Ch. 1411..1420

Loving You In Secret Chapter 1411-Tyler met Vicky's clear eyes that reflected his face.

"I don't want anything," said Vicky earnestly. "All I want is for us to stay together and for you not to misunderstand me again."

Tyler flinched slightly and lowered his gaze.

Vicky sighed and said, "It's getting late. Let's go to bed."

All of a sudden, she felt a sudden tug from her wrist before she found herself pulled into his embrace.

"Vicky." He brushed his lips across her cheek. "So long as you stay by my side, I can give you anything."

She looked up and tried to speak, only to be stopped by a fierce kiss that swallowed all her words.

The following day, Vicky made her way to her studio. She produced a small USB drive and handed it over to Harvey." Take a look at the contents here and see if it can turn the situation around for your company."

Harvey looked at the USB drive in Vicky's hand with surprise. "What is this?"

"You'll understand once you take a look."

After a brief silence, Harvey accepted the USB drive from Vicky and inserted it into his laptop. As he opened the files

within the drive, a glint of shock flickered in his eyes.

"Where did you get these files?"

"From Tyler's laptop." Vicky took out her phone and pulled up the photos she had taken. "There are a few more documents here. Take a look at them as well."

Taking Vicky's phone, Harvey’s eyes widened.

The background in the photos was dimly lit, which indicated they were taken at night.

"Vicky, I don't need you to do this for me," he said helplessly.

Vicky observed his exhausted face. "All of this is my fault. I promised that I'd take responsibility for it."

"If Tyler finds out..."

"It's alright, he won't do anything to me." Vicky smiled." Though he's done a lot of things to me, he's never physically harmed me or done anything truly damaging. He won't harm me even if he finds out. It's more likely he'll-" Guilt welled up in Vicky's eyes. "He'IL..harbor even deeper resentment toward you.

"However, Johnson Corporation isn't doing so well, so let's just focus on getting through this crisis for now." Vicky had decided on what to do next and said, "Once the situation at Johnson Corporation stabilizes, you need to leave Zendonia. Don't ever come back."

Harvey hesitated as he stared intently at her. In the end, he did not refuse her help and said, "Thank you."

The documents Vicky handed to Harvey seemed to have a significant impact. Not only did Johnson Corporation's stock value stabilize, but it even began to rise gradually.

At the same time, Tyler's return at night became later than usual, and his demeanor grew colder day by day.

On this particular day, Tyler did not return home until past midnight.

"Have you had dinner?" Vicky asked when she spotted the frown on his face.

"Not yet."

Immediately, Vicky got out of bed. "Let me prepare some late-night snacks for you."

"It's fine." Tyler gently embraced her. "A glass of milk will be enough."

Vicky fell silent for a few seconds. "Has something gone wrong with the company?"

"Yeah." There was a frosty bite to his tone. "It seems there's a traitor in my firm."

Loving You In Secret Chapter 1412-Vicky's breath halted. "A traitor?' "Yeah. The company's top secret has been leaked, and all departments are making an effort to find this traitor," he said coldly.

"Is it that bad?"

"Yeah." He let go of her and continued, "With information about certain projects leaked, our competitors are trying to get ahead of us and are working together to suppress Hart Corporation... We're in for quite a lot of trouble."

Vicky knew Harvey would not sit on his thumbs and wait to be defeated, but she never imagined she would cause trouble for Hart Corporation by helping Harvey.

Instantly, she felt at a loss for words and muttered, "Tyler, the truth is..."

As Vicky began to speak, Tyler's phone rang. His attention shifted as he retrieved his phone and answered the call.

"Mister Hart, regarding Harvey's whereabouts..." Harry's voice was heard from the other end of the line.

Tyler narrowed his eyes. Vicky only managed to catch a few words before Tyler left the room.

Realization dawned on Vicky that Tyler was still investigating Harvey's whereabouts; his intent to harm Harvey never wavered. If she told Tyler the truth, Harvey's life could be in jeopardy.

About 10 minutes later, Tyler returned after ending his call. It seemed he remembered the interrupted conversation as he asked, "What were you about to say?"

"Nothing much," Vicky replied. "I just wanted to remind you not to overexert yourself."

The depths of the man's profound eyes brimmed with emotions she could not quite decipher. "Is that all?"

Vicky nodded.

Gradually, the emotions in Tyler's eyes seemed to fade. "Go ahead and sleep. I'll take a shower."

"Alright."

The turbulence within Hart Corporation intensified, even affecting the stock market with a decline of several percentage points. While the corporation's foundation remained solid, the situation caused significant trouble.

As time passed, Harvey's injuries began to heal, and his time spent at the computer increased. Harvey was a formidable opponent-one who could cause great trouble for Hart Corporation with just a small amount of leaked information. Yet, Vicky found herself incapable of stopping him.

The information was obtained through her actions, and she lacked the standing and reason to intervene.

On a certain day, just after Vicky and Harvey finished lunch, the doorbell to the studio rang abruptly.

A glance through the peephole caused Vicky to pale within an instant.

Without further thought, she hurried to Harvey's room and blurted out, "Tyler's here. You need to hide."

Harvey's expression darkened.

Ding, dong! The doorbell rang again.

Vicky did not have time for another word and swiftly gathered the belongings in the room.

After a few seconds of consideration, she decided to move Harvey's things to Cece's room instead.

Each of them—Cece, Jennifer, and Vicky-had their own rooms. Vicky felt that it was inappropriate to place Harvey in one of their rooms without permission, but in an emergency, she could not afford to consider that.

"I’m not sure why Tyler's here or how long he'll stay," Vicky muttered as she tidied Harvey's belongings. "For now, hide in Cece's room. It's unlikely he'd go there."

Loving You In Secret Chapter 1413-Harvey nodded.

Just as they tidied up, the doorbell rang again.

Ding!

Vicky ignored it and worked quickly.

Alas, her phone rang, and she had no option but to answer it.

By then, most of Harvey's belongings had been put away. She answered the call while checking the room for things she might have missed.

"Vicky, where are you?" Tyler asked in a cold tone.

Her heart dropped to her stomach, but she feigned a drowsy voice. "In my studio, of course."

"Why aren't you opening the door?"

She paused and said, "I was taking a nap and didn't hear the bell. Are you at the door now?"

"Yeah."

"Hang on. I'm coming over to open the door."

After ending the call, Vicky motioned for Harvey to hide in Cece's room and went to answer the door. Tyler's tall and slender figure was at the doorstep.

He watched as she rubbed her eyes drowsily and asked," Did I disturb you?"

"Not at all." Vicky ushered Tyler into the studio. "What brings you here all of a sudden?"

"Just happened to pass by, so I thought I’d drop in," Tyler replied, surveying his surroundings. "Aren't your two assistants around?"

"They're on a business trip and haven't returned yet."

"Weren't they only supposed to be away for a week? They're still not back?"

Vicky was taken aback. She mentioned it in passing, so she had not expected him to remember.

"Yeah," Vicky answered softly. "There was a fashion exhibition over there, so I asked them to come back after participating."

"I see." Tyler glanced around and asked casually, "How's the new studio? Are you satisfied with it?"

"Yes, it's great. Convenient location, and much larger than the previous studio."

Furthermore, the entire floor belonged to her, and the other areas had been beautifully renovated. However, the studio's expansion was not completed yet, so it had not been put into full use.

"Though I've been here many times, I haven't had a close look," said Tyler, his gaze seemingly distant. "How about giving me a tour?"

Vicky's eyes widened. "Aren't you supposed to be working this afternoon?"

"My business partner had something urgent to attend to, so we rescheduled the afternoon signing for another time."

Tyler looked at Vicky and smiled. "I’ve been so busy lately and haven't had much time with you. I happen to be free this afternoon, so I thought I'd spend it with you."

Given his reasoning, refusing him might raise suspicion, so she forced a smile. "Alright." She began by showing Tyler the yet-to-be-opened office areas. "It's just me, Cece, and Jennifer at the moment, so this section will be opened up when we have more people."

Tyler followed quietly behind Vicky as she introduced room by room. They soon arrived at her own work area.

Vicky turned to ask, "You've visited my office before. Do you want to see it again?"

"Yes."

Vicky led him into her office and offered him a glass of water. "Have some water."

Tyler accepted the glass, but his gaze remained fixed on her office sharply as if he was searching for something.

Unable to find anything out of the ordinary, Tyler took a sip of water from the glass.

"By the way, I've seen Harry's design plans. I remember there are a few private rooms here," he spoke.

Loving You In Secret Chapter 1414-Vicky froze. Bedrooms all look the same... There's not much to see."

Tyler ignored her and held her close. "I've never seen your bedroom here before. Why don't you give me a tour?"

She walked toward her bedroom while he kept his arm around her.

As the door opened, the room looked organized. Though, the sheets were slightly wrinkled as though someone had been sleeping on them.

Tyler glanced around and asked, "This is your bedroom?"

"Yeah."

"You don't have many of your belongings here."

Vicky's office was adorned with numerous paintings, and her desk had an array of colorful trinkets. The windowsill held an abundance of potted plants, giving the room a lively ambiance. However, the nearby resting room appeared noticeably sparser, with hardly any of her belongings in sight. Anyone would be convinced the room was not hers.

Without meeting his gaze, Vicky explained, "I recently moved to this new studio, and I haven't had a chance to move my things here. Besides, I don't spend much time resting here, so...l just forgot."

"You don’t rest here often?"

"Yeah. I just felt a bit tired around noon today, so I took a short nap.”

Tyler turned his gaze to her. "I thought you rest here all the time."

Vicky lowered her head. "I go home every day and often have lunch with you at Hart Corporation at noon. I don't actually spend much time in this room."

"I see." Tyler did not dwell on the issue and shifted his gaze away. "Let's go see the other rooms."

Vicky raised an eyebrow at him. "You want to see the others' rooms too?"

"Yeah, is there a problem with that?"

Vicky looked a bit awkward. "The remaining two rooms belong to Jennifer and Cece. Since they’re not here now, entering their rooms without permission seems appropriate."

"How about you give them a call and ask for their opinion?"

Vicky had not expected Tyler to be so persistent and asked hesitantly, "You want me to call them?"

"Is it inappropriate?"

"It's not that, I just...think it's weird that you're particularly interested in their rooms."

Tyler gave his reasoning in his usual composed manner. "I chose the studio for you, and I think it's important to promptly understand your and your employees' needs to ensure your comfort."

"It's nice here. The three of us are quite satisfied, and we haven't felt any discomfort."

"Cece and Jennifer are your employees. Even if they're not satisfied, they might not voice their concerns to you." Tyler's intense gaze locked onto hers. "As an employer, it's best to rely on firsthand experience instead of words."

Vicky struggled to find reasons to refuse his request." Then... I'll call them and ask."

"Okay."

Vicky took out her phone, her fingers trembling slightly.

She only hoped that Cece and Jennifer would not answer the call. Alas, the call was quickly picked up, much to her disappointment.

"Vicky?" Cece's cheerful voice resonated from the other end of the line. "This fashion week's exhibition is really something. Though it doesn't compare to international events, it's still great!"

There seemed to be some noise in the background, and Cece continued excitedly, "I've taken loads of photos and videos. I'll show them to you when I'm back in a few days."

"Alright," Vicky replied absentmindedly. "I saw your friends. They're indeed quite impressive."

Loving You In Secret Chapter 1415-"Right? The fashion show displays mostly designs by new designers, and they're really creative! Both Jennifer and I decided to come again next year."

After chatting for a while longer, Vicky cut to the chase. " Cece, there's something that I need to ask you and Jennifer."

"What, both of us?" Cece asked before calling out to Jennifer. "Vicky, Jennifer is next to me now. What is it?"

Cece seemed to have switched to speaker mode, and Vicky heard Jennifer asking curiously, "Is Vicky calling?"

"Yeah. She said she needs to ask us something," answered Cece.

Vicky glanced at Tyler, realizing she could not stall any longer. "Tyler wants to take a tour of our studio, and since your and Jennifer's rooms are your private spaces, I wanted to ask if-"

"Mister Hart wants to tour our rooms? Sure thing," Cece chimed in. "My room is a bit messy, though. I hope he won't mind."

"I don't have a problem with that either," Jennifer piped in." He's welcome to take a look if he wants to."

Both of them agreed readily, and Vicky fell silent. "Alright, you two go ahead and enjoy yourselves. I'll hang up for now."

After ending the call, Vicky turned to Tyler. "Cece and

Jennifer agreed... Should we go ahead?"

"Yeah."

Vicky's grip on her phone tightened upon hearing his response.

First, she led Tyler to Jennifer’s room. They stepped inside, revealing an opposite style of interior compared to Vicky's room.

The designs and decoration styles of Vicky, Cece, and Jennifer's resting rooms were all distinct as the rooms had been customized to match their individual preferences.

Upon entering Jennifer's room, a princess-like ambiance in shades of pink engulfed them. There were pink plush toys, pink curtains, and pink accessories that flooded the room. It was evident Jennifer had taken great care in decorating her space.

The room was not overly small but was not overly spacious either. It could not compete with Vicky's bedroom back home.

Jennifer seemed organized, and all items were neatly arranged with no trace of another man's belongings.

Tyler glanced around casually and remarked, "Let's move on to the next one."

Cece's room was adjacent to Jennifer's. Standing before its door, Vicky tensed.

Seeing her hesitation, Tyler asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Vicky forced a faint smile and pushed open the door.

Compared to Jennifer's room, Cece's appeared considerably more casual. Items were haphazardly placed on the table, and the bed's sheets had not been neatly arranged. The room seemed slightly chaotic but was immaculately clean at the same time.

Tyler surveyed the surroundings in silence, while Vicky- upon confirming the room was empty-breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed Harvey had not been foolish enough to wait in the room. He must have sensed something was off and hid himself.

His belongings had likely been concealed while she stalled Tyler.

Just like Jennifer's room, there were no signs of any man in Cece's room.

Everything seemed normal, yet Vicky found it hard to relax, knowing that Harvey might be hiding in the bathroom or the closet.

Loving You In Secret Chapter 1416-Even though Tyler had not entered the bathroom or opened the closet earlier, Vicky could not tell whether he might decide to do so. Moreover, he clearly spent more time in Cece's room compared to Jennifer's.

Vicky did not dare to hurry him, fearing he might sense something was amiss.

After a few more minutes passed, Tyler spoke up, "We're done here. Let's head back."

Vicky nodded. "Alright."

It was only upon returning to her room that Vicky sighed in relief, and she carefully considered the situation.

If Tyler had inspected the bathroom or opened the closet, it would have implied his visit today was not a spur-of-the- moment decision but rather a response to something he discovered. However, since he had not done so, it seemed like he was truly here by coincidence.

Another half-hour later, Vicky suggested, "You didn't have any plans for the afternoon, right? Since we have nothing going on here, how about we go for a walk?"

Tyler stood up.

Just as Vicky thought he was about to accept her proposal, Tyler suddenly held her from behind, much to her shock.

Before she could react, Tyler's lips found her neck.

Vicky sensed his intentions, and her heart raced. "Tyler, we can't! We're still in the studio and-mph!"

"It's just us here," he muttered huskily.

Vicky wanted to protest, but Tyler's kiss silenced her completely.

The evening sky turned dark by the time everything was over.

For the entire afternoon, Tyler devoured her like an insatiable beast.

Vicky's eyelids were fighting to close, and she knew she would fall asleep if she closed her eyes. She could not afford to do so.

"It's getting late.” Vicky struggled to sit up. "We should head back."

Tyler reached out, pulling her into his arms, his lips brushing her cheek tenderly. "How about we just rest here tonight?"

Vicky's drowsiness vanished instantly. "Maybe not," she replied. "This is where I work. We shouldn’t stay the night here."

"It should be fine," replied Tyler. "There's no one else here, anyway."

"But I'm not comfortable with it."

Tyler looked into her eyes. "This is your room. Why would you feel uncomfortable staying here?"

"I've just moved here, and I've never spent a single night here." She leaned against his chest and listened to his heartbeat before teasing, "What if I get used to sleeping here and stop going home altogether?"

Tyler narrowed his eyes. After a few moments of silence, he said, "Let's go home, then."

After putting on her clothes, she scanned the room and started tidying up.

Tyler stopped her. "What are you doing?"

"It's messy. I'm just going to tidy it up a little."

"Do you still have the strength left to do that?" Tyler smirked. "I thought you were in a hurry to go home because you were tired."

Loving You In Secret Chapter 1417-Vicky paused. "It's just too messy. I'm just going to move a few things back."

"Do it tomorrow," Tyler said calmly. "No one is here, so there's no rush."

After a few moments of silence, she stopped and said," Alright. Let's go home, then."

"Yeah."

After getting dressed, the two returned home right away.

The next day, when Vicky arrived at the studio, she found her room immaculately arranged.

She cringed as she gazed at Harvey, who was busy working on his laptop, not knowing how to face him.

"Hey." Harvey looked up from his laptop, offering his usual smile as he greeted Vicky. He showed no hint of awkwardness as if yesterday's events never occurred.

"Yeah," Vicky muttered. "How's your injury healing?"

"I've almost fully recovered." Harvey shifted his gaze away from the laptop. "I should be able to leave tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Vicky furrowed her brow. "Isn't that a bit rushed?"

If Harvey had been hospitalized, two weeks would have been ample time for recovery. However, since he needed to evade Tyler's pursuit, his recuperation at her studio had been notably slower than it would have been if he received better care at a hospital.

"I've been resting here for quite a while," Harvey explained." Although I’m not completely healed, it's manageable. I can handle what awaits me."

Vicky understood that it was probably because of yesterday's incident that Harvey was considering leaving. She said hesitantly, "Is it because of what happened yesterday that you..."

Harvey shook his head with a smile. "I was already planning to leave in the next few days. I've been away from my company for too long. While the situation has stabilized for now, certain matters can only be resolved by being there in person. Besides..." His expression darkened slightly. "Tyler’s sudden appearance here yesterday means he either learned or sensed that I might be here. This place is no longer safe for me, and I need to leave as soon as possible."

Tyler's behavior yesterday had indeed been unusual, and Vicky had her suspicions as well. She thus suggested, "If he did discover something, you can always use me as leverage to threaten him..."

"What kind of a man would I be if I used a woman as a shield in a battle between men?" he interrupted.

"You don’t need to worry about my safety; he won't harm me.

"But it might deepen the misunderstanding he already has about you."

Vicky sighed and smiled helplessly. "Even if I do nothing, he's never really believed in me, or he wouldn't have tried to eliminate you."

There was a pause in the conversation before Harvey said," Regardless, it's best for me to leave for the time being."

Noting she could not persuade him, Vicky refrained from further comments.

After their conversation ended, Harvey took out the new phone Vicky bought him and began contacting his subordinates to make arrangements for his departure.

Vicky left the room.

The next day, Vicky arrived at the studio early and said to Harvey, "I've checked Tyler’s schedule. He has a full day of appointments today." Glancing at the time, she continued," Around ten o'clock, he has an important signing event. That might be a good time to make your move."

Harvey nodded and sent out messages to his subordinates.

Loving You In Secret Chapter 1418-At 10 a.m., Vicky walked Harvey-who was fully covered by sunglasses, a face mask, and a hat-out of the building. The carthat came for Harvey had long been waiting downstairs.

Harvey stopped and said, "Vicky, this is goodbye."

She studied him with a conflicted look on her face. "I'm sorry...for all the trouble I've caused you."

"I told you that you never need to thank me."

"If you need help, call me anytime," she added.

"Sure," replied Harvey.

He turned to leave before pausing as though he thought of something. "Vicky."

She looked at him. "What is it?"

Harvey walked to her side and pulled her into his embrace, much to her shock.

His deep, magnetic voice echoed in her ears. "If there comes a day that you want to leave this place, you can always come to me. This time, I won't lose you again."

Vicky had not managed to utter a word when applause resonated from behind them.

"What a delightful scene we have here; a great romantic drama between a loving couple."

Vicky stiffened at the all-too-familiar voice. She pushed Harvey away and turned to the source of the voice, only to find Tyler standing behind them with an icy expression.

"Tyler..." Vicky turned pale. "What are you doing here?"

Tyler smirked. "You seem quite surprised, Vicky."

Vicky's gaze flickered as she fell into a panicked state.

"Vicky, I once told you that you're not a competent actor... Honestly, every time you try to put on a show in front of me, it's even challenging to not notice that you're lying," Tyler continued.

Vicky's lips quivered. "Did you already know about this when you came over yesterday?"

"Yesterday?" Tyler raised an eyebrow. "I knew ever since the first day you hid him in your studio."

Shocked, she asked, "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I just wanted to see how far you'd go for him."

A lump formed in her throat, and she fell into silence helplessly.

Tyler sneered coldly. "You drugged me with relaxants, relayed information to Harvey, stole Hart Corporation's trade secrets, and even resorted to deceiving me with sweet promises, only so that I'd lower my guard... Vicky, you truly are capable of doing anything if it's for Harvey."

Vicky wanted to explain herself but found herself rendered speechless in the face of his cold expression.

Harvey stepped in front of Vicky, shielding her from Tyler's piercing gaze. "I forced Vicky into this; she's not responsible, w

With his line of sight blocked, Tyler's eyes landed on Harvey. "You forced Vicky?" he questioned, amused. "How did you force her, I wonder?"

Loving You In Secret Chapter 1419-Unlike Lincoln who constantly attempted to divide Tyler and Vicky, Harvey appeared indifferent and sincere.

"It’s because I am threatening Vicky."

"With what?"

Harvey chuckled. "If I tell you that, I won't have the leverage to leave here alive. I can let you in on a little detail, though... It's a secret I learned about Vicky during the time we were engaged."

Tyler turned to study Vicky, spotting a mixture of shock, anxiety, and bitterness on her pale face, and he instantly narrowed his eyes.

"The secret I know is enough to make Vicky do anything for me."

Tyler sneered. "Harvey Sparks, do you take me for a child who can't tell lies from the truth?"

Harvey lifted an eyebrow and mockingly continued, "Tyler, can't you tell that I'm giving you an excuse to move on? Do you plan on breaking up with Vicky today or something?"

Tyler pursed his lips and his expression grew grim, but he remained silent.

"Alright. You're going to let me go now, and Vicky will obediently return home with you. As for everything that's happened recently, it was all because I forced Vicky into compliance, and she's not involved in any decision. You can continue living your happy life together. As for me..."

He paused and continued in a muted tone, "I won't appear in your lives anymore. Also, I've sustained severe injuries and haven't fully recovered, so I'm clearly not in a state to do anything to Vicky. You should be well aware of that, or you wouldn’t have held back until now. In that case, how about a compromise?" Harvey proposed.

The air seemed to have frozen. Harvey's proposition was highly alluring. He took all the responsibility onto himself so Tyler could continue to despise him and hunt him down, while none of that would concern Vicky.

He handed Tyler a perfect reason to allow him and Vicky to stay together. Though everyone knew it was merely an excuse, it did not make a big difference as ignorance was the best gift to anyone who wanted to proceed with their lives. As long as he still desired Vicky and wanted to be with her, he had to find a justification for himself to continue their relationship.

Tyler frowned as he wavered when Vicky interjected, "He didn’t threaten me; I did this willingly."

Both Tyler and Harvey turned to look at her.

Harvey furrowed his brow slightly. "Vicky..."

"Sugarcoating the truth doesn't make it go away.” Vicky shook her head at him. "And even if he agrees to this, he'll never spare you."

There was no better way to silence someone than to kill them, and she refused to go on with her life at the expense of another's life.

When Vicky spoke, malicious intent flashed in Tyler's eyes. He narrowed his eyes and said, "You do know me after all, Vicky."

Loving You In Secret Chapter 1420-Vicky smiled at Tyler. "We’ve been married for years. I know what kind of a person you are."

"Are you saying you want to share Harvey's fate?"

Vicky did not bother to explain herself and said, "I guess you can say that."

"Very well." Tyler sneered. "I didn't expect you to be so fearless for Harvey's sake. Back when my family forced you into breaking up with you, you've never shown such perseverance."

Vicky's gaze wavered.

"Vicky." Harvey shook his head with disapproval, signaling her to stop arguing with Tyler.

"This won't work," she said. "He won't let you go."

"That's for me to worry about, not you."

"So you knew he won't let you out of here alive all along, right?" she questioned.

Harvey fell silent.

Vicky smiled bitterly. "Do you think I can still be with him if you die in front of me? If he secretly kills you, can he and I continue as if nothing's happened?" She turned her head and gazed into Tyler's eyes. "Even if you manage to deceive me for a while, secrets aren't meant to be kept forever. Sooner or later, I'll know the truth. Once I do, I won't be able to be with you."

Tyler stared at Vicky. "Are you saying you can't survive without him?"

'There's no such thing as complete reliance on others. I'm no exception," Vicky calmly replied. "I can survive without him, but I can't stay peacefully by your side if he dies."

"Vicky, I said that I'd give you anything you want as long as you don't leave me, and you promised you'd never leave me, " said Tyler, sounding restrained. "Are you going against your words for an ex-fiance?"

"My condition for not leaving you is that you stop targeting Harvey, that you’d stop hunting him down," Vicky said. "You deceived me first. You said you'd spare Harvey, but you didn't."

"So you're choosing to sever ties with me for his sake?" he questioned.

A hint of hesitation flickered in Vicky's eyes, but recalling Tyler's ruthlessness, she chose not to back down and said," Yes."

Tyler's expression darkened. "All I wanted was to see how far you'd go for Harvey. I must say, I'm truly surprised." His voice was cold, tinged with self-mockery. "Anything and anyone can be your excuse for leaving me... In your heart, I'll always be the least important person that you can cast away. N

He glared at Vicky. "Why are you doing this to me, Vicky?

Haven't I been good enough to you?"

"You've been good to me." Vicky watched him quietly. "But that doesn't mean I can accept your actions. If it weren't for Harvey's situation, I could've continued being with you, but your behavior has crossed the line, so..." She lowered her gaze and uttered softly, "I'm sorry."

Tyler knew what her apology implied, and he froze.

His heart plunged into a coldness beyond measure as his blood ran cold.

An excruciating pain tore through him from his chest and engulfed his entire body.