I quickly cleared my throat, afraid she might detect something was off.As soon as the call connected, Wendy's worried voice came through, "Jen, are you alright? I've been calling and texting you with no response. I was so worried!""I was just reading with my phone on silent," I said, using my playful tone with Wendy. "I'm sorry for worrying you, Wendy. It won't happen again.""Given your good attitude in admitting your mistake, I'll forgive you this time." Ever since the previous incidents, Wendy would get anxious when she couldn't reach me.She put down her car keys and lay on the sofa. "How's that scar removal cream I gave you last time working?""It's like a miracle drug!" The last time Wendy brought me letters, she also gave me a bottle of cream, saying her friend brought it from abroad. It was supposed to be very effective for scar removal, and she told me to apply it regularly.Everyone wants to look good. Although I could cover the scar on my cheek with makeup, I'm a cas
And maybe that person was hard to pursue, or perhaps Wendy cherished their relationship so much that she was afraid to break that delicate balance, fearing the other person might not feel the same way.As soon as this thought crossed my mind, I quickly dismissed it.Wendy was so amazing; the man who could refuse her hadn't been born yet!"I've always had someone I like! It's you, isn't it? Haven't you noticed?" Wendy said in a hurt tone. "It breaks my heart that you'd ask me such a thing."Wendy was just joking around with me. I couldn't get anything out of her, so I played along and comforted her.I looked at the paused surveillance footage on the screen, tempted several times to tell Wendy about that night at the Waldorf Hotel.Wendy cared deeply about my affairs and always treated me well, never letting me be taken advantage of.If she knew Luke was the man from that night, she'd immediately storm over to his place and demand he take responsibility for me.That night was an
Fearing that I might back out, I forced myself to go to the office after two days. I tried my best to minimize our interactions."Ms. Middleton, is there something wrong with my cooking?" Marianne asked cautiously."Marianne, your cooking is the best!"I really enjoyed Marianne's dishes and desserts. I had gained ten pounds in New York and planned to lose weight after returning to Johnsonville. Sadly, I discovered that I had gained another four pounds instead of losing weight.My once slender body now felt more curvaceous.Yesterday, when I met Wendy, she said I looked radiant and glowing.Wendy's sincere compliment made me waver in my resolve to diet again."Is Ms. Middleton worried about troubling me or Mr. Walker?""Neither!" I couldn't explain to Marianne, so I lied, "I've gained weight recently, and my clothes don't fit well anymore. If I keep eating like this, I'm afraid I'll turn into a roly-poly.""Even if Ms. Middleton became a soft, cuddly teddy bear, she'd be the cu
I was Luke's assistant, and my position should align with his. Even though I didn't like Joey, I wouldn't sabotage her. However, he shouldn't have distanced himself from her so completely in front of me, even if he was trying to protect her.Was it that he didn't trust me, or was there someone else he liked?Thinking back on his attitude towards Joey, I leaned towards the latter.If Joey wasn't Luke's crush, then who did he like?I had made such a big mistake!I mentally went through all the women he had interacted with since I became his assistant. He treated them all equally, with no special treatment.Could it be that the person he liked hadn't appeared in my view yet?She must be very mysterious!I got out of the car and took the elevator upstairs. Just as I exited, Joey called.Joey had Luke's contact information. The only reason she would go to such lengths to call me and use me as a messenger was that Luke wasn't answering her calls.He had clearly told me not to repor
Joey didn't give up. She sent me an email, first berating me for my "despicable" act of blocking her, then threatening me again, and finally offering a way to redeem myself - by getting Luke to visit her in the neighboring city.Joey was like a child throwing a tantrum. Did she really think she could make me do her bidding with a few weak threats? How naive!I ignored her and gathered the documents I had prepared to take to Luke's office.Luke had already arrived at the company. He was sitting at his desk, with his computer open in front of him.The office's decor matched Luke's style, making him look even more austere and serious as he sat there.The surveillance footage flashed in my mind. I glanced at him, then quickly lowered my gaze to hide the complex emotions in my eyes. Placing the documents on his desk, I tried to keep my voice steady as I said, "Mr. Walker, these are the documents that need to be processed today.""Marianne says you won't be coming over for breakfast an
Here's a proofread and more westernized version with improved flow and clarity:Even when he reached for documents in my hands, I would reflexively flinch away.Luke paused briefly, then acted as if nothing had happened.Today seemed unusually long, a torment for me. Whenever I felt anxious, I had to make a conscious effort to calm myself.After the 3 PM meeting ended, only Luke and I remained in the conference room.As I was organizing the documents on the table, Luke leaned back in his chair and said, "You're not in good form. Do you need some time off to adjust?""I'm sorry, Mr. Walker. I'm not at my best today, but I'll try to improve."I quickened my pace in gathering the documents, eager to escape the room.Luke's gaze fell on my hands. "Is your poor state related to me?"Realizing I'd slipped up again, I hastily denied it. "No, it's not."My urgent tone only confirmed Luke's suspicion. His dark eyes took on a probing look.His gaze was so penetrating that I felt trapp
Wendy usually steers clear of her exes' workplaces after a breakup. Her bringing me here voluntarily set off alarm bells in my head."Sweetie, you've got it wrong. It's my ex-ex-ex-ex-boyfriend from ages ago!" Wendy snatched her gym bag from the backseat and slung it over her shoulder. Glancing up at the "Cornell Fitness" sign, she smirked, "When the cat's away, the mice will play! Let's see how Mr. 'I Dumped Wendy Smith' is doing these days.""Are you here for revenge?" I asked, eyeing her determined stance.Concerned she might get hurt, I pushed my own worries aside and tried to stop her. "What's going on, Wendy?"Wendy was known for her clean breaks, never dragging out a split. Her exes typically left thrilled, having benefited from the Smith family's generosity. They treated her like royalty, and no one had ever dared cross her before.This guy must have really messed up to get Wendy this riled."This jerk somehow got his hands on some grainy videos and sent them to my contacts, cl
"Isn't saying 'never' a bit absolute?" Wendy tapped her fingers on the counter, then looked up at the gym's security cameras. "How long do you keep your surveillance footage?""We usually keep it for..." the receptionist began, but after catching a glance from someone nearby, she hesitated. "I'm not sure.""You might want to brush up on your job knowledge," Wendy said.With her keen perception, Wendy had already noticed something off about the receptionist's expression. She discreetly followed the direction of the glance.I recognized the man in the distance as Richard Corden, the morally bankrupt ex-ex-ex-ex-boyfriend. He approached Wendy with a smile, "Ms. Smith, what brings such a busy person like you here?""I'm nowhere near as busy as you!" Wendy replied with a fake smile. "You've got to work, privately contact clients, maintain relationships, and tirelessly spread rumors. With that workload, you deserve at least three or four assistants. You're being shortchanged."Wendy's
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