I couldn't help but laugh at Wendy's story.As I reflected on the past, I looked at Wendy with renewed interest. "Even if you gained ten pounds at your height and weight, you'd just have a more curvy figure.""Twenty pounds! No, forty pounds! If I liked Luke, I'd gladly gain forty pounds," Wendy declared."Wow, Wendy, that's harsh!"Wendy couldn't stand the thought of gaining weight. She was extremely strict about her weight, and gaining forty pounds would be worse for her than being handed a knife to end it all.Her words were convincing, and I felt a twinge of regret. They would have made such a good-looking couple! But if Wendy didn't have those feelings for Luke, there was nothing I could do."I was afraid you would let your imagination run wild. If I gave an ambiguous answer, you might end up writing a whole dramatic novel about an elite romance tonight," Wendy explained."Why dramatic? Sweet romances are popular now! The heiress of the Smith family and the partner of JL Ca
KiwiKisser_: Francis Muller looks decent, but he doesn't do anything decent.SugarRushWarrior: Let me see what's happened. Last time Francis Muller cheated and got divorced, I criticized him and got banned for six months. How did the tide change so quickly now?MerryMelonade: This guy has done plenty of disgusting things. A few years ago, someone posted about how he used his position to harass female employees. The comments were full of people defending him, saying the poster was delusional. They argued that Francis had money and looks, so why would he stoop so low? They bullied the poster into deleting the post and disappearing from the internet. Now that Francis has been exposed, everyone owes that poster an apology.TinyTrainer: The investigation is still ongoing. The police haven't released any results yet, but you all are already sentencing him. You're worse than the police with your judgments.This sparked a fierce online debate, dividing people into two camps. Some revealed
"Do you really think I would believe you? I found out that Stephen represented you in your divorce case, so it's clear that my husband's case must be connected to you!""If you are determined to believe that, then so be it," I replied, realizing that there was no point in trying to explain further. "The police are currently investigating the case. Causing trouble for me won't be of any help.""You have a connection with Stephen. Tell him to convince his clients to withdraw their complaints! Otherwise, I won't stop until you do.""Do whatever you want."Stephen's law firm is currently gathering information and evidence online, and many people have already come forward. Given Stephen's capabilities, it won't be long before there are new developments in the case.Everyone faces the consequences of their actions. Francis believed he could harass women simply because he had money, but his downfall was inevitable.Even if Stephen and I were close, I wouldn't let Mandy's threats persuad
"You're not leaving!" Mandy blocked my path as I waved down a taxi. "Take me to see Stephen!""If you want to see him, go to his office."Who did Mandy think she was, ordering me around?"You think I haven't tried? I waited at his office all day and never even saw him! He's hiding those clients, and I can't get in touch with them. I don't even have a chance to speak with them!""Are you planning to bribe or threaten them to drop the case?"Mandy thought money could solve everything. I knew her ways well enough from our previous encounters. "Mandy, let me be clear. Stephen's clients won't drop the case. If you don't want a divorce, then spend your money on getting Francis a good lawyer. But no matter who you hire, you'll still lose.""Jen, because of what you said, I swear I'll get my husband out of this with his head held high!" Mandy declared firmly."I'll be waiting for that day."Stephen must have solid evidence. Mandy's dream of Francis getting off scot-free was just a fant
When I mentioned this to Wendy, she said that arrogant people often face consequences. She told me that if I ever saw Stephen in a vulnerable moment, I would realize that he is just as human as the rest of us."Know your enemy and know yourself, and you'll win every battle. Mandy is Francis's wife; Stephen will keep a close eye on her movements," Luke said.He leaned back against the seat. The open window allowed the wind to ruffle Luke's usually neat hair, giving him a more casual appearance."You seem to know Stephen's working style well," I observed.Luke and Stephen were both top performers in their respective fields. It's true that exceptional people often attract each other."We work in different industries, but our approaches to handling matters are quite similar," Luke replied.Indeed, JL Capital always conducted thorough research and risk assessments on potential partner companies for every project. The principle was the same.I nodded, remembering the food I had ordere
"Ms. Middleton, we've arrived at Johnsonville Bistro.""I... I'll get out right away."The driver's words snapped me back to reality. My face felt warm as I responded, hastily avoiding Luke's gaze. I opened the car door and stepped out, walking towards the left side of the car."Jen," Luke called out.I clutched my bag tightly, stopped, and turned around.He was leaning his arm on the car window, smiling, looking extremely pleased.Was he amused by my flustered state?How annoying!I quickly turned away.Luke: "Johnsonville Bistro is on the right side.""..." I looked up to see a maternity store directly across from me. The bistro didn't have good parking, so the driver had stopped on the opposite side.I had been so fixated on Luke that I was now doubly embarrassed, my face turning an even deeper shade of red.Feeling mortified, I didn't dare look back and hurried across the street.This stretch of road had little traffic at night. I crossed and entered the bistro.The c
"I'll definitely remember!"Despite her promise, Marianne showed up at my doorstep with breakfast again the next morning."Marianne..."My tone was a mix of helplessness and playful complaint."I... I might be getting old and forgetful. I'll see a doctor this morning after I finish my chores," Marianne said, looking slightly guilty.She had genuinely forgotten!I quickly reassured her, "It's okay, Marianne. I haven't had breakfast yet anyway."Forgetfulness is common with age, but it's still important to get checked at the hospital to rule out any medical causes for memory decline. "I'm very busy at work today and can't accompany you to the hospital, but please call me if anything comes up.""It's just a doctor's visit. I can manage. Don't worry about me and focus on your work," Marianne urged. "It's getting late. Hurry and eat your breakfast, or you'll be late.""Take care, Marianne."As I watched her leave, I looked down at the delicate breakfast set on my plate, feeling to
Half an hour later, the simulation test came to an end, and the impressive visual effects left me eagerly anticipating the upcoming real-world tests.If autonomous cars could navigate extremely complex environments successfully, it would significantly reduce traffic accidents and be a boon for many consumers. Technology truly has the power to change lives.At the test site, Luke and I, along with others, sat in the stands. Below us was a modified racetrack filled with various obstacles designed to simulate challenging driving conditions. Professional testers were ready.However, real-world driving conditions can change in an instant, whereas the simulated obstacles were fixed. This made the test results less convincing to me, and my excitement dwindled.I thought I hid my feelings well, but Neil called me out."Ms. Middleton, have you ever used an autonomous driving system?""No, I haven't."I've always driven traditional gas cars. Wendy is much more receptive to new technology
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