Duane obediently took his seat next to Winter and started making rounds, offering a toast to everyone at the table."Apologies for being late. This one's on me," he said, downing three glasses in apology before continuing to mingle.The main figure of the night was Jameson Plight, a middle-aged man
Duane's body swayed. "Winter, I didn't… it was Willie, he's the one who said you—""What he said doesn't matter. What matters is that you brought me to this gathering, and you used me to strike up a conversation with Mr. Plight, didn't you? Or was that also Willie's idea? If so, he's quite thorough,
Duane returned to the gathering in a daze, forcing a smile as he continued to toast the big shots. Winter had dropped him, and he had no leverage over her anymore. This dinner was his last chance."Mr. Campbell, we've met a few times before. It's my first time having the honor to toast you today. I
"Well, then you're mistaken. I can't speak for others, but as for me—I've got a heart of stone," Winter declared.Zach couldn't help but laugh out loud."Tsk, why are you always laughing?" Winter complained."Well, should I cry instead?""Sure, I'll hand you some tissues."Zach fell silent before ta
Zach frowned, feeling uninterested that night. "No need, take her away," he said.The manager's smile didn't falter as he motioned for Dani to leave, and they both walked away without protest.A little further down the hallway, Dani asked, "Didn't you say Mr. Zach usually likes company when he stays
The moonlight shone like water, stretching across the night.The next morning at nine, Zach woke up and went to find Winter. Just as he reached her door and prepared to knock, it swung open from the inside."Sh—"Uh!Standing in the doorway was a young man, his hair tousled as if he'd just woken up
"Why are you staring at me like that? Hurry up, I'm dying of thirst!" Winter urged.Resigned, Zach got up. As she gulped down the ice water, Winter finally felt fully awake."Did you have something to talk about? You've been waiting so long, I actually feel a bit bad..." she remarked.While he was f
"What you said before that.""Since Mr. Zach requested it…""The one before that."The manager replied, "Room 1901 checked out?"Zach's eyes widened. "She checked out?""Y-Yes, about ten minutes ago.""Shit—"The manager was puzzled. "Sir?""Get those women out of my sight! I can't stand looking at
Susan's attitude toward Miranda had never been outright hostile, but it was far from friendly at the tea tasting party back then. Even an outsider like Evelyn could sense the obvious animosity from Susan. How could a woman like that ever agree to let Miranda be her daughter-in-law?As for Susan…Sh
The traditional stuffed turkey included peas, ham, sage, carrots, chicken gizzards, and mushrooms.The turkey was cleaned, filled with stuffing, and roasted in a preheated oven. However, Hansel had a picky palate. He didn't like the smoky taste of ham, nor could he stomach the flavor of chicken giz
Madison was instantly rendered speechless. Sebastian glanced at her bench and sighed in resignation. "Tell me, what else haven't you finished?"Her eyes lit up. "Do you mean what I think you meant?""If you don't need my help, I can just…""I do! I need your help!" Madison exclaimed. She didn't hol
"What are you doing here?" Miranda asked.Paul arrived just as she and Joli stepped out of the conference room.Paul smiled mysteriously. "Why? I can't be here?""No. I mean… I drove today." She didn't need a ride."I know," he replied. "That's why I took a cab."Miranda was speechless. Alright, fi
Paul had Bedford College right where he wanted them. Hendrix had no choice but to give in.As long as the lab remained, any achievements would be credited to the college, whether Paul was still teaching there. But if the lab moved, his team would be entirely independent of the college.Hendrix had n
Everyone's reactions were mostly biased when the post was published. But slowly, the comments began to shift. Eventually, the thread was flooded with messages of "Congratulations!" and "So jealous!"After all, Miranda was already a rare sight, but Paul was even harder to come by. And together, they
"So, are you saying the school is behind this?""Not necessarily. Dr. Jefferson probably wanted to focus on research anyway. I mean, research gets results—what does teaching get you? A bunch of lovestruck students fangirling over him? Haha.""What do you know? That's just an excuse. There's way more
Paul regretted not landing a punch on Hansel when he had the chance.Miranda pulled her shirt back down and turned to him. "Where's my yogurt?"He chuckled. "Here."She took it, quickly opened it, and held it out to him with a smile. "Thank you for saving the damsel in distress today. Here's your re
"And you think an ex-boyfriend like you deserves it?" Paul shot back. The mention of "ex-boyfriend" immediately silenced Hansel.Paul glanced at his face. His eyes landed on Hansel's left cheekbone, which was scratched and still oozing blood."You should be grateful Mimi didn't get hurt. Otherwise…