Tyler's lashes fluttered. "What am I afraid of?""You're afraid of being close to someone. You're afraid of caring. Why else would you turn all bitter and mean?"His lips curled into a sneer. "Maybe that's just who I am."Vicky stared into his eyes and said, "You're not."He paused."I know that's not who you are. You just want to get rid of me.""Don't speak like you know me," he said coldly."If you're that reluctant to see me, cooperate with your treatment and get better. That way, I won't have to show up in front of you every day."The sneer on Tyler's face faded as he fell into silence....Three days later, Tyler had a full recovery and was discharged from the hospital.He did not have any friends, so Vicky was the only one who helped with everything.Ever since the fight they had, Vicky stopped speaking to Tyler and did not smile as much as she did, but she continued to care for Tyler at her best effort nonetheless.After all the paperwork was filed, Vicky started p
She and Tyler would never see each other again.While Vicky was absorbed in her hectic schedule, rumors about her escalated.One day, Vicky realized that she had forgotten about her keys as soon as she stepped out of the dorm and went back.When she reached the door of her flat, she heard her roommates talking about her."Hey, have you heard of the rumors about Vicky?"Vicky's roommates were three foreign students, and Vicky paused when she heard her name being mentioned."Are you talking about the rumor that says she's been messing around?""I heard that, too. I heard that she asks for quite a lot of money in return. As long as the man can pay, she can do anything!""She hasn't been back to the dorm for the past few days. Do you think...she was out with a man?""There's no doubt that's the case! There's this handsome young man who came by the academy to see her some time ago. She sure has a lot of fish in her pond...""She'd never agree to go to parties, and here I thought s
Gloria jolted in shock. "What did you just say?"She had heard of Jonathan as well. His fame was not accumulated by his talent or accomplishment but by his womanizer's way instead.He was notoriously known as a playboy who would not let any woman he was interested in escape, and he would occasionally sink into more forceful ways to get the women he wanted."Gloria, there are a lot of girls here who are jealous of Vicky," the blonde woman whispered. "The rumors...are probably spread by those girls. Judging from what I overheard, I think someone in our academy is going to help Jonathan with his scheme."If Jonathan did not have any help, Vicky might not fall into his trap as she was an extremely guarded woman. However, if someone from the academy was helping Jonathan, there was a high chance Vicky might be in danger.Gloria's expression darkened. "Do you know where Vicky is right now?"The blonde woman shot her a look. "Gloria, maybe you should stay out of it... You know who Jonath
"Yeah, Vicky is my cousin," Gloria said with a smile. "Why are you looking for Vicky?"Tyler remained quiet for a moment and said, "Nothing important."Ever since he bid farewell to Vicky outside the hospital, he had not reached out to her and did not intend to do so again.However, work had been hectic, and he was suddenly overwhelmed by the urge to listen to the piano.He came when he heard that there was an orchestra performance, and when he spotted a familiar figure in the garden, he could not help but walk over.It was not until Gloria asked why he was looking for Vicky that he realized he did not have an answer to the question.Tyler was about to leave when Gloria called out, "Sir, if you're a friend of Vicky, can you please help? Vicky..." She gritted her teeth and continued, "May be in danger.""What kind of danger?" He narrowed his eyes darkly."I just heard that..." Gloria explained what she heard briefly.Tyler tensed. "Take me to her."Gloria was slightly stunned.
At the same time, Vicky raised her arm and smashed the rock she picked up earlier at Jonathan's head.Baam! A sharp pain pierced through Jonathan's head, and blood scrolled down his face.Over the years, Jonathan had abused his power with impunity and had never suffered such humiliation; being battered by a woman and left wounded was an intolerable disgrace for him.Jonathan flew into a rage, raising his arm and slapping Vicky hard across the face.Smack!Vicky was knocked down to the ground by the blow, and her cheek immediately swelled up. Rendered powerless by the drug in the water handed to her by Aileen, she had used all her remaining strength in her last attack on Jonathan and she was already at her wit's end."You're just a wh*re. How dare you play hard to get with me?!" Furious, Jonathan proceeded to slap her a few more times.The two young men who came with Jonathan said, "Jonathan, don't overdo it. If old George finds out, we'll all be in trouble."Vicky was no ordina
"Who are you?"Since the man was standing against the light and his height was towering, half of his face was shrouded in shadow, and his expression could not be seen clearly.The man turned, and his gaze fell on Vicky.Jonathan's expression darkened, and he instinctively stood in front of Vicky. "Out of the way. We're busy.""Let her go," the man said coldly.Jonathan sneered. "You're the one who should leave. How is it any of your business that we're leaving with a friend?!"A woman's voice echoed in the air. "You're not Vicky's friends!"Gloria stepped out from behind Tyler and glared at the three men coldly. "I've never seen her in contact with any of you. Besides, Vicky is about to go on stage. Where are you taking her?"Jonathan's expression darkened at the sight of Gloria.Gloria and Vicky were both talented beauties who had made their names known in the academy, so Jonathan recognized Gloria right away.He rolled his eyes and soon came up with an excuse. "Miss Shaw, h
Tyler did not so much as honor them with a look and was about to leave with Vicky.After all, they had plotted to trap Vicky, Jonathan and the others were reluctant to let her go and stood before Tyler in unison."Let Vicky go, or face the consequences!" Jonathan narrowed his eyes sharply.Tyler glanced at him contemptuously and said, "Scram."The feeling of being taken lightly shattered the three men's pride.The three of them had spent most of their time causing trouble and had been in a lot of fights outside of school, so they had no fear for the man before them."You should learn your place before coming here to play hero! How dare you try to take our woman from us?"One of the men pulled out a knife and thrust it toward Tyler with great force. The sharp blade glinted in the moonlight, reflecting a cold gleam.However, Tyler remained calm and composed, showing no signs of panic as he wrapped one arm around Vicky's waist and took a few steps back, evading the sharp edge of t
"Now, kneel!"Tyler shot him an odd look, and Jonathan repeated viciously, "Did you not hear me? I said, kneel!""And if I don't?" Tyler asked.The fact that Tyler let go of Vicky gave Jonathan the illusion that he had full control over Tyler and was furious at Tyler's question. "I'll shoot you if you don't!""Go on, then," Tyler said calmly.Everyone was stunned, and even Gloria looked at Tyler in confusion.While she was distracted, Tyler reached to grab the gun in Jonathan's hand.Jonathan wanted to take it back but was hardly a match for Tyler. At the very last moment, he pulled the trigger out of desperation.Bang!The gunshot was followed by a few more.Gloria had never been in such a situation before, so all she could do was tremble and watch as her mind went blank.By the time she snapped out of it, Tyler had picked Vicky up from the ground, and it was at that moment that Gloria realized Tyler was not scared of Jonathan's threat and merely accepted Jonathan's command
[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