'Was it all just a dream?' she thought. 'That's right. It must be.'She sat up and was about to go to the bathroom when she noticed something in the corner of her eye.She froze at the sight of a demon mask next to her bed and felt her blood run cold.Just then, her phone on the nightstand vibrated, and she unlocked it to find an unread message.[Are you coming to me tonight, or should I come to you?]All strength was instantly drained from her, and she started shivering.Since she had not replied to the message, the phone started ringing. She felt numb as she stared at the number on the screen.The call was automatically dropped sometime later, and the screen turned black.A few minutes later, the screen lit up again, but she had not answered any of the calls.She remained frozen in place and ignored the relentless ringing of her phone.She did not know how long had passed, but the phone eventually stopped ringing.Knock, knock!Just then, someone knocked on the door, and
"No." Vicky sniffled and added, "I've probably caught a cold.""Take care of yourself."Another tear dropped at Tyler's words. "Yeah. You too." Worried that she might not be able to contain her emotions, she said, "I'm about to go downstairs to eat, so let's end the call here..."Before she could hang up, Tyler called out to her, "Vicky.""Yes? What is it?""Are you really alright?""Of course," she said in the most cheerful manner she could manage. "I'm just tormented by a nightmare and haven't been able to sleep... Don't worry about me. I'll get better soon.""Okay."After breakfast, Vicky collected herself and went to visit Jennifer in the hospital.She felt dazed and did not know what she was thinking or what she should do.Everything was spinning out of control, and she had not expected the masked man to be mad enough to break into her house.Even if Tyler had been understanding, he would never tolerate her if he was told that she had been with someone else, and she wou
Vicky walked out of the hospital, but she wandered on the street instead of going home.Vicky used to feel secure at home, but it recently became suffocating to stay home as well.Honk!Hearing the honk of a car, she looked up to find a car racing toward her. She had been in her head the entire time and could not react in time, so it was too late to dodge.Screech!The car came to a sudden halt, and the people around gasped. The car was at too high a speed to stop immediately.Just when everyone thought that Vicky was about to be sent flying, someone pulled her backward abruptly, and the car raced by."Thank you." Vicky turned to look at the person who helped her.Harvey gazed down at her. "Vicky, what happened?"He had never seen her in such a terrible state before."I'm fine," she said. "I just haven’t been sleeping well."Harvey had known Vicky for long enough to spot her lie and said, "Vicky, you don't look like you're just suffering from the lack of sleep."She had not
Vicky, not knowing what happened in the past due to her amnesia, felt a strange feeling overtake her when she heard Harvey's words."You're saying that...you gave me to someone else and made me spend the night with that person?"Harvey lowered his voice. "Vicky, what happened back then isn't as simple as you think. You've forgotten everything, so whatever I say will sound like excuses." He looked at her bitterly and added, "Vicky, are you still in contact with that person?""Who?" She shot him a confused look."The person who's been helping you all this while.""Helping me?" She became more confused. "What are you talking about?"Harvey studied her expression, and his expression darkened when he realized she was not trying to deceive him. "Looks like he hasn't reached out to you since you lost your memories."Losing patience, Vicky demanded, "Harvey, what are you trying to say?"He flashed her a smirk. "Vicky, have you considered how you, the lady of the fallen Shaw family, man
Vicky frowned. "This is Stoneford City. As powerful as this mysterious person is, he can't possibly threaten Tyler, not to mention make him marry me."Harvey looked at her darkly. "What if he had leverage against Tyler?"She quieted down for a moment before saying, "Ever since I lost my memories, I haven't been in touch with this person you're talking about nor have I received any call or message from him..." Another thought occurred to her. "According to what you are saying, this person has something on Tyler, right? Why would Tyler try to divorce me on my birthday, then?"His eyes widened slightly. "He wanted to divorce you on your birthday?"Vicky nodded.He was instantly absorbed in his thoughts and fell silent for a good few seconds.As their coffee turned cold, tension rose between them."Vicky." Sometime later, he met her eyes once again. "There are things that I've said to you before you lost your memories, and you didn't believe me. You even thought that I was trying to
At the hospital.The doctor checked on Vicky and confirmed she was not hurt, but Harvey did not seem to believe it. "Doctor, the back of her hand is kind of red. Are you sure she's okay?""Sir, your wife is fine. The redness will fade after a while," the doctor said with resignation.Vicky frowned at how the doctor called her Harvey's 'wife' and immediately wanted to correct the doctor, but she felt like dignifying it with a denial was beneath her.Once Harvey confirmed that Vicky was unharmed, he let the doctor be and turned to look at Vicky. "Where are you going? I can give you a lift.""I'm going home to rest," she said. "I won't take any more of your time, Mister Sparks."Harvey was a sharp man and knew that this was Vicky's way of reminding him that it would be inappropriate for him to send her back to her house.He sighed and did not press on. "Very well. I'll walk you to the exit, then."Vicky did not refuse.…Once she was home, she collapsed on the couch and massaged
Alas, she had to do it because she refused to betray Tyler.10 minutes later, the man walked out of the bedroom. "The documents you brought are quite useful, Miss Shaw," he said emotionlessly.She sobered and held her breath as the man strolled toward her. His shadow loomed over her as he got closer, and tension rose in the room."You were smart enough to only edit the numbers on the contracts." He studied her thoughtfully as he lifted her chin. "Miss Shaw, do you take me for a fool?"'He found out,' she lamented internally and closed her eyes helplessly.This had been the best solution she could think of, yet he managed to see through it.She knew that arguing would not help her and thus opened her eyes. "How did you find out?"The look in his eyes darkened. "Don't you know that the prices stated on bidding contracts are announced to the public?""..."She did not know anything about business and could not possibly know about that. If the prices were indeed public knowledge,
"You know that I'm a man of my word."Vicky knew there was nothing she could do even if the masked man went back on his promise, but she did not want to give up when there was hope."I ran into a friend outside the hospital.""What kind of friend?""Just...casual friends."The man's interest was piqued. "Was it a guy?"She fell into silence and thought to herself, 'He's asking a question that he knows the answer to.'After a thoughtful moment, Vicky said, "Yeah. He's…my ex-fiance. I don't remember him, though. We just ran into each other by coincidence.""Your ex-fiance? Do you like him?""No. I don't think much of him."He seemed satisfied with her answer. "If you don't like him, stay away from men like him."His words sounded familiar as though she had heard them somewhere else.Before she could grasp onto the thought, the man added, "I don't want you to be close to any man."Disgust and disdain took her attention off her original thought, and she said, "I might not be a
[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