After speaking, Zach finally left, closing the front door loudly.The living room became quiet. Dust settled, and sunlight flickered on the glass window, as if nothing had happened.Lexi, who was standing behind Summer, was a bit confused. She whispered, "Mrs. Quigley, why did you say such things? Do you not have feelings for Mr. Quigley at all?"Summer turned away and replied calmly, "No."But Lexi knew that Summer was just pretending. Feelings were like muddy water. The more one tried to understand it, the more vague it became. Right now, Summer didn't want to admit that she was in love because her romance with James had just begun.…Time passed. In the evening, James was ready to get off work at Quigley Group. As he headed to the parking lot, he saw a white-haired old man in a black uniform waiting for him. James recognized the man as Caroline's housekeeper, Luca Lennon.James asked, "Luca, did Mom instruct you to come here?"Luca replied, "Yes, Mr. Quigley. Mrs. Quigle
Those elders either held shares in Quigley Group or had significant prestige within the company.Those elders and shareholders acted as "nobility", hindering James' dominance.But so what? In the end, those people were just clowns. Quigley Group was the Quigleys' family business. The majority of power was in the hands of their heir, James. Even if those people had opinions, they could only complain. It wouldn't amount to much.The key player in this matter was Caroline. She was the person James respected the most. After all, she had given birth to him and raised him. Therefore, he would mostly listen to what she said. However, only in romantic matters could he not heed her advice. Otherwise, James would have married according to her wish years ago. He wouldn't have waited until now to marry Summer."Mom, just like I told you before, I like Summer. Only she made me think about marriage," James said."I know… Well, nevermind. It's not like I think you two should divorce. I jus
Summer was also aware that the situation wasn't good. Before James could speak, she quickly explained, "I saw that Lexi was tired, so I let her watch television with me. It isn't her fault. She wasn't neglecting her duties. It's my fault!"Summer witnessed how seriously James punished Charlie before. A man would be able to withstand the pain with each lash falling on his body. However, Lexi, being a woman, definitely wouldn't be able to withstand it. Summer was afraid that James would use the same methods to punish Lexi, so she quickly explained.However, James wasn't thinking about that at all. He had more important matters to discuss. He waved his hand to dismiss Lexi. Then, he said seriously, "We have to move back to the old residence.""Move back to the old residence? Where is that?" Summer asked."My house," James replied."Oh, okay. Sure, let's move. I don't mind," Summer responded calmly. After all, Summer didn't have much of an opinion about living environments.Mos
In society, the relationship between daughter-in-laws and mother-in-laws had always been one of the most challenging aspects of marriage. Dealing with such a relationship had always been the toughest hurdle for husbands. However, that didn't mean that all mother-in-laws were bad. There should be some good ones, right?Summer thought positively. Perhaps Caroline was a good mother-in-law. Summer reasoned that Caroline had probably treated her badly during the party because she was in a bad mood.After all, when Caroline had gone to her house for the marriage back then, her attitude had been quite good. Therefore, Summer felt that she must have overthought things.After that, she and James had a discussion. They decided that they would move back to the old residence on the third day, which meant that Summer still had two days to enjoy herself.Summer didn't have much to do in the two days. Then, she remembered another important matter. She suddenly remembered her good friend Kelly's
Summer was still interested in giving it a try, so she asked, "Who do you recommend?""Zach! He's a real gentleman. He was only in a relationship once and has been single for four years. He's innocent, but he's also handsome and cool. I'm sure he will be a good match for your friend," Bradly replied.Judging by the way Bradly described Zach, it seemed that Zach was indeed a good choice. Zach checked all the boxes to be Kelly's partner. However, it would be difficult to bring both Zach and Kelly together.He just came to see Summer the day before, and the two had gotten into an argument. It should be impossible for Summer to ask him to meet her now.Summer told Bradly honestly about the incident between her and Zach. She wanted to hear Bradley's opinion. Instead, he said he couldn't help."Now that you mentioned it, Zach is quite against your relationship with James. I doubt he has a good impression of you. Naturally, he won't have any good impressions of your friend," Bradly mut
"Nope. Why would I want to talk about something like that? It's not going to benefit me in any way." Bradly laughed and got to his feet breezily. He blinked and waved a hand, continuing, "If you really want to know, you should ask James. I need to get busy now, so bye!"He left as quickly as he'd come, and he was as mysterious as always. He and Summer hadn't even spoken for half an hour before he'd left, but Summer didn't stop him. She was already mad at him.…Time passed in the blink of an eye. In the days that passed, Summer tried to think of a way to build a bridge for Kelly's marriage. Nothing came to her, though.Her three days were up. She and James had to move back to the Quigley residence and face the true matriarch of the Quigley family, Caroline.On their first day back, Caroline summoned Summer to give her a lecture before she could even sit down.Caroline's study was filled with furniture made out of camphora wood and expensive paintings. She sat in a chair with
Summer understood now. Caroline saw her as nothing more than a baby-making machine. By having Summer and James move back to the Quigley residence, Caroline wasn't just trying to make Summer change for the better. She also wanted Summer to get pregnant.With her personality, Summer was tempted to fly into a rage and loudly proclaim the empowerment of women in today's society. It was a woman's right to decide whether or not she wanted to have children!She didn't dare to use such extreme words, though. Caroline wasn't easy to deal with, and at this juncture, Summer didn't want to get into conflict with her."Mom, I don't think there's any rush for us to have kids. It hasn't been that long since I married James, after all.""No rush? How can there not be any rush? You're 24 years old now, which is the perfect age for you to have kids. What will you do when you get older?""Well, I was thinking it wouldn't be too late to have kids before I turn 30 years old," Summer refuted. The
The practice of yoga could help improve one's strength and endurance, which were beneficial for pregnancy.Summer was speechless after hearing Holly's explanation. Yoga was an exercise that she liked, yet Caroline had used it for such purposes. Because of that, Summer was rather turned off by the remainder of the lesson.Summer took a shower after the lesson was over. Then, Luca led her elsewhere. This time, it was for a piano lesson. According to Luca, it was imperative for an outstanding lady of the Quigley household to be proficient in at least one musical instrument. That way, she could perform for guests whenever.Summer wasn't too pleased to hear that. What was this about performances? If these so-called guests wanted to listen to some music, they could just hire a professional orchestra or band. Why did she have to go through all this trouble learning an instrument?Luca coolly countered her, telling her that it was one of the Quigley family's rules. Learning how to
"Of course. I'm the chairman of Charter Corporation, after all. Why can't I continue working? I took care of Charter Corporation back when you got married, didn't I?" Fred patted his chest firmly, looking quite confident.Summer also believed that her father would be able to manage the company well if she left it in his care.Fred was the founder of Charter Corporation, after all. He had worked on it for decades, and he was the person who knew it the best. If he was the one taking over, Summer definitely had no reason to worry.However, Fred had already retired, so he should be relaxing at home at his age. Summer felt a little bad if he was suddenly asked to manage the company again.James comforted Summer, saying, "Summie, why don't you let him help you? Of all the people in Charter Corporation, he must be the person who's the most invested in the company other than you.""That's right." Fred smiled confidently. "How can I not care about my own company? Don't worry, Summer. Just
They were having a meal right now, so where was Fred going? Summer asked in confusion, "Dad, where are you going?"When Summer asked the question, Fred had already left the living room. He seemed to be on his way back to his room.Amelia explained, "He's preparing a gift for you.""Preparing a gift? What gift?"Soon, the gift Amelia mentioned was brought over to them.Fred was carrying a large cardboard box, which he processed to place on the table. He retrieved children's toys, baby clothes, and a jigsaw puzzle from the box.Summer was speechless when she saw that. So this was the sort of gift Amelia was talking about. But why would Fred give her these things out of the blue?Holding the clothes, Fred explained gleefully, "Several months ago, Amelia and I were shopping when we came across some baby products. We were wondering when you'd have children, and we feared that you wouldn't be able to buy all the baby products you would need, so we bought some ahead of time."Summer s
Nearby, James faked a cough as if there was another matter at hand. Noticing something off with his expression, Summer thought that he choked on something, so she asked, "Would you like some water?""No, thanks… Summie, did you forget why we came here in the first place?"Thanks to James' reminder, Summer finally remembered that she wasn't here for a simple visit. She had to tell her parents the good news of her pregnancy.At that moment, Amelia and Fred were leisurely enjoying the food. Summer knew that if they heard the news, they might get overwhelmed with emotion, so she decided to give them a heads-up. "Dad, Mom, we actually came here to tell you an important piece of news. Maybe you can stop eating for now.""What's the matter?" Fred asked curiously."Well… This is a very serious matter. Before I break the news, I'd like you to be as calm as possible. Please don't get too worked up."When Amelia and Fred heard that, they exchanged glances. They had no idea what exactly Summ
For example, Summer and James were taking a walk in the park. They might look like they were alone, but in reality, more than a dozen bodyguards were hiding in bushes and various corners of the park. To protect the child, the Quigleys pulled out all the stops to ensure Summer's safety."Alright, I get it." Summer chose to compromise. She was living a wonderful life at the Quigley residence, after all, so she felt like she shouldn't ask for too much.Also, as Caroline had said, Summer would regain freedom once she gave birth to the child. Summer would be able to live her happy life with James then, and Caroline wouldn't be around to nag her about the child.The next morning, the Quigleys arranged for a luxurious limousine to send Summer and James to the Charter Estate. Amelia and Fred already knew that their daughter would be coming over, so they were waiting at the entrance. When they saw their dear daughter, elated expressions appeared on their faces."Summer, you're back! We've p
Hence, Summer could do whatever she pleased. If Caroline dared to restrict her freedom, Summer would be upset, and Caroline wouldn't want that.As Summer walked along the even path of the park, she did some stretches to loosen up. "It's a nice life. Before this, I was worried that something bad might happen if I returned to the Quigley residence, but now, it looks like I was overthinking it. Caroline is very good to me, and the others respect me too.""I'm glad to hear that. I was also worried that you wouldn't be able to get used to staying in the Quigley residence. You're pregnant, after all." James glanced at Summer's belly, his eyes filled with fatherly love and tenderness. By the looks of it, he had intended to be a father a long time ago."Hold your horses. I've only been pregnant for three weeks. They say that the baby will be born after ten months of pregnancy, and it's not even been a month yet, let alone ten." With that, Summer suddenly held James' hand and guided it tow
What would it mean to Howe if he gave up on the position of the head of the family? It meant that he would have to depend on someone else to survive, and he would be giving up on glory and riches along with a life filled with extravagance.Thanks to his wealthy background, Howe was already used to life like this. If James became the head of the family in the future, he might exercise his authority as the head of the family to limit Howe's movements. Howe would be stripped of freedom.Maeve felt that Howe was right as well. Her current life of luxury was built upon mountains of cash. If Howe didn't get to be the head of the family, he would definitely face restrictions."Howe, I want you to be the head of the family as well, but do you really have confidence in your capabilities? Your brother is so outstanding, and he's the official heir, too."Maeve hit the nail on the head. This was exactly what Howe was worried about as well. There was a world of difference between him and James,
So, when Caroline asked her to stay in the Quigley residence, Summer somewhat reluctantly agreed.At noon the next day, dark clouds filled the sky, making it look bleak. However, in the bustling Rosseera City, things were as lively as usual.In a luxury hotel situated in the city center, Howe was sitting on a chair, holding a glass of wine in one hand while his other arm was wrapped around the waist of a beautiful woman. At that moment, his expression was as gloomy as the weather.The young woman was good at reading the room. Extending her fingers, she traced circles on Howe's pink shirt. She asked, "What's the matter, Howe? You seem to be in a bad mood today. Could there be anyone in Rosseera City who's bold enough to offend you?""Hmph…" Howe didn't say a word. Instead, he downed the whole glass of wine.Noticing that he wasn't saying anything, the young woman pursed her lips and planted a kiss on his cheek. Smiling, she asked, "What's going on? Are you going to say that women w
James didn't want to agree to this arrangement. Even though it wasn't explicitly mentioned, he was fully aware that Summer didn't want to stay at the Quigley residence. Hence, he said, "I'll take care of Summer, Mom. I even hired Tina to look after her needs. You know how dependable Tina is. With her around, everything will be fine.""Nonsense. Even if Tina was there, there's only so much she can do on her own. This Quigley grandchild is extremely important. I can't just let her handle everything by herself.""That won't be an issue, Mom. Besides, Summer won't feel comfortable staying here either." Summer's feelings were James' top priority. Caroline could see this as well. In the end, the decision was Summer's to make. So, instead of addressing James, she turned to Summer and asked, "Would you like to stay at the Quigley residence, Summie?"If it were up to Summer, she'd say no. There was no way she would want to stay here out of her own free will. Just the mere sight of Caroli
Howe was the quietest person at the table. He was dressed in a shirt with floral patterns, and his hair was slightly curly. He was as still as a rock. He had a look of terror on his face for a while now—he didn't know that Summer was pregnant.Now that his parents were talking about it, he immediately asked, "Pregnant? Is Summer pregnant?""Yes, she is—haven't you heard?" Caroline replied. "No… How is she suddenly pregnant? I didn't hear anything about it until now." "I only found out recently as well." Caroline's hand moved over her mouth before she continued, "Isn't it great? You're going to be an uncle soon.""Yeah. I can't wait." Howe put on a forced smile.Everyone in the family was overjoyed by the news—except Howe Quigley. The Quigleys had a family rule. If the heir had a child, his position as the head of the family would be set in stone.So, if James welcomed a baby, Howe would lose the opportunity to take his place as the family heir. By that logic, he would never be