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
"It's going very smoothly!" I replied.Joey's visit to Luke today was most likely to discuss collaborating with Jon. Given Luke and Joey's close relationship, they would likely come to an agreement quickly.Jon's exceptional abilities meant that changes could still be made to the new car model before mass production. The model could be successfully launched, with any minor issues easily overlooked.To avoid worrying Brian, I had kept hidden the fact that Joey had initially given Jon's original designs to Felfast."Our Mr. Walker is always reliable!" Brian said, clearly admiring Luke. "I heard Neil was caught accepting massive bribes. He might be in jail for a long time.""People should know their place. Even with limited abilities, one should remain honest," I commented.Neil had relied on the Walker family's influence, thinking Luke wouldn't dare touch him. Once he opened the door to greed, he became insatiable, like a gluttonous beast, ultimately landing himself in prison....
Jon exceeded my expectations with his abilities. He managed to revise the design in just one day.His new version included several practical auxiliary features, making it extremely user-friendly for beginners. Additionally, he made modifications to the car's design, giving it smoother and more elegant lines than before.When Luke saw the design, his eyes were filled with approval and praise. "I'm tempted to fire all of those so-called high-tech talents we hired at high salaries at Hanque," he remarked."If we were to fire them all, there would be no one left to do the work," I pointed out, knowing that Luke was simply expressing his frustration."Their contributions pale in comparison to Jon's. It's time to trim down the team a bit," Luke pondered.When Neil was developing new car models, he would hire top industry talent at high salaries. These individuals were all proud of their abilities and hesitant to work under others. As a team, they were like scattered sand if they didn't
Over time, Joey appeared to be increasingly pleased with my behavior, and her attitude towards me continued to improve.Luke, on the other hand, always seemed gloomy after their meetings, his face as dark as ink.I wondered if he was intentionally being cold towards the woman he liked. Sure, he was handsome, but who could tolerate a perpetually sour expression?He could have used this opportunity to collaborate with Joey to win her over. I couldn't help but vent to Wendy about Luke's puzzling behavior."Did Luke trade his emotional intelligence for his intellectual intelligence?" Wendy joked, highly amused. "That would be a good thing! I hope he and Joey stay like this forever!""Impossible. Luke might be maintaining his aloof image, unwilling to make the first move, but Joey can take the initiative. She's been asking me about Luke's preferences lately," I explained."Ah, the veil between lovers! Joey was already Luke's ideal. It seems my hopes are shattered!" Wendy wailed dramat
I had forgotten that we were still stuck in traffic when I looked at Luke in shock.Luke, drunk and drowsy, hadn't heard me. I held onto his arm, staring at him intently, and urgently said, "Luke, wake up. What did you just call me?""What happened?" Luke opened his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose to clear his head."You just called me 'Jen Jen'," I said.That night, I wasn't fully conscious. I didn't know if those intimate, affectionate calls of "Jen Jen" were my imagination or real. Luke's recent "Jen Jen" had brought me back to that night."Jen Jen?" Luke didn't remember what he had just said. "If you like, I can call you that from now on."I opened my mouth, wanting to ask Luke if he had ever been to the Waldorf Hotel, but then realized how absurd the question was. Luke traveled often, with his days filled with work. How could he possibly remember when he might have visited the Waldorf?Earlier, I had desperately wanted to confirm if Luke was the man from that night. B
My tone was resolute.“His laywer said that a dying man's words hold weight. Max wants to confess to you and is willing to answer any of your questions without reservation, specifically regarding 'that night,'" Taylor relayed.Taylor had watched my livestream from Cintail Mountain and understood the significance of "that night." Being a woman herself, she recognized its importance to me.She didn't try to convince me to see Max; instead, she simply conveyed his lawyer's message in its entirety."The belief that 'a dying man's words hold weight' does not apply to Max," I responded.Since discovering Max's true character, my perception of him had completely transformed. He was as cold as a venomous snake, always driven by ulterior motives. "He wants to see me to exploit 'that night' for his own advantage.""He's on the brink of death. What advantage could he possibly seek now?""His mother is still alive!"Max was dutiful and understood his family dynamics well. His two sisters a
Mandy looked furious, as if Ms. Lawson had committed some unforgivable sin.I strongly agreed with her words!I wanted to say, "Mandy, well said! Please, say more!""He may have done many wrong things in the past, but that's all in the past. The law has already punished him appropriately. We shouldn't dwell on past grudges; we should look forward!" Ms. Lawson argued."You're a lawyer, not a pastor! Pastors are the ones who like to tell people to let go!" Mandy retorted, clutching her tray as she stood by the table. "Ms. Big Shot Lawyer, if someone hurt your parents, could you calmly tell them you forgive them?""Excuse me, who are you? We're having a private conversation. Please don't interrupt us!""You think I'm making sense and you can't refute it, so you're trying to get rid of me?"Mandy looked at her with disdain. "Lawyers like you are the biggest hypocrites. If someone hurt your family, you'd use all your knowledge to get them the harshest sentence possible! It's easy to
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