his plan could work. "You can go back to filming movies, and I can keep my cats... Once the time is right, we can dissolve the engagement. Isn't that perfect?"Aurora hesitated.She still wanted to be an actress and did not want to get married so soon. After knowing Noah for years, they knew each other well, and his proposal seemed workable.
Harvey felt as though he was being strangled.Tyler observed the dark look on Harvey's face and calmly continued insulting him. "Vicky sacrifices herself to save you, so I guess her feelings for you are genuine. You should be happy about that, Mister Sparks."Harvey sneered. "I'm amazed that you look proud of yourself, Tyler Hart, despite having used despicable means to force yourself on Vicky."Tyler was not at all provoked. "This is merely the jungle's rule.""But Vicky doesn’t even want to be with you!""Harvey Sparks, you seem to be mistaken." He stared down at Harvey expressionlessly. "I want a woman, not to marry her or to treat her like a princess. After all, who cares what a toy or a pet feels?"Harvey and Vicky, who already knew what Tyler thought of her, both felt extremely humiliated."Tyler, you *sshole!" Harvey finally lost his temper.Vicky, whom he treasured, was humiliated and defiled, yet Tyler dared to insult her so indifferently!Harvey's fury reached its pe
Vicky and Harvey knew that their chances of meeting again would be scarce from this point onward.Vicky swiftly left the hospital room.A chill breeze swept through the doorway, leaving the ward feeling cold and empty....Seated in Tyler's car, Vicky silently stared out at the passing scenery through the window.Just then, Tyler's voice interrupted Vicky's thoughts. "Go back to your apartment and pack your belongings."Vicky's mind was elsewhere, and she did not quite hear what Tyler said. "What?"Tyler's gaze darkened, his tone chilly. "Pack your essentials. Move them to the mansion.""There's no need for all that trouble," Vicky replied with a nonchalant expression. "I can just buy new ones.""Not everything can be replaced." Tyler's tone brooked no argument. "First, pack up the basics. Tomorrow, I'll arrange for someone to move your belongings.""Move?" Vicky's brow furrowed. "Why would I need to move my belongings?""That will be your new residence.""I'll be staying t
Vicky had been worried sick about Harvey and was exhausted from having to deal with Tyler's insatiable needs.Indeed, her mood worsened after seeing Harvey.Tyler stared at Vicky intently and said, "If that's the case...we won't do it as many times."She foolishly assumed Tyler would let her rest but was utterly disappointed after hearing what he had to say.Before she could say anything, he lowered his head and kissed her....The abrupt ringing of a phone shattered the passionate moment.In the haze, Vicky heard Tyler's voice echoing in the room."Avery."On the other end of the line came the displeased voice of a woman. "Tyler, what have you been busy with these days? Why haven't you contacted me at all?""Is something wrong?"There was a pause on the other side, and the voice turned even more disgruntled. "Is it too much to ask for a call when there's nothing wrong?""No." Tyler's tone was casual. "I thought something tricky came up.""Not really. It's just been a whil
However, Vicky could not be bothered to think much of it at this point.Tyler was a terrible human being, and she was foolish for taking care of him. Had she not done so, she would not have suffered such a fate.She sat still in bed for a while before getting up to shower.Bruises and marks littered her skin. It was almost as though Tyler was trying to make up for the years they were apart....By the time she stepped out of the shower and headed downstairs to eat, the sky had turned dark.The servant spotted her and said respectfully, "Ms. Shaw, dinner is ready."She nodded. "Thank you."The servant smiled. "You're welcome."After the servant left, Vicky sat alone in the dining room to eat.The servant was recently hired and was clearly taken aback when she first saw Vicky and Tyler.The news about Tyler and Avery caused quite a commotion; everyone knew about it. Tyler's carefully crafted image of a loyal man in public had always been a topic of conversation. However, all t
Although Avery understood Tyler's personality, the fact that he did not ask more left her disappointed.Ever since the annulment of their engagement, Avery grew increasingly uneasy. Despite having numerous means at her disposal to manipulate Tyler, she still felt restless.Avery mulled over her thoughts and eventually attributed this unease to the fact she had never been intimate with Tyler.The thought that Vicky slept with Tyler filled Avery with jealousy. However, she was the one who cheated first, and she dared not to confront Tyler.It seemed things were spiraling in an unfavorable direction, and Avery made up her mind that she could not wait any longer. She had to secure Tyler with whatever means necessary.Raising her glass, Avery softly said, "A toast to you, Tyler."Tyler lifted his glass and lightly clinked it with hers.As he drank, a glint of determination flashed in Avery's eyes.In the dimly lit room, Tyler's face seemed even more radiant. Avery's gaze was fixed o
Tyler was gone by the time Avery woke up the next day. She gave herself a few seconds to feel disappointed before picking up her phone and dialing the number she memorized by heart. The phone beeped three times before Tyler picked up."Hey, Avery," greeted Tyler coldly, chilling her to the heart. How he treated her today was far different than how he treated her last night! She could not help but feel hot and bothered by the contrast."Where are you?" she asked softly."In my office," replied Tyler in the same cold tone. "Something happened in the company, so I need to handle it."As upset as she was about Tyler leaving for work without letting her know, she told herself that she should be grateful that they made some progress in their relationship last night."Alright. I won't keep you, then. By the way, are you free tonight? Do you want to have dinner together?"After a brief silence, Tyler answered, "Sorry. I don't have the time to spare.""That's okay. Bye, then," said Avery
Vicky nodded.Cece looked at her and said in a low voice, "Vicky, Avery is here too.""Avery?" repeated Vicky, surprised."Yes. She arrived not long ago. She says she wants to see you and won't leave no matter how many times I tell her you're not here. She said she'll wait until you come."After thinking it over, Vicky said, "Show me to her."…Avery sat gracefully and played with her manicured nails in the meeting room.Vicky pushed open the door and walked over to her. She looked at Avery, who smiled smugly at her the moment she walked in."Miss Avery, I heard you were looking for me. How can I help you?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.She wondered why Avery did not just call her if she wanted to talk to her. After all, it was more convenient than making the effort to come to her studio."I heard your business is booming, so I thought I'd see for myself," said Avery languidly. She glanced at Vicky before continuing, "You don't mind, do you, Miss Vicky?""Forgive me, but
[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