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'
Lewis didn't leave.Seeing Lewis inside the door, Judy was astonished and experienced a mix of emotions, even feeling a bit guilty. She had just promised Susan not to have any relationship with Lewis, yet here he was inside her home."You back," Lewis said, sounding like a husband waiting at home for his wife's return.Judy was momentarily uncomfortable. Even though it was her own home, she hesitantly entered."Why didn't you leave?" Judy asked bluntly as she stepped in, immediately noticing a large bed placed in the middle of her small apartment.It looked like a two-meter bed, which seemed out of place in her cramped apartment compared to the 1.5-meter single bed she previously had.Lewis introduced the bed, "This is an imported bed from Europe, very comfortable. Try lying on it.""The bed isn’t the issue. The point is, why are you still here?" Judy asked.Lewis responded matter-of-factly, "You gave me your keys. If I weren't here, who would have opened the door for you?""No, it's
What really confirmed to Lewis that it was Judy that night, was the kiss they shared last night. Familiar and irresistibly intoxicating, it was exactly like that night. After returning to the Royal Manor, he opened that email. To make sure, he clicked on it. But when he saw Judy sneaking out of his room in the footage, Lewis was thrilled. It was her, indeed. A smile crept onto Lewis's lips, just because the person that night was her. He thought back to the various odd behaviors Judy exhibited since that night. At the office, she acted like a mouse seeing a cat upon seeing him. When he mistakenly thought she was promiscuous, she retorted angrily, saying someone would come looking for their father one day. When he had a car accident, she cried sorrowfully, wondering what she would do without him. All of that was real. He really wanted to know, what Judy felt when she mistakenly thought she was pregnant, and whether she decided to keep the baby because she thought
"Grandma, it's windy outside. Let's go inside first," Lewis said, helping his grandmother into the house. In this family, it was only his grandmother who could make Lewis show a bit more patience, even talking to her in the tone one would use with children. As soon as they entered the house, it was as if by magic, his grandmother pulled out a stick of candy from behind her, whispering, "My dear grandson, look what grandma has prepared for you. Candy. Your mom isn't home, she doesn't know. Let's eat it secretly and not tell your mom." Looking at the candy, Lewis felt a warmth in his eyes. He lifted the corners of his lips, "Okay, we won't tell my mom. I'll take all the candy." His grandmother, acting like a child, was capriciously demanding, "Leave one for me, just one." His grandmother had high blood pressure and diabetes; she shouldn't eat sugar. Lewis took all the candy and said, "Grandma, I'll exchange something else for it. The doctor said you can't eat sugar. Be obedi
Isabella was being too controlling. Her attempts to manipulate Lewis's marriage naturally strained the mother-son relationship even more. Isabella's eyes reddened even more, and she sounded somewhat uneasy as she explained, "Mom didn't mean anything else, Mom is always thinking of your best." "I've had enough of that phrase," Lewis coldly said, "If you don't want our relationship to worsen, then please, keep out of my affairs." Isabella's heart ached with her son's indifference. "Grandson, are you arguing with your mom again? Don't fight, please don't," Grandma came over upon hearing the commotion. Seeing his grandma, Lewis's expression immediately softened, even his tone became gentler, "Grandma, it's stuffy here. I'll accompany you downstairs for chess." Lewis helped his grandma downstairs, without giving Isabella a single glance throughout. Watching her son being so kind to his grandmother but so cold towards his own mother, Isabella felt anger mixing with her grief
Standing at Judy's apartment door wasn't Lewis, but John. Hearing footsteps, John turned around with a warm smile: "Working late again, huh? I was in the area after finishing some errands, so I brought you some late-night snacks. Got your favorite pizza." A flicker of disappointment passed through the depths of Judy's eyes, so fleeting she didn't even notice it herself. "Have you been busy too?" Judy spoke as she opened the door, "The pizza you bought must be delicious; I can already smell it." Once inside, John immediately noticed the large bed. "The landlord is quite generous, this bed looks really nice, and it's big," John casually mentioned. Hearing this, Judy felt a bit embarrassed but didn't explain that the bed was from Lewis. "Let me taste the pizza," Judy changed the subject. John asked with a smile, "You mentioned you saw Susan recently, how is she doing?" "I was actually about to tell you about that," Judy replied seriously. "Susan has partnered with some