Vicky walked out with her head low, looking paler than before her bath. She even forgot to dry her hair, so water was dripping from her whole head.Tyler walked over. "What took you so long?"She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she did not notice him until she heard his voice.Startled, she paled even further."W—What?" Her eyes darted around in panic.He studied the look on her face and asked, "Why are you so pale? Are you feeling unwell?"He reached out to test her temperature, but she instinctively moved away from his touch. He froze.Not daring to meet his eyes, she muttered, "I'm fine. I guess...I'm just too tired and need some rest."He withdrew his hand. "You've been in Lovian for over a week and have been in the place for the entire day. It's normal for you to be tired." He glanced at her and said, "Your hair is still wet. I'll get the hair dryer. Dry your hair before going to sleep."Before Vicky had the chance to stop him, Tyler had gone into the bathroom and re
Click!The crisp, familiar sound of a light switch being flipped echoed in the night.Before the light was turned off, she felt as though she was suffocating from the familiar sight, but she realized that her panic worsened when the light was off.Tyler did not notice her reaction and went to bed before pulling her into his arms.She jolted and started to struggle. Tyler, who did not expect her to react this way, was shoved away."What's wrong?" his emotionless voice echoed in the air.She tried to comb through her thoughts and said, "I'm sorry, but I'm…a bit afraid of the dark."It was hardly a good excuse as a companion should ease one's fear of the darkness.Tyler stayed quiet for a while, and she took the opportunity to regain her composure."Tyler, I—"Before Vicky could explain what had happened, he interrupted her and said, "I'm sorry, Vicky."She froze, baffled as to why he would apologize when it was all her fault.His voice echoed in the dark. "I didn't believe yo
"Why is your body so cold?" When Tyler noticed that Vicky was shivering, he held onto her even tighter."What if..." she whispered. "What if I wasn't kidnapped by your enemy?""Who else would do it?" He planted a kiss on her forehead and said gently, "Vicky, I know that you've suffered for the past few days. This won't happen again, but...""But what?""You need to let me know where you're going next time you're leaving, or I won't be able to find you."One horrifying experience had been more than Vicky could take, so she whispered, "I know. I won't wander off again."It was a dangerous world out there, and she would still be resenting Tyler for locking her inside a hotel room in Arrowtown had she not spent a week in Forever Night. In comparison, Tyler never truly imprisoned her.He was her husband, and despite all the conflicts they had, he would never leave her to die.Tyler lowered his gaze, his eyes glittering in the dark. "Do you still want a divorce?"After a few moments
Tyler pulled her closer when he spotted the insecure look on Vicky's face. "It's alright now."Vicky slowly calmed down under his consolation.The lights inside the room were warm, and so was his expression.Vicky's heart settled, and she whispered, "I'm okay. Thank you.""We're married. I'm just doing my duty," he said.His temperature slowly melted her anxiety, and it was unlike anything she ever experienced before.'Is this what it means to feel safe?' she thought....When she woke up the next morning, she was still dazed about what happened. The curtains fluttered slightly in the breeze, and the sunlight shone into the room.Vicky sat up in the bed and glanced around to find that Tyler was gone.She got out of bed and opened the curtains when she heard the door opening and a familiar voice following a second later."Awake?"She turned around, feeling slightly shocked. "Why aren't you at work?"She knew better than anyone about how busy Tyler was with work.He was dre
Vicky could have chosen to hide the torment she had gone through.Forever Night had not told Tyler the truth, and Tyler misunderstood that it was his enemy who kidnapped her, so no one would know unless she said otherwise. However, she could not stand the deception and lies that were crushing her conscience."Believe it or not, I wasn't..." she mumbled. "Tyler, this isn't about your enemies... I brought this on myself... If you want a divorce..."Her speech was ruffled and so were her thoughts, so she had no clue what she was saying.Before she could finish, Tyler held her close, and her eyes widened in shock. He wrapped his arms around her so tightly that she could feel her bones whining."I'm sorry," he said hoarsely into her ear. "You wouldn't have gone through all that had it not been for me."She froze."It's my fault that you want to run from me and get a divorce." His voice was thick with suppressed emotions."Tyler, it's not like that. The truth is—"Before she could f
With Tyler's companion, Vicky's emotion soon stabilized, and she was no longer so terrified of darkness.However, due to the week-long imprisonment she endured, she could not stand to be alone and became rather clingy, but Tyler had not shown any annoyance toward it.He eventually needed to return to the office and could not stay home with her all the time, so he took her to the office with him out of concern that she might have a mental breakdown if she was left alone at home.It was not the first time she went to Hart Corporation with Tyler, but it was the first time she sat by Tyler even during business meetings.It was not that she was that desperate for companionship to the point that she could not be alone for a second. She planned on reading a book in his office while he went for the meeting, but Tyler seemed to be worried and insisted that she come along.Inside the meeting room, the managers and the shareholders traded knowing glances when they saw Vicky next to Tyler, bu
Harry nodded and handed out the documents to all the shareholders."Mills Group have been wanting to work with Auran, and when they realized there isn't a chance they'll get the deal, they started scheming."Tyler scanned the faces before him and paused when his gaze landed on Vicky.The others were instantly absorbed in the discussion as they read the documents in their hands."So Mills Group is the one attacking our network?""How dare they declare war against us?!""Ha! Are they so poor that they can't even hire a proper hacker? That hacker didn't even get past the first layer of our firewall.""Had Mister not gone to Auran, Auran would've worked with Mills Group instead...""It's just competition, and they should've settled it with dignity instead of playing dirty tricks behind our backs... Mills Group is reaching its end.""I've met Sebastian Mills a couple of times before. He looks like a gentleman on the outside, but who would've guessed that he's that ruthless deep dow
Vicky looked up and looked away when she met his eyes. "... I'm fine."Tyler narrowed his eyes but did not pressure her into answering. "Let's get lunch.""Sure."They had lunch in Tyler's office, and since Vicky could not bring herself to go outside, she tried her best to stay indoors.In the afternoon, there were no other meetings, and Tyler stayed in his office to work.He was occupied, and Harry and Adam would keep coming in and out with documents for him to sign or to report updates about the company.Vicky's mind drifted for the entire afternoon and did not catch on when Tyler called out to her until he walked toward her."What's wrong? Is something bothering you?"Her lashes fluttered, but she could not bring herself to look into his eyes.If everything discussed during the meeting was true, it was likely that Sebastian was behind her kidnapping."Tyler, you still haven't told me how you got me out of Forever Night."Tyler sat down next to her and leaned backward lazi
[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