The woman standing across Selene had silky black hair.With delicate features, she had an air of elegant beauty about her as her eyes shone soulfully under the light. Her skin was as fair as snow, and her demeanor was both innocent and alluring.Dressed in a beige white dress, her frame was tall and slim, giving her the impression of a fallen angel.Gloria frowned. "Harvey is coming to see me? I thought that he was busy with something."Selene smiled. "Nothing is more important than you."Gloria kept her eyes trained on Selene for a few moments in silence before questioning, "What did you say to him, Selene?"Feeling slightly guilty, Selene muttered, "Nothing much...""I've contacted Harvey a couple of days ago and he said that he was busy so he can't return to Stoneford City for the moment. What did you say to him for him to come running back?" Gloria asked calmly.Finally, Selene decided to tell the truth. "I... I just don't think that there's anything more important than you
Vicky lowered her eyes to hide the emotions within them. "I... I was kidnapped by Harvey Sparks.""I see..." Easton hated Harvey but dared not to cross Tyler.Since Tyler was Harvey's enemy, Easton saw Tyler as his ally.He turned on the television and said, "I've informed your husband about you. He should be here by tomorrow." He waved his men over. "Untie Missus Hart."A few men immediately stepped forward to untie Vicky.Vicky had thought that she would suffer greatly at the hands of Harvey's enemies and had not expected to be saved by Tyler. However, she knew that what awaited her would only be worse if she returned to Tyler."Mister Easton, Tyler is busy with work most of the time, and I don't think he has the time to pick me up. I can just go back on my own. Let's save everyone the trouble," she said."No way." He glanced at her. "You were kidnapped by Harvey in my territory, and I might be in trouble if Tyler Hart decides to hold me accountable for that. If he's busy, he
Vicky panted heavily upon hearing the dreadful news, and Easton frowned as he turned to look at Vicky. "She eloped with Harvey?"Vicky moved her lips to speak but felt numb. She might suffer less in the hands of the thugs in front of her compared to being captured by Tyler.Easton was at a crossroads and turned to shoot a look at his subordinate who sent Vicky into another room.Once the door was closed, Easton said, "What do you think Tyler is doing? Is this supposed to be a test?"Vicky had not been taken far away and could hear Easton by standing behind the door."Well, it's hard to say," his subordinate said. "There's a possibility that this woman is throwing a temper tantrum or something."Easton nodded. "She is still Tyler's woman, so it's not up to me to teach her a lesson, or I'll suffer when they kiss and make up.""Should we...send her back, then?""But what if she really did elope with Harvey? Sending her back will only upset Tyler!""That's true."Easton frowned.
Vicky thought that Harvey would bring her hope, but she found herself pushed deeper into despair instead.When Harvey did not answer the call, she tried to call Cece, only to feel a sharp prick on the back of her neck.Her gaze faded, and before she lost consciousness, she saw the young woman's evil smile.…Five hours later, Harvey finally arrived at the hospital and found Gloria waiting by the entrance."I'm sorry, Harvey."He froze when he saw how perfectly healthy Gloria seemed. "Gloria, I thought..."Gloria glanced at Selene, who was standing behind her, and said, "Selene had been foolish enough to mess with you. I called you as soon as I found out, but your phone was switched off. I tried texting you, but you haven't replied either."The look in Harvey's eyes darkened. He took one pointed look at her before turning to leave without a word.Gloria's eyes widened slightly. Harvey never treated her so coldly.Seeing she was at fault, she hurried after him. "Harvey, did som
Tyler's voice sounded both strange and familiar as it echoed in the room.Vicky's eyes were filled with tears due to the sunlight. Despite her swollen eyes, however, she finally saw his dark, brooding features.He stood with his back facing the light and looked down at her as though he had full control over her life."Tyler Hart..." she muttered hoarsely. "Why are you here?"He stood tall before her and said, "You tried whatever you could do to seek help when you were sent to Forever Night, so why haven't you done the same when you're locked up here?"Vicky only had a meal and a glass of water each day, and she simply curled against the corner, looking as pale and helpless as a frail porcelain doll.She looked around and realization dawned on her. "Is this...you again? Were you the one who sent people to kidnap me?"He kept his eyes on her and said, "Yes."She paused for a few moments before laughing."It's bad enough that you played this trick once, and here you are, playing
Like a lifeless commodity, Vicky was helpless and at Tyler's mercy.She reached out to grab his hand abruptly. "Don't.""Don't, what?" he asked.She bit her lower lip. "Don't continue.""Why should I do as you say?""..." She was rendered speechless.The door to the room opened, and the light from the outside shone into the room.Without even bothering to close the door, he inspected every inch of her body as though she was not a person.Her tears had run dry a long time ago, so she had not shed a single tear since she was imprisoned. Even in the present, she did not cry despite shivering.She watched blankly as he cleaned his hands with sanitizing tissue paper."Take a shower," he said. "Change into something clean."With that, he turned and left the room.As she walked out of the room, she realized that they were not overseas or at a clubhouse but in a quiet mansion instead.There had never been any perverted man next door, and it had all been an act Tyler had put up to
Harvey had arrived at the place where Tyler proposed to meet with him.He received a report that Vicky had been found by Tyler, and Harvey knew what it meant.It would be challenging to convince Tyler to let her go, but he could not simply give up because it had all been his fault.Once he stepped into the mansion, he noticed that there were no guards. As he stepped into the living room, not a soul was seen, and Tyler was nowhere to be found.Harvey checked the time and scowled, wondering why Tyler had not appeared in time.Tyler was a punctual man. Even if he saw Harvey as his enemy, it was unlikely for Tyler to be late to spite him.Amid his confusion, he heard the noises of a woman crying from upstairs. It was hardly noticeable, but he caught the sound because of how quiet the mansion was.Harvey had a great hearing and instantly realized where the sound was coming from, so he started to walk up the stairs with heavy footsteps.As soon as he reached the second floor, the cri
Harvey smiled. "Why bother putting up an act when you don't have the intention of letting her go in the first place?"He would be a fool if he did not know what Tyler's intention was.Tyler did not deny the accusation and said, "I've only invited you here to get your opinion on whether the cuff I ordered for Vicky suits her. You've always been familiar with her preference, and she'd always wear whatever you give her all the time..."He lowered his gaze to Vicky's bracelet and played with it with his fingers. "I recall that you gave her a rose-patterned necklace on the day you were engaged and even put it on for her."Harvey's expression darkened at the mention of the engagement, and he glanced at Vicky's wrist.He twitched when he saw that she was wearing the bracelet he bought for her, and the remorse within him deepened....While the two men were conversing, Vicky had a dream.Like the time she dreamt of Alex Torres getting his legs broken, she was once again standing in a t
[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