“What do you all want to have for lunch? Shall we order together? Just tell me what you don’t want, and I’ll leave it out,” Tanya suddenly interrupted.An idea suddenly popped into Arianne’s mind, “Leave it to me. We’ll have a feast.”Arianne didn’t want to eat the boring takeouts anymore; she’d grown so tired of eating the same thing everyday. Since Jackson was coming over today, she might as well just order lunch from his restaurant. She had the number anyway and the food would be ready much quicker. After all, it was necessary to show some appreciation to her employees occasionally. Although she was stingy when it came to herself, she was generous to others.In the restaurant, Tiffany tried to be more ladylike and even ate slowly. She never cared about things like this when she was dining with Jackson in the past. Being in a relationship had changed her thinking; she wanted to at least make a good impression in front of him.Jackson frowned and teased her, “Cut it out, just open
“Do you think I’m a boring mood killer?” she asked glumly.Jackson’s mind was full of question marks. “Huh? N-No… I think you’re alright. Why do you ask?”Tiffany interpreted his answer as telling her that she was indeed a really boring person. What kind of answer was ‘alright’? It was a yes or no question. ‘Alright’ was just another way of saying ‘yes’! She ignored him and entered the elevator without waiting for him. Jackson quickly followed behind her in confusion. “What’s wrong with you? I finally came here and you have to waste time picking a problem with me? What did I do wrong? Just tell me and I’ll change.”She lifted her head and looked at him. “You haven’t stopped seeing other women, right? If I tell you to abstain yourself from that kind of thing after dating me, would you be able to do it? Technically, you’re already doing that since we’re in a long distance relationship. But if you’ve been smashing some other women behind my back, then forget what I said.”Jackson didn
Lynn pressed her lips into a smile, “I’ll be fine.”Naya helped Arianne ask the awkward question that she was hesitating to ask, “Lynnie, are you and Jackson already acquainted with each other?” Lynn quickly glanced at Jackson, then lowered her head slightly. “No.”“Nope, but I tend to get along well with anyone. All of you should take care of each other since you’re working together. Please look after my girlfriend too in my absence,” Jackson said.Naya smiled at him. “Don’t worry. We never get a chance to take care of Tiffany since she’s the one who’s always taking care of us and treating us kindly. I’d been jobless for the past several years after giving birth and was really out of touch with the working society. On top of that, I have to take my daughter to and from pre-school every day so it’s difficult to find the right job. I guess I made a good choice working at the dessert shop since Tiffany and Ari are great bosses.”Conversation and laughter resumed at the dining table
Lynn stopped in her tracks and frowned. “I like him!”Arianne didn’t actually reach for her phone, but the answer still made her gasp. “Tell me more…”Lynn struggled internally for a moment before she decided to tell the whole story. “I guess it doesn’t matter anymore since I won’t be staying here anymore. I’m an orphan. I escaped from an orphanage with bruises all over my body, then spent the rest of my days begging on the streets. The darkest time of my life lasted until the day I met Mr. West when I was fourteen.“The memory is still vivid in my mind. It was a cloudy day, but the rain never came. The chilly wind blew against my dirty body and tousled my messy hair. When he stood in front of me, I felt a strong sense of inferiority and desperation to be close to someone for the very first time. He told me that he liked the fierceness and tenacity in my eyes, then took me in and sent me to a bodyguard academy under the establishment of the West family. In order to receive his prais
When she toasted at the dining table, she simply wanted to talk to Jackson because she couldn’t stand the intimacy between him and Tiffany. She didn’t expect it to cause such an incident… When Jackson came to the shop during the day, she was away to assist Tanya with deliveries. She had this unpleasant feeling in her heart when she heard Naya tell them that Jackson actually put on an apron to help Tiffany in the kitchen. Even if it had been seven years since then, she still couldn’t let go of the past...By the time she regained her senses, she took out her phone and sent a message to Jackson. ‘Arianne discovered us and talked to me just now.’ Jackson paled when he received the text while he was shopping with Tiffany. ‘You didn’t spout any nonsense, did you?’Lynn stared at the reply on the screen as the corners of her mouth twitched bitterly. ‘I told her everything about us. I don’t want to lie to anyone. You can deal with the rest. I’ll be packing and return to the capital tonigh
Tiffany’s curiosity was piqued. She waited for him to drop more bombs in anticipation. “Okay, okay, I promise I won’t get mad. Tell me.”Jackson knew that it was either him coming clean or Tiffany finding out. No matter how he looked at it, the former seemed to pose a more hopeful chance of survival. Hiding the truth was no different from lying. It would mean differently when Tiffany found out on her own. Determined, Jackson said, “I introduced Lynn to Mark. I’ve known Lynn for a very long time. To be precise, when I was nineteen.”“Mm hmm, and then?” Tiffany did not catch anything odd.Jackson did not dare look at her eyes. With his head hanging, he sounded similarly low, “Lynn lived on the streets back then. I took her in and sent her to a bodyguard school… When she was eighteen, I was twenty-three. I didn’t know what I did to make her misunderstand, but she was determined to be together with me. On her eighteenth birthday, we… Ah, she drugged me and we… you know? After that, I hadn’
The panic on Jackson’s face did not look fake. Tiffany could see it too. It was her first time actually seeing him get overwrought. He was usually cool and nonchalant. Other than being enraged, she could not help feeling a little tenderhearted. Her tone softened as well, “I admit that I’m upset but… I’ll believe you this time, as long as you are good in the future. I feel super insecure. You’re not just with me due to a moment of impulse, are you? Could you actually quit having flings everywhere? Are you able to stay chaste when I’m not there in the capital?”Jackson looked at her sincerely. “What should I say to make you believe me? I’ve never been an impulsive person. I won’t make decisions in the heat of the moment. My choice to be with you was a long time coming. Understood?”Not in the heat of the moment, but a long time coming – Tiffany was defenseless against such unconventional words of romance. The corners of her lips could not help curling up. “Okay, you’re off the hook this
Henry composed himself, speaking only when he caught his breath, “According to the reply of our hired hitman, Ethan was severely injured and fell into the rapids of a river twelve hours ago when he was escaping. Our men have seen it with their own eyes. It's a primitive tropical jungle all around. It’s very unlikely that he’ll survive, and it’ll be practically impossible to find his corpse. Sir, you don’t have to worry now.”There was a smirk on Mark’s face. “True, with a place like that and his injury, his survival is impossible. I’ll be away for some time in half a month. While I settle the company within half of the month, the house is under your care.”Knowing that his master had been waiting for the day he could go back to Arianne, Henry nodded understandingly. “Yes.”Returning to his room, the iciness on Mark’s face slowly dissolved as he stared at the photo on the nightstand. “Ari… I’ll be coming to you soon. No matter how much you hate me, I’ll make you come back to me.”The ne