Contrary to Charlotte’s cheerfulness, Summer fixed her eyes on him and frowned. ‘Had he not understood her words from this morning?’Nevertheless, whether he understood them, it wasn’t her concern anymore; from this day onward, she had decided to start anew and live a good life.Firstly, she had to buy a house. She considered settling down in Nokocola Bay as the house prices were lower than Santabaca’s.Charlotte had already grown up, and it wouldn’t be good to be without property in the long run, be in Santabaca or Nokocola Bay.Mark squinted his eyes and stared at Summer; they were blazing.Nevertheless, he knew what was in his heart and what he wanted; he wasn’t going to let her go again…After a while of exchanging gazes, Summer retracted hers and looked at Charlotte. “You have only ten minutes left before you’re late, do you want to get punished today?”Charlotte returned to her seat and asked, “But mommy, uncle doesn’t have breakfast.”“Mommy prepared only breakfast for t
Dean couldn’t deny the fact that this man was a natural leader. Regardless of the situation, everyone could only dance to his melody. Nevertheless, although he was drenched and appeared unsightly, it wasn’t enough to hide his elegance and dignity.“I plan to send you to Athana for treatment, what are your thoughts, Mr. Singleton?”He had to ensure that Dean and Summer mustn’t continue their current relationship; he had to put an end to it.“This is my burden; I can decide for myself. Please don’t trouble yourself, Mr. Valentine.”Mark glared, his voice croaked, and he knocked his fingers against the glass that it echoed a tingling melody. “I don’t like to put my nose into someone else’s business. But Mr. Singleton, you rescued my daughter; in return, isn’t it right for me to find a cure for your legs?”Dean smiled. “I had watched Charlotte grow up; in my eyes, she is like a daughter to me, there’s no need for anyone to be responsible for me; besides, Charlotte doesn’t seem to reco
At the park.The rain had just stopped, the air was humid and fresh, and the flowers emitted vivid scents of nature’s aroma that was pleasing to one’s smell.Most of the people were at work during this hour, so the park wasn’t crowded. The tracks were drenched by the rain, and chirpings of birds were heard.Summer didn’t speak and remained silent as she pushed the wheelchair; she looked dull as if occupied by anxiety.“What’s wrong?” Dean asked, breaking the silence as he adjusted the napkin on his legs. Since they arrived at the park, she had not uttered a word.“I was thinking, when he offered you treatment in Athana, I should have agreed. Let me speak to him again later.”As a matter of fact, Athana was more advanced in medical technology than Santabaca; as his injury was still in the early stage, there was no better time than to be treated immediately. It couldn’t be delayed.“Why should we agree? I didn’t rescue Charlotte for his sake; so, I shouldn’t receive his favor.” De
A simple and long-lasting life together was not a bad idea. As for feelings, she wanted to nurture it as time went by…Dean was stunned. After a while, he regained his composure. “Summer, do you know what you are saying?"“Of course…” Summer brimmed. She appeared more lighthearted and looked a little sneaky. “One day I will end up getting married anyway. Who knows how my partner would treat Charlotte. He might abuse her behind my back. Not only do you treat her so well, you are also an upright cop. How could I let such a remarkable man slip by?”Dean chuckled. Summer’s words sent a stream of warmth through him. His entire body was warmed with happiness. His heart was filled with bliss and excitement. At this very moment, he wanted to scream for joy. He felt touched.Comment by Chein Ling Foo: I revised this part coz I don't understand what you are trying to say."...he felt warmth surround him, warming his entire body. "Revised version:"Dean chuckled. Summer’s words sent a stream
She peered into the living room like a thief and immediately put the kite aside.Mark stood behind her; he was tall, handsome, and elegant. The only thing that seemed out of place was the Shawn the Sheep bag he held in his hand.Pouting, Charlotte dashed into the kitchen. “Mommy, I’m thirsty, I want some water.”Summer frowned when she saw Charlotte’s soiled white shoes with traces of grass on them. She tugged at her collar and led her out of the kitchen. “Where did you go today?”Charlotte became droopy, her head sagging. Her legs began kicking, and she answered in a tiny voice like a fly, “I… was… flying my kite…”“Today is your first day after being absent from school for so long, and you skipped your classes?” Summer’s words became harsh.Charlotte was frightened and curled up against the wall. Mark looked at Summer, squinted his eyes, and said, “I’ve requested a day off from her teacher…”As he said, he placed the Shawn the Sheep bag on the sofa and walked over. Immediately
As she caught sight of it, Summer pressed her arms on her chest and observed his behavior. It felt a little awkward. He gulped and gracefully adjusted his black shirt with his left hand. Then, he turned toward Charlotte without changing his calm expression on his handsome face. “Ahh…”Summer twitched her brows at sight. As she turned around, she couldn’t help but curl her lips. She then quickly relaxed them.When she emerged from the kitchen again, she held a plate of freshly baked meat buns and, without hesitation, served it before him, and the plate rattled.‘Was it for him?’Mark raised his eyebrows. She had not been hospitable toward him recently. It was the first time she acted in this manner, and he was quite surprised.“Thanks, ex-wife…” he responded. His voice was a little hoarse as he stared at her gently.To call her ‘Ms. Hart’ would sound very rigid, and if he had called her ‘Mrs. Valentine’, she would definitely chase him out of the house.Staring coldly at him, Summ
She had planned to coax Charlotte to sleep then prepare her coursework. However, while she was doing so, she, too, fell asleep.Not until her cell rang suddenly did Summer wake up from her slumber. She sat up groggily. After adjusting Charlotte’s blanket, she walked out of the room muddleheaded and closed the door quietly behind her, careful not to wake Charlotte up.Still very sleepy, Summer answered the phone, her eyes narrowly opened, “Hi, mom.”“My dear, how are Dean’s legs? It has been quite a while, has there been any improvement?”The living room was pitch black, but she did not switch on the light because she felt it was unnecessary as she wanted to go into her room to sleep after the call.She staggered forward with her eyes closed, led by her instincts, and replied, “Not yet, he’s still recovering. I'm helping him with his daily leg strengthening exercise. I’ll let dad and you know if there’s any progress.” “Okay. So, how are you and Dean getting along?”Summer steadi
“Mark, don’t you think you’re being intrusive?” she maintained her low volume while grabbing his shirt with both hands.Raising his brow, Mark adjusted his grip around her waist. Then, he squinted his eyes and asked, “Do you love him?”Summer frowned and did not answer. She tugged silently at his grip with all her might, wanting to break free.He was not a cop, neither was she a criminal. Hence, she was not obliged to answer his question.“Listen, if you aren’t going to answer, we can keep doing this until morning…”Summer took a deep breath and froze for a moment. She could not help but prick her palms with her finger so that it hurt a little. “I love him.” She uttered so clearly that she could even hear her own voice.Hearing her answer, Mark turned blank but stared into her eyes, trying to grasp her deepest thoughts.“Four years ago, did you love—”Just as he was about to finish saying in a low and deep voice, he suddenly choked, and his speech was cut short.He went on to