"Tyler Hart," Vicky enunciated, "unless you agree to the divorce, I'll never apologize."He chuckled darkly. "Vicky Shaw, do you really think that I can't do anything to you?""Why would I think that? You sent people to destroy my studio and injured Cece as a warning to me, right?"He sneered. "So, you'd rather see your studio destroyed and your assistant injured, and would rather be forced to stay in the hotel while everyone condemns you on the internet than apologize?"Vicky knew that as long as she caved, Tyler could resolve everything considering what he was capable of. However, she would rather tolerate all the contempt and be attacked by hysterical fans than admit to doing something she was never involved in."Yeah. I won't apologize.""Very well," he snarled. "Let's hope that you won't come running back to beg for mercy."He then hung up, leaving Vicky to stare at her phone blankly....A day and a night passed, but the rumors about Vicky had not ceased circulating.Si
"Director Lumber, there are surveillance cameras outside the room, and before Sheila changed into her costume, Maria Sparks was the only one who had been inside—"Director Lumber interrupted her. "Vicky, you've been in the costume room for most of the day as well. Whether it's you, Maria, or someone else... Regardless, we have no proof whatsoever."There could not be surveillance cameras inside the changing rooms, so how the outfit was destroyed would always remain a mystery."We'll continue to use the designs you produced for us, and you've been with us long enough that you should get some rest now. As for the payment..." he said thoughtfully before his phone started ringing.He answered the call, and soon, his expression darkened.After hanging up, he turned to Vicky apologetically. "Vicky, about the remaining payment..."She interrupted him. "Director Lumber, we've known each other long enough. You can cut to the chase."He sighed heavily. "Alright. I've discussed with Direct
Vicky was taken to the questioning room, and what Director Lumber said to Vicky earlier was right: Assumptions could not be viewed as evidence.At the moment, everyone suspected that she had done something to Sheila's outfit, but there was no evidence to support it.The questioning lasted until night, and since she had given no further information to help with the investigation, they released her.As she was walking out of the room, a young officer hurried over to the officer who was questioning her and whispered into his ear.The older officer muttered, "Are you sure?"The younger officer nodded.The older officer turned to look at Vicky. "Miss Shaw, a new witness has come forward, and we need to further investigate your involvement in this incident. My apologies, but I'm afraid you can't leave just yet."Vicky scowled. "Impossible."If there was any witness, the investigation would have never dragged on this long.She wanted someone to prove that she was innocent as well, bu
Vicky opened her mouth to explain but decided against it in the end. "Nothing. I'm just here to help with the investigation. I don't want to keep you away from what you're doing. I should go now."She turned to leave when Mister Kirby spoke again. "Is this because of what happened to Sheila Young?"She paused and turned around to look at the playful smirk on his face."It's been the talk of the town and I've overheard some details."She nodded, not wanting to say too much. "Yeah. I'm here because of that."Mister Kirby remained standing and started chatting with her."I've seen all the theories on the internet," he said casually with one hand in his pocket. "It's ridiculous to accuse you of murder over a piece of clothing. Let's put why Sheila didn't notice that her outfit was damaged until the moment she was in the water. If damages to clothing count as murder, all those sellers at flea markets should be called murderers as well."He shot her a smile and said, "If you are capab
Half an hour later, Mister Kirby completed all the necessary procedures to release Vicky on parole."Alright, let's go."She looked up at him and whispered, "Thank you."He glanced at the time. "What do you feel like eating? Let's have dinner.""It's fine. I—"He interrupted her. "Are you trying to tell me that you've eaten?"She looked away guiltily.Knowing that he was right judging from the look on her face, he said, "I've asked the officers, and you've been questioned in the station for the entire day.""What does that have to do with...whether I've eaten or not?""This isn't a hotel. They don't just give you what you want, so I assumed that you haven't eaten."Indeed, Vicky had not eaten much throughout the day. "How did you know that?"The look in his eyes darkened. Instead of answering, he started walking and said, "Let's go. I'm starving."She remained standing in place and watched as he walked away in confusion.'Am I just mistaken, or is he in a bad mood all of a
The reporters on the outer corner pressed closer toward Vicky, and she stumbled inside the center of the crowd as they stepped over her feet.She had been in a terrible state after being questioned for the entire day and was frustrated from being interrogated by the reporters. She tried to shove them aside, but they seemed to be as tough as a wall of steel."Miss Shaw, please answer my question!""Miss Shaw!""Miss Shaw—"Their voices echoed around her and someone shoved at her, causing her to fall to the ground. As she tried to get up, she accidentally hit a person next to her."Ah! She hit me! Vicky Shaw hit me!" Someone shouted, and the cameras instantly started flashing at her.No one attempted to help her up and simply swarmed toward her hysterically."Miss Shaw, how can you resort to violence?""Are you frustrated because your true face has been exposed?"Another round of confrontation followed as they all assumed Vicky had resorted to violence toward the reporter.The
The man's voice was so cold that it gave people the chills.All the people there looked in the direction where the voice came from.As the man stood under the moonlight, the glow shone on his facial features to create an illusion that his face looked frozen with ice. He looked at where Vicky and the others were. The color of his pupils was even more visible, just like the color and temperature of the deep ocean. His attractive lips were curled into a teasing, mocking smile.The reporters were stunned. "T—Tyler Hart…"At that time, the beautiful woman beside him said, "All the rumors on the internet are fabricated, so please leave Miss Shaw alone. The production team will host a press conference, and you're free to ask any questions during the press conference."This was when they realized Sheila was standing beside Tyler.Sheila was the main center of the incident. The reporters had tried to get an interview with her, but the security of the hospital Sheila was in was very tight.
Tyler grabbed Vicky's wrist tightly and turned to leave. When Vicky's feet landed on the ground, however, the pain from her sprained ankle became even more intolerable.All of a sudden, someone grabbed Vicky's other hand.Tyler stopped walking and looked back at Mister Kirby. Seeing his hand grabbing onto Vicky's other hand, he snarled, "Let go of her."Mister Kirby smiled as if he did not give a sh*t about what Tyler said. "I should be the one saying that."Tyler proudly stared back at him. "Do you think you have the right to say that?"Mister Kirby scoffed. "It's not up to you to say that. The most important thing is…what Vicky thinks."He averted his gaze from Tyler and stared at Vicky, saying softly, "Vicky, do you want to go with him?"Vicky glanced over at Sheila, who was standing not far away from them. 'They came out from this restaurant. I bet they were eating together, and Tyler must've taken the chance to tell Sheila I got locked up to please her.'She put on a strai
[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