He lowered his gaze, and as our eyes met, Luke fully captured the triumph that I had yet to conceal.Luke shifted his gaze to the name of the pet store and remarked, "But you're not innocent.""In their eyes, there's something between us, but in reality, we're just friends and colleagues," I replied, struggling to keep up with Luke's long strides. "You have a voice in the media. You could tell them I'm just your assistant. That would put an end to all the rumors."Luke, always upright and honorable, would be convincing if he spoke up. "I have no plans to accept any interviews in the near future.""…" That's because he refuses interviews from anyone except his true love, Joey!I silently grumbled as I followed him into the pet store.I bought two bags of dog food, some pee pads, and toys—two large bags full of stuff. Luke went ahead and paid the bill before I could, taking the shopping bags from the cashier.I reached out my hand. "Let me carry those."Luke avoided my hand. "The
"Online collaboration?" "Yes. He declined a face-to-face meeting." IQ's response was brief and direct, characteristic of someone confident in their talent."We can collaborate online, but we'll need his identification and resume." Every detail of the collaboration must be precise. If any issues arise during the process, Hanque could suffer significant losses.Luke handed me a glass of water. "If he has time, we can discuss the details of the collaboration.""I'll reply to him right away."While waiting for his response, I stayed at Luke's place, playing with the two dogs. Goofy had the same indifferent attitude towards both me and the other dog. Whenever I touched him, he barely lifted an eyelid, and I could see disdain in his eyes. Was Goofy really this aloof?Just as I was about to tell Luke about Goofy's disdain, the living room filled with the captivating voice of a nostalgic love song. The song brought a flood of memories, causing my emotions to fluctuate before slowly calm
"Your analysis makes sense."Felfast now has a dedicated fan base. If the design and concept are indeed as excellent as Luke claims, Felfast would easily surpass Hanque with a new car, leaving Hanque to endure ridicule. Perhaps I am overthinking this."I will respond to IQ soon.""I've already sent someone to investigate his identity. We can wait before replying.""Understood, Mr. Walker."Agreeing to IQ's terms was a gamble. Responding too quickly might portray Luke as desperate for collaboration, potentially leading IQ to make even more demanding requests. It is better to keep him waiting. If Luke's investigation fails to uncover IQ's identity, we can negotiate later."I am heading home. You should rest early."I held the dog's leash, ready to leave, but it resisted. It did not want to be separated from Goofy."Sweetie, be good. Goofy needs to rest. We will come back to play tomorrow," I tried to reassure my dog.It whimpered in disagreement."Sweetie, if you continue, I wi
In the courtyard, the cool night breeze helped clear my head a bit. What just happened was an accident. I practically fled from Luke's house, feeling as if I had some improper thoughts about him, and my guilty conscience was all over my face!But I have no fantasies about him!I patted my slightly warm cheeks, hanging my head in frustration as I returned home. Just as I was closing the gate, I saw Luke standing not far away. He always keeps his word. When he said he would see me home, he meant it. He must have followed me, witnessing my awkwardness. He's so perceptive, he must know I have no feelings for him!Right now, I wished I could adopt the ostrich tactic and pretend not to see him, quietly shutting the gate."You forgot something," Luke said, handing me the shopping bag."Thanks for bringing it over."I approached Luke and took the bag from his hand."Get some rest," he said, glancing down at me."You too."I didn't dare look him in the eyes the whole time. Back in the
I answered the phone and greeted the caller politely."Hello, is this Jen Middleton?""Yes, this is she. Who's calling, please?""I'm Mrs. Walker's driver. Do you have time to meet with her today?""Mrs. Walker... You mean Mr. Walker's mother?""That's correct, Ms. Middleton.""I'm sorry, but I still have some work to finish up."Why did Mrs. Walker want to see me all of a sudden? Whatever the reason, I needed to talk to Luke first. I would only go if he agreed."No problem. Mrs. Walker has kept her schedule open today. Please contact me once you're free."I paused. It seemed that Mrs. Walker was determined to meet me."Mrs. Walker hopes you won't mention this meeting to Luke. She's asking for your discretion on this."Why couldn't I tell Luke about meeting his mother? I tried to remember what little information Wendy had shared about the Walker family. It wasn't much.After a moment's thought, I replied, "Alright, please send me the address. I'll head over as soon as I'm d
"Shall we taste the wine?" Mrs. Walker suggested."After you, Mrs. Walker," I replied politely.I lifted the glass, giving it a gentle swirl before taking a small sip."This Cabernet Sauvignon has several distinctive notes," Mrs. Walker explained. "The one we're tasting today has a lovely bouquet of blackcurrant with a hint of cedar.""You certainly know a lot about wine, Mrs. Walker."My father was a wine enthusiast, and I occasionally joined him for tastings. However, I never fully grasped its complexity, often finding the tannins overwhelming.Father always advised me not to rush, to savor each sip. He would say that every wine had its unique character, and once you developed a taste for it, it became irresistible.I usually lacked the patience, but here I was, experiencing my first serious wine tasting under such unusual circumstances."Wine tasting can be quite meditative, cultivating patience and refining the palate. Luke is quite skilled at it.""Mr. Walker only drinks
If the Walker family found out about Luke's feelings for Joey, the consequences would be out of my control. Even though I didn't particularly like Joey, I couldn't ruin things for her either."The reason he said that in the interview was to divert our efforts in setting up meetings for him," Mrs. Walker explained. "He made up this person to throw us off track.""Mr. Walker didn't seem to be lying," I commented.If Luke had only mentioned it once in the interview, I might have believed Mrs. Walker."Then let him bring the girl he likes home," she challenged.That was a request that Mrs. Walker needed to make to Luke herself. I took a sip of wine, trying to buy some time."Lu is at the age where he should be considering marriage. He can't keep postponing it," she continued. "How about this - you help me arrange separate meetings between him and these girls. If he still doesn't bring home the girl he claims to like after that, it'll prove she doesn't exist.""I'm his assistant. Our
"I was just climbing the stairs.""Sweetie, if it's something you're not good at, don't do it.""I won't climb anymore.""I meant, don't lie anymore.""Why do you all know me so well?"They see right through me. I can't keep any secrets."You all? Besides me, who else knows you that well?" Wendy's tone was teasing, clearly fishing for gossip."I have some juicy gossip about Luke. Want to hear?"I couldn't tell Wendy that Luke was the other person who knew me well. Her imagination would run wild."Of course, tell me! I can't miss out on any gossip about Luke.""His family is trying to set him up on blind dates.""Given his age, it's time for him to settle down. Was his recent interview a response to his family's pressure?""I don't know." I briefly recounted my meeting with Mrs. Walker to Wendy. "Do you think his family will accept the person he likes?""The Walkers usually marry within their social class.""Do you think Luke could be an exception?"I'm conflicted. Even t