Ch. 991..1000
Loving You In Secret Chapter 991-"Vicky, why won't you just come begging for help despite being locked up?"
Vicky's pale lips curled into a faint smile. "Begging you for help comes with a price, Mister Hart." "So you left the window open before going to sleep on purpose to get yourself ill in order to get out?"
Vicky did not deny it. "I have no leverage against you, so I was left with the d*mbest option." "You seem certain that I will let you go if you try to hurt yourself."
She chuckled. "Yeah."
Tyler's eyes widened. "Has it ever crossed your mind that I could have just left you there to die?" "You won't." She met his gaze. "You haven't had enough time torturing me, so you won't let me die so easily."
If he truly wanted to kill her, she would not even be here right now. If he could spend four years planning his revenge, he could wait a while longer. He won't be content with just her death, so the divorce was never an end; it was only the beginning. She had been too naive before.
Tyler's thin lips curled up, forming a cold arc. "It seems you have learned some self-awareness."
Vicky's eyes, clear and contrasting, were fixated on him. "Now you want me to be your lover as a way to retaliate for how I treated you back then?"
In the past, she had asked Tyler to be her lover while she dated another man to break up with him. That incident must have been seen as his most humiliating moment.
Tyler's voice turned cold. "At least you know what's happening." "I won't accept it." Vicky's voice became hoarse and unpleasant due to dehydration from not drinking water for a long time. "Even if you kill me, I won't succumb to your threats."
Tyler looked at her coldly. "There is nothing I cannot do. Vicky, you should understand the consequences of opposing me."
Vicky, with a carefree mentality, said, "No matter how much I cooperate with you, I know you don't actually have the intention of letting me go. If that's the case, why should I submit to your threats?"
Tyler laughed furiously. "Vicky, do you think that by sending Cece and Jennifer away, I won't be able to do anything to you?" "I wouldn't dare to think that. You have plenty of ways to torment me... Just like this time, you can easily frame me with a crime, and I won't have any means to resist."
He used to threaten her with her friend's safety, so she had no choice but to comply. Now that she was alone, nothing mattered anymore.
Tyler could easily detect the sarcasm in her tone. "Vicky, you just won't give up, will you?” "I didn't want to do this, but you forced me to."
Tyler nodded. "Alright, remember this conversation. Don't come crying to me in the future."
After saying this, Tyler did not stay any longer and left the hospital room.
In the following days, Vicky gradually recovered under the doctor's treatment.
Since that day, Tyler had not visited the hospital again.
On the day of her discharge, Harry took care of all the necessary paperwork for her.
Vicky had thought that even after recovering, she would continue to be confined.
To her bewilderment, Harry said, "Ms. Shaw, the previous misunderstanding has been cleared up. You are free now, you don't have to go back."
Vicky blankly stared back. Tyler had not achieved his goal yet, so it made no sense why he would let her go.
"Ms. Shaw, do you have any other questions? If not, I'll leave."
Vicky nodded. "Thank you for your help." "You're welcome." Harry smiled and left.
After Harry left, Vicky stepped out of the hospital and was instantly surrounded by a group of reporters.
Loving You In Secret Chapter 992-Before Vicky could comprehend the situation, the reporters speedily shoved their microphones in front of her face.
"Ms. Shaw, what's your relationship with the big star, Elijah?"
"Someone snapped a photo of you with Elijah in a bridal shop. It looked like you two were picking out a wedding gown. Are you his girlfriend?"
"How long have you two been dating?"
The flashlights blinded Vicky while she was swarmed with multiple questions.
Vicky hated being surrounded by the reporters and was about to explain herself when a man's voice pierced through the air.
"Vicky, I'm here to pick you up."
Vicky was taken aback and instinctively looked beyond the crowd.
There, appearing in a well-dressed manner, was Elijah.
His bodyguards quickly dispersed the reporters surrounding Vicky and escorted her out of the crowd. Vicky could not quite comprehend Elijah's actions. ' Mister Harrisons, what is all this about?"
Elijah whispered, "Just get in the car."
Vicky furrowed her brows, knowing that if she did not clarify the situation now, the subsequent reports might become even more misleading.
Though she was not entirely sure what had happened, through the questions posed by the reporters, she had managed to string some information together.
After a few seconds of hesitation, she decided to get in the car to learn the whole story from Elijah.
Once inside the car, Vicky could not help but ask, "Mister Harrisons, what exactly is going on?"
Elijah sighed helplessly. "The other day, when we went to the bridal shop to look at wedding dresses, we were photographed by reporters. It made the news and went viral the next day. When my fiance found out, she assumed I was seeing other women behind her back and wanted to break up with me. I called you, hoping you could come forward and explain, but your phone went unanswered. Miss Monroe said you were on a business trip and would not be able to come back for the time being."
Vicky's gaze flickered slightly. "So now..."
Elijah explained, "Ms. Shaw, I need to be transparent with you. My fiance and I were also rushed into getting engaged. If you follow the latest news, you should know that I had many girlfriends before, but none of them lasted long. A while ago, my grandmother was diagnosed with a terminal illness. When I was young, my parents were busy with work, so my grandmother was the one that raised me..." He sighed. "Her greatest wish was to see me get married... To fulfill her wish, I agreed to an arranged marriage within the family. I met my fiance three months ago, and we had a decent impression of each other. Her family was pressuring us, so we quickly agreed to the plan and decided to get married. We didn't know each other too well, and given my reputation and the recent news, it's understandable that she didn't trust me... She proposed that if you were the fashion designer I hired, she'd rather you explain things in person. Butthen..."
Vicky had gone missing and was unreachable. Upon learning that she was the reason why the engagement ended, a sense of guilt rose within her.
"What happened to you and your fiance after?"
Elijah tugged at his lips. "We broke up."
"I'm sorry," Vicky apologized. It was her active action that caused the client and his fiance to break up - an unprecedented mistake in Vicky's years of work. Vicky looked at Elijah. "I apologize, Mister Harrisons. I never anticipated that this news would have such a significant impact on you. Where is your fiance now? Is there still a chance to explain myself? Do you think that's appropriate?"
Elijah smiled bitterly. "She's already eloped with another wealthy suitor who was eager to get married."
Vicky was stunned.
Loving You In Secret Chapter 993-Vicky was imprisoned and fell ill. The whole process took about half a month. She did not expect Elijah's ex-fiance to get married to someone else so quickly.
"I'm so sorry to hear that," she said.
After ruining others' engagement, she had nothing much to say apart from apologizing.
'My wedding with her was scheduled to be three months from now. I haven't had the chance to take her home and my grandma hasn't had the chance to meet her yet," Elijah continued with his gaze resting on Vicky. "Once the scandal about us started circulating, my grandma mistook you for my fiance and was satisfied with your appearance. I'm wondering... I know this is far-fetched... But if you can act as my fiance for the time being..." He paused and added," Considering my grandma's condition, she won't last another three months... So there probably won't even be a wedding. Would it be too much to ask if you can help to entertain my family?"
Vicky parted her lips and was unable to reject the question.
She was the one who caused the engagement to get called off and the victim was asking her for help, so she could not possibly reject it.
"Fear not, Ms. Shaw," Elijah said. "It'll just be a charade, and I would never lay a finger on you in any way."
Due to the news spreading around like wildfire, everyone assumed that Vicky was already his girlfriend.
Finding a new girlfriend within a short period of time was not as easy as he thought, especially considering the conservative mindset of the older generation. It would be hard for them to accept that he had just made the news with one woman, only to go and have another girlfriend right away.
Hence, Elijah had chosen not to clarify anything for the past few days.
Vicky looked at Elijah and said, "Mister Harrisons, it's not that I'm unwilling to help, but... I still have a bunch of personal issues to deal with, what if-"
Before Vicky could finish her sentence, Elijah interrupted her. "Ms. Shaw, please rest assured I will compensate you sufficiently for this. If you have any requests, feel free to voice them." Elijah thought Vicky was asking for payment.
Vicky quickly explained, "Mister Harrisons, that's not what I meant-"
Before Vicky could finish, an abrupt ringtone interrupted her.
Elijah's phone was ringing and as soon as he answered the call, he heard the anxious voice of an old lady on the other end. "When will my dearest granddaughter-in-law arrive?"
Elijah glanced at Vicky and replied warmly, "We're on our way back now. It'll take about half an hour before we arrive."
"Very well, very well," the old lady said excitedly. "I'll have the kitchen prepare the meal." After a pause, she asked," Does she have any dietary restrictions or favorite dishes?" Elijah fell into a dilemma at this question.
He did not know Vicky well enough, certainly not as well as his former fiance, and he could not answer his grandmother's question.
His grandmother, however, was no ordinary old lady and immediately understood what was going on. She angrily exclaimed, "How can you be so careless about your own wife? Pass the phone to her right now. I want to talk to her."
Elijah handed the phone to Vicky and said, "Grandma wants to speak with you." Vicky had no excuse to refuse the phone call and reluctantly took the phone. "Hello, Old Madam Harrisons."
"Oh, hello there!" Old Madam Harrisons was clearly delighted by her voice. "My dearest granddaughter-in-law, I'm preparing lunch for you right now. Do you have any dietary restrictions? I'll inform the kitchen immediately."
Though they had never met, Old Madam Harrisons' words warmed Vicky's heart.
Loving You In Secret Chapter 994-Her own biological grandfather, Benjamin, and her exhusband's adoptive grandfather had never held her in high regard.
Vicky was not sure if it was her own fault or if she simply lacked favor with the elderly.
Tyler's biological parents were not fond of her either and Old Mister Hart seemed gentle on the surface, but Vicky knew deep down that she was merely pretending so. Even if he truly disliked someone, he would never show it on his face.
If Old Mister Hart was truly kind to her, he would not have pretended to know nothing and turned a blind eye when he found out that Valencia was making things difficult for her.
Vicky opened her mouth, wanting to tell the truth. "Old Madam Harrisons, actually I..."
"Sweetie, you can call me Grandma as Elijah does. There's no need to be so formal."
Vicky could not refuse Old Madam Harrisons' hospitality, so she complied. "Okay... Grandma."
Old Madam Harrisons was extremely pleased and exclaimed, "Sweetie, Elijah has been spoiled by us since day one and does not know how to take care of others. Do not worry, once you come over, I will teach him a lesson! How can he not know his wife's preferences? That's absolutely outrageous! It's alright, though. From now on, I'll remember all your favorite meals." Old Madam Harrisons' voice was kind and warm. "If he dares to bully you, just give me the word, and I will take care of everything for you."
Vicky rarely experienced such caring concern from her elders, and Old Madam Harrisons' attention made it hard for her to refuse. "Thank you, Grandma."
Old Madam Harrisons had great expectations for Vicky. "I saw your photo in the news. I never expected Elijah to find such a beautiful wife. I've talked to Elijah about the
etiquettes. He is not allowed to mistreat you..." Old Madam Harrisons continued to ramble, and in the end, Elijah could not bear it any longer.
He snatched the phone from Vicky. "Alright, Grandma, let's talk more when we get home."
"Ah, yes, I am rambling again." Old Madam Harrisons said," Quickly, ask Vicky if she has any dietary restrictions so I can arrange lunch." Elijah looked at Vicky, and Vicky could not refuse anymore. "I don't eat seafood."
Elijah then said to Old Madam Harrisons, "Grandma, Vicky does not eat seafood."
In front of Old Madam Harrisons, Elijah automatically changed his way of addressing her.
After a few more exchanges, Elijah hung up the phone. "Ms. Shaw." Elijah's expression was sincere. "I could not find anyone else in such a short time span, that's why I'm turning to you for help. If you're afraid that your boyfriend will misunderstand, I can explain everything to him."
"I don't have a boyfriend, but!" Elijah's eyes lit up. He had seen Vicky hesitate all along, thinking she had a boyfriend and was worried about potential misunderstandings. He assumed that was why she was reluctant to agree. Hence, he was relieved to hear her saying she was single.
"Ms. Shaw, if you have any difficulties, please feel free to speak up."
Vicky hesitated, before deciding to tell the truth. "I'm worried that my ex-husband will come after you."
'Ex-husband?' Elijah thought and asked in surprise, "Ms.
Shaw, are you saying that... Your ex-husband is bothering you right now?"
She nodded.
"That's the perfect time, isn't it?" Elijah chuckled. "I need to give my family peace of mind, and you need to get away from your ex-husband. We can both get what we need this way."
Any ordinary person would expect an ex-husband to stop bothering her once he learned that she had a new boyfriend, and Elijah thought no different.
However, he did not know Tyler like she did.
"Mister Harrisons, my ex-husband isn't like other people..."
Loving You In Secret Chapter 995-Elijah, however, seemed nonchalant. "Ms. Shaw, I've encountered this situation many times before and I have plenty of experience in handling it. If your ex-husband comes to bother you, I might be able to help you get rid of him if need be."
Upon hearing his words, Vicky's gaze flickered as she looked at him sharply. "Mister Harrisons, why do you sound so confident at handling these kinds of things?"
Elijah cleared his throat awkwardly. "Well... I've had several girlfriends in the past, and I've dealt with situations where their exes caused trouble. So, I have some experience in that aspect."
Hearing this, Vicky started wavering.
She wanted to break free from Tyler, and Elijah needed a fake fiance. His engagement ended because of her, so it was only natural for her to take responsibility for this matter.
After some thought, Vicky asked, "Mister Harrisons, it will only take three months at most, right?"
"Yes, just three months. You only need to accompany me to my family house and have a meal with Grandma once a week."
After all, they were not truly engaged, so there was no need to see each other every day - meeting once a day per week posed no hindrance to Vicky's life.
With this in mind, Vicky nodded. "Let's give it a try, then. If you find me unsuitable, feel free to inform me at anytime."
Elijah finally breathed a sigh of relief and reached out his hand to Vicky. "Ms. Shaw, here's to working together."
Vicky politely shook his hand. "Pleasant to work with you."
Upon arriving at Harrisons' mansion, Elijah introduced Vicky to his relatives one by one. "Vicky, this is my grandmother."
Vicky looked at the elderly woman with silver hair and a kind smile. She respectfully greeted her, "Hello, Grandma."
Old Madam Harrisons grinned from ear to ear and held Vicky's hand. "Oh my, you're even more beautiful than in the photos. Elijah, you are one lucky boy."
Elijah then introduced Vicky to his parents, and she greeted them one by one.
Soon, Old Madam Harrisons invited Vicky to take a seat and have a meal with everyone.
Elijah's parents, just like Old Madam Harrisons, had very amiable personalities, and Vicky did not feel any discomfort.
Upon learning that Vicky came from a humble background, they did not show any contempt or dissatisfaction. On the contrary, when they found out she was a self-starting fashion designer, they became even more fond of her.
Vicky had originally thought that pretending to be engaged to Elijah would be agonizing and awkward. Throughout her
time spent there, she did not expect that the afternoon would quickly pass in a relaxed manner. She even had some enjoyable conversations with the family!
In the evening, Elijah glanced at the clock and interrupted the conversation. "Grandma, Mom, Dad... Vicky, and I have other engagements tonight, so we should get going now."
Old Madam Harrisons was reluctant to part with Vicky and held her hand. "Vicky, make sure you drop by more often."
Vicky felt a lump in her throat as she studied the kind old lady before her, knowing that Old Madam Harrisons might be gone in three months' time.
She nodded and whispered, "I will."
Old Madam Harrisons said to Missus Harrisons, "Bring me the gift I prepared for Vicky.”
Missus Harrisons nodded and brought out a small jewelry box, before opening it to reveal a beautiful bracelet inside." Vicky, this is our family heirloom and since you are going to marry Elijah soon, you should keep this."
Loving You In Secret Chapter 996-Vicky, with her experience as a young lady of a wealthy family, could immediately tell that this bracelet was of considerable value.
As she observed the heirloom piece, she found that the gemstones and diamonds on it possessed extraordinary qualities in terms of color, type, and quality.
Vicky estimated the value of this bracelet to be at least 11.5 million.
An heirloom worth 11.5 million was a generous gift indeed, and this stirred up complex emotions within Vicky.
"I can't accept this. It's too valuable," she declined.
"From now on, you are a member of our family. Since we are a family, there's no need to be so polite," Old Madam Harrisons said.
"But, Grandma, I really can't accept it."
She and Elijah were only pretending to be engaged, so she could not possibly accept such a precious bracelet.
"How about you give this bracelet to me only after we get married, Grandma?" Vicky suggested.
"No, you are the granddaughter-in-law I have chosen. This is a gift from me to you. Regardless of whether you marry into our family or not, I will still give it to you," Old Madam Harrisons insisted. "If Elijah finds another woman, I will never accept her."
Moved by Old Madam Harrisons' words, Vicky felt both grateful and guilty. Elijah's family was truly kind-hearted, and she could not bear to deceive an elderly person who was nearing the end of her life.
At that moment, Elijah spoke up, "Vicky, since Grandma wants you to accept it, you should just accept it."
Now that Elijah had spoken, Vicky could not refuse any longer.
"Thank you, Grandma," she said.
Old Madam Harrisons placed the bracelet on Vicky's wrist and said, "This bracelet represents our family's protection. If anyone dares to bully you, feel free to come to me."
Vicky smiled and agreed.
After leaving the house, Vicky took off the jade bracelet from her wrist and returned it to Elijah. "Mister Harrisons, I need to return this jade bracelet to you."
Elijah shook his head. "This is Grandma's gift to you. You should keep wearing it. If you visit Grandma again and she notices that you're not wearing it, she will definitely ask you about it."
After a moment of consideration, Vicky nodded gently." Alright, I will return this bracelet to you in three months."
Elijah did not complain and simply said, "Let me take you home."
"Thank you."
As they sat in the car, Vicky remembered something. "Mister Harrisons, there's something I forgot to mention earlier."
Elijah looked at her and asked, "What is it?"
"It's about my ex-husband..."
Elijah waved his hand dismissively. "I already know about that. Don't worry, I can handle it."
"That's not what I wanted to say." Vicky's gaze flickered. "I haven't told you who my ex-husband is."
Assuming she was just an ordinary fashion designer, Elijah casually asked, "Who is your ex-husband, then?"
"Well... It's Tyler Hart."
Elijah frowned. "Tyler Hart? Which Tyler Hart?"
"I'm sure you've heard of him before."
After a few moments, Elijah widened his eyes in shock." Wait... Are you talking about 'the' Tyler Hart?"
Vicky nodded in silence.
Elijah gasped and gaped at Vicky. "Tyler Hart is your ex?"
"Yeah."
"You're not messing with me, are you?"
"Does it look like I'm joking?"
Elijah studied her face and paled, clearly feeling extremely troubled.
Sometime later, Elijah finally spoke.
Loving You In Secret Chapter 997-"While there may be some differences between our family and the Hart family, it doesn't mean that anyone can just come and bully us. Moreover, our domains don't entirely overlap, so his reach should not extend that far."
Vicky questioned, "Are you sure it won't have any impact on the Fang family?"
Elijah replied confidently, "The Hart family's strength in the business field is undoubtedly unparalleled in Zendonia, but our family excels in finance. Our fields are different, and he doesn't have complete control over everything."
Hearing his reassurance, Vicky finally felt completely at ease.
In the following days, as Elijah had promised, he only invited Vicky to dine at his family house on weekends.
During normal weekdays, he rarely contacted her. Even when they visited the house, Elijah treated her with the utmost respect, never making any inappropriate advances.
Elijah and his parents were extremely warm and friendly towards Vicky.
Every time she visited, they would prepare her favorite dishes. Despite only having been to the house a few times, Old Madam Harrisons had firmly remembered her taste and preferences.
For Vicky, going there every week and having dinner with Elijah's family was not a chore, but rather a time for her to relax. Interacting with Elijah’s family made Vicky experience a long-lost sense of family affection.
After finishing dinner, Vicky left Elijah's family house and got into the car.
She looked at Elijah and asked, "It seems that your grandma’s birthday is at the end of the month. Have you made any plans to celebrate?"
Vicky had overheard this news during their recent conversation.
"My parents intend to organize a grand birthday banquet for Grandma." Elijah let out a sigh. "You know, this might be Grandma’s last birthday. Since it'll be her final one, we want her to have no regrets. Grandma enjoys lively celebrations, so we've decided to host a banquet."
"Is there anything in particular that she likes?"
"Are you planning to give her a birthday gift?"
Vicky nodded.
Elijah looked at her and suddenly said, "Actually, Vicky, do you have some time later?"
Since Elijah and Vicky were quite familiar with each other, they started addressing each other by their first names.
"I don't have any plans later."
Elijah continued, "There's an auction happening tonight.
How about we go and take a look? It just so happens that I haven’t bought a gift for Grandma yet."
Vicky's eyes lit up. "Sure, I'd love to."
Old Madam Harrisons had treated her well thus far, and even though Vicky was not truly her granddaughter-in-law, she started to think of Old Madam Harrisons as her own grandmother.
Agreeing on the plan, Elijah started the car, and they headed to the auction venue.
The auction that Elijah and Vicky attended was a more traditional one. Upon entering, they were escorted by the staff to the VIP seats in the front row.
This auction venue conducted legal and compliant auctions, unlike some others that had private booths. Instead, they had VIP seating arranged in front of the auction display area.
Just as they had settled into their seats, someone tapped Vicky's shoulder from behind.
"Vicky?"
Vicky turned around. "Noah?"
Noah glanced at Elijah. "And this is?"
Elijah smiled. "Hello, I'm Vicky's fiance, Elijah. Are you Vicky's... friend?"
To avoid others finding out about their lies, both Elijah and Vicky introduced one another to others as fiances.
Noah came across the scandal about Vicky and Elijah before, but did not really believe it, so he was stunned to see the two together.
"Are you two... really engaged?"
Elijah nodded. "Yeah."
Noah turned to Vicky in disbelief. "Seriously?!"
Loving You In Secret Chapter 998-Vicky fell into silence and nodded gently.
Noah’s jaw dropped and he scanned Vicky along with the man standing next to her.
Elijah had a tall figure and was rather good-looking; it made him look like a great match with Vicky, but Noah could not understand how Tyler managed to put up with this.
"How long have you two been together?" Noah asked.
Elijah considered and said, "Hor about a month."
'A month?!' Noah thought and widened his eyes.
"Did you encounter any accidents this past month?" Noah asked.
"What?" Elijah shot Noah a confused look. 'What kind of accidents?"
"The kind that threatens your safety."
"I don't think so."
Elijah felt that Noah was a bit strange, and he looked at Vicky, silently questioning Vicky with his eyes.
Vicky said to Elijah, "Wait for me here. I need to talk to Noah for a moment."
Elijah nodded, but his gaze toward Noah became even more confused.
Vicky led Elijah to an empty corner before explaining, "Noah, Tyler, and I are divorced now."
"Divorced?" Noah thought he misheard. "How is it possible? Why would Tyler want to divorce you? Did you get deceived again?"
"No," Vicky replied calmly. "This time, he initiated the divorce. It definitely wasn't a mistake."
Noah became increasingly puzzled. "But... Weren't you both doing well recently? Why did he suddenly want a divorce?"
The look in Vicky's eyes dimmed. 'He... It was all for revenge. r»
Though it was a simple sentence, Noah, who knew Vicky's past, immediately understood.
’Revenge huh...' He thought.
It sounded fantastical, unbelievable, and even a bit childish, but considering Tyler's character, Noah had no doubt that Tyler was capable of such actions.
More precisely, given Tyler's extreme nature, he was more than capable of pulling anything.
Noah opened his mouth, wanting to console Vicky, but he did not know where to begin. After a moment, he said, "Your fiance, Elijah, seems quite nice... There are plenty of fish in the sea, and it's the right choice that you cut your losses in time."
Vicky did not explain much further to Noah and changed the subject. "Anyways, what have you been up to recently?"
Noah felt extremely frustrated as he recalled the things he went through in recent times. "Don't even get me started. I don't know what happened recently, but I seemed to have attracted a group of inexplicable women..."
At the time, he even suspected that it was Tyler's doing.
However, he was ardently pursuing Jennifer and had little contact with Vicky, so Tyler should have no reasons to bother him. However, Noah could not think of anyone else other than Tyler who would use such dirty and petty tricks to deceive him.
Noah was absolutely perplexed.
However, he was certain of one thing - he had definitely offended someone to be suffering the consequences now.
These past few days, he finally managed to deal with those imaginary love interests, and he had intended to find Jennifer, only to discover that she had left.
After chatting for a few more moments, they realized that it was almost time for the auction and entered the venue together.
As they reached the entrance, Noah suddenly felt a chilling and penetrating gaze fixed on him.
Before he could figure out what was happening, a voice filled with sarcasm and mockery sounded behind him. "Oh my, Ms. Shaw, have you changed boyfriends again?"
Vicky's eyebrows twitched as she turned her head.
An elegant and beautiful woman, accompanied by a handsome and noble man, appeared within Vicky's line of sight.
Vicky's jolted slightly.
She had not seen Tyler for a month.
During this month, Tyler had not come looking for her, nor had he threatened her in any way.
He seemed to have completely lost interest in her, even disregarding the buzz of news circulating online.
Vicky was worried that Tyler would seek revenge against Elijah, but reality proved that she had been overthinking.
It seemed that overnight, Tyler had completely lost interest in her.
Vicky looked at the shocked expression on the face of the woman, Aurora, whose eyes revealed a hint of irony, and replied coldly, "Miss Starling."
Loving You In Secret Chapter 999-Aurora glanced at Noah and looked back at Tyler, who was standing next to her. "Tyler, Ms. Shaw sure changes boyfriends as quickly as she changes clothes."
Tyler remained indifferent and unbothered. "It's time to go inside."
Aurora looked away. "Excuse us, Ms. Shaw."
Vicky moved out of the way and as the wind blew past her hair, Aurora and Tyler walked past her.
Noah was utterly baffled with the interaction.
Back when Vicky mentioned that she had divorced Tyler, he did not believe her. Based on past experiences, Noah was convinced Tyler would have killed him for standing next to Vicky, yet he did not react at all this time.
Once Tyler and Aurora were inside the hall, Vicky said," Noah, let's go inside as well."
'Yeah, sure."
When she returned to her seat, the lights at the exhibition booth had already been illuminated.
Vicky sat beside Elijah and asked softly, "Has it started?"
"Not yet," Elijah replied with an odd expression.
Vicky remained puzzled. It wasn't until Noah, who sat behind her, gently tapped her shoulder and whispered, "Vicky, look
beside you."
To Vicky's left was Elijah, but she had not looked at the person to her right yet. Since it was a VIP couple seat, there was an aisle separating her from the person on her right.
Her long lashes fluttered as she turned her gaze toward her right.
There sat a handsomely noble man, elegantly reclining in his chair with a distinct jawline and an indifferent expression. He noticed her gaze as he turned his head and glanced back at her. However, after just one look, he turned away expressionlessly, as if they were complete strangers.
Vicky's breath hitched, and she quickly averted her gaze.
"Vicky," Elijah whispered, "Why is Tyler Hart here?"
He did not know of Tyler's antics before, but after Vicky explained her situation, Elijah investigated the situation further and discovered that the man he encountered in the bridal shop was indeed Tyler.
"Beats me," Vicky replied.
Seeing that Vicky was unwilling to say more, Elijah did not press further.
After about five minutes, the auction officially began. The first item up for auction was a chessboard that exuded an ancient charm.
Vicky remembered seeing a rare chessboard in Old Madam Harrisons's room and her expression shifted.
Old Madam Harrisons enjoyed playing chess, and when Vicky visited, she often played chess with her.
The chessboard before her eyes had a simple yet substantial feel. It was clearly a high-quality piece that was sought after.
The host on stage began to introduce the chessboard in detail. After listening to the host’s description, Vicky felt it would be a suitable birthday gift for Old Madam Harrisons.
After the introduction, the host announced, "The starting bid for this chessboard will be fifteen thousand, and each subsequent bid should not be less than one thousand and five hundred dollars."
Immediately, someone started bidding, "Sixteen thousand and five hundred."
"Seventeen thousand!"
"Eighteen thousand!"
After several rounds of bidding, when the chessboard reached 30,000, the bidding gradually ceased.
Vicky, knowing the value of the chessboard, at most, was 20,000, but considering it was a celebratory gift for Old Madam Harrisons, she raised her paddle.
"Thirty-eight thousand."
After Vicky called out 38,000, no one else followed.
The host raised his voice. "Thirty-eight thousand once, thirtyeight thousand twice, thirty-eight thousand-"
"Forty-five thousand." Another voice cut through the quiet air, resonating clearly throughout the exhibition hall.
Loving You In Secret Chapter 1000-The look in Vicky's eyes darkened as she turned to her right side.
Aurora raised the number plate in her hand with a confident smile on her face.
Vicky raised her plate. "Fifty thousand."
Aurora followed. Fifty-five thousand."
Vicky had been self-employed for some time and had quite a considerable amount of savings, so a few thousand meant nothing to her and she raised her plate again. "Sixty thousand."
Before she could set her plate down, Aurora bided again. "A hundred and fifty thousand."
Silence instantly fell over the hall and everyone exchanged confused looks.
The chessboard was worth 30,000 at most and one had to be insanely wealthy to frivolously spend so much on it.
"Vicky," Elijah whispered. "Forget it. The chessboard isn’t worth this much."
It was not that Vicky could not produce more, in fact, she was willing to spend more than what the chessboard was worth. However, spending more than what was bid to buy something worth 30,000 would definitely make her look like a complete fool, so Vicky did not place any more bids.
With a trembling voice, the host announced excitedly, "Any more bids? A hundred and fifty thousand once, a hundred and fifty thousand twice... Sold!"
After the chessboard was sold, the second auction item was an ancient painting. Vicky did not understand art, so she did not participate in the bidding. However, Elijah raised his plate and started bidding.
After a series of bidding, Elijah was the last one standing, but just as the host began the countdown, Aurora interrupted.
"Three hundred thousand."
Elijah, being a young heir from a wealthy family, had no problem with money, so he raised his voice and said, "Three hundred and sixty thousand."
However, Aurora's background was even more impressive, and if she wanted to compete with them, Elijah would not stand a chance.
When the bidding price reached 450,000, Elijah crossed his arms and sighed in defeat.
Subsequently, a set of vases, a jade seal, and jewelry were auctioned off, and neither Vicky nor Elijah placed any more bids.
Coincidentally, Aurora stopped bidding as well.
It was not until the host presented a dragon-headed cane that Vicky decided to participate, and coincidentally, Aurora followed suit and started bidding as well.
Aurora's persistent actions made it clear to Vicky that she was being targeted.
Compared to Aurora's financial power, both Vicky and Elijah paled in comparison.
After the dragon-headed cane was won, Aurora gently asked, "Tyler, how about we give the chessboard and the cane to Grandpa Hart as gifts? What do you think?"
Tyler did not participate in the auction and remained quiet the whole time, as if none of this concerned him. Upon hearing Aurora's words, he responded nonchalantly, "You can do whatever you want with what you bought."
Aurora anxiously added, "Tyler, I didn't spend too much, did I?"
His reply was concise and to the point. "No."
As the distance between them was not too far, Vicky could clearly hear their conversation and felt a tightness in her chest.
Knowing that Aurora was intentionally targeting her, Vicky decided not to participate in any more bidding.
Elijah tried twice more but was swiftly outbid by Aurora as well.
He learned his lesson and stopped competing as well.
By the end of the auction, both Vicky and Elijah were left empty-handed, having not won a single item.
Noah, sensing that something was wrong, quickly made his exit. "Vicky, I just remembered that I haven't fed my cats at home. I can't stay any longer. I'm going to head out first, alright?"
After leaving the auction, Vicky and Elijah coincidentally ran into Aurora and Tyler once again at the entrance as the auction staff respectfully followed, carrying bags of what Aurora had just bought.