Once Tyler was done, the atmosphere in the study felt heavy and tense.Tyler said that in front of me as a warning and a threat to Zach.Zach kept quiet because he knew that Tyler could act on what he said.“And Zach, if you leave the Gordon family, Cecilia will leave you too, just like she did three years ago. Once you’re out of this family, you’ll have nothing.”After that, Tyler walked past me and said, “You should rest. This isn’t your problem.”With that, he left the study, so only Zach and I remained.Zach was standing in the corner, where the light did not reach.I could see that he felt defeated. Because of this incident, Tyler was questioning his relationship and his abilities.Those two things were important to a man.I did not know how to comfort him, and I did not really want to.Why should I care?I just hoped that he would not blame me for everything like Cecilia did. But if he did, there was nothing I could do about it.As I got up from my chair and headed fo
I nodded. “Okay, let’s go inside.”“I really don’t get what Cecilia’s thinking. She did something so dumb and still tried to talk to Mr. Quinlan’s daughter. Is that really going to help?” the driver mumbled.“Of course it’s not going to help. Cecilia knows that,” I replied. “She’s not trying to talk to Rachel. She wants Zach to see that she’s trying to make things right and that she’s willing to put aside her pride as an heiress for him.”“She can’t keep up her pride as an heiress for long.”He was right. Everyone knew that Wilson Corporation was struggling.When I entered Sophie’s house, Rachel was still awake. She sat on the bed and played with some building blocks.It was getting late, so Sophie complained, “She was about to sleep. My mom and I each told her six stories. I talked so much that my mouth got dry, and she started yawning. But then, Cecilia showed up and woke her up.”“It’s okay,” I said. “I’ll stay with her until she sleeps. You should go ahead and rest in your r
Cameron spoke quickly and softly, but I noticed a change in his tone. I could tell what he really meant.I had known Cameron for a long time. He loved Rachel, but he often had different women around him. Since we knew each other, he never showed any romantic interest in me.However, after what happened yesterday, he seemed a bit down. So, I figured he might be saying things without thinking clearly.I smiled and said, “Not right now. I’ll visit when I have time. Maybe early next month. I promise I won’t make any empty promises.”“You know that’s not what I meant.” His hand was still on my shoulder, and he looked straight at me. “It’s not just Rachel who can’t be apart from you. I feel the same way.”I was surprised, and it showed.“Don’t worry. I’ll keep what you said yesterday to myself. Sophie tried to bribe me with food last night, but I didn’t say a word.”He smiled and squeezed my shoulder. “In that case, make sure to come early next month. I’ll ask someone to get your ro
“There won’t be a next time.”I looked at him. “If there’s a next time, you might as well resign from Yonder Trading. The requirements to get in aren’t that low.”Zach stared at me for a moment before he walked away.It looked like I was the big winner. Cecilia had been forced to leave Yonder Trading, and Tyler had shut her out completely. I did not even have to lift a finger, but what did I actually win?Around 8 p.m., I received a call from Rachel. “Cassia, we’re home!” she said happily.“What time is it in Spain?”“It’s still daytime.”“Oh, you still need to take a shower, brush your teeth, and get some sleep,” I said.Then, the camera shifted, and I suddenly saw Cameron. He was shirtless because he was changing.I did not have time to look away. Cameron and I made eye contact through the screen. He laughed in resignation and turned around. “Rachel, don’t you know that Cassia’s a lady and I’m a guy?”“But you proposed to Cassia this morning, didn’t you?”I was speechles
Zach made his breakup with Cecilia seem real.Cecilia moved out of the house that Zach had given her and returned to her parents’ house.She even went to the office to pack her things, and I ran into her there.Her office was a mess with all kinds of decorations. I asked two security guards to help her move. She was very grateful, and she thanked me over and over. After she was done packing, she came to my office to say goodbye.As she approached, I pointed at the door and said, “You can just talk from there.”She knew that I was pregnant, and I was worried she might try to cause trouble. I felt like putting an electric fence between us.She stood at the door with a humble and meek look. “Cassia, thank you for taking care of me during this time. I’ll be off now.”“Do you have a split personality?” I could not stand her. “You were just cursing me on the phone the day before yesterday. Have you forgotten?”“Let’s not talk about the past.” She lowered her eyes and appeared sad.
“You’re not drop-dead gorgeous.”I was not happy with that. “Are you saying I’m not pretty?”“In my opinion, you’re not the most beautiful.”“Then, who is?” After I learned that Austin was not into me, I became curious.“Why do you care? I tried calling Sophie earlier, but she didn’t pick up.”“Really? Let me try.”While I called her, I entered the elevator and bumped into Zach as he stepped out.Austin nodded at him, and Zach asked, “Going out for lunch?”“Just the two of us.” I pulled Austin into the elevator. “No extra company.”As the doors closed, Austin shook his head. “When did you get so petty? Besides, Zach didn’t even want to come.”“Better be safe than awkward.” I finally got through to Sophie. “What are you doing? Why didn’t you answer Austin’s call?”“Are you with Austin?” she whispered.“Yeah, we’re grabbing lunch. Spicy shrimp.”“N-No thanks.”“What’s wrong?”“I’m busy. The shop’s packed today.”“Are all your employees dead or something?”“Don’t curse th
Speaking of Austin’s dad, he was something else. If he lived in ancient times, he would be a king who loved pretty women more than his kingdom.After Austin’s mom died, his dad started partying and dating a lot. He switched girlfriends so quickly that it was like flipping through a calendar. He would have a new date every month.Austin’s grandfather built Jenkins Corporation. After Austin grew up, he took over the company while his dad traveled around and had fun.Everyone had their own way of living, and sometimes, I envied his dad.Austin went all out in business since no one was there to stop him.He took huge risks, but he was lucky and talented. Under his leadership, Jenkins Corporation kept growing.However, I did worry that it might crash someday.When we reached Sophie’s restaurant, she panicked. She glared at us with half a potato in her mouth. “Didn’t you say you were going for spicy shrimp? Why are you here?”“You mentioned that your restaurant was packed, so we ju
Our spicy shrimp had arrived. So, Sophie grabbed some forks and spoons before she joined us.I ordered two levels of spiciness. Since Austin could not really handle spicy food, I got him the mild one and got Sophie the spicy one.She loved it. I looked at her and said, “Didn’t someone just say they didn’t want to eat?”“Someone? Who?” She laughed.Ugh, Sophie could be so thick-skinned when we were not talking about feelings. But as soon as we brought up relationships, she would get all shy.What a coward.However, just having courage was not enough when it came to feelings.I was brave, and I had always made the first move with Zach, but it did not matter.I still ended up divorcing him.Forget it. There was no use thinking about it.I had not eaten spicy food in a while, so I found even the mild shrimp too spicy. I rinsed it in my grapefruit tea before I ate it. Sophie looked at me in disgust and said, “How can you eat like that?”“Don’t talk with your mouth full.”“Aren’t
As I approached Sophie’s room, the yelling got increasingly loud and made my ears hurt.I opened the door to see her dragging Lucy out by the ear. Lucy was screaming, “Sophie, let go! You’re a barbarian! Austin told me to stay here! Who are you to kick me out? This isn’t even your house!”“This is my house.” I stepped aside to avoid the chaos. “And I’m telling you to leave.”“Austin said I could stay!” “Austin isn’t the king of the world.” I sneered. “Why should I listen to him?”Before I could finish, Sophie had already dragged Lucy to the door. I opened it wide so that she could toss her out.Lucy clung to the doorframe like her life depended on it. “I’m not leaving! Sophie, if you kick me out, what will you do when Austin comes looking for me?”Sophie grabbed a feather duster that Mrs. Gibson had left behind and marched toward Lucy.She started screaming, “Sophie, what are you doing?! Don’t hit me! Sophie! Stop!”Sophie raised the feather duster up high. I knew that she wo
Sophie completely ruined a happy moment.I looked at her. “You’re not still hoping for something with Austin, are you?”“Of course not!” she raised her voice. “I’m not a masochist!”Just then, Mrs. Gibson knocked on the door. “Ms. Cassia Freeman, Ms. Sophie Freeman, someone’s here to see you.”Who could it be this late?We went downstairs and saw Lucy at the front door with a suitcase.She simply would not leave us alone.My head hurt when I saw her.Lucy saw us and walked right in without taking off her shoes. “I told you Cassia and Sophie know who I am! Cassia, your housekeeper’s so rude. She wouldn’t let me in.”“Hey, what are you doing?” Sophie blocked her path. “Take another step, and I’ll get security to throw you out.”“Starting today, I’ll be staying here.” Lucy sat on her suitcase and grinned.“What are you talking about? Are you sure you’re not crazy?”I did not want to argue with her. “Did Austin kick you out?”Lucy was like glue. Once she stuck to you, you coul
“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