Maisie's heart pounded as she pushed against Daniel's muscular chest, doing her best to create distance. However, the feeble attempt seemed more like a tease.Daniel threw himself onto her and captured her flushed earlobe with a kiss, feeling her tiny frame shake in his embrace."Maisie…" he whispered huskily into her ear, "Can I?"She shut her eyes, too nervous to respond verbally. He smirked, interpreting her reaction as silent consent.Yet, just as he was about to proceed, his phone rudely interrupted with an extra blaring ringtone that echoed through the room, incessantly ringing.Maisie opened her eyes, her cheeks still flushed. "Pick it up," she said.With a sigh, Daniel reluctantly distanced himself from her.It was his assistant calling, and Daniel answered with irritation. "What is it?!"The assistant hesitated. "Mr. Quimby, um…""Spit it out!""It's about Owen." The assistant nervously continued. "You asked me to follow him, and I…""Wait." Daniel lowered his voice
Meanwhile, Camila acted admirably, refraining from engaging in conflicts. Subsequently, she secured employment, seemingly navigating through roles in a couple of smaller companies.At the peak of her career, she held a managerial position, but for reasons unknown, she had recently been idling at home, reveling in domestic life.If it weren't for Daniel's assistant mentioning her, he would have almost forgotten about her existence. Their communication had dwindled to the point of near non-existence. The extent of their interaction involved cordial greetings during family dinners, after which she would retreat to her own space.Feeling a surge of chaos in his mind, Daniel took a deep breath and massaged his temples. Amidst this internal turmoil, a sudden touch startled him—a pair of gentle hands.Turning around, he was met with Maisie's starry eyes. She dressed him warmly, remarking, "It's chilly at night. Don't catch a cold standing here."She glanced at him shyly, and she disappea
Daniel was also taken aback but skillfully concealed his surprise. A flat greeting was all she received from him.While Rachael guided Camila through the office, Daniel discreetly pulled Lily aside to seek clarification about the situation.Lily's smile was tinged with awkwardness as she explained, "She came for an interview. Initially, she applied for a managerial position, but I discovered her writing skills. She used to be an editor, so I roped her in to handle editing work temporarily. I'm short-staffed!""That's not what I'm asking!" Daniel's tone was stern as he glared at her. "Why did you hire her?""Oh…" Lily scratched her head, admitting, "I only found out that she's your cousin after doing a background check two days ago…""Lily!" Daniel widened his eyes in disbelief. "We were married, after all. Didn't you see her at my home back then?""Hey, hey, hey!" Lily retorted, "Don't accuse me. I'm worried that Maisie will misunderstand more than you do! We lived separately as
"Don't worry. It's my treat." Daniel glanced at Camila, "Order anything you want.""It's fine, really," Camila smiled. "Daniel, you might be curious as to why I can't even bear to buy a cup of coffee…"In reality, this is my life at home. I appear glorious on the outside as a Quimby heiress, but only I know the suffering behind everything. My parents neglect me while my siblings do their best to boycott me."I have a driver when I go out, I have food when I go home, but none of those belong to me. My jobs were the only things that belonged to me all these years."She looked sad, and it was the first time she had said so much to him."Daniel, I-I'm sorry," she stammered. "I used your name to work for Ms. Lily. She's your ex-wife, so I…""It's alright. It's just a job," he said flatly. "It's good that Lily could help you.""So you don't mind it?""Why would I?""Don't worry, Daniel." She bit her lip. "I'll do my best. I won't embarrass you."Daniel nodded. He did not worry abou
Camila briskly shook her head. "I-I just said that on a whim. I don't mean anything else. It's really nothing, Daniel!"Daniel looked at her and remained silent."Actually, I've admired Maisie for years." She changed the topic. "I can see that she genuinely loves you. She's an honest girl, the perfect partner. Such a relationship is rare."Oh yes, Daniel, I heard she… lost her memory?"Aniel looked up and fixed his gaze on her. The coldness in his eyes sent chills down her spine. She dared not say more.The atmosphere grew rather awkward. He spoke flatly a moment later. "Her health was lacking earlier. Thanks for your concern. I hope you'll take care of her when the two of you work together.""Yes, yes!" She readily agreed. "Of course!"He smiled, and their conversation came to an end.-Life resembled a peaceful lake under the sun—quietly flowing, without a ripple.Maisie continued to learn and recharge, making rapid progress. She submitted drafts on time, and soon, it was t
Lily beamed as she said, "I'm buying, so we can go anywhere you want!"After work, they arrived at a restaurant, and Lily, always generous in entertaining, chose a high-end one. She even extended the invitation to her colleagues, including famous authors and their agents. Among them was Camila.They chatted happily in the private room. The famous authors expressed confidence in Maisie, eagerly anticipating her new book to create history for the company."See? So many people are confident about you. I told you that you're great, remember?" Lily patted Maisie's shoulder, smiling. "I told you not to work as a journalist back then. Why would you want to do that? I'm glad that Amanda pulled a trick and you ended up not taking the journalist examination! I should thank her!""Ahem, boss..." Rachael signaled urgently from the side."Oh, no, no... Look at me!" Lily corrected herself. "I wanted to say that even without Amanda, you wouldn't be able to get the press pass either!"Some peopl
Maisie stood in stunned silence as a voice emanated from outside."Yes, I'm worried too!" The two turned toward the source of the voice and spotted Lily walking in, positioning herself in front of the mirror."I'm here to powder my face! Ignore me, go ahead!" Lily declared, and Camila smiled in response.Maisie couldn't shake the feeling that Camila's expression changed upon seeing Lily, though she couldn't be certain if it was just an illusion."Oh, Maisie, are you going home?" Lily turned her head to inquire after applying lipstick. "Perfect. We're done eating now, so I thought we'd call it a night so that everyone could go home. I'll give you a ride! Rachael didn't drink. She'll drive!""I…" Maisie attempted to speak, but Camila interjected, "Is that okay, Ms. Lily? Won't it be awkward if you run into my cousin when you send her home?""Hmm?" Lily, a bit tipsy from the drinks, hadn't considered that. She asked aloud, "What's there to be awkward about? Do you think it's awkward
"Will you stay here with me?" Maisie asked.Daniel smiled and gently patted Maisie's head, wrapping her in a tight embrace.However, Maisie found it difficult to succumb to sleep when the person she loved was beside her. She opened her eyes and gazed at him, savoring every moment and reluctant to let time slip away in slumber."Why are you looking at me like this?" Daniel asked with a smile."I suddenly don't feel like sleeping anymore. Can we talk?" Maisie requested.He nodded and smiled, extending his hand to pat her head."Daniel.""What is it?""Why do you love patting my head so much? It's like I'm a kitten or a puppy!" Maisie blurted out unintentionally, noticing a change in his expression.Daniel examined his hand, his fingertips trembling. It seemed like a subconscious habit, triggering a recollection of Maisie saying similar words in the past, albeit with pain and despair echoing through her screams."I'm not a puppy or a kitten. I'm the woman who loves you! I don't