I was shocked by Professor Killiney's wealth, considering his interest in bidding on such an expensive 1800s antique landscape painting that had such a high starting price.Five minutes later, the bidding for the antique landscape painting began.Grandpa Shaw firmly held onto Professor Killiney's hand, signaling Luke to raise the paddle.Luke complied perfectly.Professor Killiney scowled, saying, "Let go!""Stop fussing! You're Jon's teacher now, and we haven't discussed your salary yet! When you sign the contract, you can lower your fee a bit to repay this favor," Grandpa said, holding onto Professor Killiney's arm. "One must be flexible, not too rigid. You'll paint yourself into a corner that way."Professor Killiney remained silent. After a half-minute standoff, his raised arm slowly lowered."That's more like it! How would you manage without me keeping an eye on you?" Grandpa beamed.I watched with a smile.Luke's strategy worked perfectly. As he predicted, the bidding we
"It really proves that human desire is an unfillable pit."Having already won the antique landscape painting from the 1800s, Grandpa had lost interest in the remaining auctions. He yawned, looking drowsy.Professor Killiney glanced at Grandpa Shaw and said to Luke, "After you complete the paperwork, send me the bill. I'll transfer the money to you.""Alright."Professor Killiney patted Grandpa Shaw's shoulder. Grandpa lifted his heavy eyelids and asked, "Is it over?""Let's head back to the hotel.""What are we waiting for? Let's go!"Hearing that they could leave, Grandpa quickly stood up.After taking a few steps, he remembered Luke and me. He turned back with a smile and said, "Sweetie, Luke, we're heading back to rest. You two should leave early too.""Take care on your way back."I wanted to go with Grandpa and the professor, but we had to wait until the auction ended to complete the paperwork and obtain the painting.Luke was my boss; I couldn't leave him to handle the
Hearing this, I looked down and noticed that my fingers had intertwined without my noticing. I quickly released them, the sudden movement catching Luke's attention.As he looked over, I nervously avoided his gaze. "I... I need to use the restroom," I stammered, hastily standing up.Wendy followed me with a sigh.Meanwhile, Luke's eyes twinkled with amusement as he glanced at his watch.Wendy's expressive eyes held a hint of a smile. "Honey, can't we be more composed in front of Luke?""I wish I could, but I lack the necessary skills. I need more practice."Luke's eyes seemed to penetrate one's soul. Whenever he looked at me, I felt exposed, as if he could see right through me.Afraid that he would see through me, the more I tried to hide, the more flustered I became, revealing everything."Well, it's not all bad. It would be worse if you felt nothing when you saw him.""If I could face him with a calm heart, I would be a master!"The thought of honing myself to that level, be
She pointed at her own face, saying, "You can hit me back. Right here! Come on!"Stephen was already angry, and Joey's words were like pouring oil on fire.He stared at her defiant eyes, clenching his jaw so hard it seemed his rage might erupt like a volcano any second.Years of legal practice had tempered Stephen. He quickly composed himself, saying, "I'll take you home.""I don't want your help!" Joey tried to shake off Stephen's hand. "I know your kindness is out of guilt. I've had enough of you controlling my life under the guise of helping me. I don't want this to continue. Stay out of my life from now on!"Joey's mention of atonement reminded me of what she had said to Luke in the meeting room this morning.Was that unchangeable incident related to Stephen?"The old Joey was more understanding," Stephen said."Being understanding only led to years of nightmares. Seeing you reminds me of what you did. It's torture for me. You wanted to atone; I gave you that chance. Please
At that moment, I felt a surge of carefree joy, reminiscent of my youthful days in school.In stark contrast to my mood, Joey was far from happy.By the time she reached the door, Wendy and I had already sprinted about 15-20 feet away.Joey attempted to chase us in her high heels but quickly stopped after a few steps, her feet in pain. She abruptly halted and angrily shouted, "Stop right there!""Only an idiot would stop!" Wendy turned back and stuck her tongue out at Joey. This childish act left Joey speechless, pointing at Wendy with her mouth agape.Back at the auction hall, Wendy was laughing triumphantly. "Joey's face was even darker than squid ink!""I've done the same thing twice in one day," I said. If I were in her shoes, I'd be angry too.I looked at Wendy expectantly."Honey, quickly, tell me what you overheard the first time," Wendy urged, her eyes sparkling."Joey confessed her feelings to Luke but was rejected. Even after the medicine incident, Luke was still cau
The Smith family was extremely wealthy, but Wendy only wanted what was rightfully hers; she didn't covet anything more.Her attitude both pleased and frustrated her father. To avoid discussions about the family business and marriage, Wendy rarely visited home."I'm only missing a sidekick named Jen," Wendy joked, her gaze moving away from where her father had been.Not wanting to discuss her family matters, we changed the subject and went to get the card and documents from Luke to complete the paperwork.After successfully finishing the paperwork and confirming that the painting was properly packaged, we gathered our things and left the auction with Luke and Wendy.Wendy, who had had drinks at lunch, rode in Luke's car to go home.On the way back, just as Wendy was about to doze off, she suddenly perked up, her eyes bright with energy. In an instant, she was wide awake. "Hey, pull over!""Are you feeling sick?" Luke asked.Ever the gentleman, Luke had taken the front passenger
Seeing my confusion, Luke continued to explain, "The person who delivered the message was his assistant. I had bought off his assistant beforehand. Now, his assistant is on a plane heading overseas.""Mr. Walker, you're very thorough," I said.I knew Luke was meticulous and strategic, but I never imagined he was this detailed!Everything that happened at the auction was under his control, with careful arrangements made in advance. Even I, his assistant, had been kept in the dark.Fortunately, I wasn't on the opposing side. With my intellect, I'd have been utterly crushed."You have a lot of work. I assigned these tasks to Brian," Luke explained, clarifying why I didn't know about these matters.I hadn't handled such things before, so it made sense to give them to Brian. I gave a soft "mm" in response.Once, when I mentioned this to Wendy, she pointed out that it wasn't that Luke feared I'd handle things poorly, but that he didn't want to drag me into his affairs with the Walker
He tried to hand the card back to me, but I'd anticipated this and quickly moved to the other side of the car. I reminded Luke, "Mr. Walker, it's getting late. If we don't go upstairs soon, Professor Killiney might be going to bed.""Bring the items," Luke said."Yes, sir."From Luke's words, I realized Mrs. Walker was nearby. In front of Luke, I tried to act as if we weren't close, hoping he might even scold me a bit.I acknowledged his order, opened the car door for him, and after he got out, I retrieved the painting from the back seat and followed him."Mr. Walker..." the man in sunglasses tried to approach but was blocked by the driver."Mr. Walker has another engagement. If you want to see him, you'll need an appointment," the driver said.The man tried to persuade the driver to let him through, but the driver, loyal after years of service to Luke, didn't give him a chance.In the elevator, I pondered Luke's relationship with Mrs. Walker. It seemed to have deteriorated to