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.
"..." The dishes from Royal Chef are exquisite. Marianne’s cooking is delicious too, but there's still a gap compared to the restaurant. Ever since I tasted the chef's creations, I can't stop thinking about them. I totally understand foodies who travel far and wide for a good meal.If I had known Royal Chef’s chef was coming to town, how could I possibly refuse?For the sake of good food, I backtracked, "You need energy from food to diet effectively.""It's good that Ms. Middleton has such insight.""..." Was he complimenting me or mocking me?Never mind, as long as I get to eat delicious food, I'll be the bigger person and not quibble!With good food as motivation, I did the stretches very seriously.After finishing the stretches, I was about to go home to shower and get ready when Luke tossed me the jacket hanging on the treadmill. "Put this on, be careful not to catch a cold.""Thank you, Mr. Walker. I'll wash it and return it to you."Luke's clothes had his unique faint co
At noon, Luke and I arrived at the restaurant where the Royal Chef's head chef was located.The restaurant was not crowded. Following the waiter's lead, we went to the leftmost private room on the second floor.Luke had called ahead, so as soon as we sat down, the dishes started arriving one after another.Before coming, I had asked Luke's permission to contact Wendy.Wendy also had a soft spot for Royal Chef's cuisine. When she learned she could taste the chef's specialties in Johnsonville, she was thrilled.I sent the restaurant's address to her phone."Sweetie, I'm sorry to tell you that I have work to deal with and won't be able to enjoy this feast," Wendy replied.Wendy switched emotions effortlessly. She said pitifully, "Heaven must be testing me with great responsibility, first by tormenting my spirit and exhausting my body. I'll endure!"If Wendy had said this before joining the family business, I would have bantered with her. Now, with her fighting alone, I felt both w
I didn't react, so he bent down.A handsome face suddenly appeared in front of me, startling me. I quickly leaned back."Did I scare you?" Luke asked, releasing his hand from my shoulder."N-no, not at all," I stammered.Luke's eyes held a hint of amusement. Being so close, I could feel his breath on my cheek, causing my face to flush uncontrollably. Unable to meet his gaze, I lowered my eyes, glancing around nervously."Let's get out of the car," he said."Oh, right."I hastily agreed, clumsily getting out of the car.In my haste, I nearly hit the door frame. Luke quickly put his hand in front of my forehead, preventing me from making intimate contact with the car door.His palm was burning hot. It felt like I'd been scalded, and my face grew even redder. "Thank you, Mr. Walker."Luke said nothing, withdrawing his hand and walking towards the restaurant.His movements were graceful. What just happened seemed like a routine gentlemanly gesture for him, but it sent ripples th
Previously, when shopping with Wendy, I had visited the Arc'teryx counter and experienced their service. I didn't disappoint their enthusiasm, quickly selecting two sets of clothes and shoes."Please wrap these up for me.""Miss, don't you want to try them on?"From entering the store to selecting the clothes and shoes, I had taken only a few minutes. My swift and decisive actions left the sales assistant at a loss. She glanced at Luke, who was sitting on a sofa, flipping through a magazine.Luke looked up. "The same size in sportswear should be a bit larger than your regular clothes. You might want to try them on.""Miss, your boyfriend is right. You need to try clothes on to know if they fit properly.""He's not my—""This white sports outfit looks nice," Luke said, standing up and pointing to an outfit on the display rack."Sir, you have a good eye. Your girlfriend has fair skin, and this simple, elegant sports outfit would suit her very well."I tried several times to expl
The morning exercise left me energetic all day, but when I went to bed, the after-effects of the workout began to show.I moved my slightly sore legs, thinking it would be better after sleep.In the quiet of the night, senses become sharper than during the day. Tossing and turning, unable to sleep, I got up and went downstairs.When I picked up the dog from Luke's place, he gave me a massage gun, saying it could relieve leg soreness.I opened the massage gun's packaging and found the instructions."Ouch!" I tried it according to the manual, but the pain made me wince.I must be using it wrong; it hurt even more than before.I picked up the manual again, and a note fell out: "Keep at it, you'll have a different experience."The handwriting was sharp and powerful – Luke's handwriting.He really thinks of everything!After persisting for a while, the pain gradually eased. I found it amazing.After using the massage gun, I tried to relax my legs with my unprofessional technique.
Joey's secret...While making coffee, I speculated about what kind of secret Stephen was referring to.By the time I brought the coffee to Luke's office, Stephen had already left."Mr. York left?"They finished talking so quickly?"She's not my responsibility. I don't need to do things I don't want to do for her sake."In other words, Luke had refused Stephen's request.Joey's behavior was outrageous, and I had a very poor impression of her. I wouldn't say a word about Luke not visiting her in the hospital.I put the coffee on Luke's desk. "Stephen, who's invincible in court, has actually stumbled over Joey.""That invincibility is just a shell he wears. After countless battles, that shell isn't as hard as it once was."I didn't quite understand Luke's words and didn't ask further. I left the office.At lunch, I received a call from Stephen. He asked to meet me at the cafe downstairs.I knew why he wanted to see me and was reluctant. But he had helped me win a lawsuit befor