"Even if Janet didn't follow her advice and contacted friends back home without permission, she still couldn't stand by and do nothing.""Sweetie, do you really think what Richard did was Candice’s idea?" Wendy asked softly.Standing next to her, I couldn't hear clearly. "What did you say?"“Candice has done so many shady things. If she dares to mess with me, I'll expose her," Wendy yawned. "Now that this is resolved, you can go home and rest easy tonight.""Didn't you sleep well last night?""After listening to you talk in your sleep half the night, how could I sleep well?"My heart tightened. I had indeed talked in my sleep. "What did I say?""It was broken and unclear. But I understand one thing: my little sweetie has grown up and has her own secrets now.""Wendy..." Unable to explain, I tried to change the subject by acting coy."I get it. I won't ask or mention it," Wendy said affectionately. She took out a card from her bag and handed it to a nearby man who had been help
Wendy wasn't the type to sit idly by. Her lack of interest in fighting for inheritance didn't mean she'd allow others to bully or scheme against her.Whatever choice she made, the path ahead would be fraught with thorns and dangers, full of challenges."Everyone has their own path to walk. What we can do is lend a hand when she needs help," Luke said.His words reminded me of my own painful experiences, when he and Wendy had reached out at the right moment to pull me out of the mire. Otherwise, I don't know how long it would have taken me to climb out of that abyss.Luke had always struggled to break free from the shackles of the Walker family. Though they weren't all-powerful, their influence was not to be underestimated.Luke's journey to where he is today involved hardships beyond imagination. I felt an inexplicable surge of sympathy and blurted out, "When you faced difficulties, did anyone help you?""Hanque's breakthrough was thanks to you," he replied."It was Jon's arriva
"He has a video of my sister. She's already depressed. If he puts that video online, my sister won't survive.""But that doesn't mean you should sacrifice yourself too!" This was a losing deal!"I had no choice.""Are the police just for show? You could have taken the evidence of his threats to the police station! That's the way to minimize your losses!""I... at that time...""When there's trouble, go to the police!" Wendy saw large tears rolling down Nancy's cheeks. She took out a pack of tissues from her bag, placed them on the table in front of Nancy, and tapped the table gently. "You still have a sister to take care of. Cooperate well with the police."Nancy, filled with hatred for Richard, held nothing back. She agreed to testify against him in court. Wendy refused to settle with Richard, hired a lawyer, and sought to send him to prison as soon as possible.These events didn't make the news. Considering Wendy's feelings, I didn't ask whether she had suppressed the news or
Professor Kiliney and Grandpa Shaw had returned to Brookshire and had been trying to conduct video lessons online these past few days.With Penelope's companionship, Jon was adapting well. At this rate, Professor Kiliney would soon be able to formally begin Jon's lessons.Joey's recent actions had undoubtedly created another obstacle for Jon's studies."I know you and Joey don't get along. I had no choice but to call you," Penelope said."Your call came at the right time.""Do you have a way to make Joey focus on her treatment and stop troubling Jon?"Jon was like a blank slate, and after spending so much time with him, Penelope had become very protective. She couldn't bear to see him hurt, and her urgent tone was tinged with hope."We need to find out why she's doing this and then address the root cause.""Isn't she doing this because she's scared after getting injured and wants family by her side? Does she have any family besides Jon?""She's aware of Jon's condition. His pr
Feeling uneasy, I tossed and turned that night, barely falling into a light sleep when my phone rang.Thinking it was my alarm, I fumbled for the phone and tapped the screen.Still groggy, the phone rang again. My alarm was set to go off again after ten minutes - was my phone malfunctioning?I didn't want to deal with it, but the loud ringtone made it impossible to go back to sleep.I grabbed the phone I'd carelessly tossed beside my pillow and squinted at the screen.It wasn't the alarm - it was Luke calling.Thinking I was late for work, I quickly sat up and answered."Time for morning exercise," Luke said."Mr. Walker, can we postpone it for a couple more days?"Ever since seeing that video, I felt uncomfortable being alone with Luke and unconsciously tried to keep my distance. Fearing I might act strangely in front of him, I had made excuses to delay our morning workouts for three days.Having not slept well, my head felt heavy. Right now, all I wanted was to lie back dow
Luke placed his hand on my shoulder. "If you catch a cold, you won't be able to work, and I'll have a lot more on my plate.""I can go back and put on another layer."Standing close, I could smell the faint scent of his cologne.I instinctively stepped back, and Luke slightly tightened his grip on my shoulder. "Jen, my time isn't meant to be wasted on trivial matters like this.""I'm sorry, Mr. Walker. I didn't mean to cause any trouble."Luke was incredibly busy, and his time was precious. My tone was apologetic."You're my assistant. Your good health is beneficial to me.""I'll take good care of myself and try not to fall ill.""Let's go!"Luke had a home gym where he usually trained.I followed him into the living room.Marianne was busy in the kitchen. Hearing us, she came out and was delighted to see me. "Ms. Middleton is here! I'll whip up some breakfast for you!""Marianne…”"I made that custard you love. You should have plenty later.""Thank you, Marianne.”I cou
His muscles were beautifully defined, not overly bulky like a bodybuilder's, but very pleasing to the eye. It was hard not to steal a second glance.Beautiful things can be mesmerizing. I don't know how long it took before I realized my attention had been fixed on Luke the entire time.My face grew hot, and I quickly averted my gaze.Afraid he might notice, I sneaked a peek at him, saw he was focused on his training and hadn't noticed me. Only then did my wildly beating heart gradually return to its normal rhythm.To cover up my inner embarrassment, I pretended to do another round of stretches before getting on the treadmill.Learning from my previous gym experience, I set the speed to the lowest setting and walked slowly on the treadmill.Luke focused on his workout and paid little attention to me.I'm the type of person who wants to collapse after the slightest exertion, so I counted the seconds while walking.Time dragged on as if I were in purgatory. To distract myself, I w
Before I knew Luke was the man from that night, I felt very safe around him.I couldn't say that out loud."With Mr. Walker as my trainer, I'll have a strong physique in no time.""Sounds like it's better for you to stay by my side. I already have someone in mind for the inspection role.""I'll follow your lead, Mr. Walker."Luke came to the treadmill and glanced at the display.The speed was embarrassingly slow. My pride kicked in, and I wanted to cover the display. Seeing Luke notice my movement, I quickly put my hands behind my back, trying to act as if nothing had happened.Flustered, I forgot I was still on the treadmill. My feet stopped moving, and I lost my balance.Falling on a treadmill is no joke!I yelped in surprise. Just as I was about to fall, Luke quickly wrapped his arm around my waist and lifted me off the treadmill effortlessly.His body was hot from exercising, radiating heat. Our bodies were pressed together, and the wave of warmth made me flush all over.