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
Tyler's question caught Adam off-guard. He hesitated, unsure of how to explain. "It's because...""Because our relationship wasn't that great back then," Vicky chimed in. "We didn't meet often, and maybe Adam has forgotten about me. As for me, I... I didn't have much to say to Adam."Tyler looked at Vicky. "Why didn't you get along?"Vicky smiled and replied, "Well, it's because Adam always reminded me not to have any unrealistic fantasies about you."Tyler studied her for a moment, seemingly believing her explanation, and did not press the matter further.Due to a long day of travel and Tyler's scheduled appointments for the next day, he did not do anything to Vicky that night, and they went to bed early....The next day, Tyler woke Vicky up very early."Get up and get ready." Tyler was already dressed perfectly.Vicky checked the time and found that it was only half past five.Lately, she had been quite the sleepyhead. Normally, she could get by with seven to eight hours o
The men in the room had found a new target for their flattery and were all unreasonably friendly toward Vicky.Vicky could only respond with polite smiles toward their kind words and fawning smiles.The morning passed by slowly as the content of the business discussions was dry and uninteresting.Vicky, who had no background in this field, found these corporate negotiations torturous.She was there to accompany Tyler, so she could not do anything else and endured the morning.Many people came to invite Tyler to dine with them for lunch. It was supposed to be a simple meal for the day, but these people were pulling out all the stops."Mister Hart, I've heard that you really enjoy Mexican cuisine! My new Mexican restaurant recently opened. Would you like to give it a try?""Mister Hart, why not come to my place? We have a top-notch chef from Zendonia, and the food is exceptional.""Mister Hart, my restaurant in Yudonia is quite unique. It's incredibly popular, especially among wo
Mister and Missus Wade, who appeared to be in their early forties, were fluent in multiple languages."Mister Hart is quite thoughtful," Missus Wade remarked upon overhearing Vicky and Tyler's conversation.Vicky smiled politely in response but did not say much.The restaurant's ambiance was pleasant, and the food was exceptional.Since they were here, they had to try the restaurant's specialty dishes. Each specialty dish was served individually to keep up the pleasant atmosphere.As the dishes arrived, the group engaged in casual conversation while enjoying their meal. The restaurant lived up to its reputation, and every dish was delicious.Vicky spotted a vegetable dish with a texture she liked but did not have it on her plate.Suddenly, Tyler placed a portion of it on her plate, and she turned to shoot him a puzzled look."Eat more. If you eat so little at every meal, it would look like I'm mistreating you," he said.Vicky hesitated for a moment and grew slightly uneasy, bu
As expected of someone who managed to invite Tyler to lunch, Mister Wade certainly had a way with words. His comments were reassuring and made Vicky feel comfortable.It was common knowledge that Avery had once been Tyler's fiance, yet Mister Wade told Vicky that she was the first woman he brought with him to emphasize her importance.Missus Wade chimed in, “That's right. I've never seen Tyler serve anyone food before. He paid constant attention to you during the meal, too. All he sees is you."Vicky smiled politely and remained silent.After lunch, everyone returned to the meeting. Just before entering, Vicky tugged at Tyler's sleeve."Do I have to attend the afternoon meeting? I don't really understand much about business, and I might get bored..."Tyler gazed down at her, his eyes serious. "Feeling bored?"Vicky hesitated for a few seconds but eventually nodded.Tyler said nothing at first. Just as Vicky thought he might not agree, he turned to Mister Wade."Mister Wade, do
"Yes, but your face was blurred in the photos. Other than those who know you, no one should know who you are," Aurora added. "However, because of Avery's various cheating scandals, everyone is quite supportive of Tyler having a new girlfriend. They don't want a handsome, influential guy like him to be ruined by someone like Avery."Vicky held her phone in silence.Tyler's change in attitude toward her had been evident. He no longer ordered her around, and he stopped pushing her into anything she did not want to do.When he said he was taking her out to have fun, he was genuinely focused on making sure she enjoyed herself.Sometimes, Vicky could not help but feel like she was developing Stockholm Syndrome and felt uncomfortable at the slightest display of kindness from Tyler."Vicky, if... I mean if..." Aurora's voice came through the phone again. "If Tyler still likes you and wants to be with you, would you be willing to be with him again?"Vicky held the phone tighter. "I don't
The fashion exhibition was organized by one of Tyler's partners.They had not expected Tyler to be interested in a fashion exhibition, and the suggestion was made merely as an attempt to make conversation with him.To their bewilderment, Tyler agreed after just a few moments of consideration.Vicky knew that Tyler's interest in such things was quite limited and that he agreed to attend the exhibition mainly because of her."Ms. Shaw." A young woman with golden hair and blue eyes approached.Vicky turned and greeted her with a smile. "Miss Penson."Helen Penson's blue eyes were fixed on Vicky as she warmly said, "I've heard of the name of your studio for a while now, and I've always wanted a chance to exchange ideas with you. I didn't expect to meet you here."Helen was also one of the organizers of this exhibition, and after a brief introduction, she mentioned that she had heard of Vicky's name before.Vicky looked at the splendid array of wedding dresses around her. "Your desi
Helen planned to expand into the Eastern market and said, "I'd like you to try it on, Ms. Shaw. If it suits you well, I'd like your help to gain publicity." To avoid any misunderstandings, she added, "If you don't like being filmed, we can just post a few photos on social media."As fellow designers in the industry, Vicky could not bring herself to refuse her sincere request."Alright. I'll give it a try, then."Helen was delighted. "I'll help you into the dress."Vicky looked at Tyler. "I'll go try the dress on now, then."Tyler nodded gently. "Sure."...In the dressing room.It took them half an hour to put on the wedding dress. It was then Helen noticed the necklace around Vicky's neck, and her eyes widened."Oh? Is this the legendary 'First Love' necklace?"Vicky looked at the necklace around her neck. "You know about it?""Of course!" Helen exclaimed. "This necklace is considered the true embodiment of love. Even before it appeared in the public eye, it was tagged with
[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