"Are you trying to tell me that you didn't dine and return to the same hotel at the same time, nor did he drink your alcohol on your behalf? You haven't bought him any piece of clothing, and you two weren't seen holding each other?"She narrowed her eyes. "We ran into each other inside the elevator and went to the first floor together for the buffet. You saw it as well. He drank my beer simply because he didn't want me to drink too much and hinder the progress of the filming. As for the clothing…" Vicky paused."I lost the jacket he lent me, and all I was trying to do was buy him a replacement. Charlie and I are just friends. I don't like owing others. That's the only reason why I bought him a jacket. That hug... He was simply shielding me from the attack of a hysterical fan of his. We parted ways from that point onward and have not seen each other since."The smoke rose and blurred Tyler's features as he narrowed his dark eyes.Vicky observed the man on the couch, not knowing if h
Vicky's eyes widened. 'Trash? Is he referring to me?'"Tyler, what can I do for you to spare Charlie?""I've already shown him mercy," he said coldly.She looked into his eyes. "I won't see him or contact him ever again."Tyler made no remarks on that, and she finally caved. "Fine. I'm begging you."He lifted an eyebrow. "'Fine'?"She bit onto her lower lip to the brink of drawing blood. "I'm begging you...please spare Charlie."He looked at her mockingly. "Vicky, do you really think that your plea is worthy of anything at all?"She paled and moved her lips to speak but was rendered speechless in the end.After a while, she finally moved and walked toward Tyler.She then proceeded to unbutton her shit, and Tyler scowled.He stood abruptly. "Vicky Shaw, what do you think you're doing?!"She smiled faintly. "You are right. My plea isn't worthy of anything, but I have nothing else I can trade with apart from myself," she whispered with a dazed look in her eyes.Tyler was a bu
"That's right."Vicky gritted her teeth and turned to leave.Instead of stopping her, Tyler made a call on his phone and said, "Give the command to make Charlie's case public. Keep updating any progress made in the investigation to the public—"Before he could finish, his phone was snatched out of his hand, and Vicky hung up the call before turning to glare at him in disbelief."Tyler Hart, are you not going to stop until you destroy this man?!"He took a sip of his wine. "Yes.""You lunatic!"He gazed up and looked at her with a half-smile on his face. "Are you sure you want to keep saying those things?"Sensing that it was a threat, her breath caught in her chest as she clenched her fists."It's getting late. I need to rest. You want to go, right? Give me back my phone and you may leave," he said.She held onto his phone with dear life and backed away, instinctively wanting to escape.It was not until she took a few steps away that she realized that running away with the p
Even until the elevator had started descending, the actresses remained dazed.After a while, one of the girls said, "I don't think she's here looking for Sheila.""I…don't think so either.""But then..."They turned and looked into each other's eyes in realization.There were only two presidential suites on the highest floor of the hotel, and if Vicky was not there to look for Sheila, she could only be there for one other person....A few days later, Vicky received a call from Charlie when she had gotten out of the shower and was about to rest."Vicky, I'm about to leave Zendonia."She remained quiet for a few moments and said, "It's not that bad to leave and start over somewhere new.""I heard from Jules that you've been helping me... Thank you."Vicky glanced outside the window and said, "Don't thank me. To be honest... I'm the reason why you had to go through all that. I'm sorry for making you leave.""Vicky, don't be sorry. I'm the one at fault here," he said gently an
"Miss Shaw, this is one of the actresses in the cast, Miss Maria Sparks. She had other schedules earlier on and couldn't join the filming until now."Based on the staff's attitude toward Maria, Vicky figured that Maria only managed to be cast because she brought in investors.Though Tyler was the movie's biggest investor, he was not the only one.It was not that Tyler could not afford it, as he could easily spend billions without batting an eyelash. However, the business and finance world have evolved and connections have become far more important than money itself.It would be best for everyone if no one tried to take over everything. Hence, there were also a few other investors supporting the movie apart from Tyler."Oh, my. Miss Vicky Shaw!" Maria was not at all surprised but exclaimed regardless.The staff looked back and forth between Vicky and Maria. "Miss Sparks, do you know Miss Shaw?""Of course." Maria smiled. "Miss Shaw was all over the news in recent days, so how cou
...That afternoon, Tyler, who had not been seen at the production site, appeared.As the movie's biggest investor, his appearance sparked chaos among the staff.Everyone stopped what they were doing to wait for Tyler to come, while Sheila stayed by Tyler's side during his entire visit."This is your first time here, right?" Sheila started pointing to different spots and introducing them to Tyler. "That's the room for tools, and that's the dressing room..."As they walked past the costumes room, Sheila stilled. "This is the room that stores costumes."Just then, Vicky stopped working to welcome Tyler like all the other staff.Recently, news that Vicky had lured Tyler into bed had spread within the production crew, and everyone judged her in silence.Since Tyler was visiting, the others started to look at Vicky with odd looks on their faces.It was the first time Tyler officially visited the production site. Before this, he had only been seen sharing dinner with Sheila, and the
By the time shooting ended, it was close to one in the morning.Since the scenes filmed that day were extremely important, Vicky followed the crew until the very end and had been so busy the entire time that she skipped dinner.Once the shooting ended, everyone started discussing where they were heading for supper.Maria spotted Vicky organizing the costumes and raised her voice. "Vicky, we're all going for supper! Come with us.""I'll pass. Enjoy yourselves," Vicky said.As Vicky walked away, the other actresses who were close to Maria came over and whispered to one another."She is just a wh*re who'd crawl onto whoever's bed given the chance. Who does she think she is?""Isn't that right? Maria is being nice by inviting her along, and she just said no... How dare she?""What a joke. So what if she managed to sleep with Mister Hart? She even tried to fall to capture his attention this afternoon, but Mister Hart didn't even look at her. It was hilarious!""I guess all her effo
Though the chances were slim, Vicky was still worried that they might run into Tyler because she did not want to ruin another person's life.She kept her eyes on the people around them and had not paid any attention to Edward, so she was startled by Edward suddenly grabbing her hand.Vicky instinctively wanted to shake his hand away. "Ed, you can just talk. Let me go."Edward stared at her alluring face and said, "Vicky, I've fallen for you ever since I saw you on the very first day. I know that the rumors about Charlie and Tyler Hart aren't real... Can you be my girlfriend?"Edward had been in show business for years and had seen his share of beautiful women. Back when he was famous, countless women had thrown themselves at him, so he had seen women more beautiful than Vicky. However, Vicky had an irresistible, unique charm.Vicky tried her best to withdraw her hand. "I'm sorry, Ed, but I only see you as my friend."Edward refused to let go and said passionately, "Vicky, I'm wil
[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