Kaitlyn suddenly felt a splitting headache. Her face twisted, and she crouched down, clutching her head and trembling all over.When she stood up again, the affectionate gaze she had for Renee was finally back!"Renee..." She scanned the area, her lips quivering. "Pammy, Zuko, you're all here!""Aunt Kaitlyn!" Lina exclaimed with joy."I'm sorry, so sorry..." Kaitlyn knelt, hands pressed together, repeatedly apologizing, "I... caused you trouble... I don't know what I was doing. I...""Aunt Kaitlyn, it's an illness." Zuko sighed gently.Honestly, seeing his little brother injured hurt him deeply. He wished he could confront the person who had harmed his brother!But Kaitlyn was unwell and couldn't be reasoned with."Aunt Kaitlyn, come back with us now. If you agree to treatment, you'll recover.""Yes, return with me!" Renee urged, reaching for her mother's hand. As she moved closer, she assured, "Mom, I found a great rehab center with skilled doctors and top-notch equipment. Y
Renee had a long dream, taking her back to her childhood. There, she saw the sun setting and her mother waiting at the street corner. Their days together, while simple, overflowed with happiness.As Renee's consciousness slowly returned, she was hesitant to open her eyes. She longed to return to that dream and those carefree days.A teardrop moistened her eyelashes, rolling from her eye's corner.-Kaitlyn had left this world, leaving Renee an orphan. After the funeral, Nicholas and Linda brought her back home, treating her like their own daughter.Cordelia and Zephyr visited often. Even Toph, still recovering, hobbled over on crutches to be by her side, his cheery disposition brightening her somber life like the sun.Strangely, the more they did, the sadder Renee became. If only she had decided earlier and sent her mother to get treated—maybe these events wouldn't have unfolded.One evening, Lena noticed Renee barely ate. After a pause, she chose to make soup and offer it.Jus
Lena furrowed her brow."I don't think so," Chris said, looking into her eyes seriously. "You're not that type of person, Lena. Don't misunderstand me. I have no bias against homosexuality, but I just don't feel that's you. You're into guys!"Lena gave him a sharp look, and the blush that had just faded returned to her cheeks."I'm right, aren't I?" Chris leaned in. "You're into guys, and maybe someone like me, right?""You..."Lena felt a mix of irritation and amusement. Given his naive expression, she wished she could give him a wake-up slap.She looked seriously into his eyes. "Chris, when did I ever say I'm attracted to women?""You mentioned it once, about liking Pammy...""Are human emotions that one-dimensional? Can't I appreciate her for other reasons? I see her like a sister. Does it have to be romantic?"Chris paused, struggling for a moment.Lena stood up with a trace of amusement in her eyes. She wasn't going to let him off the hook easily. "Done eating?""Um..."
"Uh... honey." Zuko wrapped his arms around Linar from behind, burying his face in her neck and taking a deep breath. His voice was husky as he asked, "Shouldn't we... fulfill the elderly's wishes?"Lina put down her documents and turned around to caress his face with a smile. "I'm not against that. Didn't we agree to let things happen naturally?"Zuko felt her flat stomach. "But, it's been so long without any news. Is it because I haven't worked hard enough?""You..." Lina pushed him away.Not enough? He was clearly quite diligent! How many times had he claimed his allowance this month?The Hamertons' rule was 70 dollars, but he had made tens of times that!"Honey!" Zuko continued to cling to her and whined.Lina cradled his face and reasoned with him. "Zuko, I really don't have the time or mood today! Besides having a lot of work to do, I also need to check on Renee."Speaking of Renee, Zuko thought of Toph and turned serious. "By the way, it seems like she's avoiding even To
Lina smiled and gently kissed Zuko on the lips.It was destined to be another restless night tonight.-The next day, Lina set up a meeting with Lena at the company.Lena was cautious, not using the main entrance but a side door and a dedicated elevator to get to Lina's office."You don't need to be so careful," Lina said, pouring her some tea with a smile. "Since you'll be working here soon, you'll come in daily through the main entrance.""What?" Lena looked surprised, meeting Lina's gaze.Lina handed over documents related to the sales department. "The project I've been handling is almost done. Now, the main focus is selling these properties."Lena glanced at the documents and turned to Lina, clearly surprised. "You... want me to help sell houses?""Why not?" Lina smiled, gently holding Lena's hand. "I've considered it. You're still young. You shouldn't always be at home or looking after me. You should have your own world."Lena quickly responded. "If you think staying wit
Lena breathed deeply, her heart racing, her mind a mess of thoughts that suddenly went blank. Despite her late-night effort to study the sales department's materials in the past few days, it all seemed to vanish from her memory.Jade Neale walked by the front desk and ushered Lena into her office with a smile.Lena followed with a blank expression. As she moved from the front desk to the office, she seemed to be the subject of whispers and pointing."Pay no attention to them," Jade chuckled, handing Lena a cup of coffee.She then lowered the blinds in the office. "The sales department is as big as the marketing department, both being the company's largest departments. With so many people, there's always talk. Just ignore whatever they're saying about you."Lena nodded, looking up to assess Jade.Jade, the sales team leader, was a friendly middle-aged woman. She had a confident presence that wasn't overpowering and an easygoing personality.Lina had asked Jade to bring Lena in di
"There's none!" The one who disclosed the information smiled. "Said she's a distant niece of a friend of a friend of Ms. Thompson's. Well, you can barely call that a connection, basically!"Lena stood at the doorway, and her lips pursed lightly.She knew Lina had said that to protect her, to keep her low-key so she would not become a target the moment she stepped into the workplace. Staying discreet would also give her more time to focus on studying and learning so she could make a remarkable debut in the future.It was just that people often tended to put those in power on a pedestal or belittle ones deemed to have no value, especially the hypocritical individuals in the sales department.If one had a background, they would be respectful and polite but also backstab them—just like Jacquelin.Rumor had it that she was the trusted aide of a high-ranking executive on the board. Although she seemed arrogant and people were nice to her superficially, she was the go-to source for a few
Lena softly chuckled and nodded, then shook her head. Chris did not quite understand what she meant. Lena did not explain but simply continued walking along the street, with Chris following behind.The evening breeze carried a gentle chill, and the moon shone in the night sky, resembling a silver plate. Its soft light covered them and filled the city with a peaceful feeling.The feeling of having someone by her side felt really nice. Lena had been missing this feeling for too long."Lena, you're not planning to walk all the way back, are you?"She stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him.Mr. Special Forces looked anxious, but his eyes were filled with anticipation."Well..." Lena's voice was soft. "Are you going to take me back?""I won't take you back." Chris chuckled. "I want to treat you to a late-night snack.""Huh?"Without waiting for further explanation, Chris took Lena's hand and ran.Lena's heart jolted. Her rational mind wanted to pull away, but her finger