"Why are you here?" Charlie could not hide his delight upon seeing her, but his brows soon furrowed. 'When did she return? I hadn't heard anything about it.'"Take a guess?" Her laughter grew sweeter, a playful charm in her tone. The brim of her large hat shadowed her eyes, tempting him to lift it and see her face fully."Did you come back because of that matter?" He knew she was not there just to see him, yet he found himself enchanted by her smile, unable to look away."I'm not telling you." Her smile was sweet, the dimple on her cheek making it hard to look away.-At Carlson Group, Austin sat at his desk, his expression composed yet tinged with a subtle coolness. He reviewed the information his assistant had gathered, his eyes narrowing slightly.At first, he only thought the Charlie that Sophie had signed was somewhat extraordinary, but he had not expected the investigation to reveal so much. It was beyond his expectations.The assistant entered, lowering his voice. "Mr. Ca
Sophie wanted to shake off the indescribable feeling, but Cedric’s strong hand on her shoulder tightened its hold."Don't you have an appointment? It's not good to be late." Cedric's voice was low, his breath warm on her face.Sophie instinctively glared at him but followed his lead toward the parked Bentley. First, they needed to escape the annoying journalists.Once the car door closed, shutting out the noise of the press, Cedric's domineering presence intensified the sudden quiet that enveloped them."How did you know I had an appointment?" Having dealt with the incident involving Charlie before, she felt a bit sensitive, her frown deepening slightly. 'Was he investigating me again?'"I just said that to the journalists offhand. Sophie, I've already made a mistake with Charlie's situation once. I promise it won't happen again." The apology was hard for him to say and even harder to articulate. He uttered it now as if awaiting a verdict, sneaking glances at her.Initially, he c
After work, Sophie exited the Luxford Group building to find Cedric routinely waiting at the parking lot entrance. Despite being a taken man and their CEO's boyfriend, his presence still made employees swoon, unable to suppress their daydreams.One female employee sighed dreamily. "Mr. Carlson is so handsome. If I had a man like him waiting for me after work, I'd be so happy." Another chimed in. "If I were that lucky, I wouldn't bother working anymore. I'd quit slaving away for a measly salary. But if the boss were someone like Mr. Carlson, I wouldn't mind working hard like a mule for him," The women giggled over their fantasies, their remarks earning eye rolls from Jeanna."I think the company should enroll them in a moral and ethics course, or maybe send them on a year-long retreat to a monastery to clear their minds," Jeanna suggested."That can only happen when your designs sell all the way to the monasteries in the mountains," Sophie said with a helpless shake of her head,
As Sophie stepped into the villa, she scanned around the living room as usual. Noticing the absence of Cherry, she immediately frowned with concern. "Grandpa, haven’t Cherry and Tristan returned yet?"'It's already past 5:00 p.m. School should have ended by now.'"They’re back, but Cherry seemed a bit upset today.""Is that so? Then I'll go check on her."Glancing upstairs, she quickly headed for the staircase. Since moving there, Cherry had been showered with the best by Jeff. Her usually cheerful nature meant she almost went to sleep smiling. 'What could possibly upset her?'She paused at the closed bedroom door and listened for any sounds but heard nothing, deepening her worry. An upset Cherry was never that quiet. Something serious must have happened."Cherry, can Mommy come in?"After knocking and hearing no response, she waited a few seconds before turning the doorknob and entering.On the pink princess bed, Cherry lay motionless, seemingly asleep. However, the uneven ris
Cedric felt a mix of satisfaction and concern. His gaze shifted to Tristan, who was quietly eating his dinner, a look of confusion in his eyes.'When Soph went upstairs earlier, I had already questioned the driver about the school incident. Did Tristan know something all along?'Tristan was seemingly unaffected by the conversation, quickly finished his food, and stood up. "Great-grandfather, Dad, I’m done eating. I'll go do my homework now."While watching him go upstairs, Cedric’s frown deepened. The issue with Vivienne might seem resolved, but he had a feeling it was far from over."Tristan seems very unusual today," Matthew remarked, unable to help himself.Tristan was usually quiet but never this withdrawn.Jeff chuckled, his wise eyes twinkling. "Kids have their moods. He’ll be better after a good night's sleep."'For now, the priority is to deal with Cedric and Soph's situation.'After dinner, as usual, Sophie spent time chatting with Jeff. Since learning of his illness,
Jeff's smile was warm as he handed a few raspberries to Sophie. She felt a sharp pain in her heart, battling back the tears. The day she dreaded most had finally arrived—Jeff was beginning to show signs of forgetfulness due to his illness."Grandpa…" Cedric's voice was strained, pain clear in his eyes. He wanted to find a reason to take the raspberries from Sophie, but she stopped him with a look.She smiled and popped one into her mouth. The familiar sweet-sour taste now carried a hint of bitterness. She chewed lightly, expertly spitting out the seed."Is it sweet?""Very sweet.""Eat more then. I had Mrs. Carrie buy a lot for you."Seeing Jeff's joy from her approval, Sophie forced a smile and continued eating.Cedric sat beside her, his whole body tense. He knew he needed to keep up the act so as not to upset Jeff.Jeff had bought a lot of raspberries. As Sophie finished those on her plate, Mrs. Carrie immediately brought another. But her skin was already itching, forcing he
"You need to go to the pharmacy and get me some allergy medicine. I can hold on until tomorrow morning."Upon seeing Sophie's determination not to go to the hospital, Cedric's frown deepened. A vein throbbed on his forehead as his fists clenched involuntarily. He sighed but respected her decision."I’ll go right now. Wait for me," he said.The door clicked shut behind him as Sophie pulled herself up from the toilet. She wondered if the vomiting had expelled some allergens because she suddenly felt slightly better. Deep inside, Cedric's words had stirred a sense of anticipation she hadn't felt in years.Maintaining a composed exterior, Cedric left the villa, but his urgency showed in his hurried steps.Traffic crawled, and his honking was futile. Red light cameras flashed as he sped through intersections, swerving and changing lanes with little regard for the rules.He quickly bought the allergy medication and hurried back, but God seemed to toy with him, turning every traffic lig
Upon seeing Sophie’s complexion improve, Cedric's heart finally eased. "Feeling better now?""Mhm." Sophie hoped this brief response would suffice, but Cedric was not easily dismissed.He frowned slightly, his tone insistent and commanding. "Let me see."Her face flushed, and she tightened her grip on the blanket. "No need to look. I know what the bumps on my body are like.""Let me see!" Cedric repeated, already reaching to lift her blanket.Sophie, seeing this, had no choice but to stretch her arms out from under the blanket. "Just look at my arms then."Obediently, she rolled up her sleeves. The reddish bumps on her fair skin had subsided significantly, leaving only a few scattered ones that had not yet faded."What about your back?"'Is this guy serious? I showed him my arms, and now he wants to see my back! Is he just trying to take advantage of the situation?!'"I need to see your back." Cedric’s tone was firm, unexpectedly dominant.Sophie knew his relentless nature an