Vicky dropped to the ground, and before she could get up, two bodyguards lifted her by the arms and held her in place.Vicky had been through a lot of hardship ever since she married Tyler, but she had never been so humiliated. She struggled, but the bodyguards were far too strong for her to escape.Just then, Valencia walked toward Vicky and stared her down with contempt in her eyes."Vicky Shaw, I hate sneaky traitors like you. If you truly have guts, you should've stayed with Tyler back then no matter what. You agreed to leave and even accepted the hundred fifty million dollars we offered you, only to break your promise afterward..."She raised her arm and slapped Vicky across the face. "I'll teach you a lesson in your parents' place."Valencia was a frail woman who struggled with her health, so her strike did not hurt Vicky much. However, the servant who slapped Vicky earlier had caused Vicky’s cheeks to swell, and any contact with her face hurt.One slap was not enough for V
Valencia, who was sitting in the living room sipping her tea, looked up and frowned at Tyler's impoliteness. Just as she was about to speak, Orion—who was beside Valencia—gently shook his head at her. Suppressing her dissatisfaction, Valencia forced a smile."Tyler, why have you come?" she asked.Over the years, Tyler's visits to them had been few and far between. Valencia had always held resentment toward Tyler, but because Lincoln was still recovering from his illness, she had to temporarily cast her frustration aside.Since Lincoln's health had improved, the addition of their biological son meant that they had gained an additional competitive edge in the competition for the Hart family's inheritance.Tyler glanced around the living room and said coldly, "Where is Vicky?"Valencia's smile froze for a moment, but she replied in a gentle tone, "I happened to run into Vicky at the exhibition, so I invited her here for a chat. Vicky left just a while ago. Didn't she tell you?"Sinc
Tyler's intentions were clear: He did not believe what Valencia and Orion said, even if there were surveillance cameras present.Valencia was devastated. "Tyler, we're your biological parents. How could we harm you? You witnessed everything that woman did to you in the past... How could you forgive her so quickly? She wanted to kill you!"As Valencia spoke, tears welled up in her eyes. However, Tyler paid no attention to her.He turned his gaze to Harry, who was waiting outside, and said, "Search the place."Harry had worked for Tyler for several years, but he never met Tyler's biological parents.He glanced curiously at Orion and Valencia.Tyler's features resembled Orion's to some extent, indicating their blood relation. Valencia and Orion both came from affluent families and exuded extraordinary grace and elegance.Harry quickly averted his gaze and led his team to conduct the search.40 minutes later, Harry returned.He walked up to Tyler's side and whispered, "Mister Hart
"Even if you were frustrated, you should've never done that to Tyler... He's still our son, after all. What kind of mother are you to electrocute your very son?""He was under the spell cast by that vixen, Vicky! I wanted to help him! If I truly wanted him dead, I could've just had to do so. Why would I bother doing all those things that would only make me look like the bad guy here?"Orion shot her a conflicted look and sighed heavily. "Valencia, just because you never said anything, doesn't mean Father doesn't know. He simply chose to turn a blind eye to what you did because you didn't end up killing Tyler."Valencia looked away. "I... I didn't do anything that bad to Tyler...""You locked him up in a cage with no food for days, shone bright lights on him to keep him from sleeping, and tortured him with all sorts of devices that wouldn't leave marks... Do you take Tyler for a fool who doesn't know resentment? He just doesn't talk about it.""H—How do you know about all that?" Va
Vicky tightly grasped the icy iron bars. "Do you know the reason Tyler and I broke up?""I heard you lost your memory, and I guess it's true," the maid said, standing against the light, her expression obscured by darkness."Ms. Shaw, back then, you were truly too naive and were completely deceived by Missus Hart. You thought she'd treat Tyler well and love him...but you couldn't be more wrong."She took a few steps back, surveying the cage before her and whispering softly, "Back then, Tyler was locked in a cage by Missus Hart, just like you are now..." A peculiar smile appeared on her face. "You painfully sacrificed your love and broke up with him, unaware that you were pushing him into a treacherous abyss and a realm of despair."Vicky was shaken. "What are you saying?"The woman crouched down to meet Vicky's gaze, her voice slow and gentle. "Mister Tyler suffered a great deal here... Missus Hart was afraid of leaving any evidence, so she couldn't resort to obvious means. To tort
"Yeah." The maid nodded. "Mister Tyler searched the entire mansion and didn't find you anywhere, so his attention will be drawn elsewhere.""Do Mister and Missus Hart plan on killing me?""They want to but are both hesitant about it. Right now, they don't want to worsen their conflicts with Mister Tyler. If they kill you and Mister Tyler finds out, he might not stop at severing all ties with the Hart Family... Who knows what cruelty he'll be capable of?"Vicky frowned and wanted to argue but decided against it in the end."I can't stay here for too long. If Missus Hart finds out that I'm a spy, I can only imagine what'll happen to me," the maid continued. "She doesn't want Mister Tyler to find out about any of this, so no one is allowed to get out of the mansion. All communication devices have been confiscated, so I can't seek help from the outside world for you."She glanced at her watch and sped up her speech. "The most dangerous place is often the safest as well. You've been tr
"Tyler, I agree to leave with you... I like the ocean, so let's settle down somewhere near the ocean, okay?""Can you remove my cuffs? I want to design our home.""How does this design look? Do you want to make any amendments?"Vicky put up a great act and appeared to be dreaming of their future together, so Tyler eventually started envisioning their lives together as well.He had always been composed and realistic, so he was never one to fantasize about the future.He let his guard down and found himself drowning in the idealistic picture she painted for their future, only to find out that everything was merely an act.She escaped when he went outside and came close to truly getting away.He was furious like he never was before, in a way that he had never felt even when he was tortured by his mother.When Tyler caught her once again, Vicky stared at him with despair in her eyes."Why does it have to be me? Why?"Tyler never asked why things were the way they were and had not
The night was as dark as ink when the door to the mansion flew open.Before the guards had time to react, they were all restrained by the intruders.Tyler glanced at Harry and ordered, "Gather everyone in the mansion. Quickly."Harry instantly realized that Tyler wanted to prevent anyone from leaving through the secret passages.Everyone who worked for Tyler was professional and quick on their feet. Soon, every person in the mansion was gathered in one place and guarded.Orion and Valencia, who were informed about the intrusion, hurried over."Tyler, how dare you barge into your parent's house in the middle of the night like this?!" Orion questioned furiously.Tyler shot them a cold look. "I'll ask you one more time: Where is Vicky?"Orion and Valencia both guessed why Tyler was there and managed to keep their composure.Valencia frowned. "How would we know where she is? You didn't believe us and searched the mansion once before, didn't you? What do you want now?""I think yo
[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