Ch. 121..130

Loving You In Secret Chapter 121-Vicky, Tyler, and Sebastian finished their food despite the awkward atmosphere, and the waiter brought over the desserts and ice cream seconds after.

Though Vicky loved desserts, she was not entirely sure if she liked ice cream.

Under the watchful eyes of the two men next to her, she looked at the sundae in front of her and took a small bite.

The icy sweetness filled her mouth along with the aroma of strawberries, and she immediately fell in love with the taste.

Tyler had not lied about how she liked ice cream, and she realized he was not as unfamiliar with her as she originally thought.

'Does he know this because we've been married for three years?' she thought to herself.

After she finished her ice cream, she got up to pay the bill when Tyler grabbed her by the arm. "Hang on."

"What is it?” She gaped at him.

He leaned closer and before she could react, he pressed his lips against hers.

Stunned, she gasped, "Tyler, what are you-’

He backed away almost immediately and said, "You had ice cream on your lips."

n n

Vicky’s cheeks were flushed as her heart raced. She turned away from looking at his eyes and looked at Sebastian, who seemed to have not seen what happened and was looking outside the window in a rather lonesome manner.

She narrowed her eyes and instead of talking to him, she said, 'Til go get the bill."

Tyler grabbed her arm again, and she came close to pulling away but suppressed the urge at the last moment.

"What now...?"

She felt nervous every moment she spent with Tyler because he never acted with common sense and though she could guess what he thought occasionally, he would often challenge her by doing the unexpected.

He handed her a black-and-gold colored card. "Pay with this."

She shot him another confused look, but since she did not want to reject Tyler in front of Sebastian, she accepted the card and said, "Okay."

Vicky had meant to make Sebastian give up, and since Tyler was here, there was no need for words.

Sebastian was a bright man who should comprehend the situation without her explaining it.

When they walked out of the restaurant, Sebastian said goodbye to Vicky and left.

She watched as he disappeared into the distance and felt somehow... depressed. Sebastian was the only one, apart from Cece, who was willing to help her unconditionally. On top of that, he was also her childhood friend.

She did not want him to be upset, but she also knew that she would never end up together with Sebastian, so it was best for him to move on.

"What is it? Do you feel sorry for him?" Tyler's voice came from behind her.

She turned to look at him and handed him the card he gave her earlier."

Here."

He simply stared at the card and did not accept it.

Loving You In Secret Chapter 122-Vicky did not know what Tyler was thinking and said, Take the card back."

"Are you trying to split the bill?" he asked.

She shot him a confused stare. "What?*

"Is there a point to separate what's yours and what's mine?"

She immediately realized what he was trying to say and stared at the card in her hand, knowing perfectly well how much it was worth.

The Hart family was as rich as kings and queens, so she knew that Tyler would not bat an eye if she spent his money.

However...

"Are you really...going to stay with me in this marriage?" she asked.

The look in his eyes darkened. *Why? Are you regretting it?" He glanced at her mockingly. "Changed your mind after seeing your childhood lover?"

"...’ She shot him a polite smile. "Mister Hart, stop blaming everything on me just because I lost my memories. If I wanted to be with Sebastian, why would we be married in the first place?"

Before the Shaws fell, Missus Mills had wanted to form a bond with the Shaws and wanted Sebastian to marry Vicky.

If she truly loved Sebastian, she would have married him a long time ago.

"Your innocent little lover came all the way to confront me, Mister Hart," she said sarcastically. "I wonder who gave her the courage to do such a thing?’

He narrowed his eyes and asked in a husky voice, "Are you jealous, Missus Hart?"

She smiled nonchalantly. "You often come home late at night for her and even stand up for her. She was so touched that she wanted to offer herself up to you, not even caring if she became the bad cop to free you from this marriage. Honestly, is it odd that I assume she's being told to do so?"

He stared at her face for a few moments before chuckling. "After what happened just now, was it still not enough to appease your anger? Should I call Nikki back here so you can beat her up?"

"It's fine." Vicky only mentioned Nikki because Tyler was trying to accuse her of taking an interest in Sebastian.

Silence fell over them, and Tyler said after a while, "I usually come here if I'm meeting a client."

Vicky did not understand what he meant at first, but soon came to a realization that he was offering her an explanation. "You are saying that you were...dining here with a client?"

"Yeah."

Vicky realized that he had not come for Nikki's sake, which explained why he was not eating much earlier if he had other appointments.

She frowned. "Is it okay for you to just ditch your client like that?’

"It's fine," he said calmly.

Vicky decided against asking further questions and did not mention the fact that he had been ignoring her. Since they both knew what happened, there was no point in mentioning it.

At night, Tyler was about to go into the bathroom for a shower after he was done with work and saw the bedroom light on.

Vicky had not fallen asleep and was reading in bed.

Vicky had always enjoyed reading and throughout the three years they were married, he would always come home to find her with a book in hand.

Her beautiful features looked exceptionally gentle under the warm light.

When she heard footsteps approaching, Vicky looked up and asked,"

Coming to bed soon?"

"Yeah," he said and headed into the bathroom.

Loving You In Secret Chapter 123-15 minutes later, Tyler came out of the bathroom in a white bathrobe as he dried his hair with a towel.

The bedroom lights were dimmed and to his bewilderment, he felt someone holding him from behind.

He stiffened, and he stilled from drying his hair. A few moments later, he said, "Vicky, what are you doing?"

Vicky could feel herself quivering. This was one of the boldest things she had ever done since she lost her memories.

Tyler had given her the cold shoulder and even went to see another woman because she refused to be intimate with him. Though, she could hardly blame him for it.

No man on earth could accept a wife who refused to be intimate with him, especially when they had both agreed to work on the marriage.

Vicky had thought about it and researched the issue.

Cece was right about how both men and women would have difficulties accepting a marriage without intimacy, and it was a part of their responsibility to maintain this aspect of a marriage.

It would eventually happen unless they divorced, and since they had been intimate before, Vicky realized that it was unreasonable for her to trouble herself over it.

Nikki's appearance posed a threat to her marriage, and she did not want to come to regret it after problems arose. 1

She took a deep breath and said, "Tyler, I...I'm ready."

He stood still without moving or responding, and since his back was facing her, Vicky could not see the look on his face.

Her heart sank at his silence, but just as she wondered if she needed to be even more proactive, he spoke, "Are you sure that you are ready?"

Her fingers twitched at the tone of his voice, but she gritted her teeth to respond regardless, "Yes. I'm ready."

As soon as the words rolled off her tongue, she was lifted off the ground. She swiftly wiped away the initial panic in her eyes as he set her down on their king-sized bed.

His lean, yet muscular body was pressed against hers and she closed her eyes, shivering ever so slightly.

She could feel the temperature rising from the proximity between them, and her heart beat like a drum as she sensed the warmth of his breath on her skin.

She jolted in shock when his lips touched hers, instinctively trying to move away. However, Tyler did not give her the chance and devoured her lips.

As her breath was taken away, she felt threatened and though she had prepared herself, she still.Jnstinctively resisted this.

When she opened her eyes, she found herself looking into his eyes and saw the reflection of her fear.

"I..." she muttered, "I...can do...this."

He stared at her. "Are you sure?"

She looked away. "Yeah. I think...so."

He observed her intently and after some time, he lowered his head once again as if to resume what he was doing.

Loving You In Secret Chapter 124-Vicky clenched her fists tightly under the sheets and stiffened until her entire body was as hard as a rock. As she tried to stop fighting Tyler, the weight on her body disappeared.

She opened her eyes and found Tyler standing by the bed. Panicking, she muttered, "Tyler..."

He did not look at her and simply said, ’Why bother forcing yourself into it if you don't want to?’

"I want to..." She lowered her head. "You know that I've forgotten about a lot of things, and it's hard to...get used to things.”

Since they were already married, there was no point in delaying the inevitable since she knew that her resistance would eventually melt away.

He lowered his gaze and stared into her eyes. "I'm not into assaulting women."

"That's not it. I'm doing this willingly."

"You say that, but your heart says otherwise. That makes this just as bad as an assault," he said emotionlessly.

She bit her lower lip when she looked into his eyes.

It was not a shame for a woman to try and defend her marriage, and intimacy was a great part of a healthy marriage.

As her final attempt, she argued, "It's not that I don't want to. It's just that...I can't get past the mental block. I think I'm just scared of the unknown... Yeah, that's probably it."

Toward the end, she began to lose track of her own thoughts.

He glanced at her. "You're scared of the unknown?" The look in his eyes darkened. "Why weren't you scared of the unknown when you seduced me for the very first time, then?"

She was at a loss for words. Vicky did not enjoy hearing about the past from Tyler, mainly because it did not seem to be great memories, but also because she had forgotten about everything and could not even defend herself.

After a few moments of silence, she muttered, "That's because...1 was younger and fearless then."

"Younger and fearless... Vicky, you sure are great at finding excuses."

Her cheeks burned as her silence remained.

She was not a conservative woman in the traditional sense but still felt a little shy when Tyler turned her down while she relentlessly tried to seduce him. She sheepishly tried to change the subject and said, "It's late. Let's go to sleep."

He shot her one last look before turning to leave.

Vicky distinctly remembered how he left and spent the night in the study room after she turned him down the time before and blurted out, "Tyler, where are you going?"

He stilled and turned to look at the anxious expression on her face. His lips curled into a smile and said, "I'm just going to dry my hair in the bathroom, Missus Hart. Why are you so nervous?"

"You aren't leaving?"

"Where will I go?"

"I thought...you're going to another room," she said awkwardly.

With a half-smile, he said in a seductive voice, "Before you lost your memories, you didn't want me to sleep in another room, so you moved all the beds in other rooms out. Seems like habits stick even when you lose your memories."

He scanned her up and down pointedly. "Vicky Shaw, do you really not remember a thing?"

"If I'm faking it, are you going to divorce me?" she retorted.

Loving You In Secret Chapter 125-Tyler stared at Vicky quietly.

Vicky's heart sank. ’Are you...really thinking that? Am I that horrible of a person before losing my memories?'

"Yes/ he said.

She observed the look on his face and muttered, "I might've lost my memories now, but it might change in the future. If I...end up remembering everything, will you../

He gave her a look and said, ’Depends on your performance/

With that, he turned to head into the bathroom.

Vicky sat on the bed, trying to process what he meant by what he said.

She knew what kind of man Tyler was, and if he did not intend on continuing the marriage, he would have never given such a vague answer.

'So proud!' she mused to herself.

She no longer wanted to divorce him as much as she did in the past because the marriage was not as intolerable as it was in terms of Tyler's attitude toward her as well as other aspects.

Tyler's attitude toward her might have improved, or it was simply because she did not think she could find another man as great as he was if she divorced him, but regardless, there was more to gain than to lose for her to stay in this marriage.

Vicky walked into the bathroom, and Tyler shot her an odd look when he saw her. "What are you doing here?"

Vicky knew that he had mistaken this as yet another effort to try and seduce him. Without explaining, she went and grabbed the hair dryer.

"Let me dry your hair for you."

"You want to dry my hair for me?" He seemed surprised.

She nodded.

He frowned. "What do you want?"

He assumed that she was fawning over him because she needed his help with something. She often acted with a certain intention in mind.

She smiled at him. "You said it all depends on how I perform, right? I'm starting to work hard now."

He studied the smile on her face and felt dazed for a split moment.

Vicky turned to walk out of the bathroom and did not notice the odd look on his face. As they walked out of the bathroom, she noticed that he was still standing still and turned around in confusion.

"You want to dry your hair, right? Come on/

He gulped and hummed in response before following her out of the bathroom.

The sound of the hair dryer echoed in the dark night, and Vicky ran her slim fingers through his scalp. Tyler leaned against the couch lazily with his eyes closed, allowing the woman behind him to dry his hair.

The lights inside the room were warm in tone, and his sculpted features looked less cold and distant than usual under the light.

She scanned his face while drying his hair, struggling to look away.

'This guy is handsome, I'll give him that,' she thought to herself.

Perhaps her stare was too intense, he opened his eyes abruptly and met her eyes.

His eyes were as dark as night and as she stared into them, she felt as though her soul was being sucked into the depths of his eyes.

Her heart raced and she looked away, muttering, "We're done/

Vicky turned to put the hair dryer back to the bathroom when Tyler reached out and pulled her down into his embrace.

He tilted her head up and planted a deep kiss on her lips.

Loving You In Secret Chapter 126-It felt as though Tyler was about to swallow her whole.

Unlike the usual cold and distant impression he gave, his kiss was forceful and demanding.

Had Vicky not experienced it herself, she would have never guessed that there was such a side to him.

All sounds faded away as her mind went blank.

Just as she was about to run out of breath, Tyler finally let her go.

He was panting, and his eyes were as dark as night with a fire burning dangerously in their depths, i

Feeling like prey that had been targeted by a predator, she tensed instinctively.

He stared at her unmovingly before finally taking the hair dryer in her hand and muttering hoarsely, "Go to sleep."

He stood and walked toward the bathroom.

She watched as he went, all the while thinking to herself, 'I wouldn't have stopped him if he wanted to continue...1

She sobered when she heard the door of the bathroom opening and immediately placed her hands on her cheeks in frustration.

'What was I thinking?' she thought. 'Am I that desperate?1

To avoid feeling awkward, Vicky laid down on the bed and turned off the lights on her side.

Tyler returned to the bedroom shortly after and as the other side of the bed sank, he went into bed as well.

Instantly, all lights in the room went out, and Vicky lied still with her back facing his direction.

The moonlight shone into the room through the gaps between the curtains, and though nothing was different from the nights she had spent alone or with him, something changed and the night felt different somehow.

Vicky, who usually fell asleep right away, was wide awake as she twisted and turned in bed.

Tyler’s voice soon rose in the darkness. "You cant sleep?"

"Am I bothering you?" she whispered.

He did not answer and pulled her into his arms.

She stilled as he wrapped his arms around her while saying, "Go to sleep."

Vicky was silent.

It was a different kind of intimacy compared to kissing.

Vicky stiffened and struggled to settle down in his arms.

There were two types of memories in the human mind: conscious memories and muscle memories. Though she lost her conscious memories, she still had her muscle memories that dictated her behaviors, habits, and reflex. Hence, even when she did not remember anything about Tyler, she felt familiar whenever he kissed her because they had been intimate in the past. However, her body felt unfamiliar with his hug.

"You’ve...never held me in your sleep before, have you?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"No wonder. I feel kind of uncomfortable," she muttered.

Sleeping alone and sleeping in someone's arms felt completely different and it became even harder for her to go to sleep.

"You'll get used to it," he said.

Knowing that he was right, she hummed and closed her eyes. Vicky had thought that it would be a sleepless night.

Loving You In Secret Chapter 127-It was that way at first, but Vicky eventually grew tired and drifted off to sleep while listening to the rhythmic beat of Tyler's heart.

Tyler was gone by the time she woke up the next day.

When she checked the time, she realized that she had woken up an hour late.

Just then, her phone on the nightstand vibrated, and she grabbed it to find a message from Tyler.

It was a simple message. [Awake?]

She glided her fingers across the screen and typed, [Yeah.]

Half a minute later, Tyler replied, [You were sound asleep when I woke up, so I didn't wake you. I had the servants prepare breakfast. It's in the thermal cabinet.]

Her lips curled into a smile as she read the message.

[Have you eaten breakfast?] she replied.

[Yeah.]

[Okay, then. You have a weak stomach, so you can't skip breakfast.]

[I know.]

After receiving his reply, she put her phone away and went to wash up.

People who did not know Tyler might think that he had no emotions, but Vicky knew that this was just the way he talked.

After breakfast, Vicky returned to her studio to find Cece reading the resume they received.

As her studio gained its reputation, they soon realized that they were understaffed. Upon discussion, Vicky and Cece decided to hire another employee.

Vicky was Cece's mentor, so Cece was considered a professional designer on her own at this point, so she decided that she could filter the applicants first before showing them to Vicky.

When she looked up and saw Vicky, she beamed enthusiastically at her." Morning, Vicky!"

Cece was a cheerful young woman, and Vicky's spirit would be uplifted whenever she saw Cece.

She smiled and nodded. "How's the resume reading going?"

Cece scowled. "There are a few talented designers, but they lack personal styles. All their designs are more of the same with the hottest trend..."

"It's fine. There's no hurry. The two of us are still enough at the moment. It just might get a little tiring."

Cece studied Vicky's face and smirked mischievously. ’Vicky, did you and Mister Hart...make up?"

Vicky froze. "How do you know?"

"You look different today, Vicky...so I guessed that you must've made up with Mister Hart."

Vicky touched her face. "Is it that obvious?"

Cece pointed at the mirror on the wall and teased, "You look like a woman who's deeply in love... Rosy cheeks, glittery eyes, and all that."

Vicky glanced at the mirror.

The woman in the reflection was smiling and oozing joy that could not be concealed.

'I guess it is obvious,' she thought to herself.

After a whole day in the studio, Vicky gathered her belongings and called out to Cece, "Cece, let's go.'

Cece kept her eyes on the design she was working on. "You should go first, Vicky. I have inspiration that I need to put on papers before leaving."

Deciding not to bother her, Vicky said, "Okay, then. Don't stay too long.’

The sky had turned dark when she stepped out of the studio, and just as she was about to call a taxi, someone stood in her way.

Vicky looked up and her expression darkened when she saw the person's face.

Loving You In Secret Chapter 128-"Nikki?"

Nikki glared daggers at Vicky, her face twisted with hatred. "You did that, didn't you, Vicky Shaw?!"

"What are you referring to, Miss Mayland?"

"You're still pretending like nothing happened up until now?!' Nikki screamed furiously. "The restaurant wouldn't have fired me if it wasn't for you! I've already left the bar as you wished! What else am I supposed to do? Are you not going to stop until I die?!’

Vicky narrowed her eyes in realization and said calmly, "Miss Mayland, I never made you quit your job; you resigned on your own record. I have nothing to do with it. I don't have anything to do with what happened in that restaurant either. Please stop blaming me for everything-"

Before she could finish, Nikki interrupted her hysterically.

"Can you stop acting innocent, Vicky Shaw?! The restaurant manager told me that he fired me because I crossed the wrong person! I've just started working there. Who else could I possibly cross if it's not you?"

Vicky fell into silence as she looked into the resentment in Nikki’s eyes. A few moments later, she chuckled. "Miss Mayland, if you stop making a living off playing piano, you should try being an actress. You might even win an Oscur Award."

"Vicky Sh-" Nikki tried to speak but was interrupted immediately.

"Miss Mayland, ever since I went to that bar for your performance, you've stopped playing and quit from the bar. Did you really think that I won't know what you were aiming to achieve?" Vicky smiled coldly. "You want to give the impression that I was at that bar to bully you into leaving, and you

wanted to see how much you matter to Tyler by insisting not to play piano?" 1

Nikki paled. "You're wrong!"

"Miss Mayland, we both know whether or not I'm wrong," Vicky said expressionlessly. "You went to the restaurant where Tyler frequented to play piano, wanting to remind him of you, right? When you saw me in the restaurant, you decided to play along and take that opportunity to

complain to Tyler about me, saying that I bullied you into leaving that bar... Well, I guess that's what others say as well. If Tyler sided with you, you'd get what you want. Even if he didn't, he'd still think of me as a vicious

woman. Am I wrong, Miss Mayland?"

Nikki wanted to deny it, but her blood ran cold when she saw the smile on Vicky's face.

Vicky was right about everything.

Everyone knew that Vicky was the daughter of a fallen family that was once powerful, but despite what happened to her family, she kept a leveled head and Nikki felt helpless in front of Vicky.

She was not a match for Vicky.

Nikki did not know what happened, but Vicky successfully stopped Tyler from appearing at her piano performance. She had hoped that Tyler could listen to her playing the piano once again, and she was confident that she could change his mind.

Vicky saw right through Nikki and said, "Miss Mayland, I suggest that you stay away from my man while I still have the patience, or I won't mind cornering you to the point where you're left helpless."

With that said, she walked past Nikki expressionlessly.

As soon as Vicky disappeared from her sight, all strength was drained from Nikki and she collapsed onto the ground.

'Is this...the end?' She thought to herself. Her tears dripped onto the ground as she resented both Vicky and Tyler. 'If I was destined to be disappointed, why would you give me hope to begin with? Why would you look at me that way? Why would you leave after making me fall for you? Why?!'

Loving You In Secret Chapter 129-Nikki was drowning in despair when a pair of crimson heels appeared before her eyes.

Nikki looked up dazedly at the person standing in front of her, who had a seemingly vicious smile on her face.

"Miss Nikki, I know what you want to do. I can help you."

Rumors about Vicky never ceased. Some said that she destroyed Sheila's hands and did the same to Nikki. Some said that she and Tyler were working on their marriage, and some said they were about to get a divorce.

Vicky paid no mind to the rumors and slowly got used to being by Tyler's side.

She would cook for him when she had the time and remind him to eat even when she was busy.

Tyler's name soon faded from scandals with other women, and he would return home every day with the only exception of working overtime.

A month had passed, and Vicky had grown accustomed to his presence and even struggled to fall asleep when he went on a business trip.

Tyler's birthday was approaching and after spending half a day in the mall, Vicky and Cece finally found the perfect gifts.

Cece looked at the elegant gift box in Vicky’s hand knowingly. "It's a good idea to buy him a pen. That way, he'll think of you whenever he works." She then looked around sneakily and continued, "I don't really know Mister Hart, but since he is your husband...I bought him a gift as well."

Vicky was slightly shocked. "You, too?"

Cece nodded. "But it's more like a gift for you."

"For me? Why would you prepare a gift for me when it's his birthday?’

Cece giggled. ’You two are a pair. What's his is yours and vice versa. It doesn't matter whose gift it is."

Curious, Vicky asked, ’What is it?"

"I will hand it to you on the day of Mister Hart's birthday." Cece winked at her. "I guarantee that you'll both love it."

Vicky shook her head in resignation and did not ask any further questions.

Tyler was the most known person in the Stonefield City elite community, and the press had started guessing what would be done for Tyler's birthday a long time ago.

He never enjoyed the crowd, but since he represented the city, he could not let his birthday pass without celebrating it.

Each year, his birthday party would inevitably turn into a business summit.

Tyler was young and capable with Hart Corporation under his control, so his connection reached beyond the international boundaries that people all around the world would come to his birthday party.

Vicky stood before a mirror and studied her reflection.

Loving You In Secret Chapter 130-The woman in the mirror was dressed in a crimson dress that outlined the alluring curves of her body. The makeup on her face emphasized her delicate features, and she looked as bewitching as a siren.

Cece stood behind Vicky and scanned her from head to toe in contentment. "Perfect!"

Vicky, having rarely dressed in such a bold color, frowned. "Don't you think this is too revealing?"

The dress Vicky wore was made by Cece.

Cece had grown into an extraordinary fashion designer under Vicky's guidance, specializing in gowns. When she was told that Vicky would be attending Tyler’s birthday party, Cece burnt the midnight oil to produce an exquisite gown.

"Today is Mister Hart's party and as his wife, you need to stand out and intimidate other women so they won't dare seduce Mister Hart!" Cece deadpanned.

Since what Cece said made sense, Vicky nodded thoughtfully.

Just then, someone knocked on the door, and a majestic man stepped in.

"Mister Hart," greeted Cece before leaving.

Vicky watched as the man approached her from the mirror and smiled." Why are you here?"

"Just here to check on you," he said casually.

Since he entered the room, his eyes had been glued to her, and his eyes darkened with lust as he studied her.

She adjusted her dress and asked, ‘Is it okay? I'm sure I won't be embarrassing you this time, right?"

Not only was Maria, who had been targeting her, invited to the party, but Sheila and other women who were hoping to attract Tyler's attention would be there as well.

Tyler walked toward her and when she turned around to speak to him, he placed his hand on the back of her head and leaned closer.

To appear at the party looking her best, Vicky had put a lot of effort into her looks. At the same time, she knew her makeup would be smudged if she allowed Tyler to kiss her.

She immediately moved away. "Wait. My makeup—mmph!"

Before she could finish, he pressed his lips against hers forcefully. She tried to push him away, but he did not budge at all, and her resistance merely felt as though she was encouraging him.

Sometime later, he finally let her go. The mirror reflected the way they held onto one another.

She collapsed into his arms helplessly and gasped for air. As she turned around, she saw her reflection and widened her eyes in shock. "Ah!"

Though it was minutes away from the start of the party, her lips were swollen.

There was a fire burning in his eyes when he said hoarsely, "Change to another dress."

She scowled at him. "This dress is made specifically for tonight. I'm not wearing anything else."

He leaned closer and whispered seductively into her ear., "Be a good girl and change."

Tyler had a wonderful voice, but his voice was often laced with a cold tone. Yet, when he whispered into her ear, she felt butterflies in her stomach.