"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
After finishing that sentence, Tyler closed his eyes and fell silent.Vicky waited for a moment. Once she was certain Tyler was asleep before wiping the sweat from her forehead.She felt fortunate that she had asked these questions when he was drunk, or she would have invited his suspicions.The next day, when Vicky came downstairs, she found Tyler sitting in the living room reading a newspaper.He spotted her and instructed a servant, "Bring breakfast."Tyler did not ask about the events of the previous night, nor did he mention the topics they discussed as if he had forgotten.During breakfast, the two of them did not engage in much of a conversation. It was not until they finished eating that Tyler suddenly spoke. "Pack your bags. We're going to Yudonia this afternoon."Vicky looked at him and asked, "Are you going on another business trip?""Sort of," he replied.Vicky was not quite sure what he meant by 'sort of', but she did not press further as she did not intend to acc
Vicky fell silent before saying, "No."Cece seemed to understand what she was trying to say and did not press further. "Vicky, enjoy yourself, and leave the work to us.""Alright, feel free to call me if anything comes up."Not long after hanging up, Tyler came to her door.Vicky walked out of the room with her suitcase....The plane touched down at the Yudonia airport just as night came. There was a time difference between Zendonia and Yudonia, and at this moment, it was already late at night in Yudonia.After disembarking, Adam drove them to a luxurious six-star hotel where they would be staying.Adam greeted her without any hint of surprise or familiarity, maintaining a respectful and formal distance.Vicky, too, pretended not to know Adam at all.The scenery outside the window rushed by as they drove. The streetlights cast scattered patterns on the ground.Vicky gazed at the cityscape outside.In recent years, she had traveled frequently, but it had always been for wor
[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