"Why don't you stay at my place tonight, Wendy?" I asked."I can't. I have to go home and take care of Big Dog. I didn't come back last night, and now he's upset. He won't even let me pet him. I need to go home and make things right with him," Wendy replied."Who knew Wendy could be bossed around by a cat?" I joked."Big Dog is more than just a cat. He's part of my family!" Wendy defended."Alright, I apologize to Big Dog," I said, releasing Wendy. "But what's your plan with Mrs. Walker?"Mrs. Walker is a tough, ruthless woman, and Wendy got involved with her because she stepped in to help me. I was worried Wendy might get hurt."If she makes a move, I'll handle it. I'm still the eldest daughter of the Smith family, and with that backing, she won't be able to pull the same tricks she used on Joey," Wendy assured me."But what if she teams up with Sarah?" I voiced my concerns.Sarah had done everything to block Wendy from joining the family business, but Wendy's talent was unden
He crouched in front of me and gently touched my forehead, his voice full of concern. "Are you feeling okay?""I just woke up feeling a bit groggy."I had forgotten about my wrist injury and instinctively used my hand to push off the ground when I stood up. The pain in my wrist and legs distracted me from noticing Luke's close gesture.I glanced at my wrist—thankfully, the bandage showed no sign of bleeding. I lowered my head and lightly tapped my leg."Are your legs numb?""Yeah."As soon as I replied, Luke effortlessly picked me up. It was as if I weighed nothing to him, his posture steady and strong. My body was suddenly lifted, and in a moment of instinct, I grabbed onto his shirt, startled.Our bodies were pressed together, and I immediately wanted to create some space. I quickly let go of his shirt, squirming to get free.Luke tightened his hold. His arms, solid from years of training, trapped me, leaving no room for escape."Luke, put me down!" I hadn't realized my voic
His scent permeated the air between us, and my already off-beat heart seemed to pulsate with something more—something almost intimate.My breathing became rapid and shallow, my mind went blank, unsure of my next move.Luke never took his eyes off me as he slowly leaned closer. I could feel the warmth of his breath, and suddenly, a flash of our night at the Waldorf Hotel flooded my mind. My face went pale, the heat that had risen in my cheeks vanishing instantly.I pushed Luke away and bolted out of his house, almost running.When I finally reached home, I leaned against the living room door, replaying the scene over and over in my mind.Was Luke about to kiss me?The thought popped up and I immediately dismissed it.I'm not his type. His "crush" is definitely not me!I shook my head, trying to convince myself that maybe he was just reaching to move his arm away. But even if that were true, did he really need to get that close?I slapped my forehead, pulling out my phone, think
The night dragged on, and I couldn't sleep at all. It felt as though I was under a spell, with my mind racing with thoughts of Luke. His image filled my head, whether my eyes were open or closed.Finally, as dawn started to break, tiredness started to creep in. But just as I was about to fall asleep, the image of Mrs. Walker's smiling face jolted me awake. I sat up in bed, my heart pounding, as I pieced together recent events.Joey had kidnapped me because she noticed that Luke treated me differently. She placed a listening bug on me to confirm her suspicions. Although she clearly wasn't pleased with me, she had made sure the kidnappers didn't harm me...She probably told Mrs. Walker about her suspicions!My chest tightened as I realized this.Wendy, despite her carefree appearance, is incredibly perceptive. She must have figured out Luke's feelings for me a long time ago and knew that Joey had already spilled the beans to Mrs. Walker. That's why Wendy kept telling me not to compl
I reached out to pet him, but he just meowed, got up, and strutted off without even giving me a glance."Wendy, you still haven't managed to make peace with your 'family member,' huh?" I asked."I almost had him back to normal. But yesterday, I fed some of his favorite fish treats to a stray cat outside, and now he's ignoring me again," Wendy replied.I couldn't help but think, of course.Biggie was very possessive of his things. Besides Wendy, no one was allowed to touch his stuff. When Wendy went on business trips and I watched him, I always brought my own cat food because he wouldn't share anything.Wendy knew full well that Biggie didn't like sharing, yet she still gave away his fish treats. She definitely did it to get on his bad side!Wendy finished her quick skincare routine and walked into the living room, spotting the shrimp dumplings and coffee on the table. "Is this from that breakfast place on West Street?" she asked."Yep.""You got up extra early just to get break
"Not bad. I was genuinely moved for a moment," I said.Wendy's eyes lit up."It's getting late. You should get ready. I'll drive you to work," I said, checking the time and urging her to get dressed."I'm used to driving myself. You go ahead. We can meet up later." Wendy lived just five minutes from the office, so she took her time standing up."Alright," I replied, knowing she wasn't just being polite. I packed up the leftovers and left.When I arrived at the office, the receptionist greeted me with a bright smile.I smiled back and nodded as I walked past, but she leaned in and whispered, "Ms. Middleton, the backstory behind Joey's car accident has been exposed online."She tapped her phone lightly on the desk for emphasis."I'll check it out when I get to my desk," I replied.It turned out that Joey's accident had started with an argument on a plane. A child had been crying, and Joey, impatient and rude, lashed out. She showed no sympathy and escalated the situation to the
During our call, we only talked about work—neither of us brought up last night.When I got home after work, Luke was outside with Goofy and Doggo, walking them near the front of the house. Doggo was bouncing around Goofy, who occasionally swatted him away when he got too annoying. But Doggo only got more excited, clinging to Goofy’s leg and pawing at him. Thankfully, Goofy had the patience of a saint—otherwise, Doggo’s small frame would’ve been no match for him.I hadn’t seen Luke all day, and just catching sight of him from a distance had my heart racing. I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down, but it didn’t help much. I kept telling myself, “Jen, forget about what you learned yesterday. Just act normal, like always.”I slowed the car as I pulled up to the house, giving myself a moment to get it together. After parking, I stepped out and called out to Doggo.As soon as he saw me, Doggo wagged his tail and ran over. Luke followed, holding the leash, and stopped in front of
"You don't need to worry. I'm okay.""Mr. Walker, you have a fever this high and you're still coherent—that's impressive!"Luke: "..."I glanced in the rearview mirror and saw a faint smile playing on Luke's lips.Was he delirious from the fever?Seeing how carelessly he treated his health, I felt frustrated and opened my mouth, ready to scold him. But when I saw his flushed face, I couldn't go through with it. Instead, I softened my tone. "Close your eyes and rest for a bit. I'll wake you when we get to the hospital."Luke responded with a quiet "mm."I drove him to the nearest hospital, and by the time I parked the car, he had already opened his eyes, even though I hadn't said anything.His eyes were even redder than before. "You didn't sleep?""I was afraid if I fell asleep, you wouldn't be able to wake me, and you'd get worried."Luke unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the door. His fever had clearly weakened him, making him unsteady as he leaned against the car for suppor