Sam's gaze landed on Lionel briefly and then shifted toward Miranda subtly. Did these two…"Dad, do you know him?" Miranda asked in surprise as she walked over. Dad?Sam's lips curled slightly. He had been in Lumberville on a business trip for the past three days and was set to return today. Howev
Miranda accepted Sam's gift. The temptation was so great that she couldn't resist. "Thank you," she said."Try calling me Sam, for once."Miranda was speechless at his insistence. It was 2:00 pm when they arrived at Elgerson. Miranda and her family were not seated in the same train car as Sam. Sh
Mindy was surprised to learn that Sam had read her book. "Wait, you know I wrote 'Seven Days'?"He glanced at Miranda. "Yeah."Sam didn't mention where he had heard that, and Mindy didn't press him. But poor Miranda was caught in their silent exchange. She could feel their scrutinizing gazes as they
"Sam, what's your problem?" Hansel asked as he approached him."What are you talking about?" Sam replied."Why did you suspend the development project?"Sam casually took another sip of tea. "I didn't want to collaborate with you, so I suspended it. Do you have an issue with that?""You suspended it
"Do you seriously think that cutting ties with me will make Miranda forget our friendship and agree to be with you?" Hansel asked. "You're so naive." He snatched Sam's cup and smashed it on the floor. The porcelain shattered, and sharp shards flew everywhere. "I never knew you were such a love-stru
Sam said, "Miranda grew up in a loving family. Do you know what that means?"Hansel turned to face him.Sam continued, stressing each word, "It means she had the heart to love and the courage to walk away without regret. She was willing to stand against everything and everyone for what she believed
Hansel skimmed through the documents and called the project manager. "All of these projects are canceled.""W-What?" The project manager thought he had misheard. These were some of the company's flagship projects, with several nearing completion. And now, he was being told they were off the table.H
Mindy snapped, "We're not taking your gifts. Plus, we didn't do anything to earn them. We're not family, and regardless of their worth, we can't accept anything from you."Besides, you and Miranda are history. Right now, you're just a stranger to us. So, there's no reason for us to accept anything f
Miranda glanced at her phone. It was a call from Paul. "Hello, Paul, Merry—"Before she could finish her sentence, she heard the sound of heavy breathing on the other end. Taken aback, Miranda froze for a moment. "What's…""Come outside, Mimi.""What?""I'm out front at your entrance. Come out."As
Austin stuck out his tongue at Yale. "Uncle Yale, shame on you! How can you compare yourself to little kids?" Yale was at a loss for words. Great, he thought, even the kids were bullying him.Suddenly, Susan thought of something and asked, "By the way, where's Paul?" "Oh, he got a phone call earli
Jenny was shocked. "Are they really that powerful?""Of course!" Quincey couldn't help but sigh. "I can't help but admire Miranda sometimes. Back when she needed money, she latched onto a rich young scion. Now that she's still young but craving for status, she went straight for a prominent academic
"Well, Dad and Mom still have a few jars left," Jenny said. "After thinking about it, we really shouldn't turn down Lionel's and his family's good intentions. Oh, right. Quincey, we still have to visit your maternal grandparents for Christmas. Let's head back now."The other members of the Sutton fa
Miranda walked over with a bright smile. "Aunt Jenny, the reason I gave the project to Jack back then was because we were working on a tight budget. Other smart home renovation companies were quoting too high. "Secondly, Jack's team was truly capable and qualified to handle the job. I would've like
Jenny had heard from other relatives some time ago that Jack's company was growing rapidly. His business had boomed so quickly that they could barely keep up with the demand. She had felt a little envious when she first heard the news. Jenny hadn't seen it with her own eyes and didn't know just how
Jenny's words dripped with sarcasm. It felt like someone had hit the pause button on the originally cheerful atmosphere as the smiles on everyone's faces froze. Lionel scratched his head and replied politely, "We were just lucky…""Oh please, don't be so modest! I've got terrible luck, and everyon
Mindy maintained a polite smile. "It's the thought that counts. After all, we're family. There's no need to compare."With that, Cynthia's expression softened into a genuine smile. "Mindy, you really do have a way with words. No wonder you're a famous writer."Jenny hadn't managed to gain the upper
Rena's smile widened and looked more genuine. "These are not cheap, right? You're really too much. We're just having a Christmas dinner with family, so there's no need to bring all these gifts."She wasn't like Jenny, who couldn't stand seeing others doing well. Her brother-in-law's success was a g