"Chris, you—"Lena turned, ready to speak, but a passionate kiss abruptly silenced her.She stood still, her thoughts empty, as an electric feeling surged through her.Chris swiftly pulled her close, savoring her taste and the softness in his arms.This apartment had long been part of his plan. This kiss, too, had been carefully arranged.Initially, he aimed to spend more time with Lena. Eventually, this kiss would naturally unfold here.But when Lena pushed him onto the carpet earlier, his desire ignited. Suppressing it had gone on too long. Holding back might lead to complications.Thus, he chose to take the leap instead...Chris kissed Lena with fervor, lacking finesse, and Lena even found it slightly painful. However, she responded to his kisses despite her initial resistance. Her hands crept onto his broad shoulders, involuntarily rubbing them. She was like a young and wild creature letting loose in the depths of Chris' heart."Lenny..." He reluctantly parted from her lip
Lena and Jade were briefly shocked. They noticed Jacquelin approaching from a short distance, swaying her hips as she walked. Her perfume's scent reached them even before she arrived.Lena furrowed her brow as she found the fragrance overwhelmingly pungent."A pheasant should add a few more feathers to become a peacock!" Jacquelin taunted, glancing at Lena. "Right, Lena?"Lena glanced at her coldly but did not say anything.Jade immediately chimed in. "Jacquelin, how are the house sales going? It seems like you haven't met your target for this month yet.""Ms. Neale, you—""Do you dare to say that I've set too high a target for you each month?" Jade smiled. "You know well how you've been achieving them each month. Relying solely on connections won't take you far."Jacquelin rolled her eyes dramatically. The board member from the Thompson Group was several ranks above Jade, but she was currently under Jade's jurisdiction. Moreover, her relationship with that board member was not
Jade's expression was serious. "Ms. Thompson, let's leave aside the fact that the Thompson Group isn't a dictatorship. Your authority doesn't extend to the point of dismissing an employee arbitrarily!"Renee stared at Jade, her fists clenched and trembling. She felt nervous about this visit, but Jacquelin had been adamant that she, as a shareholder of the Thompson Group and the boss' niece, had limitless power.What's more, Renee was eager to kick out Lena. Plus, the fact that Lina wasn't at the company today presented a rare chance.However, she hadn't anticipated the typically quiet Jade would become her greatest obstacle.Jacquelin scoffed. "Ms. Neale, you've been with the company for a long time. Must you really feign oblivion? Ms. Renee is Mr. Thompson's niece. Are you not heeding her words?""The Thompson Group is a modern company, not a family workshop. No matter the situation, no individual can make decisions on their own." Jade glanced at Jacquelin. "Besides, is this your
"Me!" Jacquelin eagerly handed over her business card. "Ms. Bayer, I'm a top-tier sales representative here. I'm very familiar with all the units and layouts of these houses. I also have discounts that I can offer you, guaranteed satisfaction!"Jade ignored Jacquelin after a glance at her and turned to attend to other matters.Renee stood to the side, clutching her bag tightly with eyes fixed on Arya and Lena.She saw that while Arya was smiling at Jacquelin, she was holding Lena's hand the whole time. Then, she noticed how Arya was ordering around Jacquelin.Arya would ask for a certain brand of mineral water one moment and then request another brand of tissue the next, even though these items were not available in the sales center.Jacquelin hurried out to buy them just to please Arya. As she passed by Renee, it was as if she had not seen her.Renee bit her lip, the knot in her chest tightening and making breathing difficult."Ms. Bayer..." Lena looked at Arya and hesitated to
"Arya Comics" had found its home and was about to officially open for business. Arya had taken on all the roles herself, from author and editor to handling administrative and financial tasks, keeping herself incredibly busy.Graham, who was overseas, wanted to help but could not. Thus, he called the Hamerton brothers, asking them to take care of her.Zuko was already overwhelmed managing the Hamerton Group, so the responsibility naturally fell on Toph, who had relatively little to do.The tiny kittens grew up slowly, and Arya found them a new home in her studio. The smell of freshly brewed coffee filled her studio, mingling with the scent of her computer and drawing board. She could hear the distant waves and see a picturesque view through the French windows.When Toph first visited the studio, this was the scene that captivated him. His heart felt incomplete, like a puzzle missing a piece, and that missing piece was the kind of life he had longed for."Arya, your place is reall
Toph could not contain his hearty laughter, distracting Zephyr, who was concentrating on his work. It did not take long for him to receive a death glare from his father...Zuko, who was always sharp, immediately lowered his head and diligently planted the flowers, occasionally glancing at his father with a mischievous grin.Before long, Lina came to help as well.Night descended quietly, and they had just finished planting the final purple iris. The two brothers released a sigh of relief.Even now, Toph remained curious, especially keen to discover the birthday gift his father would give to his mother.Zephyr chuckled triumphantly. He looked at his two sons, then at Lina. "Alright, I'll let you guys have a sneak peek!"Toph was excited, dancing around. "Really?!"Zuko was calmer. He tugged at Toph's clothes and whispered, "I already have a pretty good guess about what dad will give.""Huh?""It's something that needs rehearsal," Zuko said calmly. "Otherwise, why would he show
Despite that…Toph took out his phone, the screen pitch black. He scrolled through his recent chat history with Renee, each message feeling like he was talking to himself.[Have you eaten?][What are you doing at home?][Do you want to go out for a walk today?]No response to any of them.However, it was not like this in the past. Previously, the reply would be almost immediate no matter who messaged the other. They could talk about even the most trivial matters, like seeing a small flower by the road, finding a cute baby laughing, or the weather being really sunny for a long time.Toph felt a bit downcast as he dug into the food.Just then, Wendy brought in some guests."Zuko, Toph!"It was easy to know who it was judging by that sweet voice.Arya entered the living room, her face lit up with a smile. To everyone's surprise, Chris and Lena followed closely behind, holding hands. Their eyes radiated happiness, tinged with a touch of shyness.Lina and Zuko exchanged a glance
Chris said with a smile, "Pammy, even though it's just a silk scarf, it's not at all cheap! And as Arya just said, the significance of the gift lies in the sentiment behind it!""Of course, I know!" Lina held Lena's hand and smiled at Arya. "Arya, thank you. I've heard from Lenny that it was you who bought the studio and put the sales under her name.""Just a small effort," Arya said softly. "This is Lenny's first sale. It's a promising start and will only improve in the future!"Lina raised a glass as a toast. "Here's to your studio thriving!"Speaking of the studio, Arya wrinkled her brows and sighed lightly."What's the matter?""Oh, the deadline for the second volume is approaching, but I've been running low on inspiration lately. No matter how I draw the main characters, I can't get them to look the way I want."Toph looked at her. "Is the publishing house pressuring you a lot?" "Yeah..."Just as Arya was speaking, her phone rang. She went outside to answer it and talked