When Julissa woke up in the middle of the night and wanted to go to the bathroom, she realized she was already in her bed.
She sat up and scratched her head, feeling a bit confused.
Wasn’t she in the living room earlier? How did she end up in bed?
Had Scott left?
She got out of bed to use the bathroom and called out toward the other room, "Mr. Nichols?"
The room was pitch black, and there was no answer.
She walked into the kitchen and glanced at the cupboard. The watch was gone.
She checked the entryway next, and the shoes under the shoe rack were also gone.
It seemed he had already left. He must have carried her to bed after she fell asleep, then left afterward.
There was an inexplicable feeling of disappointment.
But soon, that feeling was replaced by the sharp pang of stomach pain as she drowsily made her way to the bathroom.
Afterward, she returned to bed, ready to fall back asleep. But after lyin
Julissa was close to tears. Although half of her salary was being deducted, she still had 50,000 left, but it felt like being sliced open—it was painful."This is just inhuman..." she muttered under her breath."Even if it's for the money, you better start coming to work on time from now on!" Linda said with a smile, patting her on the shoulder. "Mr. Nichols wants some coffee, go make him a cup, and don't mess up again."Julissa quickly agreed and, after putting down her things, headed to the breakroom.Linda watched her leave, feeling helpless. The new rules that had been implemented were something Scott had come up with on the spot, and they were only directed at the executive assistant, effectively targeting Julissa for not being present.Was this really his way of pursuing a woman? Linda couldn’t help but think that Scott’s emotional intelligence was lacking.Meanwhile, Julissa took out her favorite instant coffee from
Julissa froze for a second. Was Scott teasing her?Sure enough, men who were usually so reserved had a hidden mischievous side.Wasn’t this a form of workplace harassment, though?She decided to play dumb—after all, Scott was her employer now, her "bread and butter.""I was just looking at that painting," she said, taking a step back and subtly pulling her arm away.Scott casually slipped his hands into his pockets, unfazed."Well then, come up and have a closer look."He started up the stairs first, and Julissa, reluctantly, followed him.As she walked behind him, heading toward his bedroom, the feeling of being “taken advantage of” intensified.He had already shown a flirtatious side before, and now it seemed like he had finally decided to make his move. Was this the moment he was going to take advantage of her?What if someone walked in and caught them? The office door wasn’t locke
Not long after she participated in the competition, she had the car accident, and since then, she hadn't been able to return to the stage.Julissa gazed at the painting of herself, feeling a sense of fate between her and Scott. At the same time, her heart was filled with a strong desire—she longed to be that little swan on the stage again.But she knew it was no longer possible."I remember Assistant Hickman used to dance ballet. Do you know this dancer?" Scott asked, gazing at her profile."...No," her voice was hoarse, tinged with a slight nasal tone.She didn’t want Scott to know that she was the one in the painting. If he found out, it would be terribly awkward for her. He might think it was embarrassing—how could he hang a picture of his assistant on his wall? He would probably take it down.Julissa sniffed and smiled at him. "Mr. Nichols, your time is valuable. Let's get on with the coffee brewing lesson."Righ
Julissa felt the pressure of his gaze, her scalp tingling as if she had been caught daydreaming in class and was suddenly called on by the teacher.She stammered, "You... you just said to put the coffee grounds on the filter paper..."Scott pressed his temple. "Did I really need to say that?"Julissa realized she had just said something pointless. She wiped the cold sweat from her brow and continued, "Then you don’t need much water at first, just wet the coffee grounds, and then... wait a moment?""That step is called blooming. Continue.""Oh, blooming... then we add water!"Scott sighed in exasperation. "The scale has a timer. Remember, the blooming time is 30 seconds."Julissa nodded quickly. "Oh, got it! Then we add water, using the pour-over kettle in a spiral motion, just like you're doing, right?""160 ml of water, add it in two stages. Once the first batch of water has fully filtered through, begin the second." He
Julissa couldn’t help but wonder if Scott had also held Linda’s hand, guiding her on how to pour the water in circles just like he did with her.She stared at his face, waiting for him to respond.Scott, however, remained indifferent. "I usually have her make instant coffee or buy coffee from downstairs. If I want pour-over, I make it myself."What?Why was he so lenient with Linda, but so harsh with her, Julissa?A surge of dissatisfaction bubbled up inside her, though she didn't dare to voice it strongly."Then why did you want me to learn?" she asked, trying to keep her tone neutral."Sometimes I just want to be lazy," he replied, raising an eyebrow and looking at her. "You said you really like learning new things and challenging yourself, right?"Julissa: "..."At that moment, Julissa felt like Scott was deliberately toying with her.She remembered how she had been docked half her salary for being late due to
Ariana had been worried that Kendrick might suddenly back out and not attend the engagement party. After all, their relationship was no longer what it used to be, and she could feel his deliberate distance.But seeing him arrive, Ariana immediately felt at ease, silently cursing herself for being overly anxious. Brother Kendrick had always kept his word, and if he had promised to come, he would definitely show up.Moreover, their relationship hadn’t reached the point of no return. Kendrick would still attend her engagement party out of respect for their past friendship.However, something felt off. Ariana couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong with Kendrick today. His brows were furrowed, his expression cold, as though he were angry.Annabelle, walking next to him, looked equally indifferent.They were walking side by side, yet there was no hand-holding or arm-linking.Ariana, ever observant, picked up on these small
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Ariana called over a waiter to take Annabelle’s coat.When Annabelle had arrived, she was wearing a coat that hid the outfit underneath. The only thing Ariana had noticed were her shoes. They were cheap, nothing special.Ariana figured that the dress Annabelle wore today probably wasn’t very expensive either.Wearing something so shabby to an event like this was embarrassing, especially when she was in the presence of her "brother Kendrick." But the more Annabelle embarrassed herself, the more Ariana felt satisfied.After all, her engagement dress was designed by a world-renowned designer. The contrast between her and Annabelle would be stark. Their tastes would be clearly evident, with Ariana’s standing out far more.Kendrick, a man of refined taste, would never be interested in a woman like Annabelle, who clearly lacked any sense of style.As Ariana watched Annabelle remove her white coat, revealing her dress, she was momentarily taken aback.
Annabelle responded with, “Who asked you to care?” She stubbornly chose to wear the dress anyway.Beauty is every woman's nature, and besides, she thought Kendrick didn't want her to wear the dress because it highlighted her figure. She didn’t want to let him feel possessive over something like that.From then on, the two of them were silently upset with each other as they made their way to the hotel.It wasn't until Kendrick helped adjust her earring that he spoke up, saying, “Still not talking to me? Did Annabelle force me to make up with you in such a way?”Annabelle blushed, and slapped him lightly, calling him a dirty pervert. That finally broke the awkwardness between them.Now, as they entered the venue, Annabelle still looked upset.Kendrick sighed inwardly and decided to completely soften his stance.Surrounded by so many men eyeing her, he felt an overwhelming sense of urgency. He didn’t want to upset his little wife and risk her being swayed by another man.He took her to a
The faint scent of alcohol lingered on his breath, making Julissa’s ears grow hot. She blushed and gave a small nod.“And you?”Scott pulled her into a tighter embrace.“If I didn’t miss you, why would I come back two days early?”Julissa was both amused and a little exasperated.This guy—he always spoke in rhetorical questions. Couldn’t he just say, I missed you?Even when he confessed before, it was the same thing—made her think for a moment he was actually insulting her.Like, If I didn’t want to see you every day, why would I hire an assistant like you?It took her a good while to realize that was his version of a confession.But thinking about it more deeply… sweet words are just that—words.Even if Scott didn’t know how to be verbally romantic, did it really matter?He had driven all afternoon just to get back from Shadelake and surprise her. He’d even thoughtfully prepared gifts for her parents.That kind of sincerity meant more than anything he could’ve said.Julissa turned ar
As Mrs. Hickman spoke, Julissa quietly glanced at Scott.She did hope he would stay.Not because she wanted a free ride to work the next morning.It was more like… she’d invited a friend over to play, and now that it was getting dark, she just couldn’t bear for them to leave—really wanted them to sleep over.But Scott smiled and said, “I’ll head back. It’s a quick drive anyway.”Julissa puffed out her cheeks and looked over at her parents.“Yeah, let him go. I’ve already set an alarm for 6 a.m.—I’ll get up early and squeeze into the subway. It’s fine, I can manage.”Scott frowned a little. “It is pretty far from your place to the office… want me to switch your schedule tomorrow?”Mr. Hickman glanced at his daughter and let out a small, helpless laugh.This mischievous girl… deliberately making herself sound so pitiful—early wake-ups, crowded commutes. But really, it’s just that she couldn’t bear to let her boyfriend leave.Oh well, daughters grow up. Might as well let her be.So final
Actually, Julissa had already noticed that there was still one paper bag left untouched among the gifts Scott brought upstairs.If it wasn’t something for her parents, then why would he have brought it up?Now that both her mom and dad had gotten gifts, maybe… that last one was for her?So she sat obediently on the couch like a kindergartener waiting for the teacher to hand out presents, eyes sparkling with anticipation.Scott chuckled, gave her hand a gentle pat, and sure enough, picked up the final pink bag and handed it to her.“Here. Yours.”Julissa’s whole face lit up in an instant—She knew it! There’s no way Mr. Nichols would forget her!Inside the pink bag was a cream-colored, sturdy gift box. It looked elegant and refined. What kind of surprise would he have picked out for her?Heart full of excitement, Julissa opened the box.She saw her gift.How to describe the feeling… She was happy. Really.But there was also the tiniest bit of disappointment.Inside was a box of pastries
Scott had seen plenty of Julissa’s careless moments.He especially remembered the time she casually grabbed a handful of tea leaves, tossed them into a cup, and poured in some hot water—voilà, tea.He’d never imagined that this same girl—his girlfriend—could be so calm and graceful.But right now, watching her quietly make tea, he realized: this quiet elegance seemed to reveal something deeper, something true to her nature.He had always felt that Julissa was a bundle of contradictions. Sometimes she was fiery and full of uncontainable energy, other times she was incredibly patient and resilient.Now, watching her make tea, sharing a meal with her parents, seeing their everyday family life up close—Scott finally started to understand.Julissa’s cheerful, sunny personality came from this warm and accepting little family of hers. But her quiet strength and simplicity, those clearly came from her down-to-earth parents.And the more he thought about it, the luckier he felt to have met som
Scott helped clear the table, but Mrs. Hickman chuckled as she took the empty plates from his hands.“Scott, go relax in the living room, I’ll handle the cleanup.”Then she turned to her daughter,“Julissa, don’t make more trouble for me—go brew some tea instead. It’s his first time visiting, you should keep him company.”Only then did Julissa give up her rare burst of enthusiasm for dishwashing and lead Scott out of the kitchen.First stop: washing their hands.While standing at the sink, Julissa whispered to Scott,“We have very clear division of labor at home. My dad cooks and mops the floors. My mom does the dishes and laundry. Basically, if she doesn’t like doing something, my dad does it.”Scott nodded with an expression of dawning understanding—no wonder her dad had vanished after dinner and was now chilling in the living room watching TV with zero guilt.“Then what about you?” he asked. “What’s your job?”Julissa blinked. For a second, she was stumped.What was her job at home
Mr. Hickman nodded,“You went to Shadelake for business?”“Yes,” Scott replied, “Had to attend a branch office opening.”Julissa sneaked a glance at him and noticed that whenever Scott spoke to her father, he was especially well-behaved—gentle, polite, not a trace of that usual icy CEO demeanor.Tsk tsk, she thought. Is the aloof version fake, or is this obedient one just an act?Either way, Julissa kind of loved this extra-sweet version of her CEO.After the brief greetings, Mr. Hickman returned to the dining room, while Mrs. Hickman fetched an extra set of chopsticks and a bowl for their guest.Scott changed into the house slippers and took off his suit jacket. Julissa quickly took it and hung it on the rack for him.“I’m going to wash my hands. Where’s the bathroom?”“I’ll show you.”So off she went, leading her boss boyfriend to the bathroom like a little tour guide. While Scott washed up, Julissa stood nearby with sparkly eyes, waiting patiently to hand him a towel.“Here, use mi
Mrs. Hickman’s eyes lit up.“Scott’s here?”Julissa looked completely confused.“I don’t know! He’s supposed to be on a business trip, said he won’t be back till the day after tomorrow. I’ll go take a look.”As she spoke, she was already slipping on her shoes and rushing out the door—her heart pounding like crazy the whole way down to the first floor.The moment she stepped out of the building, she saw a black SUV parked beside the path.And right next to the car stood none other than her devilishly handsome, endlessly charming CEO boyfriend—the very man she’d been missing day and night!He wore a deep navy designer suit, tie-less, with the top two buttons of his dress shirt undone—just the right mix of sexy and restrained.He looked like he’d just stepped out of a conference room, too busy to change into anything casual before rushing straight over.Scott spotted her too, a faint smile curling at his lips.Julissa’s heart basically took flight.Almost on instinct, she broke into a ru
Scott replied:“I’ll be back the afternoon after tomorrow.”Julissa slumped over her desk, resting her chin on the back of her hand as she typed one last message with the other.“My parents just got back from their trip. Anna dropped off some local goodies today—I'm bringing some over to my folks tonight, so I’ll stay at home for the next couple of days.”“Okay. Let’s talk tonight, after my meeting.”“Mm, okay.”After sending it, she turned off her screen.Saying “let’s talk tonight” basically just meant a one- or two-minute call.Scott’s schedule was packed down to the minute—there was no way he had time to stay on the phone chatting about “I miss you” or “I love you” type stuff.So even though they only talked for a few short minutes each night while he was away, Julissa still felt content.Besides, he really did try to meet her halfway—asking her what she had for dinner, how her day went, little things like that.And just thinking about their nightly check-in already had her lookin
“Anna, you must have plenty of love rivals too—how do you deal with them?”Julissa asked, still brooding.Annabelle thought for a moment.“I don’t think I’ve ever really had to deal with them… Kendrick usually handles it himself.”“...”What else could Julissa say to that?Seriously, finding a mature, level-headed man who knows how to handle relationships—That was peace of mind money couldn’t buy.To be fair, Scott wasn’t bad in that regard either, but that didn’t stop people from liking him.And that—that was what annoyed her.Annabelle chuckled.“Your Scott is excellent—of course people are going to like him. You can’t control that. Just make sure he only likes you. That’s what matters.”Julissa nodded silently. “Makes sense.”Funny thing was, that was exactly the kind of thing she used to say to Anna.She never thought that once it happened to her, she’d be the one overthinking everything.“Alright, enough of that—come look at the local goodies I brought you.”And just like that,