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
'Vicky, you still fail to see how terrifying this man is, and you still try to test his limits...' Noah thought.Tyler narrowed his eyes coldly. "So you can stage another car accident and lose your memories again?"Vicky widened her eyes. "Are you saying I staged the car accident?""We would've been divorced by now if it wasn't for that car accident."Vicky clenched her fists and instinctively wanted to argue, but she recalled the fact that she lost all memories, and there was a possibility that she was doing it to save her marriage."Regardless, right now, I—""Right now?" he interjected her curtly. "Just because it's in the past, that means it never happened?"She met his eyes calmly. "Since it's happened, there's no erasing it from the past, but people move forward. Dwelling over the past will only cause you and the people around you more pain. Since that's the case, why not try to let go?"Tyler maintained eye contact and said, "Are you saying that you've let go?"She froz
...In the hospital ward, the scent of sanitizer filled the air, and as Tyler slowly opened his eyes, he spotted a blurred figure before him. He narrowed his eyes before finally realizing who the woman was."Miss Shaw?" he said weakly."Are you awake?" Vicky reached out to test his temperature before murmuring, "You're still burning up." She sat next to him and explained, "Mister Hart, your temperature reached thirty-nine Celsius, so you were unconscious for three days.""Why are you here, Miss Shaw?" he asked."I was the one who spotted you and sent you to the hospital." She studied the pale look on his face. "Mister Hart, as important as work may be, your health is crucial. The doctor said that you have an extremely fragile stomach and that you probably haven't been resting properly, which led to your cold worsening."His lashes fluttered as he studied her. "How did you know that I was sick, and how did you find me?"Vicky chuckled. "You called and said you wanted me to play t