Lincoln never expected to end up sleeping with Avery instead.In response to Lincoln's silence, Mister Yeager said, "It's true that Avery drugged Lincoln, but no one forced him to enter the room. It would be unreasonable to blame everything on Avery. Avery is a young lady; it's not fair for her to lose her virtue and bear all responsibility. Old Mister Hart, you must give us something here."Also, words about what happened will soon spread. If Lincoln refuses to take responsibility, he'll be condemned as a womanizer. Not only will our company be affected, but the Harts will suffer as well. The best solution we have at the moment is for Avery and Lincoln to get married. That way, we can all salvage our reputation."Old Mister Hart nodded. "Indeed. That's the only option for now." He turned to Lincoln. "Lincoln, what do you think?"Lincoln pursed his lips and agreed reluctantly, "Fine.""No, I won't agree to this! I won't marry you! I want to marry Tyler!" Avery screamed. She turned
Vicky knew that this spectacle would not be resolved quickly, nor would it be easily resolved. Not too long ago, she had seen a few reporters rushing to the scene from her window.Even though she was not clear about the specifics and did not know how the Hart family and the Yeager family resolved the matter, one thing was clear to her: Avery would never marry Tyler again.Even if Tyler wanted Avery, the Harts and the Yeagers would disagree with it. After all, aristocratic families valued their reputation. Forcing Avery into a marriage with Tyler would merely destroy both families' reputations.As expected, Avery and Lincoln held a joint press conference and announced their engagement just a few days later.Avery became the center of attention in all countries.No one believed her words at the announcement. They even speculated online that she might appear in yet another inappropriate film soon with another man.Vicky had thought the same. However, when Avery publicly displayed he
"Are you coming or not?"Vicky recalled how Tyler insisted that she slept at ten the last time, stopping her from completing her work.Vicky resented the feeling of being controlled.Not wanting to argue with Tyler in front of her friends, she hung up without another word.A few moments later, her phone rang again, and she turned it off immediately.Afterward, she found Noah and Aurora staring at her."Vicky, have you...gotten back together with him?" Aurora asked gingerly.Vicky raised an eyebrow. "No.""But...that was Tyler calling, right?""Yeah."Aurora and Noah exchanged glances before Aurora asked, "Are you living with him now?"After a moment of silence, Vicky said, "Sort of."One could say that they were living together. Tyler had been away on business, and Vicky had chosen not to return to the villa. Staying there only made her feel uneasy and restrained. After all, their relationship was no longer what it had been four years ago.Aurora hesitated for a moment and
Noah dared not to take up any more of Vicky's time and swiftly settled the bill after finishing his food. Aurora was deeply impressed by how quickly he managed to eat.Vicky lost her appetite after answering Tyler's call.…Upon returning home, she saw Tyler's leather shoes on the shoe rack. She changed into her slippers and went upstairs.The bedroom door was not fully closed, and she noted the lights in the room were switched on.She stepped into the bedroom and found Tyler standing by the window in a bathrobe, holding a wine glass.The scent of wine filled the air.She glanced at the table on the side and spotted a bottle of wine that was half-finished.For some reason, Vicky felt like she was suffocating."When did you come back?" she asked.He did not turn around, but his indifferent voice reached her ears. "Come here."Sensing that he was in a bad mood, Vicky walked over as instructed.Tyler handed her an empty wine glass. She took it, picked up the bottle of red wine
Vicky was not lying. If she were to give up her business here, she could wrap things up within three months—and that was being generous. After all, she was the owner, not an ordinary employee. Whether she decided to sell the studio or find a partner, it would be a tedious process.Given Tyler's ability and experience, she expected him to understand."Three months..." he repeated, before asking, "Is three months enough?""It should be," Vicky replied."I thought you might need more time."Vicky found his words strangely cryptic and did not have time to think them over before he continued, "Well, it's better this way. That way, you can leave everything behind."Tyler was oddly reasonable, which confused her. She mustered a faint smile and said, "It's getting late. I should rest... I'll take a shower first."Vicky was just about to leave when he suddenly grabbed her wrist."Not so soon," he said and pressed her against the window, before lowering his head to kiss her.It had been
Tyler took a drag from his cigarette and responded with a nonchalant hum.Although Vicky witnessed the whole incident, she was not entirely clear on what had happened.She picked up a wine glass and handed it to him, asking, "What's the deal with Avery and Lincoln?"Taking the glass from her, Tyler's voice remained emotionless. "It's exactly what you saw."'He might as well not answer my question,' she thought.She raised her own glass, lightly clinking it against his. After taking a sip of wine, she continued, "What I mean is...she's always been infatuated with you. Why would she sleep with Lincoln?"Vicky carefully considered the events of that day, and the more she thought about it, the stranger it seemed. Even if Avery was desperate, she could have chosen to sleep around on another occasion instead of Mister Hart's birthday banquet, especially when Tyler was present as well.Most importantly, Avery got caught in the act.Tyler extinguished his cigarette and responded with c
Vicky suddenly realized she was wrong, and there was a winner in this situation.Though Tyler was the head of the Hart family, Lincoln still held a certain level of power. After what happened, however, the family members who supported Lincoln were likely to lose faith in him.Vicky had been suspicious about how the event unfolded, and the fact that Tyler was likely pulling the strings sent chills down her spine.Sensing the way she trembled, Tyler lowered his gaze at her. "What's wrong?""I guess I'm a bit cold after getting out of the shower..."He held her closer and moved the wine glass closer to her lips. "You won't be cold if you drink."Vicky took a distracted sip of her drink before realizing that Tyler had been gazing at her intensely."Why aren't you drinking?" Vicky attempted to remain composed. "I'm here today to drink with you..."Tyler glanced at her with a hint of meaning. "You need to feed it to me.""..."Vicky understood what he meant almost instantly. She fe
This was the other reason why Vicky decided to get Tyler drunk; she wanted to know if Tyler remembered the past. She would never dare to ask such a thing under normal circumstances.Tyler was a sharp man. If she confronted him, he might pick up on her intention.Tyler seemed distracted under the influence of alcohol and took some time to focus on Vicky. "What?""Have you remembered anything?" Vicky repeated."Remember what?"Feeling resigned, she elaborated, "Do you remember the past?""The past?" Tyler frowned and contemplated. "Have I forgotten anything?"His confusion seemed real, and Vicky could not tell if she was relieved or disappointed.She did not press on and helped him to the bed in the bedroom.Like Noah, she had been doubtful as to whether Tyler remembered the past. However, Tyler acted as though he did not remember her, and it seemed odd for him not to question her if he remembered something.Vicky simply could not figure him out for the life of her.After help