He had more important matters to attend to....Vicky was thrown onto the bed roughly, and as the door was slammed shut, she could feel herself trembling.Tyler's presence terrified her, and she curled up in the corner of the bed as she watched Tyler approach.The fear and wariness in her eyes were like sharp blades that stabbed into Tyler's heart. His lips curled into a cold sneer as he said, "Vicky, you can literally be with anyone but me, is that right?""..." Vicky was clueless as to what he was saying but dared not to respond out of fear that she might provoke him further.Tyler reached out to grab her and froze when she immediately flinched away from his touch.The air seemed to have frozen around them, and the look in his eyes darkened. "As expected," he mumbled. "I'm the only one you won't be with."Her heart sank at the look on his face. "Tyler..."His lashes fluttered at the sound of her voice, and he lifted his gaze."I'm sorry," she whispered."Sorry about what?"
"With what's going on with your company, you aren't as rich as you were before, so it's only normal that I want to leave.""You kept asking me how Noah is better than you... To be honest, he isn't as good-looking as you are, but he has higher status and a better personality. You can make more money in the future, of course, but as far as personality goes... Well, a tiger can't change its stripes, right? Tyler, you're boring and unromantic. You don't speak much and you are always cold and distant. It bores me to be with you. Noah, on the other hand, is humorous and knows how to please women. He majors in music as well, just like me, so we share the same interest.""I didn't want to say these things at first, but you insist that I explain myself...so, I can only tell you the truth. Noah is better than you. I'll admit that I liked you when we first met. After all, you're extremely good-looking and wealthy at the time... It's inevitable for girls to fall for a man like that. But ever sin
Tyler then took a sip of the water himself.Vicky felt even more confused, but she was too thirsty to care and drank all the water in the glass.Her throat felt less dry, and her voice was not as hoarse. "Tyler, what are you—"Before she could ask what he was plotting, he pulled her into his arms.He lowered his head to kiss her on the forehead before burying his nose into her neck, muttering in his melodious voice, "You are the best, Vicky."She froze and wondered if she heard him correctly.He never once said something like that throughout their time as a couple, even after he kidnapped her. She was so dumbfounded that she started having ridiculous thoughts, wondering if he was possessed.Soon, her confusion was lifted.He planted gentle kisses on her cheek and whispered, "I'm sorry for misunderstanding your relationship with Noah..."She remained dazed for a while before coming to a realization.The sheets had not been changed, and the spot of blood on them stood out.'I
When they were dating, Tyler would never force himself on Vicky so long as she refused to carry on.At this moment, however, he seemed to not care about her will or feelings, which meant that his kindness had all been nothing but a mask.The pain and distance between them increased from the betrayal and mistrust they experienced, and nothing could change that.Tyler had only meant to punish Vicky with the kiss, but as soon as his lips touched hers, everything spiraled out of control. He started panting heavily, and his eyes darkened with lust.He had been patient for a long time for her sake.She used to belong to him, so he did not want to force or hurt her. However, though he finally claimed her physically, it did not mean that she belonged to him.Vicky would run whenever she was given the chance, and no matter how much love he showered her with, she would only feel disgusted by it.He deepened the kiss as though that was the only way to claim her entirely.When everything c
Just as Vicky was about to keep searching, a hand reached out and presented her with a box of pills."It's here," Tyler said.Once Vicky took the pill and returned to the bedroom, she saw Tyler reading an instruction guide with a tube of ointment in his hand.It was not until later at night when Vicky came out of the shower and saw Tyler approaching her with the ointment that she finally came to realize what it was."I can do it myself," she said awkwardly as she stared at the man before her."You can't.""I can!"Vicky reached out to snatch the tube of ointment out of his hand, but he moved away swiftly and glanced at her flushed cheeks. "We've done everything there is to do, so why are you shy?"He ignored her protest and moved to apply the ointment for her, but Vicky refused to comply and kept dodging.It was not hard for Tyler to retrain Vicky, but he was holding the ointment in one hand and needed to apply it to her wound with precision, so he was rendered helpless at the
"Vicky, wake up," a nervous voice called out. "Vicky? Vicky!"Vicky opened her eyes and placed a hand on her head before realizing that Gloria was right by her side."Gloria?" sputtered Vicky and was instantly surprised by how hoarse her voice sounded.Gloria stared into the dazed look in Vicky’s eyes and asked, "What happened, Vicky?"... Nothing."Gloria was startled by how Vicky suddenly fainted. She tried to wake Vicky, but nothing she did seemed to work.She studied the pale look on Vicky's face and asked, "Vicky, did you...remember something?"Vicky lifted her eyebrows. "Yeah. I did remember something," she drawled.A conflicted look appeared on Gloria’s face. "Have you recovered all your memories?"Vicky shook her head and closed her eyes for a while before opening them again. "I'll get you out of here. It's getting late, so I need to go now."Vicky stood up and walked toward the door."Vicky," Gloria called out. "Do you still love him?"Vicky paused, but instead of
"Do you really...hate me this much?"Vicky jolted awake and was drenched in sweat. She grabbed her phone to check the time and noticed that she had only slept for an hour.After reading the last message she received from the mysterious man, she wiped her sweat away and made a call to Harvey."Vicky?" Harvey answered the call.Vicky cut to the chase and said, "Gloria didn't leave on her own. She's been kidnapped.""Did Tyler do this?""Yeah."Harvey did not seem surprised. "Do you know where she is?"Vicky provided him with the address, and Harvey blurted out asking, "How do you know this, Vicky?"Vicky hesitated for a moment before informing Harvey about the mysterious man.He chuckled bitterly and said, "Even after all these years, you still trust him with everything."Vicky stayed quiet for a while before saying, "I'm sorry for misunderstanding you.""It wasn't a misunderstanding. I was at fault, and I—" He paused in realization and asked excitedly, "Vicky, have you regai
After the call with Harvey, Vicky's head started to hurt again, and she went back to sleep.The next time she woke up was when the sky had turned dark. The lights in the room were not turned on, so the room was pitch dark.She fumbled to grab her phone, and after a while, her fingers came into contact with a human's hand.Anyone would be startled by that, and Vicky shrieked. "Ah!"Click! The lights by the nightstand were switched on.The faint light did not blind her and revealed a familiar face.Tyler was staring at her with a shadow looming over his face.Her eyes widened, and her heart threatened to stop beating.For a moment, she seemed to have traveled back to that week-long hellish experience of the time when she was kidnapped by Tyler.He thought that she was corresponding with Monty in secret and that she was plotting an escape, so he chained her up in a dark room and continued to ask repeatedly why she betrayed him.He would sometimes be gentle, only to act extremely
[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