Tyler brought the first-aid kit, two towels, and an ice pack.Vicky's cheeks were swollen at this moment as she had been slapped multiple times.He wrapped a towel around the ice pack and handed it to her. "Put it over your face to see if you can get the swelling to go down.""Okay. Thank you." She reached out to grab the ice pack, but Tyler remained still, so she shot him a confused look. "What's wrong?"He lowered his gaze and said, "I need to treat the wounds on your back as well."Her breath caught in her throat as realization dawned on her.She had been whipped so many times that she felt numb, and though she did not know the level of severity of her wounds, she knew that her wounds would get infected.Since most of her wounds were on her back, she could not possibly treat them herself. Tyler was the only one who could help her.She clenched her jaw to suppress her embarrassment. "I... I'll leave it to you, then."Tyler had seen her naked in the past, so she knew there wa
"Does that hurt?"Vicky nodded. "A little.""Oh. I guess you'll be hurting for a while, then.""..." Vicky realized that she was foolish for expecting him to offer a few words of consolation.However, the atmosphere was no longer as awkward after what he said.Tyler tended to her wounds carefully and seriously without a trace of lust in his eyes, so Vicky slowly began to react.Sometime later, Tyler said, "It's done."He grabbed her jacket and placed it on her. "Don't shower for the time being until the bruises go down."She lowered her gaze. "Okay.""Which hotel did you live in? I'll go and retrieve your belongings."She looked at Tyler and asked, "How did you find me? I don't recall telling you where I went.""I hired a hacker to locate your phone and found where you were when you called me.""You know a hacker?""There's nothing much you can't do with money," Tyler said calmly.Vicky felt like she had asked a foolish question but could not suppress her curiosity. "How
The light chased away the darkness, and a divine-looking man came into her sight."Nightmares?" Tyler asked, his voice husky.Vicky slowly regained her composure. "Nightmares... Yes, it was a nightmare," she mumbled. "I had a horrible nightmare when Jonathan locked me up in a cage, and when I tried to escape, those two men stood in my way..."Everything that had happened was more than what a woman, who was not even 20 years old, could take.He studied the pale look on her face and said, "It's okay. It was just a dream."Though it was only a nightmare, what she had experienced continued to haunt her."I'll leave the lights on." He got up and was about to leave. "It's still hours before sunrise. Get some more sleep."He was about to walk out of the bedroom when Vicky whispered, "Can you...not go?"He stilled and turned to look at her. "What did you just say?"Vicky was as pale as a ghost as her eyes darted around, fearing that something might leap out of the darkness. "Can you s
Tyler knocked on the door, but there was no response.He thought Vicky might be having a nightmare, so he turned the doorknob and walked in to check on her.When he switched on the lamp beside the bed, he noticed that her face was covered in tears.She tensed and was trembling uncontrollably as she panted.Tyler tried to wake her up, but no matter how hard he tried, she just could not wake up as if she was trapped in a nightmare."Vicky. Vicky..." He pushed her gently, but she did not respond.Tyler's pupils contracted, and he realized that something was wrong when he could not wake Vicky up. He picked her up and was about to take her to a hospital when he noticed that she had lost weight.She had always been slim, but it became clear that she had lost even more weight.She was still trembling, and her weightless body felt almost as light as a tiny, helpless kitten.For some reason, his heart sank. All emotions faded, leaving only remorse and guilt behind.He should not have
Tyler's kiss was more skillful and restrained compared to the time before, and Vicky froze in shock.By the time she registered what was happening and tried to dodge, he had deepened the kiss and as oxygen began to run thin, her mind went blank like a person who was drowning.She was not at all appalled by his kiss, but her fear of men left her shaking like a leaf.Vicky did not push his way and thought to herself, 'Let it be, then. Instead of being defiled by those horrible men, I might as well give myself to him. At least I don't hate him. Besides, he has helped me so many times, and it's about time I return the favor.'Sensing her obedience, Tyler's kiss became even more intense.Just as she thought that she would be offering her innocence to Tyler, he stopped and gazed down upon her with lust burning in his eyes. His breath was ragged as he stared at her possessively.Vicky felt butterflies in her stomach and lowered her gaze to avoid his eyes.Sometime later, he finally reg
Despite Vicky's decision, she still felt nervous.Sensing that she was shivering, Tyler assumed that she was terrified of the nightmares and pulled her closer into his arms. "Sleep. I'll stay with you."She opened her mouth to speak but decided against it in the end, and she took a deep breath before laying down.Click! The lights were turned off, and darkness returned to the room.Vicky tensed and breathed heavily.In the dark, Tyler carefully wrapped his arms around her. When she flinched, his movement became more gentle as though she was made of glass.Vicky was amused by that and wanted to tell him that she was not that fragile, but she knew better than to say it out loud.His body was burning, and his heat radiating through his body to hers.She waited for his next move quietly in his arms, but Tyler did not do anything apart from holding her.Even as she drifted off to sleep, he simply held her reassuringly.After some time, Vicky fell into a deep slumber....The nex
Vicky's body stiffened at his action as she was still struggling to be so close to a man. However, since she decided to move back in, she knew she would eventually have to pay the price for it.She nodded. "Okay."...Half an hour later, the doctor Tyler had hired came to the building.It was a Zendonian woman in her forties, and she had a warm smile that made her look pleasantly approachable."Mister Hart. Miss Shaw. Greetings." The woman bowed at them and proceeded to introduce herself, "You can call me Doctor Jenny."Tyler nodded. "Thank you for coming, Doctor Jenny."Doctor Jenny smiled. "You're most welcome. I'm just doing my job." She then turned to look at Vicky and asked gently, "Miss Shaw, can you tell me what you're going through?"Vicky did not want to have any more nightmares and cooperated. "For the past week, I've had nightmares as soon as I fall asleep. Once I jolt awake, I'd either struggle to fall back asleep or continue to have more nightmares...""And that h
"Mister Hart, can I have a moment with you alone?""Doctor Jenny, what is it that you can't discuss in front of me?" Vicky asked.Doctor Jenny smiled. "Of course, I'll talk to you about your condition, but I need to learn more about what Mister Hart sees from his perspective as well. What you can describe is how you subjectively feel, and I want to know what Mister Hart thinks. As for why I'd like to speak with him alone, that's because there might be things that he finds difficult to talk about in front of you or that he might not be able to describe objectively... Do you understand?"Vicky nodded. "Alright, then. I'll head back to my room."Doctor Jenny and Tyler did not talk in the living room and instead did so in his study.As soon as the door closed behind them, Doctor Jenny deadpanned, "Mister Hart, I'm afraid Miss Shaw isn't just having nightmares. She's suffering from depression."He narrowed his eyes darkly. "What?""According to my experience, she's suffering from dep
[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