Cindy sneered, "Are you sure? Don't you want to know why Max suddenly bought medication for Aaron Middleton? Or why he kept taking you on trips, trying to get you into bed?"I immediately caught the mention of my father and asked, "What do you mean? Are you saying you instructed Max?"Cindy glanced at her manicured nails and nonchalantly said, "Don't rush. I'll tell you. But I must warn you, lately I've been seeing a psychologist because of everything that happened with Max. The doctor says I have a bit of a delusional disorder. So, Jen, whatever I tell you today, you should take it with a grain of salt. I can't guarantee whether I'm speaking from delusion or if I've just watched too many TV dramas and read too many novels."My heart sank.It seemed Stephen and Taylor were right—talking to Cindy wouldn't yield anything valuable. The fact that she agreed to meet me meant she was fully prepared.I gripped my hands tighter, reminding myself to stay calm.Cindy, pleased with my react
Cindy scoffed, her expression icy and distant. "Why would he choose you and your mother over me?"I was utterly perplexed. Did she imply that my father had some sort of relationship with Cindy? But that couldn't be true. Cindy had grown up abroad, rarely returning to the country, while my father had always been here. It was impossible for such a scandalous story to exist between them.Suddenly, Cindy seized the cup in front of her and flung it to the ground. The cup shattered into pieces, startling the nearby customers and the waiter standing nearby. The waiter hesitated to clean up, sensing the tense atmosphere.Cindy's anger seemed to erupt from deep within her. "Why him!" she demanded furiously.She appeared exactly like a woman who had been abandoned.But my father? How could he be involved in something so scandalous?I would not let her defame my father like this! I slammed my hand on the table, shouting, "Are you trying to tarnish my father's reputation?"Cindy shot back,
The woman in his arms was not my mother. Naturally, I recognized my mother from her younger days.Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the woman's features bore a striking resemblance to Cindy. More accurately, Cindy resembled this woman from her younger days. The only noticeable difference was that Cindy had a small black mole on her nose, while the woman in the photo had a clear, unblemished face. Her eyes were not particularly large, but they were expressive, and her smiling gaze seemed to bring the entire photo to life.The woman was wearing jeans and a knit sweater, with a ribbon tied around her neck. Her delicate eyebrows and the way she leaned gently against my father's chest gave her a sweet, radiant look. They were standing against the backdrop of a sunrise over Eagleland Mountain, with golden clouds stretching as far as the eye could see.Who was she?A sudden realization struck me. She was Cindy's mother.I quickly turned the photo over and saw a line of delicate call
Clearly, the word "mistress" struck a nerve with Cindy. Her face twitched as she struggled to accept it, but the truth remained.Cindy clenched her fists, her eyes red with anger as she glared at me, trying to suppress her rage. "Jen, you know that's not the point.""The point you think you're making means nothing to me. I don't care about Susanne's relationship with my father, and you won't provoke me with it. But I warn you, my father's good name isn't yours to tarnish. If I hear even a whisper of you slandering him, I won't let you off easily!" I emphasized, "Do you understand?"Tears welled up in Cindy's eyes, and her voice grew hoarse. "Jen, are you threatening me?""You can take it that way," I replied coldly. "No one can clarify events from over twenty years ago. I'm not interested in how your mother disrupted my parents' relationship. If you're hung up on it, you won't find answers from me. From now on, stop bothering me with this! Or else—""Or else what?""Or else, I wo
Luckily I’m not fortunate enough to be future partner.As I tried to think of a way to decline Luke, he looked at his watch and urged, "Jen, I have a meeting this afternoon and can't waste time. I need to talk to you on the way back.""What is it? Tell me now.""Are you sure you want me to discuss private matters about Professor Middleton in public?""..."Alright, you win, Luke.Luke's car was still the same black luxury car, and this time he was driving himself. However, his driving seemed much smoother than before.Once the car merged into traffic, I couldn't wait any longer and asked, "What do you need to tell me?"Luke kept his eyes on the road, his lips barely moving. "What did Cindy say to you?""How did you know I met with Cindy?""I saw you."I wanted to ask Luke if he had nothing better to do than keep tabs on my meetings. Before I could, Luke glanced at me and said, "I don't have a habit of stalking people. I happened to be passing by and saw you with Cindy in the
I must look fierce right now, like a small, angry beast baring its teeth. My eyes are red and glaring at Luke, inexplicably directing all my anger towards him.Normally, Luke would chase me out of the car, give me a cold look, and say something icy to silence me. But to my surprise, he didn't do that.Instead, he pulled a checkered handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to me. Yes, another checkered handkerchief. I find it endearing that a grown man always carries a clean handkerchief with him.But I'm angry right now and don't want to use his handkerchief. Plus, the last time I borrowed his handkerchief to wipe my nose, I promised to wash it and return it, but I couldn't find it. How could I use his second one?Seeing that I didn't take it, Luke sighed impatiently, then leaned over and stuffed the handkerchief into my hand. "Don't get your snot on my car. I have OCD.""…Fine," I mumbled, wiping my tears and nose with his handkerchief. "This time, I'll remember to wash it an
As Luke continued speaking, a slight frown appeared on his face. "The novel tells the story of two protagonists who fall deeply in love," he explained. "When the female lead discovers that the male lead has a wife and daughter, she spends the entire night crying. They both struggle to suppress their feelings but are unable to resist the overwhelming passion, crossing moral boundaries. Eventually, they make the decision to end their lives together, in order to preserve their love at its most beautiful moment. They discuss various methods for their joint suicide and ultimately choose to jump from a great height. This way, they can hold hands as they fall, embracing tightly and reminiscing about every moment of their lives. Their suicide will be grand and intense, as they plunge from the sea of clouds into the deserted forest below."Suddenly, a photo of my father and Susanne on a trip to Eagleland Mountain came to mind.I was familiar with Eagleland Mountain, a popular tourist dest
"Susanne refused to reveal the father's identity and was pressured by the Lansworth family to have an abortion. She adamantly refused, and even threatened to die if they didn't accept the child or let her leave the family to live on her own.""At that time, Lucy Peterson, the matriarch of the Lansworth family and Paul's mother, couldn't accept Susanne's rebellious actions. She ordered Paul to take Susanne to the hospital for an abortion. However, before the procedure, the doctor told Paul that Susanne's health was poor, and if she had the abortion, she might never be able to have children again.""Paul, who always doted on his sister, was worried about her health. Seeing Susanne pleading, saying she would never marry and would only care for the child, he finally relented. Susanne was sent to Estaland to have the baby. Lucy, feeling humiliated, refused to forgive Susanne and banned her from returning home. Until the baby was born, Susanne stayed in Estaland, cared for only by a nanny.
We both knew how we felt about each other, but neither of us made the first move to confess.“I gave birth to him in circumstances I couldn’t control,” Molly said, her hands tightly clutching her cup, fingers unconsciously tracing its edge. “I used to think about fighting back against the people who hurt me, but reality forced me to wake up. I couldn’t afford to lose everything.”She hesitated, her gaze dropping. “There are things from back then that I just can’t bring myself to tell him.”When I arranged for Luke and Molly to spend some time alone, the two of them mostly sat in silence.“Mrs. Walker couldn’t have children for years after her marriage. Luke was just a tool to help her secure her place in the family,” Molly explained.Mr. Walker was handsome, wealthy, and from a good family. After getting married, women constantly threw themselves at him. According to the information Wendy had dug up, Landon didn’t exactly push them away.In such a situation, Mrs. Walker, Ashleigh
Molly poured four glasses of juice and sat across from Luke.She looked like she wanted to say something but didn’t know where to start.I gave Ian a quick look.Ian took a sip of his juice and said, “Miss, the juice is sweet and sour—it’s so good!”“Drink it up, and I’ll pour you some more,” Molly offered.Luke interjected, “It’s almost time to rest. Don’t drink too much juice.”“I’m sorry, I don’t have experience taking care of kids,” Molly said, lowering her head. After a pause, she quietly repeated, “I’m sorry.”She was probably thinking of Luke as a baby.I clutched my stomach, pretending to wince. “Excuse me, Molly. My stomach hurts; I need to head back to my room.”As I stood, I grabbed Ian’s wrist.Ian caught on quickly. “Jen is a girl. She’ll get scared going back alone—I have to go with her.”Not giving Luke a chance to respond, I opened the door and said, “Mr. Walker, you stay and chat with Molly. Ian and I will be back in a bit.”In the hallway, Ian looked thoug
Molly wasn’t the type to make things difficult for others. She didn’t give the hotel manager a hard time.After the staff left, Molly turned to thank Luke and me. “Thank you for staying with me and helping me handle this.”Luke glanced at her but didn’t say anything.The silence grew awkward, so I quickly broke it. “You don’t have to thank us. We didn’t really do much.”“Would you like to come in and sit for a while?” Molly invited us into her room.Before either of us could respond, Ian, who’d been holding back his excitement, eagerly chimed in, “Yes, yes! Let’s go!”I sighed internally.Molly finally noticed the little one in Luke’s arms. “And who’s this?”“I’m Ian Lloyd,” he introduced himself cheerfully.But the moment he got a good look at Molly’s face, he let out a small “Huh?” and then turned to look at Luke.Luke frowned slightly, and their eyes met—a silent understanding passing between them. Ian immediately shut his mouth and swallowed whatever he’d been about to sa
Five hours later, we arrived in Sharonville.Before the trip, Luke had everything arranged. After landing, we took a car to the hotel he’d booked in advance.In the hotel lobby, we ran into Molly. She was walking with two middle-aged men in sharp suits, smiling as she chatted with them.When her eyes met Luke’s, her smile froze for a moment, then slowly softened as she stared at him without blinking.Luke didn’t acknowledge her. He walked right past, brushing by her shoulder as though she wasn’t there. From the corner of my eye, I saw her eyes redden.The two men exchanged glances but didn’t say anything. That night, however, they sent two young, handsome men to Molly’s room.Our room was on the same floor as Molly’s. After dinner out, we returned to the hotel and saw her standing at her door with the two young men.Their faces were powdered with heavy makeup, and they looked eager to please, practically glued to her.My thoughts immediately took a less innocent turn.Luke co
Amy messaging me at this hour was probably another complaint about other agencies trying to poach her, or how stressed she was about it all.The underlying message? She wanted me to contact Mr. Lloyd to secure better resources for her—a thinly veiled threat, essentially.Since several popular artists left One Entertainment, the company’s resources had started to dwindle.Mr. Lloyd’s return wasn’t just because of his love for acting. He also wanted to support the company’s artists, giving them more opportunities to shine.Amy had already begun to stand out. If she simply focused on honing her craft and stayed patient, she’d get her share of the spotlight.When Mr. Lloyd founded the company, his goal was to grow it into a powerhouse that protected its artists. Now, he had adopted a more laid-back approach: if an artist wanted to leave, they just needed to pay the penalty fee.Amy’s tactics wouldn’t change anything.I went back to reading my book.My phone buzzed again, and I ass
Mr. Lloyd's words carried a hint of reassurance for me.“Jen, Uncle asked me to create a travel itinerary!”Luke had been telling Ian lots of stories about Sharonville, and Ian had also looked up a ton of information online. He now knew every street in the city and how many shops were on each one.Carefully folding his sweaters, Ian placed them neatly into his suitcase, which was decorated with a cheerful Doraemon sticker.“I’m really looking forward to your travel guide, Ian!”“I’ve already finished most of it!” Ian was a serious little worker who never did things half-heartedly. If he said it was nearly done, he was probably putting on the finishing touches.I praised him warmly.“Jen, since the three of us are traveling together, we need to consider everyone’s preferences and suggestions.”“So, you want to get my input to finalize it?”“Exactly.”“Well, wherever you want to go is where I want to go. This trip, I’ll leave the planning to you.”Luke had work to handle in Shar
For the past few days, Luke has been picking me up and dropping me off at work.Reporters often linger outside One Entertainment, and it took a lot of effort for rumors about me and Luke to die down. I didn’t want them to resurface.Luke understood my concerns, so he always parked his car a block away from the company. Once he sent me a message, I’d grab Ian and head over.That evening, Luke prepared another full table of dishes for dinner.Ever since things thawed between us, I hadn’t said much during meals, but the atmosphere was much more relaxed than before.“She’s already in Sharonville,” Luke said.“Hasn’t she been out of the country for years? Will she be safe there alone?”He was talking about Molly.The Walker family has been a prominent family in Sharonville for generations, with deep-rooted connections and influence. Mrs. Walker is a respected figure, and many people in Sharonville owe her favors. It wouldn’t be surprising if someone decided to teach Molly a lesson on
I watched the behind-the-scenes footage, and Mr. Lloyd looked great. After stepping out of the spotlight for a few years, his demeanor has become even more composed and sophisticated, perfectly matching the calm and collected surgeon he portrays in the show.“He’s as brilliant as ever,” Beatrice said, her eyes filled with admiration. “As long as the co-stars hold their ground, this show is bound to be a hit.”“He has an exceptional eye for picking scripts,” she added, her gaze glued to the screen.I didn’t interrupt her. Instead, I got up and went to the kitchen to check on Ian’s progress.For someone so young, Ian took everything seriously. Standing on a small stool to make up for his height, he carefully worked on brewing coffee, his movements precise and methodical.“Waiter Number One, Ian Lloyd, at your service. Your oat latte will be ready soon,” he announced cheekily.I laughed at his playful tone and played along. “Waiter Number Two will now deliver orange juice to Mr. Ian
While Beatrice chatted with Ian, I brought the gifts to the living room."You're too kind, Ms. Middleton.""Ian bought these with his pocket money."I winked at Ian.He caught on quickly, nodding.Beatrice warmly invited me to sit.Fresh fruit and two plates of nuts were on the coffee table.She placed a fruit bowl before me. "Yesterday's blueberries are fresh—crisp and sweet."The large blueberries were covered in bloom. I took one and made space for Beatrice."What would you like? Coffee or juice?""Fresh orange juice for me, and Jen likes oat milk latte," Ian said, playing with a doll, squishing its face into different shapes.Suddenly remembering our earlier conversation, he dropped the doll and ran to the kitchen. "I've learned lots from Jen. I can make juice and coffee!"Beatrice praised him: "How impressive!"She started toward the kitchen, concerned.I held her arm. "Ian's a quick learner. He does everything properly. We can trust him.""He gets along so well wit