She withdrew her tiny hand with a hint of discontent., but failed. So she had to stop moving,allowing him to hold her hand."It sounds as if we're having an affair. It's reallyawkward."As soon as she finished that, she pouted, hummedin frustration, "But our relationship is really like an affair right now. Apart from us not having anyfeelings for each other, nor shared pursuits, it'sexactly the same."Charles was displeased, and he suddenly addedforce to his fingers!Maria’s mouth corners cracked in pain. Again shetried to pull her hand out, "What are you doing? Ithurts! Let go of me..."Charles tilted his head. His deep eyes warned her,"I'll give you another chance. Put it right!"Maria couldn't pull her hand out, so she hadto endure the pain. She recalled her words and suddenly understood, "There are shared pursuits between us. Like just now, when you, Mr. Smith,saved me, in return, I should give you a free massage tonight..."Before she could finish, her hand ached even
Just as Charles face was about to lean in, Maria’s cell phone, which was placed on the coffee table,rang inappropriately, along with the vibrating sound.Maria and Charles' eyes met. Both were stunnedfor a moment.Suddenly realizing something, Maria quickly turned her face and felt it. Only then she realized that her face was quite hot.Oh dear...What was she doing exactly?!Embarrassed, she bent over, picked up the phone, and saw the caller ID. She gave Charles a dry laugh, "I... need to take a call."Charles was extremely frustrated. Regardless of the atmosphere or the feeling, everything was in place just now. But it was interrupted by a phone call.He nodded and gently said, "Go ahead."Maria didn't avoid Charles. She put the phone to her ear, "Sarah, anything up?"Sarah Brown was one of the few friends that Maria had at school. She was also the one who told Maria about what had happened to Fiona today."Oh dear, Ria." Sarah's anxious voice came from the earpiece, "It's about t
The next morning, true to his words, the swelling on Maria’s face was gone. After eating breakfast, she grabbed her bag and headed out.Just as she was about to leave the villa gate, a blue Lamborghini sports car drove flamboyantlytowards her.After a halt, the car stopped steadily beside her."Get in!"Maria looked in shock at Charles sitting in the driver's seat. She couldn't believe what she saw!Today he didn't wear his usual shirt and suit, but casual clothes instead. Under his flowing bangs was a pair of currently trendy sunglasses.Charles was very handsome. When he was dressed in casual clothes with sunglasses sitting in a Lamborghini, it was visually pleasing enough to make everyone's heart pound.However, Maria had never seen this side ofCharles before.In her impression, Charles was always dressed up in business attire, exuding the mature stability of a businessman. The cars he used were always grand and steady vehicles like Rolls-Royce or Bentley Mulsanne. He had neve
Outside the main entrance of the San Diego University, there was a street full of smallrestaurants, offering not only lunch and dinner but also breakfast.Some of the students at the San Diego University were commuters, while others rented apartments outside the campus. Hence, mornings on this street were usually bustling.As the students were buying their breakfast, eating and walking towards the school gate, suddenly, a blue Lamborghini instantly attracted everyone's attention."My god, a Lamborghini!""A luxury car!""Wow, this car is so cool!""Ah, I can't believe I'm seeing a Lamborghini! This car looks so good..."With the students' exclamations, the Lamborghini made a steady stop at the main entrance of the San Diego University.Everyone was taken aback. After all, this was thefanciest car they had seen at the school gate since their enrollment.Most people quickened their steps, curious to see who came out of the car. They wanted to know which department and which class they
Maria had asked the professor for a leave of absence. It was longer than usual.The professor disagreed at the beginning. But Maria’s outstanding grades and her constant compliance as a model student led the professor to believe that she must have important matters to deal with. Therefore, the professor finally agreed."Alright, I'll grant you a month off. But Maria, you must work hard on your thesis. I have high expectations for you. Don't disappoint me," said Professor White."I know." Maria nodded. During her month off, apart from assisting Mia with the filming and acting as her PA, she would also need to continue working on her thesis. She knew she would be swamped.After settling her affairs with the school, Maria was pondering on her journey home about how to tell Charles about it.She could still recall vividly how Charles had come looking for her in his car the previous time she had left without saying goodbye.No matter what, she had slept with him. Afterliving with him fo
Charles' hands holding his knife and fork paused. He suddenly turned to stare at Maria .Maria was very nervous, her fingers tightly gripping the knife. Even her voice trembled slightly, "Maybe... I won't come back. The next person to enter this room will...will be her."She obviously meant Mia.Charles didn't say anything. He remained fixated on Maria, which brought a cold sweat to her palms due to his intense gaze.Possibly unable to bear the oppressive atmosphere, Maria wanted to get up as soon asshe had put down her knife and fork. Only then did Charles' low voice slowly start, "So, you're telling me that you are leaving?""No."Maria sat back down, inhaling forcefully, "I'm saying goodbye to you."Charles looked down at the food on the table, a faint smile appearing on his thin lips, "Maria, this will definitely make me paranoid whenever you cook."Every time she cooked, it either meant she was leaving or apologizing. No one could stand such meals!Maria forced a smile, which l
The next morning, Maria got up at 5:30. Fearing to wake Charles, she quietly put on her clothes. After freshening up in the bathroom, she put on a baseball cap and mask. Afterwards, she stood by the bed and watched Charles for a while, then left with her suitcase.The moment the door closed, Charles who was sleeping on the bed slowly opened his eyes.*********Luna saw that Maria was neatly dressed, and nodded in satisfaction, "Maria, you'll still be Mia’s assistant for this filming. When we need you, you can go on stage. Don't say anything else. Don't attract anyone's attention."Thinking about leaving Charles forever, Maria was still upset, "Fine, I understand."Luna and Mia exchanged a glance. Neither of them expected Maria to be so obedient.Mia tilted her head slightly, sizing Maria up, "Maria, you're not going to stir up trouble this time, are you?"Underneath the baseball cap, Maria’s amber eyes blinked, "As long as you don't purposely upset me, I will cooperate as agreed.""H
Once Maria entered her room, she didn't leave any more. After she tidied up, she looked around. Aside from a bed, there was only a table in her room, a stark contrast from Mia’s luxurious suite.However, she didn't mind. All she needed was a table for her to write her papers.Sitting on the bed with her phone, she pondered for a bit before sending a message to Charles.It was simple, just three words. "I've arrived."This time, Charles didn't reply immediately. Maria waited for a while, but still didn't see a reply.She sighed, tossing the phone onto the bed, and began to look for materials on her laptop in frustration.Suddenly, her phone beeped twice. She eagerly grabbed her phone, only to find out some spam messages."Well, people change..."Maria pouted in annoyance. After she told Charles that she was going to switch places with Mia, he was ignoring her. He was so pragmatic!She threw her phone aside again, no longer checking it regardless of the sound it made.In the evening,
After leaving the banquet courtyard, Maria and Charles got into a sightseeing car and headed towards the Lesser family gate.Along the way, Charles remained silent, his thin lips pressed into a straight line, and his face looked terrifyingly solemn.Maria also didn't say anything. She held his hand tightly as if she wanted to give him her strength.Even when they got into their own car, Charles didn't say a word. He just gently rested his head on Maria’s shoulder, like an injured child.**********Back at the villa, Maria fetched a bottle of red wine, opened it, and took out two glasses. She tilted her head at Charles."Let's go and drink in the room."She smiled and raised the wine bottle in her hand. Charles noticed and finally relaxed the corners of his tightly pressed lips.He stood up and laughed softly, "How is one bottle enough? You are never drunk after a thousand cups."Maria looked at him speechlessly, seeing him take out two more bottles of red wine. She felt like things wer
Eva had been with Eric for more than twenty years, and she had no doubt about his feelings for her. Moreover, Eric always took good care of her and loved her deeply. If there was any rift between them, it was Charles.For the past twenty years, she had always been cautious in protecting their relationship, never inquiring about any news about Charles. That's why they had been living in harmony, until Mia came to Beijing. She had started investigating Charles' affairs under the old lady's orders.And since then, she felt that Eric had become more and more distant from her, a distance that she couldn't close no matter what she did.Now that Charles had come to Beijing, she had to make a choice between Eric and Charles. She didn't want to, but she had to…"Eric…"Her voice trembled as she pleaded, looking at him. "Can't you…?""No!"Those two resolute words instantly crushed the only hope in Eva heart.On one side was her husband, and on the other was her biological son, and she owed C
David and Hamya exchanged glances as they heard this. It was as if they had made a decision. They immediately said in unison, "We want to go too!""Huh?"Charles looked at them with confusion.David patted his stomach and smiled at Charles, "Young Master Smith, I wonder if your company is in need of pianists? What do you think of me?"Hamya chuckled and nodded, "I think I can do it too. Young Master Smith, please consider signing both of us. We don't ask for much, just a chance to perform in top music halls."David was worried that Charles would disagree, so he put on an even more sincere smile. "Ah yeah, haha... We just feel that Patrick is not enough on his own. With Hamya and I joining, after all, we have better qualifications than him. When the three great piano masters embark on anglobal tour together, and with Maria and Linda, it will be twice as successful.""Exactly!"Hamya laughed happily, "Young Master Smith, a single concert takes too long, Patrick won't be able to handle i
The two of them walked onto the stage and sat down at the piano. Maria raised her head and exchanged a glance with Linda, who placed her hands on the keys.The young pianists were curious about what music Maria and Linda would play. This was the second round of the training camp's open competition, and they usually wouldn't get to hear it.Suddenly, the piano played a melancholic melody, carrying a touch of elegance in the air, instantly striking at people's hearts!"This is..."Some couldn't remain calm instantly. "Butterfly Lovers?!""Is that possible? Butterfly Lovers arranged as a piano piece?""Yes, everyone knows that Butterfly Lovers is best played on the guqin, or the zheng would also work. It's my first time hearing it played on the piano.""Hey, no, this version of Butterfly Lovers has been adapted for piano. It suits the instrument perfectly while still preserving the essence of the original piece. It's absolutely refreshing!"After a few seconds of discussion, an unexpect
Two days later, Maria and Linda arrive at the venue of the exchange conference in their finest attire.They hand over their invitation cards and wait for the security guard to check them.Suddenly, a mocking voice comes from beside them, "Oh oh, who is this? Linda!? Am I mistaken?"The one speaking is Linda manager, and standing next to her is the pianist signed by Linda economic company."Aria, you're not mistaken, isn't that Linda herself?"Hearing their voices, Linda's face darkens. She turns her head and glares at them, "Aria, your eyesight is really not good, you can't even recognize me. You should go to the hospital to have your eyes checked."Aria originally wanted to embarrass Linda, but she didn't expect her to retort so sharply. She immediately gets furious."Linda, the company didn't give you an invitation card. Tell me, where did you steal it from?""Hehe..."Linda raises her chin triumphantly, holding Maria's arm. "Do I need the company to give me one? Just look at who's
After arriving in Beijing, the feeling of uneasiness never appeared again, and Maria felt an indescribable relief.Charles had sent someone to take Andrew back to the Lesser family, while Patrick and Linda followed Charles and Maria back to their villa.Originally, Andrew had strongly invited Patrick to come back to the Lesser family with him, but Patrick knew that the Lesser family was big and complicated, so he used the excuse of being with Linda and followed Charles.***********On the third day, when Luna returned from Brussels, she went directly to Maria’s place and looked at Linda, her expression becoming more flattering."Linda, I heard that your contract with your previous agency is about to expire, right?"Maria sat next to Linda, holding a big doll in her hands, feeling very angry."Yes, they told me before that if I could achieve good results in the training camp this time, they would sign me for another ten years and give me all the resources. But just when I announced my
At this moment, Maria had already packed up and left the hotel with Charles, Linda, Andrew, and others.On the way to the airport, Linda still couldn't understand and turned back to Maria, "Ria, as long as the misunderstanding is resolved, we can still stay in the training camp, right?"Of course, Maria knew that if she returned to the training camp now, everyone would treat her like a deity.Just kidding, being able to decide the life and death of their teacher, they would definitely flatter and serve Maria obediently.Maria shook her head, "Actually, I have already achieved my goal. Linda, if you want to go back, you can go back, no need to accompany me.""Hey!"Linda casually waved her hand, "Without you here, why should I go back? Besides, I have hugged your thigh, and you have hugged Master Smith's thigh. Am I still afraid of not being able to reach the pinnacle of the international piano world?"She said it so casually, as if she was joking. But Maria could tell that she still f
Maria, so smart, why couldn't she understand what they meant?She smiled and turned to shout inside the house, "Honey, it turns out they are looking for you." Charles was inside, and he had heard everything at the door clearly. The girls had looked down on him before and said he was weak, but now they all came to beg him with a straight face. It was really funny.He remained silent for a while before saying, "Ria, in our home, I make the major decisions and you make the minor ones. But in my eyes, besides you, nothing else is a major matter. So, you make the decisions."The girls outside, "..."Didn't that mean that Maria would be in charge of everything in the house?They felt a toothache and couldn't believe they were caught off guard by this unexpected situation.Maria shrugged and looked at them again.Originally, they came to apologize to Maria as a pretense, hoping that she would persuade Charles, but now, the initiative was completely in her hands, and they had to lower their
Maria was not foolish. Why did her reputation stink so much? Was it only because of the ambiguous relationship between her and Charles at that banquet?Just that one time was not enough to make everyone dislike and envy her.Lucy's face was extremely embarrassed, but at this moment, she had already lost all confidence in front of Maria and could only cry helplessly."Maria, I really know I was wrong. Can you forgive me? Please...""Lucy, your intentions were truly wicked. You even used Rivata as a weapon. Honestly, I admire you for that."Even while saying this, Maria's expression remained calm, her tone as if chatting with a close friend."You, alone, have bewitched the hearts of all the girls in the training camp. You treated others as pawns to sacrifice for your own gain. Wasn't your goal to drive me out of the camp? Congratulations, you achieved your goal. You should be happy, so why are you crying?"When Maria said this, the other girls immediately began pondering.After thinkin