Aveline said, "Selena, I don't love him anymore."Selena, who was about to continue ranting about Lucas, suddenly fell silent."Ave..."Aveline smiled indifferently. "Since I don't love him anymore, whatever he does outside and whoever he's with has nothing to do with me."Selena's voice became cautious. "Ave, do you really not love him anymore?"Back then, the first time she saw Lucas, she couldn't miss the look of deep love in Aveline's eyes. Whenever Aveline looked at Lucas, her eyes lit up with happiness. But later, after Lucas got his memory back, that sparkle in Aveline's eyes vanished for good.Aveline responded, "I'm going to get up and wash now.""Okay," Selena said, her voice now dry.After hanging up the phone, Aveline lay on the bed, staring quietly at the ceiling for a while. Suddenly, she took out her phone and called Russell."Hello, Aveline."The call was quickly answered, and Russell's voice came through, tinged with a cheerful tone.Aveline asked, "Russ, do you know
Lucas' tone was icy. "Who else would she love besides me?"Aaron paused, silently praising Lucas' baseless confidence.He didn't want to hurt his friend's ego any more, worried it might come back to bite him. So, he said, "You're right, she's only ever loved you. But watch out, she might stop loving you. Whether she loves you or not is her call, not yours."Lucas' expression darkened. He didn't want to listen to Aaron's convoluted reasoning and hung up the phone.Ha!Aveline didn’t love him? Impossible. Those memories constantly reminded him that she loved him!...After breakfast, Aveline left the house.By the time Lucas came downstairs, having changed into a fresh set of clothes, the dining room was empty. He looked at the butler and asked coldly, "Where is she?"The butler replied, "Mrs. Tudor left after finishing breakfast."Lucas' handsome face grew even colder.Just then, his phone rang. He glanced at the screen and saw it was Yvonne calling.His eyes turned colder, but he still
Maria replied, "I won't."Then she set down her phone and rested her chin on her hand, watching Aveline work."A beautiful woman indeed," Maria thought, shaking her head in admiration. After a while, she picked up her phone to order takeout.Aveline had been trying to decide what to have for lunch, but right as her break started, the food delivery showed up.Maria came out of her office, smiling. "Lunch is on me. It's a tradition here for the boss to treat new employees for three days."Aveline sighed lightly. "If your studio grows into a publicly listed company, you'll spend a lot on treating people!"Maria shrugged. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there. For now, it's our tradition!""Yeah, the boss is really nice!""This tradition should be kept forever!"Three new people had recently started at the studio. One was another architect like Aveline, one was in charge of keeping projects on track, and the third was a fresh college grad interning in architecture, still figuring out
Maria watched Aveline leave and breathed a sigh of relief. She couldn't afford to have the boss' wife working overtime—Lucas would kill her!...Aveline returned to the Tudor residence and was surprised to find Lucas there. He sat on the sofa, his handsome, sharp features exuding a calm, detached aura.Aveline lowered her eyes and went upstairs without showing any emotion.Footsteps followed behind her.As she opened the bedroom door, Lucas' arm encircled her waist. He pulled her close, his hot breath brushing her lips.Aveline's eyes widened, and she pushed him away. "What are you doing!"Lucas' expression grew colder. "Getting close with my wife. Can't you tell?"Aveline said coldly, "I'm not in the mood."Lucas stepped forward, grabbing her. "It doesn't matter if you're not; I am."He clasped the back of her neck and kissed her forcefully.Aveline kept dodging, refusing to let him kiss her.Feeling annoyed, Lucas tightened his grip on her neck, rendering her unable to move, allowing
Lucas kissed her face, and her lips, his hot breath enveloping her like it wanted to melt her.Aveline's body trembled uncontrollably. Suddenly, she bit his shoulder hard enough to make his muscles tense."Just let it out. We're married; there's no need to feel shy."Lucas saw through her thoughts, his deep voice whispering in her ear.Aveline waited for the feeling to subside before letting go, her breath ragged as her flushed eyes glared coldly at him.Lucas raised an eyebrow at her. "What? You want to use me and then not take responsibility?"He lifted her and carried her toward the bed.He knew she was weak now and couldn’t resist, easily pinning her beneath him.Hovering over her, his eyes seemed like a bottomless abyss, threatening to swallow her whole.Aveline resisted, pushing him away. "If you need someone, go find a celebrity, an influencer, or a model. Just don’t come to me!"Lucas paused, looking at her intently. "Are you jealous?"Aveline snapped, "I am not!"Jealous of a
Aveline sighed with relief. Working from home was a blessing in disguise; being late on her second day would have been a disaster.However, she wasn't to blame—this was all Lucas's fault!The way he acted last night, it was as if he hadn’t slept with a woman in ages!But that couldn't be true. He had just spent the night with a celebrity...The thought made Aveline feel nauseous. She jumped out of bed and stumbled into the bathroom, where she started to vomit.Lucas walked in just as she was stumbling. Hearing her retching, his face darkened, and he quickly went to her, placing a hand on her back. "What's wrong?""Don't touch me!" Aveline shoved him away.Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes from the vomiting, and some began to gather, ready to fall. Her expression was one of pure disgust as if he were something filthy.Lucas' face turned even darker. "Do you think I'm dirty?"Aveline didn't reply and continued to retch until there was nothing left to throw up. She felt a bit bet
Aveline hurriedly ate a few bites of her meal before heading to Selena's place.As she reached the floor, she saw Selena's apartment door open with two police officers standing at the entrance. Selena was talking to them."Selena," Aveline called out as she walked over.Selena looked at her and immediately asked, "Ave, when you were staying here, did anyone come in? Were you hurt?"The two officers also turned their attention to her.Aveline replied, "No one came in while I was staying here."Selena said, "Then it must have happened after you moved out."Aveline nodded. "It should have been last night. I was here the day before to pack my things."The police checked the surveillance around the building but found nothing suspicious.In the end, the matter had to be dropped.Selena pulled Aveline inside. "This is such bad luck. I guess I’ll have to move."Aveline said, "I rented an apartment before, but I’m not staying there now. You can move in."Selena asked curiously, "Why did you ren
The girl's attitude was extremely arrogant.Selena's fiery temper flared up. "Whether I can afford it or not is none of your business. But seeing how you just snatched something from me like that, you seem to lack manners."The girl was taken aback, immediately turning with a pitiful look toward the woman addressed as Moon.Moon Chew sat on the sofa, arms crossed, her sunglasses fixed on Aveline. She said, "I'll pay double. I want that dress."Selena sneered. "So, you think having money makes you superior? Ever think about the store clerk? Overpaying messes up the market. Are you buying the dress or your dignity?"Moon's face, hidden under her mask, turned cold."The dress is in our hands now. We want it. What are you going to do about it?" she said arrogantly.Selena's anger flared even more. "Acting tough, huh? If you're so bold, why are you hiding behind a hat and mask? Afraid of being recognized for something shameful? Oh, she called you Moon. Aren't you that notorious actress who
Jolie stirred, her eyes fluttering open in the dimly lit cabin. The sharp, handsome features of the man before her were so close that she could feel the warmth of his breath. His lips, carrying his familiar scent, gently traced hers, as if torn between waking her and letting her sleep. Her breath hitched, a brief moment of confusion washing over her. Gavin noticed and, in response, pressed a firm kiss to her lips. "Did I wake you?" "You did that on purpose," Jolie replied, her voice soft and husky from sleep. "Mm." Gavin didn’t deny it, his tone unapologetic as he leaned down to kiss her again. Still groggy, Jolie found herself caught off guard, his lips capturing hers with a growing intensity. By the time she realized what was happening, he had deepened the kiss, his tongue teasing and tangling with hers in an intoxicating rhythm. Her breath quickened, and she instinctively pushed against him. Gavin pulled back, only to trail kisses along her cheek and down her neck, his
The night air was cool, a gentle breeze slipping through the car window and lifting the strands of hair framing her face. They fluttered across her vision, briefly distracting her, yet she could still clearly see his eyes. At that moment, the unease and uncertainty stirring in her chest melted away, replaced by an inexplicable sense of calm. It felt as though there was nothing he couldn’t handle. As long as he wanted to. Jolie smiled softly and said, "Alright." When they arrived at the private airstrip, the captain came forward to exchange a few words with Gavin. Standing nearby, Jolie watched and couldn’t resist asking, "How long will you be staying?" Gavin glanced at her. "How long do you want me to stay?" The overly intimate tone of his words, spoken with such casual ease, caught her off guard. Her cheeks flushed immediately—especially since there were others around to hear it. Lowering her gaze shyly, she murmured, "You can stay as long as you want." She turned he
Gavin looked at her, his gaze steady, and replied in a calm voice, "You’ve got the leverage to do it." Oh... Jolie’s heart skipped a beat, her pulse momentarily thrown off rhythm. What was this feeling? It was as if someone was spoiling her, cherishing her unconditionally. Even though it was just a simple conversation, it carried a warmth she couldn’t ignore. For a moment, she realized that what she once thought was affection and care had been nothing but an illusion. A smile unconsciously curved on her lips as her eyes lit up. "Does this mean I can walk around Larbor City like I own the place?" Gavin raised an eyebrow. "Are you a crab?" Jolie burst into laughter, her mood instantly lifted by his quick-witted remark. Her earlier irritation dissipated, replaced by lightheartedness. Whether or not he meant it, the fact that he sided with her made her happy. "I’m full. Should we head out?" she asked, her appetite long gone after everything that had happened earlier.
The girl stared in disbelief, her hands clutching her face. "You hit me?" Jolie blinked innocently at her. "Weren’t you the one insisting I hit you earlier? I just gave you another slap to match your story. You should be used to it by now." "Jolie Quin!" Ian had reached his limit, his voice full of anger as he glared at her. "Apologize to her!" Jolie glanced at him, her expression calm but icy. "Get lost." She had thought he might be reasonable, but clearly, he was blinded by infatuation. She had no patience to deal with him any longer and turned to leave. Before she could take a step, Ian grabbed her arm roughly. "Jolie, you’re not leaving without apologizing! I don’t think I’ve ever wronged you, have I? We used to get along just fine, didn’t we?" "Let go," Jolie said, her brows knitting in disgust. She hated being touched, especially by someone she considered beneath her. Ian tightened his grip, his hand digging into her arm hard enough to cause pain. "Jolie, yo
Jolie was completely baffled, a string of question marks running through her mind. But when the girl suddenly dropped to her knees, it genuinely startled her.She quickly reached out to help her up. "Get up first. We can talk properly."Before Jolie could react, the girl grabbed her hand and slapped herself hard across the face with it.Smack!The crisp sound echoed in the quiet hallway, leaving Jolie frozen in shock."Why did you hit me?" The girl, who had just been crying like an innocent damsel in distress, now clutched her face and loudly accused her. "Ian and I are the real couple! You’re the one coming between us. How could you hit me?"Jolie blinked, completely dumbfounded, as the girl’s voice rang out.A few passersby paused, glancing over to witness the commotion.Meanwhile, Ian, who had been waiting and wondering why his girlfriend hadn’t returned, came looking for her. The scene he walked into—his girlfriend on the ground, crying and accusing Jolie—made him stride forward,
The person in the hallway glanced at her briefly but quickly looked away, as though she were a stranger. Jolie’s hand, lifted halfway to wave, stalled in mid-air.What... was that? Gavin noticed her reaction and asked in a low voice, "What’s wrong?" "Nothing," Jolie replied, shaking her head and brushing it off. The man outside was Ian. Pretending not to know her was probably his way of avoiding unnecessary trouble—after all, they had already "broken up." The door to their private room shut completely, and Gavin hadn’t seen Ian or his group. He turned back to her and asked, "Do you come here often?" "Yeah," Jolie nodded. "I come here a lot with friends." So, this was one of her favorite hidden gems. The fact that she was willing to share it with him felt significant somehow. Gavin caught himself lingering on that thought and was momentarily taken aback by his own reaction. He kept his expression neutral, not letting on what had crossed his mind. The food arrived qui
The reason it wasn’t the same was simple—her plan would fall apart if she got caught.Of course, that wasn’t something she could admit.Jolie simply said, "I just don’t want any unnecessary complications. Since you’ve already arranged the flight, let’s just leave directly."Gavin’s dark eyes fixed on her for a moment, but he didn’t press the issue.It was clear she didn’t want to talk about it any further, so he let it drop.When the elevator doors opened, the two of them walked out together. A car was already waiting at the entrance. Gavin, ever the gentleman, opened the door for her.The car pulled away from Cooper Enterprises, and Gavin asked, "What do you want to eat?"Jolie, busy typing on her phone, replied, "I know a good restaurant."It was a cozy place she loved, one she often visited with her friends."Alright," Gavin replied, pulling out his phone to respond to some emails. With his work condensed into such a tight schedule, he seized every spare moment to handle it.Jolie p
Gavin suddenly recalled Wilfried's words, "That girl doesn’t even like you."Lowering his gaze slightly, Gavin pushed the thought aside without explanation, his expression remaining cool and indifferent as he watched her. After Jolie finished looking through the photos, she turned to him and asked, "Why do you have pictures of all these women?" "My father brought them over," Gavin replied. "Oh." Jolie nodded knowingly and didn’t press further. It was easy enough to figure out—the Cooper family obviously wanted him to consider an arranged marriage, so they sent over these photos for him to choose from. She could understand that. In fact, she even helped him look through them, just in case one of these women turned out to be a good match for him. After all, their relationship wasn’t meant to last forever. When he grew tired of her and she had her fun, they’d part ways, and everything would return to normal. As she neatly organized the photos and placed them back on the ta
It was Jolie’s first time visiting Cooper Enterprises, and she couldn’t help but feel a sense of curiosity about the place.No, to be precise, it was her first time stepping into any corporate office. The Quin family also had company, but she had never visited, nor had Daisy or Terence ever asked her to.The private elevator for the CEO was stunningly opulent, its polished surface gleaming like a mirror, perfectly reflecting their images. Jolie’s heart began to race with an inexplicable excitement.The assistant glanced at her and said with a warm smile, "Miss Quin, there’s no need to be nervous. Mr. Cooper will definitely be delighted to see you."Jolie nodded and replied, "I’m not nervous."The elevator moved swiftly, and as they neared the executive office, Jolie adjusted her cap and mask, pulling them snugly to hide her face as much as possible.Meanwhile, near the adjacent employee elevator, Rosalie was holding a stack of files, ready to head downstairs.She froze the moment she s