Cecilia was slowly washing her hands next to me. “Congrats, Cassia. You got the painting you wanted at such a high price. That’s almost double its three-million-dollar market price,” she said emotionlessly. However, I could tell that she was a bit jealous. She was also delighted because she thought that I had suffered a loss. I shook my hands dry and happily said, “I had no choice. Mary dotes on me.” The water got onto her, and she took a few steps back. “Cassia, you’re so rude.” “No, I’m not.” I wiped my hands with a paper towel as I smiled. “You and Zach are divorced!” “Yes, but I’m pregnant.” I caressed my lower abdomen. She did not even look at my tummy when she sneered. “Don’t forget you’re just faking it. That will never happen!” “You might be wrong.” I walked past her and bumped into her shoulder. She was furious as she followed closely behind. “Cassia, I can tear your lie apart at any given moment. Do you know how immoral you are? You’re playing with their fee
The second half of the auction started, and the first item was an antique that I did not care about. I kept looking at the picture that I had taken of the painting by Levine. The more I looked at it, the more I liked it.Zach noticed and casually said, “You’ll be taking it home soon. Isn’t it better to see the real thing?”“I could look at something I like a thousand times and still want more.”When they began auctioning the crown, I finally looked up. The host spoke excitedly about the history of this rare treasure.His voice was annoying, so I covered one ear with my finger and muttered, “Whose is it? The wife of Henry II? Isn’t that the one who got executed? That thing is bad luck.”“The one who got executed was Louis XVI,” Zach corrected me.“Isn’t Louis XVI a type of brandy?”“That’s Louis XIII.” He looked at me like I was stupid.“Wait, which Henry is he talking about? Why is he suddenly talking about Charles IX? Isn’t that guy from a children’s sci-fi novel?” That book w
“It’s time to raise the paddle,” Zach reminded me.No. It was time to pull back.I suddenly frowned and held on to his wrist tightly. He looked at me in confusion. “What’s wrong?”“My stomach hurts.” I leaned against him and used this opportunity to press down the paddle in his hand.The host then announced, “Eighty-two million, going twice!”Mary noticed that something was off and turned to me. “Cassia? What’s wrong?”Amid the chaos, the host hit the gavel and declared, “Congratulations to the gentleman in seat 17 for winning this rare crown for eighty-two million!”I readjusted my posture and sighed. “I’m fine, Mary. My leg just cramped up all of a sudden. It’s better now.”Mary relaxed a little. “That’s good. Pregnant women often get leg cramps. I’ll ask the nutritionist to adjust your meals and add more calcium. That should help.”“Thanks, Mary.”Mary straightened up and realized that someone had bought the crown. Her expression changed. “What happened?”Zach glanced at
There was a big party after the auction, and my stomach was already growling. Since I was feeling great, I planned on eating a lot.However, the venue was a little stuffy, so I took some food to the terrace outside.It could have been due to my good mood, but I thought that the food tasted amazing. While I enjoyed my meal, I suddenly heard some muffled voices from the garden.It sounded like an upset woman was arguing with someone. “What’s wrong with you? Is this how you do your job? Don’t you have any sense? I never told you to bid on that!”Oh, it was Cecilia talking to the skinny guy. It looked like she did not want to accept responsibility for what had happened.This was too interesting to miss!I sneaked off the terrace with my plate and followed their voices. Then, I found Cecilia and the skinny guy deep in the garden.She was trying to keep her cool, but she appeared worried and frustrated. She also sounded desperate. “I don’t care. You need to figure this out!”“How am
Suddenly, his phone rang and startled him. He quickly answered it and warned Cecilia softly, “You’d better behave. I’ll be back soon.”He took her phone and walked away as he answered the call.Once he left, I approached Cecilia. When she saw me, her eyes lit up, and her whimpering got even louder.“Shh. Keep it down,” I whispered. “He’ll be back any minute.”“Mmph, mmph.”“What did you say?”“Mmph, mmph.” She was a mess, and she looked afraid.I could not help but laugh at her situation. She had brought this upon herself.“What did you say?” I was not going to take the cloth out of her mouth because I found it funny.“Mmph, mmph.”“Are you asking the beautiful and generous Cassia to save you? I’ll think about it.”“Mmph, mmph.” She looked at me as tears and sweat rolled down her cheeks.Okay, enough joking. It would be bad if that guy came back.So, I decided to untie her first. We could deal with the cloth in her mouth later.While I focused on untying Cecilia, she sudd
I must have been out of my mind to help Cecilia. Why did I care about her?I should have realized that she would be ungrateful.The man bent down to look for his rope, but I had cut it to free Cecilia earlier. He was frustrated as he held the two broken pieces of rope. I was worried that his anger toward Cecilia might make him snap.“Call Cecilia! Tell that b*tch to come back with the money! If she doesn’t, I’ll kill you!” he shouted.I pulled the cloth out of my mouth. He was so furious that he forgot to tie me up. It was useless to merely gag me.“She won’t come back,” I told him.The man was stunned, and sweat dripped from his forehead. I was telling the truth. No one knew Cecilia better than I did.“I’ll kill you if she doesn’t come back!” He was livid.“If you kill me, you’ll be doing exactly what she wants. Think about it. She asked you to raise your paddle so that my family would have to pay a fortune for the item. We’re enemies. If you kill me, you’ll be playing r
Things were getting interesting.Mary came over and took my hand. “Why are your hands so cold? What’s wrong with Cecilia?”I pointed at the two people arguing. “I heard a bit of their conversation. Mary, do you know the guy who bought the crown at the auction?”Mary shook her head in confusion. “I don’t.”“Well, you can ask Cecilia.”Cecilia was shocked. Not only did the man let me go, but I also brought him here. She panicked and shouted, “Security! Get this person out of here!”This was a public hall. Did she think this was her home?I noticed that Zach was about to go to her. However, Tyler stood beside him and whispered, “Don’t get involved.”With that, Zach did not take another step.The staff were looking for the skinny guy since he had not paid for the crown. They asked him to go to the back to sort out the payment.The man then pointed at Cecilia and said, “She bought it, not me! She hired me to help her with the bid!”Everyone gasped, and Mary was taken aback. She l
In the end, Zach did not answer Cecilia’s calls. But whether he would help her later was anyone’s guess.As I walked back to my room, I overheard Tyler and Mary giving him a lecture in the study.“Zach, you have a wife and a child now. You know exactly what kind of person Cecilia is. She’s nothing but trouble. You need to cut ties with her,” Mary said.I did not want to eavesdrop, but I wanted to hear what Zach would say.As usual, he stayed quiet. That was one of the most annoying things about him.He might be respectful toward Tyler, but once he decided to do something, no one could stop him.Tyler spoke slowly but firmly, “Zach, Wilson Corporation’s problems don’t just revolve around bad business. They reflect what kind of people the Wilsons are. They’re greedy, resistant to change, reckless, and selfish. That’s why they ended up like this. So, their current predicament is a lesson for all of us. I know you want to help, and that would be fine if you were no longer part of the
“Do you want to talk to Sophie?” I asked, even though I knew he would not say anything nice.As expected, he wore the usual mocking smile. “Talk to that idiot? No thanks.”He hung up, and the screen went black.I was so mad that I felt like my heart might stop. Austin never got angry or showed big emotions, but his calm sarcasm was enough to drive anyone crazy.Just then, Sophie ran over and held out her hand. She was sweating and out of breath. “Where’s Rachel’s water bottle? She’s thirsty.”I gave it to her, and she asked, “Who were you talking to?”“An idiot,” I replied.“Oh.” She ran off again without giving it a second thought.We ended up playing there until sundown. Rachel was all sweaty, so I helped her change in the car. Although it was already spring, it was still a little chilly without the sun.We headed home and invited Kingston to join us for dinner.He gave Sophie the mechanical kite. Our garden was big, so she could fly it anytime.We did not usually have gue
“Let Bob go. Tell Zach to hang the thermos on its neck.”“Isn’t that a bit much?”“He told me that if I didn’t drink his soup, Bob could have it. So, what’s the problem with letting Bob fetch it?”Mrs. Gibson walked away with a troubled expression, and I continued building the sandcastle.Rachel suddenly looked up and asked, “Cassia, don’t you like that guy anymore?”“I don’t like him anymore,” I said.“Is he bad?”“He’s not bad. I just don’t like him anymore.”“You can like my dad, then. He’s handsome, and he knows how to make cheese pizza.”Well, my standards were a little higher than someone who could make cheese pizza.I was not sure what happened to Zach’s soup because I never saw it. His cooking was not that great, and we already had good cooks at home. Mrs. Gibson, Mrs. Ziegler, and Mrs. Harrison made amazing soups. They were from different places, so I got to try food from all over.As such, Zach’s soup was not needed.I never thought there would come a day when I
“When did your head get so square?” I looked at the metal block for a while, but I could not see how it resembled Sophie.“This robot doesn’t have to look like me. The important part is its core. It can follow my commands, and Kingston said he’ll add my voice to it later.”“What can it do? A two-hundred-dollar smart box can already do things like turn lights on and off or flush the toilet.”“Tch, this is different. Apart from following my commands, it can also read my emotions. It’ll then play the appropriate music to improve my mood.”That sounded interesting. “It should be a mood helper instead of a robot.”“Kingston also mentioned that it has a special function if I get really upset.”“Will it explode into fireworks?”“Tch.” She rolled her eyes and hugged the robot. “I don’t know. He didn’t say.”Sophie seemed to like the gift.However, Kingston did not really give it to her because she was fond of it. He just happened to study this stuff.I was incredibly tired, so I turn
“I think it’s great that he has his own principles. A lot of people today don’t have any,” Sophie interjected.It was time to change the subject. Everyone had their own views on such things anyway.“Let’s toast to those with principles,” I said to Rachel.She raised her juice cup in response. “Cheers!”“Alright, cheers.” Oscar and Ellie smiled as they clinked glasses with us.We finished eating, and Sophie had two glasses of wine. I did not allow her to have more. Kingston finally returned as well.He was not full, so he ate the leftovers.Sophie asked him how things went, and he looked up in confusion. “The head of the company whose tech was stolen came too. He claimed that it wasn’t their tech, but they’re working on something similar. He kept promoting it.”“What happened after that?”“Nothing. The police just let those two individuals go.” Kingston shook his head and went back to eating.The whole thing seemed strange. I thought about it, but I could not put my finger on
After a while, Kingston came downstairs. He looked upset, so Sophie asked, “What’s wrong?”“Two people visited the company today to discuss a deal. They offered a high price,” Kingston said.“Isn’t that good?”“At first, I thought so too. But as we talked, something felt off. They brought some tech for the collaboration, but I realized that another company had just created it. They might have stolen it.”“How can they steal someone else’s stuff?”“There are lots of ways.” Kingston peeled an orange and gave half to Sophie before eating the rest himself. “I turned them down, but they kept trying to rope me in.”“Would that tech be useful to you?” I asked.“Of course. It would save us at least a month of work.”Sophie’s eyes lit up as she looked at him. Just then, Ellie brought over a plate of fruit and teased, “Kingston’s too stubborn. If he were a bit more flexible, he’d be super successful by now.”“A gentleman earns money the right way.” Kingston’s stubbornness was somehow
Actually, Oscar did some of the cooking too. He was wearing a blue and white checkered apron, on which Ellie had tied a bow. He looked more adorable than he usually did in the office.We gave him our gifts, and Rachel handed him a lollipop. “This is made with xylitol. It won’t give you diabetes.”Oscar and Ellie laughed so hard that they could barely open their eyes. Ellie kept saying, “Wow, this little girl is so pretty.”“This must be Mr. Quinlan’s child,” Oscar said.“Yeah. She’s staying with me for a while.” I then told Sophie to help Rachel with washing her hands. Ellie was already asking the housekeeper to bring us some snacks and fruits. Oscar invited me to have a seat. “Cassia, I finally understand why your dad values you so much. You’re not only skillful, but you’re also charming. Even the little ones like you.”I was flattered by his compliments.After that, he made his way back to the kitchen. “Cassia, Sophie, have some fruit. I’ll make a few of my signature dishes f
Zach greeted Oliver, but I had to give him a kick. Only then did he stand up and nod at Zach. “Hi.”After that, he sat back down.The Freeman family had viewed Zach as the enemy for a while. But recently, things had gotten better. After Gordon Corporation started working with our company, Sophie saw Zach more often. As such, her attitude toward him was not as hostile as before.“I brought some clients here for breakfast. They’ve never had an authentic American breakfast,” Zach added.“The food here is good. You made the right decision in bringing them here.”“Alright, enjoy your meal.” He was about to leave, but I remembered something. “Your thermos… I figured that you wouldn’t mind, so I gave it to Mrs. Gibson. Also, I didn’t drink your soup. Don’t send any more next time. All that grease just clogs up the drain.”He just smiled and returned to his table.“Tsk, tsk, tsk,” Sophie said between bites. “Zach seems to be treating you the same way he treated Cecilia back then. He’s b
It was rare for Mrs. Gibson to praise Zach. Anyway, I handed her the thermos. “Pour it out. If he brings soup again, don’t accept it.”“It’s such good soup. What a waste!”“Don’t give it to Bob. It’s too greasy for a dog, and it might upset its stomach. If you’re fine with it, you can have it. Otherwise, just pour it out.”It was not that I did not appreciate Zach’s kindness. But I had already told him that it was pointless.Whether he made it for me or the babies, it would not change anything.He claimed that it was something he wanted to do, but I had made my opinions clear. Eventually, Sophie picked out a gift. She brought down a big vase and smiled brightly. “I’ll wrap it up nicely later. It’ll look really classy.”Mrs. Gibson got excited when she saw the vase. “Do you like it, Ms. Freeman? I have two more in my room. Would you like one?”Sophie froze. “You have more? Cassia, is your family that rich? Isn’t this an antique?”“Well, it looks like one. The ceramic store beh
After I got pregnant, I somehow became popular; everyone wanted to date me.I watched as Cameron and Mr. Pepper drove away. When I turned around, I was startled to see Sophie behind me. She was holding Rachel’s hand, and they were both wearing SpongeBob pajamas. They looked like two little girls in kindergarten.“Why are you sneaking up on me? Are you trying to scare me?” I clutched my chest.“You haven’t done anything wrong, so why are you scared?” Sophie picked Rachel up. “Is Cameron gone?”“Yeah.”“What did he mean by ‘second in line?’”I shot her a look. “Help Rachel with her bath. Stop asking so many questions.”It was Oscar’s birthday today, and he had invited us to dinner. It would be a casual gathering.I decided to take Rachel out for breakfast and buy a gift for him at the mall.Older men were easy to gift. Ties, belts, and wallets were suitable, but I wanted something more unique. So, I thought about what Oscar would like.I wandered around the study and noticed my