Vicky obviously knew what Tyler was referring to as a kiss.After a few moments of hesitation, she kissed him once again, only this time, it was no longer a peck but a passionate kiss.Just as she was about to end it, he grabbed her by the back of her neck and pulled her toward him, causing her to fall onto his lap."B*stard, let her go!" The man on the ground struggled in rage.Not only did the other man not let her go, but he even deepened the kiss so eagerly that even his bodyguards looked away from the sight.Vicky instinctively tried to shove the man away at the sound of the other man shouting, and the suffocating kiss finally ended.She opened her eyes and found herself gazing upon a pair of dark, pensive eyes while the man studied her with a faint sneer and cold expression. "It looks like you really want me to break his legs."She halted and said, "I don't mean that. There are just too many people around, and I'm a little uncomfortable. D—Don't misunderstand."The look i
Vicky screamed and opened her eyes abruptly.The man sleeping next to her was woken up by her scream and sat up to turn on the light.The warm light chased away the darkness, and his silky voice echoed in the room. "Bad dreams?" He pulled her into his arms and reassured her, "It's fine now."She turned around blankly, and the fear in her eyes intensified when she saw his face.Part of his face was concealed by the darkness, as dark as the soul hidden beneath his skin that preyed on anyone who was drawn closer by his alluring appearance.Overwhelmed by terror, she shoved him away. "Don't touch me!"He scowled in displeasure but suppressed his emotions, considering she had just had a nightmare. He shot her a pointed look and said, "I will get you a glass of water."With that, he walked out of the room.As Tyler left, Vicky's racing heart settled down, and she realized that what she saw was only a dream.What one thought of during the day tended to haunt them at night, and she re
Vicky's heart sank.At that moment, she finally realized the reason Tyler did what he had done to her in Forever Night and pretended to be another man to terrorize her in Stoneford City.It was not retaliation, because a man like Tyler would not waste his time on something so childish.He understood that he could not lie to her about his identity forever, and before she inevitably found out, he decided to make sure that she feared him.Indeed, fear commanded submission, and she surrendered her body and soul to him out of fear.She looked down. "Turn off the lights. I want to sleep.""Sure." He turned off the lights and pulled her back into his arms before drifting back to sleep....The next day, Vicky got out of bed to wash up after waiting for Tyler to leave.Once she finished breakfast, she made a call to Missus Mills. "Missus Mills, where is Sebastian? Can I meet with him?"Missus Mills was slightly shocked to receive a call from Vicky all of a sudden, because Vicky did n
Missus Mills frowned at the way Sebastian fawned over Vicky, but since she needed Vicky's help, she simply picked up a fruit basket and went to wash the fruit.Once she was gone, Vicky said, "Sebastian, I'm sorry. I misunderstood you."Tyler was an extremely calculative man, and under his scheme, she was misled to think that Sebastian was the one who put her in the position. It was not until she found out the truth that she realized everything had been nothing but an enormous scam that Tyler made Sebastian his scapegoat.Sebastian was slightly surprised by her words. "Vicky, w—why did you...""I found out." An apologetic look emerged on her face. "I've wrongfully accused you of something you didn't do."Sebastian did not seem to hold a grudge against her and consoled her instead, "Even I get tricked when I'm facing a man like Tyler, so it's normal for you to fall for it when you don't have any insight into what happened."Sebastian stared at Vicky hesitantly and she said, "Sebast
Sebastian shook his head. "It dawned on me that I overreacted after I got my bearings, so I tried to contact Alex again, but I couldn't find him. I asked his family, but they said Alex had been out of it after his legs were broken, and he never cared about other people."One day, he left a letter and left his family. He asked his family and friends not to worry about him because he only wanted some time to be alone. After that…I can't get my hands on any of his news."Vicky heard that and her eyes started to waver. She thought the dream she had last night happened because of the shocking truth she discovered. From the looks of it, it was more than what she thought.By then, Missus Mills came out with a bowl of washed fruits."Missus Hart." She gave Sebastian a warning look before smiling at Vicky. "Please have some fruits."Ever since Vicky was here, she had been calling Vicky 'Missus Hart'. It was an act of means to remind Vicky and also Sebastian of their situation.Vicky looke
Vicky frowned. "Was there a misunderstanding?"At that time, Tyler did not like her. Instead, he should be hating her. It was hardly unlikely he was the one who did that to Sebastian.Missus Mills sneered, "There was no misunderstanding; he admitted it himself. Not long later, you two got married."She continued, "Tyler is too powerful, and we can't defeat him. We can only hide from him. After Sebastian was cured, I sent him away. Not long later, he returned, as you can see, yet history seems to have repeated itself. Is there anything wrong with me suspecting it was Tyler's doing?"Vicky was speechless.Sebastian looked depressed after being reminded of the awful past.After a while, Vicky was the one who broke the silence. "I understand."She stood up and bowed respectfully at Missus Mills. "I'm truly sorry for causing so much trouble to Sebastian and your family. I'll do something about it."Obviously, Missus Mills did not dare to act nobly especially since she was asking a f
Tyler raised an eyebrow. "Followed you?"Vicky tried to calm herself and, with as much self-control as possible, spoke, "Tyler, you found and brought me back when I left Zendonia. It's not going to be easy for me to run away now that I'm here. Can you please give me some personal space?"Tyler's face was expressionless. "You were able to escape because I gave you too much 'personal space'. Do you think I'd make the same mistake twice?"Vicky sneered inwardly. 'I was able to escape, he said? He let me escape and planned everything that happened next. He even found a person to take the blame. It's funny that he can stand there and be calm to say that I was able to escape. How hilarious!' she mused to herself sarcastically.Vicky did not want to argue with him, so she suppressed her anger. "Sebastian and I are just friends… I heard he is in the hospital, so I thought of visiting him."She took a deep breath. "I misunderstood him, and now, his family is having a hard time because of m
Thus, Vicky fell silent."Please, Vicky," Missus Mills whimpered, "help Sebastian. Help my family, please. I'm begging you!""Missus Mills. I wish to help too, but…Tyler doesn't listen to me," Vicky explained."I heard that Harvey is back in Stoneford City," said Missus Mills. "The grudges between Harvey and Tyler aren't secret. If you go ask Harvey for help, I'm sure he's willing to help!"Vicky made no promises. Asking Harvey for help to fight against Tyler would mean she betrayed Tyler and stood against him. The grudges between them were not as easy as 'you hate me, and I hate you'.It was a far different level from the way Tyler hated Sebastian."Vicky, Tyler never loved you!" Missus Mills said in a hurry when she realized Vicky was hesitating. "There's something I never want to tell you, but he's crossed the line. The real person he loved wasn't Sheila. It's…"Missus Mills paused and hesitated. Yet, she remembered how Tyler was ruining her family, and all caution was flung
[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