Jamie watched as Ben's face darkened the instant he saw the man approaching them. Her suspicions were immediately aroused.“I’m his personal secretary,” Jamie said with a calm smile, deliberately clarifying the relationship. The implication was clear that he shouldn’t falsely assume a close relationship.Noah Lucas raised an eyebrow, a look of mild surprise crossing his face. “Oh? My brother hasn’t won you over yet? My apologies! I thought you two were already…”“This has nothing to do with you,” Ben interrupted coldly.Noah paused, his hands casually shoved into his pockets. The two men locked eyes, exchanging no words, yet the air between them grew thick with tension, brimming with unspoken hostility.Noah’s smirk dimmed slightly as he leaned back. “I can’t compare to you. Dad poured his heart into trying to pull you into the company, but you stuck to your guns and insisted on being a lawyer. That kind of stubbornness? I could never match it.”His words feigned admiration, but
Mr. Lucas never truly had the best interests of either of his sons at heart. Forcing them into an uncomfortable relationship, knowing their complicated dynamic, was more like raising fighting insects in a jar to see which one would survive.Noah’s expression darkened slightly as he looked at Ben’s aloof demeanor. He curled his lips into a mocking smile. “I’ve always hated that superior attitude of yours. You’re only where you are because you were born lucky.”“If you’re finished, you can leave,” Ben said flatly, uninterested in listening to Noah’s ramblings.Noah let out a cold laugh. “You used to take everything for granted. But now that I’m here, you don’t still think Lucas Corporation is entirely under your control, do you? Let’s see how things go.”Ben watched him leave with icy eyes.When the office door swung open, Jamie stepped back, her expression cool and detached, clearly unwilling to engage with Noah. But Noah, being someone who never understood boundaries, did not take
Jamie couldn’t bear to leave so easily. “I’m not leaving. Don’t try to push me away.”Ben stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, his silhouette obscured by the interplay of light and shadow. His expression was unreadable but carried an unexpected gentleness. “Charlie will be out of school soon. If he doesn’t see you, he’ll get anxious.”Jamie felt as though she had been struck silent. Reluctantly, she left after ensuring Ben’s assistant promised to keep an eye on him. Only then did she reluctantly head out to pick Charlie up.When they got home, Charlie wandered through the house, searching for someone. Disappointed, he came back and asked, “Mom, isn’t Uncle Ben coming over today?”“Uncle Ben is tied up with something right now. He’ll probably come by later. Can you wait for a little while longer, Charlie?”Lately, Ben had been a constant presence, joining Jamie to pick Charlie up from school and often staying for dinner. Charlie had grown used to his company. Still, Charlie was
There was praise, of course, but also criticism. However, the damage was undeniably minimized. Since he was no longer a lawyer, the issue of lawyers not being allowed to engage in commerce was no longer a point of contention.Meanwhile, the demolition of the old district's buildings had finally begun. Unexpectedly, there was also progress in the investigation into who had been orchestrating Daniel’s provocations. “Daniel’s been spotted frequenting a casino. Someone saw him withdraw a large amount of cash. I suspect the person behind all this didn’t use digital transfers. They dealt in cash,” Jamie speculated during a team meeting.The assistant nodded silently, considering the possibility. Then he turned and found Ben’s sharp gaze fixed on him. Ben pointed a finger directly at him, his expression making it clear what he wanted. The assistant froze, bewildered. “Me again?”Under Ben’s authoritative glare, the assistant could only nod reluctantly. As he lamented his bad luck,
“Hold on, I have something to announce,” Noah suddenly raised his hand. “I’ve already secured the bid for South Haven District.”Everyone froze in surprise. Even Jamie couldn’t hide the flicker of astonishment in her eyes. The bid for South Haven District was already locked down?Hearing the murmurs in the room, Noah propped his elbow on the table, resting his chin on his hand. He tilted his head back with a deliberate smirk. “Oh, you didn’t know? Looks like I forgot to mention it. But everyone should know about something this significant. Don’t you think so?”As he spoke, his gaze shifted directly to Ben. The tension in the room thickened instantly, suffocating enough to make everyone want to bolt for the door.Jamie’s concern grew as she glanced at Ben.“Then move on to the next project. South Haven District isn’t the only one project that the company is working on,” Ben replied smoothly, his tone calm and composed, without a hint of hesitation.Noah’s smile faltered, his exp
It was all just teasing. No one truly meant it. After all, a woman accompanying a man to such occasions wasn’t necessarily a future wife, She could just as easily be a passing fancy. After all, wasn’t that what men often did? The laughter grated on Jamie, her brows knitting tightly together. She found it revolting. Then Ben’s cold, clear voice sliced through the room, abruptly silencing the laughter. “Actually, there is someone.” The room froze. It was as if someone had yanked the strings of a puppet show, and all the performers had stopped mid-act. “Cough… cough, my mistake,” stammered the man who had been leading the jokes, his voice cracking as he desperately tried to recover. “I didn’t realize this young lady held such a position.” Jamie, naturally, didn’t care for their opinions, but Ben’s quiet, unwavering defense warmed her heart. Though it was a dinner meeting under the guise of drinks, the reality was clear that it was all business. And Ben, with his positio
In a company as large as theirs, there weren’t many people dressed as sharply as that. At most, there were only two. Jamie guessed the figure outside the door wasn’t Noah. With a faint smile to her assistant, she said, “It’s probably Ben. After all, I’m his secretary. It’s only right to support my boss.” The assistant nodded, thinking her reasoning made sense. Outside, Ben raised an eyebrow, the corners of his lips curling into a satisfied smile before walking away. After the distinct glimpse of his suit disappeared, Jamie’s smile deepened. Saying something like that to make him happy once in a while wouldn’t hurt. *In the blink of an eye, Charlie had already been attending kindergarten for over half a month. Jamie called his teacher, Miss Georgia, to ask about his behavior at school, only to be met with glowing praise. “Charlie’s mom, you have no idea. Charlie is the easiest child I’ve ever had to look after. He’s just wonderful,” Miss Georgia gushed. Hear
Charlie had the smallest rolling pin. The three of them sat around the table, earnestly rolling out dough for ravioli. Charlie poured all his energy into it, his little hands pressing down with all his might.“Charlie, you don’t need to push so hard,” Jamie said, her tone warm and encouraging. “Watch how Mom does it, okay?”She guided him patiently, her gentle expression lighting up the moment. Ben, seated across from her, paused in his work to watch the scene, captivated without even realizing it. Jamie, oblivious to his gaze, focused on teaching Charlie.After some practice, Charlie began to get the hang of it. They rolled out the sheets of dough, cut them into squares, dusted them with flour, and set them aside for filling later.“That should be enough,” Jamie said as she stood up, stretching her back after being hunched over the table.Ben reached over to her without warning. She instinctively dodged, but he pressed her gently back into place. “Hold still. You’ve got some fl
But instead of feeling touched, Vera’s first reaction was nausea. A wave of discomfort surged up from her stomach, and Vera’s face paled. She bolted for the bathroom. Caleb followed quickly. “Are you feeling sick?” “I don’t think so. I’ve been eating normally—nothing too heavy or weird lately.” Vera clutched her stomach, just as confused as he was. Then, a possibility flashed through her mind. Caleb clearly had the same thought. Without a word, he turned and walked into their bedroom, returning moments later with a pregnancy test. Vera looked at him, stunned. “When did you buy that?” He responded matter-of-factly, “Better safe than sorry.” Vera was momentarily speechless. Five minutes later, she stepped out of the bathroom, her hand instinctively resting on her stomach, her expression a mix of shock and disbelief. It was positive. They had only been married for three months. How did this happen so fast?Caleb, on the other hand, remained composed—at le
Of course, Vera wasn’t about to dump all her responsibilities on her assistant. That would be exploitation. She called her assistant into her office. “You’re twenty-five this year, right?” Her assistant blinked, confused. Wasn’t her age common knowledge? Why was Vera suddenly bringing it up? A thought struck her. Was this an arranged marriage situation? Her face immediately filled with silent refusal. “Miss Vera, I’m still young. I’m not thinking about marriage anytime soon.” Vera tapped her pen against the desk. “I’m not telling you to get married.” “Oh.” “I just want to offload some of the smaller daily tasks to you. You don’t have to run every minor document by me.”Her assistant instantly understood. A raise. After confirming she was on board, Vera gave her a salary bump and had her hire a few more assistants to distribute the workload. “If I don’t have time to handle everything, you guys will take care of it. If something’s too complicated, jus
Vera could sense danger the moment the conversation turned in this direction. Her father had never questioned her about married life, and she was lucky enough to avoid nosy relatives. But just because she hadn’t experienced it firsthand didn’t mean she hadn’t seen it happen to others. Without hesitation, she abandoned the half-folded pastry in her hands. “I... uh, need to use the restroom.” Before she could escape, Mrs. Smith caught her wrist. “You and Caleb aren’t getting any younger,” she said matter-of-factly. “You should start thinking about kids—make sure you’re putting in the effort, hmm?” Vera left the kitchen visibly drained. Mrs. Smith was a wonderful mother-in-law, the kind who treated Vera like her own daughter. Despite knowing Vera came from a well-off family, she had still gifted them a house as a wedding present. Of course, Caleb already owned a place, but his mother had insisted. “That’s your house. This is the home I’m giving you as a weddi
That undeniable possessiveness flickered in Caleb’s gaze—subtle yet impossible to ignore. It was the kind of look a powerful man might give his beloved in an old Hollywood film. And right now, the photographer felt like the unlucky bystander who had accidentally stumbled upon an intimate scene. His voice wavered slightly, caught up in his own imagination. “Mr. Smith, lift your eyes toward the camera.” Caleb’s sharp gaze flickered over, intense and commanding. The photographer instinctively pressed the shutter. They continued with several more poses, reviewing the shots as they went. Vera loved them all, but her favorite was still the vintage-inspired one. “How long until we get the final prints?” she asked. “Two to three days at most,” the photographer replied. “I’ll have them shipped directly to you.” Then, after a slight pause, he hesitated before making a request. “I actually have a personal favor to ask—would you both be open to letting us displa
Vera was tempted. They had already taken plenty of wedding photos—several sets at the island, more at the wedding itself. But this wasn’t just any photo studio. It was privately booked and known for being one of the most prestigious studios in the city. Appointments here were nearly impossible to get. The fact that Caleb had managed to secure a session meant he had gone to great lengths to make it happen. If they were just going to take ordinary wedding pictures, it would be a waste of an opportunity. Still, she wasn’t sure what kind of shoot she wanted. The photographer, understanding her hesitation, pulled out a sample album. “You can take a look at our past work. These are some of the styles we’ve done.” Flipping through the pages, Vera saw an array of stunning concepts—each picture more breathtaking than the last. Then, one particular set caught her eye. A Golden Age Hollywood theme.It was classic, nostalgic, and beautifully atmospheric. “Ca
After the wedding, Vera considered taking some time off for a honeymoon. But the thought quickly faded when she realized Caleb had been practically living at the hospital. With a sigh, she dismissed the idea. She was used to it, but to say she wasn’t disappointed would be a lie. Her assistant picked up on it. “Mrs. Smith, don’t you want to go on a honeymoon?” she asked one day. “One of my friends just got married, and she’s been obsessively researching destinations. “She even said a marriage without a honeymoon is already half a failure.” Vera froze mid-page, suddenly losing interest in the documents she had been reviewing. Her assistant hesitated, then offered a suggestion. “Why don’t you go visit Dr. Smith at work?“You seem… distracted. Maybe seeing him will help.” Vera snapped out of her daze, suddenly aware of how preoccupied she had been lately. It was embarrassing to admit, but she had been zoning out far too often—especially after coming hom
Whenever they did this in the past, Caleb always maintained some restraint. But tonight—he didn’t hold back at all. He took her from the bedroom to the bathroom, then back to the bed, his searing kisses trailing every inch of her skin. The next morning, even as she woke up, Vera could still feel the lingering traces of last night’s intoxicating pleasure. As expected, she ended up taking the day off. It wasn’t until two days later that she finally returned to work. *Everyone at the company had already prepared for this. The moment Vera walked into the office, she was greeted with knowing smiles and teasing remarks. “Congratulations, Mrs. Smith!” “Newlywed bliss, huh?” “Three whole days off? Someone had a good time.” It didn’t take a genius to figure out what she had been up to. Obviously, her married life was going exceptionally well—so well that she had completely abandoned work for it. Under the weight of their mischievous stares, Vera barely k
Yelena still hadn’t accepted Hunter, but he wasn’t giving up either and was relentlessly closing in on her. Knowing Yelena’s soft heart, Vera figured it was only a matter of time before she gave in. She let out a sigh. Her friend’s love life wasn’t something she could interfere with. Besides, Caleb had already given her a little inside scoop. “She came to the hospital for a follow-up a few days ago,” he had mentioned casually. “Hunter was the one who brought her.” Vera had clicked her tongue at the news. Yelena always seemed quiet and reserved, but apparently, she was full of surprises.*Time flew by in the blink of an eye.By mid-month, Caleb had rented out an entire vineyard and spent several days transforming it into the perfect wedding venue.When the day arrived, the celebration took place right there.The vineyard was sprawling and elegant, every bit as grand as any luxury hotel—if not better. Even the wine cellar remained untouched, stocked with years-
“Did you plan this from the start?” Vera narrowed her eyes, feeling like she had just walked into a carefully laid trap. “Mm.” Caleb smiled, then leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. Because yes—he had always been planning this. The biggest change in Vera’s life after the island proposal was the ring now sitting on her finger. It wasn’t just any ring. It was custom-made, something Caleb had specially ordered. She only found out by accident when she glanced at his phone one day and saw the purchase record. It had been ordered two months ago. Vera did the math and was stunned. He had been preparing for this long before she even started getting impatient. Her heart swelled with emotion. And as soon as Caleb’s parents heard that their son had finally proposed, they wasted no time pushing them to get the marriage license. *One day, Vera overheard Caleb’s mother lecturing him. “Your dad and I weren’t expecting much from you. With how much ti