Judy was slightly shocked inside. Why was Lewis here so late?Lewis, clad in a dark brown coat with a scarf around his neck, leaned casually against the car door, smoking a cigarette as if waiting for someone.In this bustling city, it wasn’t easy for two people to meet by chance.He had always been at the pinnacle, while Judy was just a small, ordinary representation of this bustling city.Judy took a deep breath silently. Lewis couldn’t possibly be here for her.She descended the steps, pretending not to see Lewis, and headed towards the right, to the subway station.Suddenly, a deep, rich voice called out to her, "Judy, stop right there."The cold tone was mixed with a tinge of impulsiveness and command.This woman, clearly having seen him, was pretending not to.Judy stopped abruptly, too afraid to turn around, even wondering if she had hallucinated. Why would he call her?Meanwhile, her heart was in turmoil. Was he calling her? Was he here for her?The footsteps behind her grew c
Lewis's penetrating gaze was fixed on her, and as he took a step forward, Judy instinctively retreated until her back was against the door, with nowhere else to go. His hands tucked in his coat pockets, a teasing smile played at the corners of his lips, "Are you sure you want to hear my explanation here?" Judy detected a strong undertone of threat in his words. Swallowing hard, Judy fished out her keys, thinking that Lewis, as a prominent figure, wouldn't really harm her, and thus she gathered the courage to unlock the door. Lewis entered, scanning the small rental unit. His first impression was its size—it was tiny. The apartment was less than twenty square meters, without a separate bedroom; the bed and dining area shared the same space along with a very simple small kitchen. Despite its size, the apartment was clean and tidy, with a faint pleasant scent lingering in the air. Seeing Lewis surveying the place made Judy a bit embarrassed. Given how small the apartment was, Lewis
Judy was slightly shocked inside. Why was Lewis here so late in such a cramped room? His deep-set eyes were fixated on her, waiting for an answer.Sitting on the edge of the bed, the only place left since Lewis had taken the sofa, Judy avoided Lewis's gaze. The atmosphere inside felt odd, her heart chaotic.Lewis's intent was clear; he desired her. It was a declaration laced with flirtation yet not off-putting. Who could resist such a confession from a billionaire CEO?"It can't be," Judy thought, taking a deep breath to steady herself. "Sir, you and I are from different worlds. If there's no future, there's no point in starting. You can afford to play, but I can't. I just want to live an ordinary life."In Judy’s view, Lewis was merely playing under the guise of having a girlfriend. Even if she never got married, she couldn't be with a man who'd been with Susan. That was a moral line she couldn’t cross."You’ve never tried, how do you know there won’t be an outcome?" Lewis stood up,
The bed board snapped from the middle; it was a second-hand bed that, while sufficient to support one person, couldn't quite bear the 'pressure' of two.Lewis examined it and said, "Looks like it needs to be replaced. I'll have a new bed sent over tomorrow. For tonight, we'll just have to make do, or you could come back to the royal manor with me.""Wait a second," Judy gathered her thoughts, "Sir, this is my home. You and I, we have no relationship. There’s no need for you to send a bed over, and I'm not going back to the royal manor with you, let alone become your girlfriend."She needed to make things clear.Judy was straightforward, expecting Lewis to be angered. Instead, he looked at the broken bed as if he hadn’t heard her and said, "I'll have someone send over a bed now."Judy was almost at her wits' end. Could Lewis not understand human speech?Yet, she didn't dare to say that outright."Sir, you are a billionaire, the CEO of Caler Group. You wouldn’t stoop so low as to impose
Just like that, Susan disappeared, leaving Judy and John somewhat panicked.Judy was scared, terrified that something had happened to Susan. She removed Susan from the blacklist and sent her a message. However, the system indicated they were not friends, revealing that Susan had also blacklisted her. Judy tried various means to find out Susan’s whereabouts, but to no avail.The next day, Judy headed to work as usual. As she stepped out of the building's elevator, she saw workers carrying a bed inside, and behind them was Lewis. Judy was astonished; Lewis had indeed sent a bed over.Lewis approached her, "Let's go upstairs, let the workers bring the bed up.""Sir," Judy was somewhat impressed, yet baffled, "What exactly are you trying to do?"Lewis replied, "It seems my expression last night wasn’t clear enough. Do I need to explain again?"Judy instantly thought of the kiss that broke the bed the night before, understanding his implication, and subconsciously covered her mouth.Lewis
After Amelia left, Judy breathed a sigh of relief, thankful for not being recognized."Judy," Perona, while reviewing the project plan, asked, "Do you have any other opinions on this project? The board is not very supportive of continuing with this initiative. How do you think we could convince them?"Caught off guard by Perona's question, Judy quickly composed herself and responded, "Chairman, I don't think we need to convince the board by talking. Presenting facts will be more persuasive."Perona smiled, her eyes reflecting approval. She had always been decisive in her younger days and appreciated straightforwardness over boardroom politics. Like Judy, she preferred to base discussions on facts rather than opinions."Judy, how have you been adjusting since you joined the company?" Perona casually inquired.Embracing flattery, Judy replied, "Being at Meike Group feels like coming home."What did 'home' mean? Comfort, a sense of belonging, a place where the heart resides. Implicitly,
Susan's words pierced Judy like countless needles to the heart. "Is this how you see me?" Judy asked in shock. "Susan, we've grown up together from the orphanage, over twenty years of friendship, and you're accusing me of competing with you for a man?" Susan's accusations enraged Judy, making her want to physically shake Susan awake. "You're still pretending," Susan scoffed. "Judy, you're just using me as a backdrop to highlight your nobility. Without my plainness, how could your grace shine? Did you sleep with Lewis? Did you badmouth me in front of John? You play one role to my face and another behind my back. I won't trust you again." Thus, Susan deflected the blame, knowing about Lewis and Judy's one-night affair, and had herself masqueraded as Judy to enter the royal manor, yet boldly accused Judy of stealing her man. She wanted to make Judy suffer, unable to bear seeing her happy. If Lewis didn't want her, she'd at least leave Judy with a thorn in her heart. Understanding Judy
Susan embraced Judy tightly, deliberately sobbing in distress, "Judy, I'm sorry, I don't want to be the bad guy, but I really can't bear it. You're my best friend, could you please not be with Lewis?"The phrase "best friend" felt like a massive shackle, binding Judy securely."Alright, I promise, I promise," Judy’s eyes also became misty. She felt she owed Susan for causing her so much distress.To assure Susan, Judy forced a smile, "There are so many men in the world, not just Lewis. No one is more important to me than you, our friendship from growing up together is incomparable."Susan was a few months younger than Judy, who always doted on Susan like an older sister.She saw Susan as her sister; having relied on each other in this city for over twenty years, of course, she would choose Susan."Judy, you're so kind." Susan sniffed, wiping away her tears. Though her words were gracious, her heart told a different story.A friendship marred by cracks could never fully heal.In Susan'