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
Gloria jolted in shock and, seconds later, became indifferent. She always thought that Vicky had been too cruel to Tyler, but Vicky did not seem to regret it.'Maybe she just doesn't care because she always gets what she wants,' Gloria thought. 'Maybe she should be taught a lesson so that she learns that not everything goes her way.'Gloria fell into silence.The rain grew heavier as the sky went darker.Maestro Warner wanted to say something, but he swallowed his words when he saw Tyler's cold expression.He was no fool and realized that the woman who exited the room was more than a fashion designer. On Vicky's way out, he saw the wedding band on her hand, which resembled the wedding band Tyler was wearing.'Can it be...that they're married? Does that mean that I misspoke?' he thought.Raindrops fell onto the window as lightning struck the sky.Even though they were in the room and knew that there was a lightning conductor in the building, they still could not help but jolt a
Vicky would never risk her health.She only refused to go inside because unrelated individuals should not be in the room when they were signing the confidential contract. Had she been in the room, she would be the first suspect if the content of the contract was leaked in any way.Vicky was an outsider who was not close with Gloria, so if something went wrong, she would be able to explain herself, so she stayed away altogether.Apart from that, she did not like Selene's tone, which sounded as though Vicky had to be grateful to Gloria for being allowed inside. Vicky never liked being indebted, too.Finally, she did not want to see Tyler and Gloria together. She knew what was going on between them, so she saw no point in making things harder for herself.Since the discussion over the contract had ended, Vicky let go of her concerns.Once they were on the second floor, Gloria handed her a fresh change of clothes. "It's from last year, but I've not worn it before. If it's okay with y
Tyler's eyes were dark and mysterious as he stared at Vicky dazedly.Vicky's blood ran cold as she thought to herself, 'Gloria is still here, and he's already looking at me this way simply because I dressed like her?'Just then, they heard footsteps approaching, and Gloria stared at the two who were standing by the door. "Vicky, Selene, why are you two standing by the door?"Selene shot Vicky a contemptuous look and walked over to grab Gloria by the arm. "I got the wrong person because you lent her your dress... Still, I think you look best in these sorts of dresses, and anyone else who wears them just looks like a clown!"It was indeed true that suitable styles would outline one's beauty to the full extent.Vicky ignored Selene's sarcasm and strode into the room.Once Vicky and Gloria took their seats, they started discussing the details that would go into Gloria's dress.Though Gloria often dressed in elegant style, a concert was a different occasion, so Vicky suggested, "Duri
Maestro Warner smiled. "Judging from the wedding bands on your hands, it's hard not to notice."Tyler froze and lowered his gaze to the ring on his finger....Tyler sent Maestro Warner back to the hotel as soon as the rain stopped, while Selene remained on the second floor under Gloria's command. Vicky was able to swiftly make her notes without Selene's interruption.It was already eleven at night when everything was finished, and Vicky got up to leave."It's late now. Do you want to stay the night here?" Gloria offered as she had decided to rest in the studio."No, thank you," Vicky said.Gloria was not surprised by her answer and simply walked her to the door. "This is sort of a remote area, and you should call a taxi after walking down the road for ten minutes. That'll take you to the main road."Vicky nodded. "Thank you. You should go back and rest."Vicky and Gloria remained a certain level of civility, but both knew that there was far more to their relationship.Gloria
[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