Dean was taken aback and looked over. It turned out that it was the man from Club Nightshade. He still looked intimidating, classy, and carried himself well.He did not flinch in the slightest. He straightened his back instead. “Why can’t Summer accept me?”Mark glanced at Summer with a sneer. He was as dangerous as a cheetah, never mind his elegant look. “He calls you Summer? What an endearing way of calling you.”Dean looked him straight in the eyes. “You are not related to Summer. What does what I call her have to do with you?”“Oh, really?” Mark’s lips turned up in a sneer, his expression grim. “She is pregnant with my child for two months. Does this count?”Dean was stunned, standing motionless on the spot. ‘She is pregnant with his child for two months?’A while later, he found his voice, but was still in disbelief. “Is this true, Summer?”“You don’t believe it?” Mark gently stroked Summer’s face as he looked down at her expressionlessly, as if he was about to crush her wi
She lifted her chin and reminded him with a faint smile. “As you said earlier, our marriage is just a transaction, and each one takes what he needs. Since I have no right to interfere in your personal life, then you have no right to interfere in mine. Isn’t it so?”Mark looked at her with his eyes narrowed, looking so cold, as if it could freeze her to death.“Don’t you think what I have said is reasonable?” She was not afraid of him.“You are drawing men to you. Do you expect me to close my eyes on it? Am I dead to you?” he said bitterly.“I am a human, not just a decoration, am I not?” she said slowly.He blew a lungful of smoke and half-closed his eyes as he warned her again with his deep voice. “If you want to keep the child in your womb, don’t cross the line. Understand?”She was nearly tearful because of that choking smoke. Clenching her hands into fists involuntarily, she sneered, “How could I not understand when you use the baby as the bargaining chip?”His eyes became e
“I had something on earlier, Mom. That is why we are home late. Why haven’t you slept?”There was nothing Yvette could say since Mark took the blame. “I have been asleep for a while. I was a little thirsty, so I got up to drink some water.”“I will go upstairs first, Mom.” Summer stepped out of his arm and went upstairs.Mark did not follow her. He and Yvette were still talking in the living room.Summer walked to the bed, picked up the quilt from the bed and grabbed a pillow with the other hand, then laid them nicely on the settee.When Mark came in, he frowned at seeing this. He walked over to grab her arm. “Sleep on the bed.”She found it laughable. “Do you even want to dictate where I sleep?”He pursed his lips and squinted at her.“Go to the bed then. At least it is more comfortable.” While speaking, she took the quilt and pillow back to the bed. She had little emotion on her face.Mark went into the bathroom when she was making the bed. He had finished his shower and cam
Next early morning.Mark glanced at the time with his eyes barely open. It was 7:00 am. The sky was still dark.He looked at her, who was sleeping beside him. She no longer slept in her usual position, which was to snuggle into his arms and hug him.Instead, she slept by curling up like a baby on the edge of the bed with her back facing him.His brow tightened. Her sleeping posture angered him. He pursed his lips and hissed. How he wished he could strangle her.But she did not avoid him any further than that.Just then, his phone vibrated. He pulled back his eyes and picked up the phone, then whisked the quilt away and got out of bed.“Mr. Valentine, I am calling to remind you about the inspection trip to New Haven Plaza at nine in the morning,” his assistant, Harry, said over the phone.“Okay.” He stepped into the bathroom and hung up the phone.He then went into the dressing room. When he reemerged, he was in his business suit, looking stalwart and charming. He glanced at th
Kayla followed her friend’s eyes and saw a group of men in formal attire walking past. They seemed to be senior executives of the mall, having an inspection tour of the mall.The leading man was none other than Mark, who walked in the front middle of the group, yet his striking appearance made him stand out.The other men followed him with respect. They were reporting to him while other personnel greeted him wherever he went.Looking from this direction, Kayla could only see his side profile, which looked as sharp as a knife. He was so charming that Kayla’s heart was thumping out of control.“Summer is so lucky!” Kayla said with envy before letting out a sigh. “Let’s go shopping. I need to fill up that space in me.” “How is the preparation for New Year’s Eve?” Mark asked while walking ahead.“Everything is in place.” The manager replied quickly.“New Year’s Eve is the busiest time of the year. Make sure everything is done diligently, especially the firewalls of each corridor an
Summer hesitated when she thought of what happened last night. At last, she picked up. “Hello?”“Do you have time at noon, Summer? I would like to invite you to a meal.” Dean’s voice still sounded loud and deep in a pleasant way.“Why not? You fix the venue and call me again.” She agreed at once. She felt she owed him an apology.Not wanting to stay in the Valentine mansion, she headed out after telling the kitchen not to prepare her lunch.She met with Dean in front of a coffee shop. He was wearing a green police uniform, looking even more upright, confidence- and awe-inspiring.She was seeing him in uniform for the first time. And he looked not half bad at all.“Hello, Officer Singleton.” She chuckled and saluted him playfully.Dean looked awkward. “Stop making fun of me. The weather is too cold outside. Let’s get inside.”The heating in the coffee shop was on full blast. Summer felt hot and wanted to take off her coat as soon as she walked in.But Dean stopped her. “You are
“It is getting late. I must make a move first. You two please talk to each other. Who knows, you two will have some common interests?” Summer changed the subject.Kayla furrowed her brow. This sounded so awkward. Was this a blind date? Dean’s situation was no better. He watched Summer leaving and was anxious to leave.Summer could not help laughing. “She won’t eat you for lunch, Officer Singleton. Why are you so nervous?”She patted Dean on his shoulders a few times, then left the two to themselves.……At nightfall, Raine was heating milk in the kitchen. She had been having insomnia for the past nights. So she gave up coffee, which could make her problem worse.As the milk was done, she poured it into a glass and carried it out of the kitchen.Just then, she saw Mark walking up the stairs with a cosmetic box in his hand.Who did he buy cosmetics for?Her heart started pounding as she watched him disappearing from her sight.Who else would he give the cosmetics box to if not
When Mark suddenly spoke, her hand reflexively clicked on the ‘hit’ button and got the king, which meant she burst.She turned around and glared at him. “Look what you did to me! Don’t suddenly speak behind me!”He should not have told her this and that while she was focusing on the game. Mark smirked. He took the tie off his burgundy shirt and sunk into the settee. “It is just a card game. Why do you have to get so serious?”She finally paid attention to him—not because of the cosmetics, but the goddamn card game.“Isn’t it just a card game? Do you know how difficult it is to achieve a total of twenty-one? You should not have disturbed me while I am focused on it!”She was still fit to be tied. She had played ten games and lost nine. When she thought she could make it all back in this game, he screwed it up for her. She lost almost all her tokens.“Wasn’t the mouse in your hand? I was just cheering for you. It was you who hit that damn button.” She glared at him. ‘Cheering?