Tyler studied the bag in front of him darkly and opened it a few moments later.There were Vicky's phone, keys, wallet, a pack of tissues, and a sealed folder inside.Tyler opened the folder and took out a few pieces of blank paper from it before tossing the folder aside to reach for Vicky's phone.He swiftly keyed in the password and opened the contact list.There were many numbers saved to Vicky’s phone, and two-thirds of the contacts were labeled as clients.Tyler slid his finger through the screen, and his expression darkened when he saw the names of Sebastian, Alex, and Harvey, so he went ahead and deleted their contacts.The dark expression on his face intensified when he saw that Vicky labeled his contact as 'Jerk Hart' and went on to change the label to 'Hubby'.He checked the list repeatedly and relaxed slightly when Noah's name was nowhere to be found.He then opened her chats.Her chat with Cece was pinned at the very top, and even at first glance, their conversatio
Cece's confusion deepened. "But why would the thief hack your account?""Maybe he thinks that I have money in the application and wants to steal that as well."Thankfully, Vicky rarely kept a large amount of cash with her and set up a security block for her bank account that required her fingerprint, so it would be challenging for the thief to steal much from her.Cece sighed. "If you can't get your passport back, you won't be able to get your sim card. I guess you can only wait until you get your new passport to change your password again."Vicky did not pay it much mind. "It's off-season now, and you have the backup for our clients' contact, so it's not that big a deal.""It's just a little troublesome that we have to call each other to have a conversation..."Vicky was about to console her when she heard the door opening. "Tyler is back. I should go.""Okay. Good night, Vicky."As soon as she ended the call, Tyler strode into the bedroom.The look in his eyes darkened when
Vicky smiled. "Don't worry, Noah. I'm alone this time, and Tyler isn't around."Noah sighed a long breath of relief. "Good... I was so scared.""Noah, why are you so scared of Tyler?"For someone from such a powerful family, it seemed odd for Noah to be so afraid of Tyler even when there was a gap between their statuses.Sebastian and Harvey never showed any fear toward Tyler, and Alex even dared to curse Tyler in his face."He's just sick in the head," Noah said bitterly.Vicky was interested in the past and suggested, "You helped me out twice now, Noah. I haven't gotten the chance to thank you. Why don't I treat you to a meal?"Noah had a rough idea as to what Vicky wanted to know and wanted to tell her the truth to avoid any misunderstanding, so he nodded. "Sure."The two walked into a restaurant, and after placing the order, Vicky looked at Noah and asked, "Noah, Tyler said that you were my ex-boyfriend. Is that true?""It's the truth in his eyes, but not the whole truth."
"Gloria…is my substitute? That's impossible," Vicky denied instinctively.Noah lifted an eyebrow. "Why not? If you think it's possible for you to be a substitute for Gloria, why is it impossible for it to be the other way around? Vicky, you underestimate yourself."She shook her head. "It's not that I underestimate myself, but...judging from my previous interaction with Tyler, he doesn't look like he loves me at all. There was a time when we were doing alright, but even then, I can tell that he struggled to feel attached." Reminded of something, she asked, "Why did I break up with Tyler?""I don't know about that," Noah said. "I've asked you a couple of times, but you'd dodge the question every time. I think even Tyler is clueless about that."Vicky lifted an eyebrow. "What makes you say so?""When you were cheating..." Noah paused and cleared his throat. "When Tyler thought that you were cheating on him, he asked you repeatedly why you insisted on breaking up with him, but you'd
'Again?' Vicky thought in displeasure but suppressed her annoyance, considering how the divorce would be imminent."I ran into Noah in a restaurant. Since he's helped me out a few times, I invited him to dine with me.""How convenient," Tyler said pointedly."Even if we didn't run into each other and actually set up a time to hang up, that's normal, isn't it?" Vicky frowned. "Everyone has a few friends of the opposite sex. Don't you?""Me?""Don't Gloria and Sheila count?"After a few moments of silence, he said, "Do they bother you?"'What's the point of asking that question now?' Vicky thought before saying, "Did you call to tell me something?"After a long pause, the man said, "We caught the person who stole your bag.""Really?" Vicky was overjoyed as not only would she recover her documents, she could prove to Tyler she was innocent."Yeah," Tyler said coldly. "It's good timing. Why don't you bring Noah along?""Why him?""He is your witness, right?""But he didn't exa
The noon sunlight shone into the office through the window, and Tyler sat back lazily on his chair, seemingly taking a break.He opened his eyes when Vicky and Noah stepped through the door. "Take a seat."Vicky glanced around and did not see anyone else, so she asked, "Where's the robber?"He shot her a look and said, "Am I supposed to keep that 'thing' here in my office to breathe the same air as I do?"Tyler was a clean freak both physically and mentally, so Vicky did not say another word as she took a seat on the couch.She turned around and saw Noah standing frozen in place. "Noah, why don't you come and sit?""Oh, sure."Tyler glanced at Noah coldly before making an internal call. "Bring him in."A few minutes later, someone knocked on the door, and Harry walked in with a creepy-looking man. "Mister Hart, he's here."Tyler turned his attention from Noah to the man. "Are you the one who stole her bag?"The man glanced at Vicky and nodded. "That's right.""When and where
Tyler did not raise his voice, but his tone was nonetheless threatening. "The money in her wallet might not even be as worthy as her bag itself. Are you sure that you've just tossed something that valuable away?"The man swallowed hard and started to sweat. "I—I didn't throw it away. I…I sold it.""Oh? So why did you say you threw it away?""I... I just don't want any trouble and thought it'd be best to say that I threw it away.""Where did you sell it to?"The man took another glance at Vicky again, much to her confusion. "Why do you keep looking at me?"The man wiped the sweat off his forehead and said, "No... No reason.""You know who I am, right?" Tyler asked abruptly.The man forced a smile. "Of course, Mister Hart...""I can look into every claim you make, and even if you threw the bag into a trashcan, I'll find it."The man paled."Do you know what it means to lie to me?" Tyler continued.Panicking, the man kneeled before Vicky and whimpered, "Miss Shaw, help me!"V
Vicky had never been in such a situation before and panted heavily in rage. She somehow managed to hold onto her composure and said, "You accuse me of hiring you. Why don't you tell them where I found you, and where's the money I paid you? How did we contact each other?"The man did not panic at all in response to her questions."You hired me near the southern outskirts, and we dealt with cash to avoid suspicion. You gave me a part of the payment on the day, and the money in your bag is the remainder of my payment. You said that no one would suspect a thing if we do that. As for the contact method... You said you didn't want to be traced, so we arranged to meet up on that day. You told me to wait near the Civil Administration office. As soon as you get out of the cafe, I am to grab your bag. Also..."The man continued confidently, "You didn't want others to find me, so you hired someone else to destroy the surveillance cameras around that area."Vicky opened her mouth to speak, but