Fortunately, Charlie didn’t resist the idea, which was a relief for both Jamie and Ben. With that weight lifted off her shoulders, Jamie finally made up her mind and told Ben her decision later that same day.The moment she said yes, Ben cupped the back of her head and kissed her deeply. It was a long time before he let her go, his forehead pressed against hers as he whispered, breathless, “Finally, Jamie. You’ve agreed to marry me.“Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for this day?”Hearing the slight tremble in his voice, Jamie couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for him. But it wasn’t just him who had struggled. When Jamie made the painful decision to leave all those years ago, it had taken her months of inner turmoil to sever her feelings. Thankfully, after all these years, they had finally found their way back to each other.They decided to hold a wedding and informed Ben’s mother first. Mrs. Lucas didn’t seem particularly surprised. Instead, she jokingly compla
Ben held the wedding dress up in front of Jamie, measuring it against her. “It’s a perfect fit. Keep it,” he said, his tone carrying a subtle hint of amusement.Hearing the teasing undertone, Jamie’s cheeks flushed red. Ben was always so playful.But she couldn’t deny the sweetness that warmed her heart, a feeling she could never experience on her own. Half a month flew by—neither too fast nor too slow. During this time, the Lucas Corporation essentially put all its work on hold. Nearly everyone in the company was involved in preparing for the grand wedding.By now, everyone knew about Jamie’s relationship with Ben. “You’ve got to hand it to Miss Lewis,” someone joked. “We’ve been working hard for years, but she came in and landed the toughest one of all.”“Well, she’s got the skills for it.”“Exactly. Anyone else might not have survived Mr. Lucas’s icy glares.”The group burst into laughter, the atmosphere lighthearted and full of good-natured teasing. Of course, there wer
“I still have something to take care of tonight, just a quick trip. I’ll be back early tomorrow morning,” Ben explained.“Almost married, and you’re still such a workaholic?” Mrs. Lucas sighed.Ben glanced at Jamie. “The client in T City insisted on a meeting. It’s been scheduled for a while, and I can’t cancel.”Jamie smiled gracefully. “Go ahead then. The sooner you leave, the sooner you’ll be back. Just be careful.”“Gonna miss me?” Ben teased, a playful glint in his eyes.“Stop it. Of course not,” Jamie replied, tugging at the corner of her mouth in exasperation.As she walked him out, Ben looked around to make sure no one was watching before leaning down to press a quick kiss to her forehead. “Wait for me.”Jamie shook her head, amused, and nodded lightly. “Alright.”*The trip was short, just about an hour away. Ben had barely checked into his hotel when there was a knock at the door. A waiter stood outside, holding a tray with two glasses of wine.“A complimentary trea
Ben’s tone was as cold as ice. “I believe I’ve made myself very clear.”Unwilling to let the opportunity slip away, Summer reached out, clawing at both his shirt and her own in a desperate attempt to stage the scene. But she was no match for Ben. He shoved her onto the sofa and strode to the door. When he opened it, the police were already outside, along with a group of reporters who were evidently prearranged.“This woman broke into my room,” Ben stated with absolute indifference. “She also had my room key card, and the wine brought to me by the hotel staff was tampered with. Please test it and handle this matter according to the law.”The police, taken aback by the situation, reviewed the surveillance footage. The evidence aligned with Ben’s account that he hadn’t done anything wrong.The reporters watched the entire scene unfold. Ben’s sharp gaze swept over them, his voice cutting. “Let me guess. You already had your headline prepared. Something like, ‘Renowned Lawyer Meets Se
Ben gazed at Jamie, his voice soft. “There’s one more thing I want to give you.”“What is it?” Jamie asked, a flicker of curiosity in her eyes.Ben pulled out a small box and opened it. Inside was a ring.Jamie froze, her eyes wide with surprise. “Are we putting it on now? Isn’t that supposed to wait until tomorrow?”“I want you to try it on first,” Ben explained. “This is a ring I prepared a long time ago, back when you weren’t by my side. Without your exact size, I could only guess and hope it fits.”Hearing this, Jamie’s heart melted. She understood what he meant by “when you weren’t by my side”—he was referring to the time she had left him. She had thought their separation back then was final, that their paths would never cross again. She never imagined that during those days, he had quietly prepared a ring for her.The thought made her unable to refuse him. Tears welled up in her eyes as she extended her hand, her voice trembling slightly. “Then will you help me put it on?
Jamie lifted her eyes to meet Ben’s and understood that this was his way of giving her strength. Following his lead, she climbed into the car amidst the cheerful sound of celebratory confetti poppers, her cheeks still flushed with shyness. Nina quickly slipped into the bridesmaid car right behind hers.The long procession of luxury cars moved in perfect sync, turning heads wherever they went. Sleek, high-end vehicles worth millions of dollars captured everyone's attention as they cruised through the city streets.Passersby couldn’t resist snapping photos and sharing their amazement online.“Who’s getting married with such extravagance? Look at all those luxury cars!” one post read.Within moments, the scene went viral, and social media buzzed with speculation. Soon, the mystery was solved.It wasn’t just anyone’s wedding, but that of Ben Lucas, the CEO of Lucas Corporation, a man with even more prominence than any socialite or trust fund heir.Insiders quickly chimed in, reveal
Jamie had no other answer but to agree. Ben slipped the silver ring onto her finger, its snug fit making it feel as though it was meant to be there, encircling her finger securely. She then took his matching ring and placed it on his finger. It was only then that Jamie noticed a subtle difference between their rings. The letters engraved on hers were raised, smooth to the touch. But on Ben’s, the letters were etched into the inner band, pressing against the skin. It wouldn’t cause pain, but it was surely uncomfortable.Jamie paused briefly, staring at the ring with a trace of astonishment. Ben noticed and extended his hand for her to pull him up. The gesture served as a gentle nudge to snap her out of her thoughts.“Sorry, I zoned out for a moment,” Jamie whispered apologetically as she leaned closer to him.Ben, his arm now linked with hers, led her toward their guests to make toasts. “I noticed,” he murmured quietly. It was why he’d reminded her. Luckily, the brief moment
The thought that Winnie might be watching her at this very moment helped Jamie compose herself. She quickly found her stride, greeting familiar faces with ease.Nina, watching Jamie and Ben alternate sipping drinks, suddenly had an idea. “How about you two do a toast with your arms linked? It’s way more romantic and fun. What do you all think?”Orion, his mouth full of food, was the first to raise his hand in agreement. “Yes!”Jamie gave them a helpless look. “Orion, you’ve been totally corrupted by your mom.”Nina, wiping Orion’s mouth, raised an eyebrow. “Corrupted? I’m just making your wedding more entertaining.”In the end, Jamie relented. She turned to Ben and picked up one of the glasses. “I’ll drink this one,” she offered.Up until now, Ben had been doing most of the drinking, knowing Jamie wasn’t great with alcohol. He picked up the other glass and nodded.Orion watched them curiously, wide-eyed. Nina quickly covered Orion’s eyes. “No peeking. This is for grown-ups.”
As Caleb spoke, he looked at Vera with a hint of helplessness. After all, her hand had been injured because of Luna. “Don’t feel guilty about this. Honestly, it’s nothing to me.“And I’m not the type to carry burdens over things like this.“Besides, it’s been so long. If this had happened back then, I might have cared. But now? I just don’t think it matters anymore.” Vera’s voice was steady and sincere. But Caleb’s expression darkened. “Why would you say that? Why do you think it doesn’t matter? Do you really see me as just the same as everyone else?” For some reason, at this moment, Caleb took it personally. Vera couldn’t help but laugh. “Of course not. You’re different from the rest—so obviously, I wouldn’t see it the same way.“You’ve helped me so much. The least I can do is acknowledge that, instead of stubbornly nitpicking about what’s right or wrong, don’t you think?“Besides, whatever happened between you and Luna, that’s none of my business. It’s in
“I didn’t mean to just now. Besides, you’ve been acting all sneaky lately—so really, who else is to blame?” Seeing Yelena in tears, Liam, who had been furious just moments ago, felt a small pang of guilt. He was never good at expressing emotions. But watching her like this made him a little uncomfortable. “Go get your hand treated. Otherwise, people who don’t know any better might think I’ve been abusing you.” With that, he turned and walked away. Yelena watched his retreating figure, feeling a bit helpless. This wasn’t something she could decide on her own. Installing surveillance? It wasn’t as easy as it sounded. Liam was naturally suspicious. If he caught wind of it, the consequences would be disastrous. But she had no choice. She had a mission to complete, and there was more at stake than just this moment. Letting out a deep sigh, she finally decided to head to a clinic to get her hand treated. *“What happened to you? That’s a serious injury. You
And just like that, the conversation fell into a brief silence. Meanwhile, on the other side, Hunter received a call from Yelena. “What did you just say?” Yelena told him that her hand was broken, and on top of that, Liam seemed to be getting suspicious. She wasn’t sure what to do, so she called Hunter for advice. “I don’t really care what happens to you, but at the very least, take care of yourself.“Otherwise, if something else goes wrong later, I’ll have to step in and clean up the mess. Don’t you think so?” Hearing this, Yelena was a little taken aback. “It’s not just about my injury. The real problem is, I’m scared of what he might do now.” Sure, she had taken the two hundred thousand dollars, but she had to stay alive to spend it. At this rate, she wouldn’t even make it through in one piece. “I already told you—protect yourself. If you need anything else, I’ll try to provide it. But right now, I need you to do something for me.” Hunter had been look
“Yes, it’s in that mountain area. If you’re worried, you can go check it out yourself. But as for anything else, we don’t really have much more information.”Compared to everything else, this was the most baffling situation.“You make a good point. But given the current circumstances, I think it’ll be difficult to pull off.”Vera was speaking with the private investigator. Deep down, she was more worried than anything else.“Don’t worry,” the private investigator reassured her. “Aside from what we discussed earlier, nothing else seems too extreme. Plus, we’ve already looked into it pretty thoroughly.”By the time he finished speaking, his expression had grown more complicated.“Alright. I understand.”After hanging up, she anxiously looked straight ahead. If she had been mentally prepared before, now she was starting to feel uneasy. “What’s going on?” Caleb asked while driving, glancing at her. Vera hesitated, debating whether to tell him or not. But seeing the strange
“I only had one surgery today,” Caleb said as he drove, his voice calm but firm. “Now that it’s done, I want to know why this happened.” After that, he said nothing more. Vera sat in silence, her heart uneasy as the car pulled up in front of an upscale club. Even though her hand was already bandaged, she still felt a sting of pain every time Caleb showed concern. “So this is what it feels like to have someone care,” she thought to herself.Back when Vera had been stepped on, her only concern had been the contract—whether the deal would fall apart and if her suffering had been for nothing.If it had been anything else, she probably wouldn’t have cared as much.But Caleb’s concern made it impossible for her to brush aside.It kept lingering in her mind, refusing to let her feel indifferent.“Don’t overthink it,” Caleb said, his voice firm. “Whatever happened between Luna and me doesn’t change the fact that this concerns me too—and I owe it to you to make things right.”
“Oh? So this is the apology you wanted?” Vera’s forehead was covered in cold sweat from the pain, but the two women standing over her barely reacted. As if this was normal to them. As if humiliating her was just another game. “I asked you a question.” Vera remained half-crouched on the ground, her hand still pinned under Luna’s heel. Helena smirked. “Yeah, I’d say that’s good enough.” She hadn’t expected Vera to be this stubborn, but it didn’t matter. With an exaggerated sigh, she casually scribbled her signature onto the contract. The deal was officially secured. Vera didn’t waste another second. She cast one last glance at the two women. “I have no interest in getting involved in your personal drama. As for Caleb and me, that’s between us. We both made our choices.” Luna’s expression twisted slightly. “I won’t bother commenting on your relationship,” she said, voice dripping with disdain. “But don’t think for a second that this will ever earn
The moment Vera heard her assistant’s words, her expression darkened. Her previously calm tone turned firm. “If that’s the case, I understand. But I still have to go. This is my responsibility, and no one else can handle it.” If she didn’t take the lead, the other party would only grow bolder. However, the moment she glanced at the name on the negotiation list, she couldn’t help but frown. Because the person she was supposed to meet wasn’t just anyone. It was Helena Xander. Vera had encountered her before—back when her relationship with Caleb hadn’t yet escalated. Even then, Helena had openly mocked her, saying that since Caleb had been Luna’s devoted lapdog for years, he should know his place and never overstep. She had also thrown a few sharp words at Vera, telling her to recognize her own status—as if warning her that getting involved would only bring trouble. Back then, Vera hadn’t taken it seriously. She never thought she would cross paths with the
“Alright, enough of this. If you’re serious about investigating, you’ll need proper psychological evaluations,” Caleb said nonchalantly.“The best way to assess something like this is through clinical observation—watch for behavioral inconsistencies, memory gaps, or personality shifts. If you can, gather video footage of his daily life. That’s the only way to get a clearer picture. Otherwise, it’s just speculation.”Caleb made the remark casually, then swiftly issued a dismissal.“You came all the way here just to mess with me? What about your own situation? How’s that going?” Caleb’s sarcasm was dry and pointed. Hunter let out a long sigh. “What else could it be? Business as usual. Compared to others, I’m probably the only one with enough patience for this mess.” He was, of course, referring to his ongoing battle with Liam. Caleb gave him a small nod. “Alright, you should get going now. I need to rest. Don’t loiter around here.” Without hesitation, he waved his hand
Vera forced an awkward smile at Hunter before quickly retreating back into the bathroom to change. Hunter, watching her leave, couldn't help but smirk. “You’re really living the good life, huh?” he teased. “Didn’t expect you to have such luck.” Caleb rolled his eyes, clearly uninterested. “Enough with the nonsense. Why are you here? And who exactly were you talking about over the phone?” He didn’t want to entertain pointless banter, especially not about women. If he was being honest, even he couldn’t fully explain his feelings toward Luna. He wasn’t sure what was left between them—was it love, or just the remnants of something that had long turned sour? That pitiful look in her eyes earlier had shaken him. For a fleeting moment, he had wanted to pull her into his arms, to comfort her like he used to. But after so many years of being humiliated and pushed aside, he had forgotten how to even speak to her anymore. So instead, he did what was easiest—he change