Wendy handed me a tissue and asked, "Jen, you've been working with Luke for a while now. How come you still get startled so easily?""Am I easily startled, or are your ideas just too wild?" I grabbed her arm and warned her seriously. "Wendy, don't degrade yourself like that!""I'm just teasing you! Look how worked up you got.""Wendy, some things shouldn't be attempted. No, they shouldn't even be considered!" I said gravely.Wendy gently pinched my cheek. "Alright, I understand!"The dishes Wendy ordered started arriving, filling the room with delicious aromas. I had a great appetite, as I had been busy with work lately and had burned a lot of energy.Wendy placed a freshly peeled shrimp on my plate. "Guess who I bumped into before coming to our room?""Joey?""You saw her too?""I ran into her at the entrance of the restaurant.""Ah, Luke's unrequited love! If we had known we'd run into her here, we should have invited Luke. At least he could have seen his dream girl.""If
"Jen," Penelope's voice came through."Are you settled in safely?" I asked."I've been in Johnsonville all along," Penelope admitted. There was a hint of guilt in her tone for keeping this from me."The most dangerous place can be the safest. Uncle and Aunt won't expect you to still be here."In the past, Penelope used to move to a new city before her aunt and uncle could find her. However, this time, doing the opposite might save us a lot of trouble."Jen, I need to tell you something," Penelope said cautiously.Thinking that she might be in trouble again, I reassured her, "Penelope, I've told you before, if I can help with anything, I will. Don't hesitate to ask.""Jen, I'm sorry. I lied to you. Those design sketches... I sent them to your email using IQ's name.""Penelope, could you repeat that?"Penelope was IQ? I had seen her background - she studied journalism, with no connection to AI or smart technology. Was she some kind of self-taught prodigy?I thought I must have
Luke called, and I answered quickly. I urgently explained, "Mr. Walker, IQ is Joey's brother, Jon Parker. Joey gave his design sketch to Mr. Thomas at Felfast. Mr. Thomas accepted it and promised Joey an exclusive interview about the new car model for First Media."Luke was pleased with Hanque's new model and looked forward to the finished product. He remained calmer than me upon hearing this news.After a moment's thought, he said, "It's better we found out now than after mass production had started.""You're right, Mr. Walker. Felfast just received the sketch, so they'll need some time to develop a new model. If we act quickly, we can still get ahead and launch our model first.""You've already contacted Joey. To avoid trouble, she'll likely inform Mr. Thomas. Felfast has plenty of talent; it's not impossible for them to release a new model before us.""So... all our efforts have been in vain?" I couldn't hide the disappointment in my voice."Not at all," Luke said firmly. "I'l
Luke would handle the situation, so I didn't need to specifically seek him out. Earlier at the restaurant, Wendy and I had only eaten a little, so we were still hungry.We discovered a food truck on the side of the street and quickly grabbed a bite before Wendy dropped me off at my apartment complex.Feeling restless, I took my dog, Goofy, for a walk around the complex, frequently glancing towards the entrance.After more than thirty minutes with no sign of Luke's car, I brought back Goofy, who was annoyed by my dog's pestering, and headed home with my pet.Just as I finished washing up, Penelope called."Jen, I've spoken with Jon. He can modify the original design," Penelope said, feeling guilty about Joey stealing the sketch and trying to find a solution. "Jon is brilliant. His modifications will make it significantly different from the previous design, so it won't impact Hanque's new model launch.""I believe in Jon's abilities too, but he doesn't have full legal capacity. Joe
Joey's tough childhood shaped her personality. While I empathized with her past, I couldn't tolerate her current behavior."Don't worry about me anymore, Jen. I'll handle this," Penelope assured me."Can you manage the move on your own?" I asked."With a moving company, it's a breeze."Before ending the call, Penelope hesitated. I spoke gently, "Penelope, I've told you before, you can speak freely with me. No need to be so formal.""I... I wanted to ask..." Penelope stuttered, "How are things between you and Mr. Walker?""They're fine!"Penelope seemed to have a hidden motive, probably trying to obtain information about Luke."First Media has recently published an interview with Mr. Walker. You should read it," I suggested. In the interview, Luke had clearly stated that he was interested in someone. I hoped that after reading it, Penelope wouldn't hold onto any more fantasies about Luke to avoid future heartbreak.Penelope acknowledged this.After ending the call, I began rev
"Joey, how are you any different from those who bullied Jon in the orphanage?" I couldn't bear Joey's angry shouts. "Jon may have a disability, but he deserves your respect. Didn't you do everything to bring him to live with you so he wouldn't be bullied by others?"Now those bullies were gone, but Joey had become the one hurting Jon."I just took one of his sketches, and he's gone crazy, rummaging through my things and damaging a lot of stuff. What's wrong with me yelling at him?"Joey's anger was skyrocketing."The sketch is his. It's something he cherishes," I explained. Putting myself in his shoes, I knew I'd be angry if someone took my work without asking."I provided everything for him. What's wrong with taking one sketch?""..." It wasn't just about one sketch. Joey's logic was unbelievable! "Jon isn't your property. You need his permission to take his work.""He's not normal. I can't communicate with him!""..." Joey was being stubborn. In her mind, Jon was defective. I
I briefly chatted with Taylor before ending the call and tried Stephen again.This time, he answered, and I explained Joey and Jon's situation briefly."I understand," Stephen replied calmly."Alright, Mr. York. I won't take up any more of your time," I said, ending the call.I didn't sleep well that night. The next morning at breakfast, I couldn't find Luke, so I asked Marianne, "Where's Mr. Walker?""He wasn't here when I arrived this morning. He probably didn't come home last night," Marianne said while tidying the sofa. "Mr. Walker is busy with work. Before he moved here, he often didn't come home. Now his 'nights out' are much less frequent!""When did he move here?" I asked. Since my parents passed away, I rarely visited the old house to avoid painful memories. I didn't know when Luke had bought this mansion."About six months ago," Marianne recalled. "For the first few months, Mr. Walker only stayed here occasionally. He's been here more regularly recently. Maybe he likes
Joey was in a good mood today, with a subtle smile gracing her face. As we were about to exit the elevator, she turned to me and said, "Ms. Middleton, if you're free at lunch, let's grab a coffee together.""My schedule is quite packed today. I'm not sure if I'll have time at lunch," I replied, growing increasingly suspicious of Joey's unexpected invitation."Well, I'll wait for your call then," she said."Certainly, Ms. Parker," I responded politely."You know, we've come to know each other through our conflicts. We might as well be friends. You can call me Joey," she suggested."How is Jon doing?" I asked, changing the subject. Joey's sudden change in attitude towards me was too drastic for me to let my guard down. Rather than forcing a friendship, I preferred to maintain some distance for now."I was too emotional last night," Joey admitted. "I've thought about it seriously. Despite my brother's disabilities, he deserves basic respect from me. I was wrong before, and I'll do b