Tyler was awake. Vicky silently thanked the darkness for concealing the panic in her expression.After a few moments of silence, she said, "I'm just thirsty and want to grab a glass of water."She heard a slight shuffle on the other side of the bed as Tyler got out of bed. "Stay still. I'll get you a glass of water."Since Tyler had woken up, Vicky gave up on going outside. "Okay."The lamp by the nightstand was turned on, and the room was instantly lit in its warm, yellow light.Tyler walked out of the bedroom and returned shortly after with a glass of water.The light was faint, and Tyler's shadow was reflected on the wall. Vicky, however, felt familiar with the sight as though she had seen it before.She frowned as she watched him approach with the glass of water."Here you go."Vicky did not have time to hold onto her thought and accepted the glass. "Thank you."Once she finished her water, the two went back to sleep....Time flew. It was already the second night of th
The only times Vicky would call the masked man were when he threatened her into doing so.'I guess it's not that strange. It's not like he has his voice changer on all day long, just waiting for me to call,' she thought. 'He could be busy or occupied.'She realized that this might be her way of finding the weakness of the man and went on to call two more times. Still, the man did not answer nor had he replied to her message.Soon, Tyler came over to look for her and saw Vicky staring at her phone thoughtfully. The look in his eyes darkened, and he walked over to her. "What are you looking at?"She put her phone away. "Nothing. Just got bored and started reading news articles.""We can head back now.""Okay."Once they returned to the hotel, Vicky headed for a shower. By the time she returned to the bedroom, she noticed an unread message was on her screen.She unlocked her phone and realized that the masked man finally replied.[Why are you contacting me all of a sudden?]Vick
Vicky panicked as though she was the one being caught cheating."You had a call and I heard your phone vibrating, so I was going to take it out and bring it over to you..."Vicky lowered his gaze to the phone in Vicky's hand, and his expression darkened.He snatched the phone from her hand and hissed darkly, "Who gave you the right to go through my things?""I..." Her heart sank at the sight of the frosty expression on his face.She wanted to argue, but she had indeed been trying to invade his privacy, so she could not argue with his accusation.Tyler glanced at the phone and turned around.Vicky watched him from behind and blurted out asking, "Who is that woman?"He stilled but did not turn around, so she could not see the look on his face.Tyler stood wordlessly, and tension began to rise in the air."Who exactly was the woman who called you just now?" Vicky repeated her question.Tyler finally turned around to look at her with a cold look in his eyes. "Vicky, don't you th
Tyler did not deny that he had another woman and simply implied that he had not been physically intimate with the woman.Perhaps it was because Vicky had not replied to the masked man's message that he called, and her phone started to vibrate.She simply rejected the call and replied to his message. [Alright.]Vicky's message was supposed to indicate her lack of interest in continuing the conversation, but she soon received another message.[Why did you keep calling me? Is there something urgent that you need from me?][No. I was just free and decided to send you a message.]The masked man seemed to be less occupied at night and replied again within a matter of seconds. [Why are you still awake? Isn't Tyler around?][He is busy with work.]Naturally, Vicky could not possibly tell the masked man that Tyler had gone to a separate room because of a woman whose name was not even stored on his phone.The fact that Tyler did not label the woman's contact with a name simply proved to
The setting sun tainted the sky with its golden-red color.Vicky had lost count of the times she checked the clock on the wall, as Tyler should be home by this time.In the past few days, though there were times when Tyler had a problem with her, he would always return home for dinner despite being extremely cold to her. However, he was half an hour late on this day.She did not know about the other woman in the past, but at this moment, she knew. She was hysterical and simply could not settle down.'Maybe he hasn't been physically involved with that woman yet, but who knows if he'll lose control someday?' she thought. 'It's human nature to be double-standard after all.'Unable to contain herself any longer, she made a call to Tyler.Beep. Beep. Beep.Sometime later, the call was answered, and the familiar, frosty voice came through the speaker. "What is it?"Vicky sighed a breath of relief as she was fearing that the call would be answered by a strange woman who proceeded to t
Vicky clenched her fists. "Are you...really busy lately?""Yeah.""Because of that business deal?""Is there something else you want to say?" he questioned impatiently."Well… When will you come home, then?""Depends," he said before hanging up.Her pale face and dazed eyes were reflected on the screen of the phone, and after taking just a few bites of food, Vicky headed upstairs.Instead of going to her study to work, she made another call. "Cece, do you know anyone who can track Tyler?"Cece was baffled by this question but did not ask any questions. "I'll ask around."Half an hour later, Vicky's phone rang.
"Vicky, I asked around. Mister Spark is the only one who said he can help."Tyler was practically the king of Stoneford City, and only a handful of people had the power to follow Tyler around.Even the press steered clear of Tyler's scandals without his permission, so one would need a certain level of influence to investigate anything about Tyler.Vicky had lost her memories and all her connections in the past were of no use to her, so she could only seek Cece's help to look for those who could assist her with the investigation.Vicky instantly knew that Cece was talking about Harvey, and she felt reluctant to seek Harvey's help, so she fell into silence.Cece knew Vicky well enough to know the reason for her silence and said, "Should I ask for Jennifer's help?""It's fine," Vicky said. "Jennifer doesn't know that many people in Stoneford City, and Anthony is desperate for a chance to make her his puppet... Don't tell her about this."Jennifer had always been a kind young woman
"It's not her." The woman in the photo popped into Vicky’s mind. "I suspect that it's the woman he's been truly in love with.""The woman he's been truly in love with?"Vicky smiled bitterly. "I used to think that he was in love with Sheila. I later found out that...Sheila was just a substitute for that woman."After a few moments of silence, Harvey asked, "What makes you say that?""I saw a photo in his study room. Besides," she bitterly continued, "he didn't agree to continue the marriage with me to advance his career. It's probably because I can play 'The Moonlight Bay'."The song was what Vicky, Sheila, and Nikki shared in common."'The Moonlight Bay'?" Harvey repeated in an odd tone.Vicky was sharp enough to pick up on it. "Do you know something about it?"Harvey used to be Vicky's fiance and had a grudge against Tyler, so it was likely that Harvey knew what happened in the past.He did not say anything."Mister Sparks, do you know something about this?" she repeated.
[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