I had not noticed when Zach arrived, but he must have overheard Cecilia just now.At this moment, he should see her true colors, right? Would he feel ashamed for ever loving someone like her? Or… did he still love her? I did not know and did not want to know.I walked past Cecilia without a word, and Zach did not talk to her either. He held my arm as we made our way through the crowd. After the funeral, everyone was drained.My aunt got sick and could not attend the funeral. My mom planned to take her abroad for some time once she was discharged. My uncle seemed to age overnight. He had even more gray hair than my dad. A guest’s child even thought my uncle was my dad’s dad.As the guests left, Sophie suddenly said, “Cassia, my childhood is officially over.” She often jokes about being a big kid—carefree and clueless about life’s troubles. Losing a loved one made a person grow up fast.She told me she was going to help at Freeman Corporation’s branch. Freeman Corpor
Some time later, my aunt was finally discharged. My mom took her to Tibet for some peace and healing. But true healing was something you had to do for yourself. A beautiful place could not be a permanent escape. Eventually, you had to come back to reality.Sophie started working at the branch office as the deputy manager. It was the highest position she could get given her lack of experience. Bryce had been the general manager, and his position was still open.She left her coffee shop with the manager and her entertainment company with a friend. On her first day at the branch, I went with her to drop her off.I went to Sophie’s place. When I saw her come downstairs in a formal business suit, she looked almost like a stranger. She had always been a bit wild, and her style showed it. Even in the middle of winter, she would wear shorts and leather boots. My aunt used to say she dressed like a little rebel.But today, this “rebel” looked like a real businesswoman. We wished this toug
“Do your own thing. Don’t just watch them.”“I’ll share the live updates with you.”“No thanks. I’d rather watch soap operas. They’re more dramatic than this.”I lay back on my bed and watched a soap opera. The plot was so over the top it could not even be called dramatic anymore.The lead character was a man who went through a lot of struggles and then changed into a woman. Later, her father fell in love with her.My eyes were much better. With my glasses on, I could basically see the TV clearly.I watched in shock. Just as the lead character was being confessed to by her father, Sophie sent me a video.I opened the video while still watching the show. It showed Zach, Fame, and Cecilia.Fame said, “Mr. Gordon, come to my office at 6:30 a.m. tomorrow to sign the contract.”Zach asked, “Your office opens at 6:30 a.m.?”“No. I have two dogs at the office. You can walk them first. Hahaha.”I did not know where Sophie was hiding to record. I could only see Zach’s profile, not hi
The days passed by slowly. This year, we had the quietest New Year’s Eve. My mom and aunt went on a trip again and stayed in a warm, beautiful village. New Year’s Eve used to be a time when our whole family got together. But this year, there were fewer people. My mom and aunt were not around. Bryce and Luna would never come back either. The big dining table was usually full of people. This time, it could not be filled. My dad poured a drink and symbolically offered it to Bryce. Then, he raised his glass to my uncle and said, “Bryce and Luna will be fine up there.” My uncle raised his glass with shaky hands and drank it all. Even though there were not many of us this year, we were still together as a family. Two people were probably alone on this New Year’s Eve. One was Austin. Yesterday, he told me that his dad was in Kentucky with his new Mexican girlfriend, who was thirty years younger than him. I joked that his dad was still full of energy. Austin smiled and said
“Not good, but also not bad.”“Say hi to Sophie for me.”“Okay.”“I’ve heard about Zach,” Cameron suddenly said. I did not expect him to bring Zach up. So, I just looked at him in silence.“Are you going to get back with him?” he asked.“No,” I answered firmly.“Good. Cassia, I’m waiting for you.”Cameron’s words stressed me out. Was he serious?He had been single for a long time. In the past, there would always be women around him. He had been interested in me for the longest period.After hanging up, Sophie said, “Even if you don’t get back together with Zach, don’t choose Cameron.”“Why?”“He doesn’t love you. He’s just looking for a mom for Rachel.”“I don’t love him either. I won’t choose him, so don’t worry. But I won’t get back with Zach.”“You promise?”“Yes, I promise.”Janette was standing by the door, and she suddenly exclaimed, “Ms. Freeman, there are fireworks outside!”We looked out the windows, and fireworks were going off just outside our garden.They w
The next day, I went to the Gordon family’s mansion to wish Eloise a happy New Year. Sophie decided not to come since her family just held a funeral. So, Oliver tagged along instead.Eloise was in a great mood. She was thrilled to see Oliver, and she looked up at him. “What are the kids eating these days? You’re all so tall!”She handed Oliver some cash as a gift. It was such a thick wad that it could not even fit in his wallet. Mary laughed and said that only Eloise gave people cash as a gift. Eloise wanted us to stay for lunch. Since I had not seen her in a while, I told her we would stay for dinner too.She was delighted, and she asked the chef to make all my favorite dishes. “Oh, and bring out the salmon chowder too. Cassia loves it.”“Salmon chowder? Zach really enjoyed it yesterday, so we made extra and froze it. I can just heat it up,” the chef replied.Zach enjoyed it yesterday?Did that mean he spent New Year’s Eve with his family?I glanced at Mary and Eloise, but
It did not seem like Zach had cut ties with his family.Were they hanging out with him behind Tyler’s back since he was not around?I looked at Zach in surprise. But he just leaned over and studied my cards. “You have four aces. Were you saving them for a big win?”“Um.” I glanced at my cards. “I’m waiting for the right play.”“The right play? There are only four aces in the deck. Who are you trying to play against?” He chuckled.Zach took over for me, which I did not mind at all. After a while, I asked, “Why aren’t you drawing any more cards?”“You already have too many. Let’s play until you’re down to a normal hand.” A few rounds later, he suddenly said, “Royal flush.”He laid down the cards and took a new one.After a whole afternoon, I finally won a round—all thanks to Zach.Serena immediately praised him, “Zach, you’re amazing! You actually managed to win with Cassia’s extra cards! Look, you got a royal flush!”Mary watched us with a smile and told Zach, “Keep helping Ca
Tyler did not usually drink at home. But tonight, he had a few glasses and even toasted with me and Zach. Since I did not drink, I had some juice that Mrs. Yates made. It was both sweet and tart.“You two will be parents soon. That changes things,” Tyler said. “Zach, you know what you need to do now.”“I do.” Zach placed some meat on my plate. “Want some soup? The salmon chowder is great.”“Sure.” I took a bite of the meat. I still did not understand why Zach was on such good terms with his family.After dinner, Mrs. Yates brought us fruit to eat in the living room. Mary noticed that I was puzzled, and she gently patted my hand. “Some things will make sense later.”So, they were keeping something from me.Since it was not the right time, I did not question her. Tyler told Zach, “Come to the study for a bit.” Then, he turned to me. “Cassia, eat some fruit and watch TV. Zach will drive you home when he’s done.”“It’s okay. I’ll go back with Oliver.” “Oliver’s still a kid.” Tyl
I switched seats in the hall three times, but Cecilia stuck to me like glue. I could not get rid of her.By the time Zach finished his interview and came over, she was still challenging me. “Cassia, it doesn’t matter how much you do for Zach. Even if you give him everything, including your heart, he’ll come back to me as soon as I smile at him,” she said.Just then, Zach appeared next to our table. Cecilia kept going, as she was completely caught up in her own delusions.I looked up at Zach and said with a smile, “When did you become a butcher who took hearts?”Since he showed up, I took the chance to escape. I stood up and said, “Well, Zach’s here. Cecilia, why don’t you charm him and give him that smile you were talking about?”Then, I quickly slipped away. All evening, she had been annoying me like a fly. It totally ruined my appetite.I found a quiet spot and placed my food on the table. As soon as I sat down, Zach came over and sat across from me. I looked behind him and
When Zach saw Wilson Corporation’s bid, he tossed it aside. This meant that it had been eliminated.Wilson Corporation did not have enough funding, so they would not make it to the next round. If they could not keep up in terms of cash flow, it would delay the whole project.However, it would not be fun to eliminate them in the first round.I picked up Wilson Corporation’s bid again. Austin looked at me and asked, “What are you doing?”“Just having some fun.”Wilson Corporation would not make it to the final round anyway. At least, they could enjoy making it to the next round.When the names of the qualified companies were announced, Cecilia’s expression was strange. She looked both nervous and confident at the same time. It was like she had a split personality.The moment Zach read Wilson Corporation’s name, Cecilia quickly stood up and turned to me.I saw pride, satisfaction, and joy in her gaze.She raised her chin as she walked up to receive the bid from Zach. She was acti
There was nonstop clicking from the cameras, and their flashes were so bright that they almost made my eyes water.Just then, Zach handed me a pair of glasses. I put it on, and another reporter asked, “There’s a rumor that Zach was recently fired from Gordon Corporation’s board? Is it true?”Tyler laughed. He looked at Zach and then at me before he said, “You just said that it was a rumor, right?”I scanned the crowd and quickly spotted Cecilia. Her face was pale, and it looked like she was about to cry.At this point, she should realize that Zach had not been fired. He was not the nobody she thought he was.He was still the same Zach. In fact, he was even better. While he was away from the spotlight, Zach set Yonder Trading up for the next five years. Even without Gordon Corporation, he could still succeed in the business world with Yonder Trading.Cecilia was dumbfounded, but it did not seem like she could cry. It was almost funny.Her attitude had been completely different
Cecilia walked toward me in her high heels. “Cassia, you’re acting like a saint again. When Zach’s career fell apart four years ago, you stayed with him for three years. Now, you’re getting back with him again? You love him that much, huh? I’m telling you that Zach is a lost cause. No matter what you do, he’s not going to make a comeback unless you hand over Freeman Corporation to him. Other people date for fun, but you? You’re ready to risk everything for him.”“Cecilia.” I looked her straight in the eye. “That’s enough. No matter what, Zach used to be completely devoted to you. Not only have you dumped him, but you’re trash-talking him behind his back.”“Behind his back? I’d say the same thing to his face.” Cecilia raised her chin. “Sure, Zach loved me, but I don’t want some lovesick fool. It doesn’t matter that he turned against the Gordon family for me. Did I ask him to? If his life is a mess now, it’s his own fault.”“His fault is falling in love with you.”Cecilia smiled smug
The past few days had been particularly hectic. The signing of the Cameron Hill project was around the corner, and we were going to open for tender on the signing day. Once the project began, we would subcontract to many construction companies. We had a few construction companies under Freeman Corporation. However, it was going to be hard for us to tackle such a big project on our own. Hence, we needed to look for subcontractors. Doing both the signing and the tendering on the same day was a first in the industry. Actually, I did not want to rush things like that, but Austin wanted to be quick. He was afraid that his body would give up on him. Meanwhile, I was afraid that I would accidentally tell Sophie the truth one day. Sophie could not make it to the signing. She could not walk well, and she was basically resting. We had released the news about the tender a few days ago, and I had received tenders from many companies. Wilson Corporation was one of them. I glanced at the
While I was staring at Lucy’s photo, my father called me. He and my mother had been away for a really long trip. They left when it was winter, and it was already spring, but they were still not back. My father said, “The proposal that you sent me regarding Cameron Hill is very detailed. I think it’s a good project. You can sign on my behalf.” “Dad, are you guys not coming back yet?”“You’re good at your job. I feel at ease when you’re in charge.” “Dad, don’t forget that my baby’s due in two months.” “Well, aren’t there two months left, then?” I was speechless. My father was trying to make use of me until the day I gave birth. He seemed to be in a good mood. Yesterday, my mother called and told me that Aunt Lauren and her husband were feeling much better than before. It was especially so after they learned that Sophie had gotten into a relationship. Before I ended the call, my father gave me some encouraging words, “Oscar called me yesterday and praised you for being a
Rachel really liked the pastries that Kingston had bought. “I’ve never had such good food before,” she said.She was always surprised by our food, as she grew up overseas with a different type of cuisine. Zach had promised to finish building the castle with Rachel, so I sent her to Yonder Trading in the morning. I held her hand as we walked into his office. He had just finished laying the game mat on the floor. Rachel ran over to him happily. “Zach!” Zach immediately carried her and lifted her over his head. Rachel giggled. She was usually quite lonely, so she loved to spend time with us adults. After I dropped her off, Zach passed me a folder. “It’s about Lucy.” He was extremely quick in his investigation. I took the folder and only found a few pages inside.Lucy was not originally from West City. Instead, she came from East City. It turned out that she had taken her mother’s last name.Her mother was a lounge singer, and there were a few old photos of her in the
“Hush.” I held my finger up to my lips. “Stop being so noisy. He’s still sleeping.”“Cassia, can you add more people to your list of blacklisted guests? Austin, that dog—” “Shut up,” I chastised her before she could finish her sentence. However, Austin had already woken up and sat up from the sofa bed. He patted his numb arm as he said to Sophie, “At first, Lucy was sleeping here too, but your snores got too loud, so she went to the other room. I’m still here because I fell asleep. I wasn’t interested in staying up to listen to your snoring.” Sophie threw a throw pillow at him. She used too much force, so Austin toppled over after being hit. She laughed. “Austin, you’re such a loser. Are you made out of glass? Why are you falling over after such a light throw?” Austin slowly walked out of the room, and Sophie scowled as he left. Then, she lay down again. I picked up the throw pillow and tossed it back to her. “Can you be gentler next time?”“Why?”“I know you’re athletic
Rachel had already fallen asleep. So, I went downstairs for a glass of lemon water. Kingston happened to walk out of Sophie’s room too. He carefully shut the door, and I asked, “Is Sophie asleep?”“Yes.” Kingston laughed and said, “I was telling her a bedtime story, and she dozed off.”He had such patience to even tell Sophie a bedtime story. I could see how much he liked her. If Austin were not in the picture, I would be very happy to see their relationship progress. However, I was the one who had introduced Kingston to Sophie. Whenever I thought about Austin, I felt bad. “Have a safe drive home.”“Don’t worry. It’s just a short drive.” He kindly helped me down the stairs. “Oh, Sophie wants some pastries for breakfast tomorrow. What would you like to eat? I could buy some for you.” “She’s asking you to buy her breakfast? Don’t waste your energy. I can get the driver to buy it or just order delivery. You don’t have to trouble yourself.”“It’s no trouble at all. Sophie did