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
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