"Get in," said Tyler to Gloria, who was caught off-guard.She unconsciously looked at Vicky.Vicky lowered her head, trying to hide her emotions and pretending she did not see this."Tyler…" Just as Gloria was about to say something, Vicky opened the door to the backseat and got inside."We're in a hurry, aren't we? Get in." Tyler's voice sounded deep and cool. There were no other emotions on his handsome face.Even if Gloria was slow to catch something, she could sense an odd shift between Tyler and Vicky. This was how Tyler treated Vicky the last time, too.After standing in the same spot for a while, she eventually sat in the front passenger seat.The car drove off.The ambiance in the car was cold and stagnant, and no one spoke. Theoretically speaking, Vicky should make use of the time to discuss with Gloria about her outfit. For some reason, however, she did not say anything and merely watched the view passing by out the window instead.It was Gloria who broke the silence
Gloria was in so much pain that tears brimmed her eyes, and she could not even lift her head.Seeing this, Tyler quickly helped her untangle her hair.Click! He helped Gloria to unfasten her safety belt.With the pain relieved, Gloria exhaled lightly. It was so embarrassing for Gloria that she felt awkward. When she lifted her head to express her gratitude, she noticed how they were very close to each other.They were so close that they could see each other's eyelashes.She could even smell the fragrance from Tyler. They were so close that…their lips would touch if they moved just an inch more.Her heart pounded so fast and hard like the beat of the drum. She had a hard time keeping her cool and calm. For a moment, she was absent-minded.Tyler saw Gloria's expression and thought her hair was still entangled with the safety belt. Thus, he looked down and asked, "Are you alright?"Gloria had a hard time recovering.Tyler's alluring voice rang just beside her ear, and his handsom
After a while, Gloria too got out of the car. Her hair was slightly tousled after it got stuck in the safety belt's bucket, but what was more disconcerted was her eyes. She did not dare to make eye contact with Vicky, and her tone sounded feeble when she said, "My studio is there… Let's go in."Despite resenting Vicky for stealing Tyler from her, Vicky was Tyler's legally married wife. No matter how treacherous Vicky was, Gloria had lost the place to fight over Tyler.Seconds ago, in that very car, she nearly became the type of person she hated.Vicky did not say anything and walked forward with a stone-cold face.Gloria's mind was in a trance, most likely because of what happened in the car. In such a state, she accidentally misstepped on a stair. Before she could fall, Tyler caught her just in time.A rosy color appeared on her cheek. "Thank you…"Gloria was an aloof person. No matter who she talked to, she would maintain the elegance of a well-groomed woman and keep her distan
"Disappointed?" Vicky's eyes were crystal-clear as she smiled. "Aren't you supposed to be happy? No matter how I take it, it'll never belong to me. It's time for me to return it to the rightful owner."With a different expression, Gloria said, "If you don't harbor a grudge, why did you stab Tyler? You should know he didn't do anything wrong to you. It was you who has been hurting him. I know you've forgotten everything, but that won't change what has happened.""Are you fighting for him?""No matter what grudges you have, you shouldn't have hurt someone with a knife," she said, her tone adamant. "Vicky, no matter what, he is still your husband.""What you see is not necessarily the truth." Vicky could not be bothered to explain in detail and instead said, "He's still my husband, yes, so as my cousin, it's inappropriate for you to interfere with our marriage."Gloria's eyes bore into Vicky's and said, "Vicky Shaw. Tyler isn't a tool for you to have your revenge."Vicky furrowed he
Gloria nodded.Selene got excited. "I heard Maestro Warner is a mysterious guy and a difficult person to invite. I didn't know…"She said flirtatiously, "How nice of Mister Hart to approach the great Maestro Warner just because of you and to have invited the Maestro here in the city. Gloria, have you thanked Mister Hart after the effort he has done for you?"As she talked, however, she saw Vicky walking past in front of her.Stunned, she blurted, "Why is Vicky here?"Vicky was holding her notebook to write down Gloria's request for the outfit. She looked up after hearing that. "I'm Gloria's fashion designer. I'm here to design an outfit for her performance."Anger rushed through Selene. "Vicky, why are you still the shameless person from way back? You're ruining Gloria's date, and now you purposely came to be her fashion designer? Are you trying to do the same thing you did before to get close to the guy who likes Gloria?"Gloria reprimanded softly, "Selene, stop with your nonse
Vicky then scanned the room and noticed the wedding band on Tyler's hand.It felt as though someone was slicing her heart into pieces, and the pain of it pierced her body.She lowered her gaze at her own ring and smiled bitterly, knowing that she was never the woman whom he truly wanted to put a ring on.At that moment, even the beautiful melody of the piano playing seemed to have faded into the background.She did not know how many songs Gloria played, but when it ended, she did not snap out of it until she heard a round of applause.Maestro Warner stared at Gloria with approval and said, "Marvelous. Brilliant!"Gloria stood and bowed elegantly. "Maestro Warner, which one of these songs would you grant me permission to perform?"Maestro Warner, a foreigner who would express himself openly, said, "I love them all. You're the only one who managed to incorporate such a unique style into my songs, and I love it." He turned to look at Tyler, who remained silent the entire time. "Tyl
"I see." Tyler's response came off as peculiar to Maestro Warner, but he did not press on the subject. Moreover, he was a foreigner and was not familiar with distinguishing the faces of another ethnicity."I'm extremely pleased with Miss Gloria's skills, and I'm willing to give her the license to play my songs for five years. You know my name, so you know how I work. This contract is to remain confidential...so unrelated individuals will have to excuse themselves."Selene grabbed Gloria by the arm and said, "I practically grew up with Gloria, and I won't breathe a word, so I can't count as an unrelated individual, right?"Gloria shot her a look of resignation. "I know you're not.""It's Mister Hart's effort that brought Maestro Warner here, and since you're close with Mister Hart, you won't have him wait outside, right? Maestro Warner and Mister Hart seem to be good friends."Gloria glanced at Tyler and nodded, before turning to look at Vicky as well. "Vicky, you should stay as—"
Gloria instantly got the message and smiled at Maestro Warner. "Maestro Warner, it's pouring out there. Let's just let Vicky in."Maestro Warner was an understanding man and nodded. "Let the lady in, then."Gloria glanced at Selene. "Selene, go and invite Vicky in."Selene was reluctant, but it was indeed raining heavily and Vicky was still Tyler's wife. She would be out of line if she insisted that Vicky remained in the rain.…"Vicky." Selene walked out and crossed her arms, lifting her chin proudly. "Gloria is a kind woman and didn't want you to catch a cold, so she pleaded for Tyler and Maestro Warner to let you in. You can go inside now. Have you finally realized how things are now, Vicky? You can only come in if Gloria lets you, and if she doesn't want you there..." She paused and scoffed smugly. "You can only stay out here in the rain.""So you're saying I should be grateful for that, then?" Vicky asked."Of course." Selene contemptuously added, "Gloria is such a softie f
[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