"Oh, we're just going to enjoy some tea and talk to each other. Well-known women will show up at the tea party. It's organized by the four major prestigious families."Caroline continued to ask impatiently, "Why do you ask? You sound like you don't want to go. Is it because you don't want to keep an old lady like me company?""No, no, how would I dare to do that?""Then, you should join me. Remember to dress up well. Don't embarrass me." Caroline made the decision for Summer before the latter could agree. It was like she was forcing Summer.After that, Luca led Summer to an opulent room on the first floor of the Quigley residence. About four stylists were waiting there. They were probably there to style Summer's hair.A woman with straight hair dressed in a long, fashionable floral dress walked over to welcome Summer. "You must be Madam Summer. We're here to dress you up as per Madam Caroline's instructions.""Dress me up… Yeah, I know." Summer took her seat. She watched as t
Summer got a little worried when she saw Lexi so shocked. Her outfit was way different from her usual appearance, and she didn't know if she looked good or not. She asked, "Lexi, do you think my outfit suits me?""It suits you! Of course, it suits you. Mrs. Quigley, you're pretty to begin with. With this outfit, you look even prettier than those celebrities now." Lexi paused and raised her brow as if she thought of something.She took out her phone and snapped a photo of Summer. She said, "I'm going to send a picture of you to Mr. Quigley. He'll be very happy to see this.""No, don't!"Summer wasn't sure if the icy James would laugh at her for being pretentious and dressing up like this. She stepped forward, wanting to snatch the phone from Lexi and delete the photo.But she was no match for Lexi. Lexi stepped back and quickly dodged. Then, she tapped the send button immediately after. The photo was sent to James.Summer looked at the sent timestamp and felt a sense of resign
There were already plenty of women seated when they arrived. Everyone spoke in a low voice, so the venue was eerily quiet, although all of them were clearly talking.Caroline drew a lot of attention when she showed up. Many people greeted her as she walked past. It was a given since Caroline was a Quigley. She had a high status and was respected by everyone in their circle.But Caroline treated the nobodies coldly and arrogantly. She either pretended not to notice them greeting her or gave them a silent nod. Those women probably had little influence and were not worthy of Caroline's attention.There were also women whom Caroline talked to enthusiastically. When Caroline and Summer were seated, a middle-aged woman in extravagant clothes and jewelry came over to them. Caroline stood up immediately when she saw the woman, and the two hugged each other."Mrs. Walsh, long time no see.""Yes, Mrs. Quigley, it's been so long. If it weren't for the things going on in my family, I would
Caroline pointed in a direction. Looking across, Summer spotted a beautiful woman in the spacious teahouse. The woman wore a light blue lace gown as she made tea. She looked ethereal and graceful, as if she had stepped out of a painting.In Summer's eyes, the woman's good looks were just a bonus. The main thing was that she had been dismissed and could finally get away from Caroline.Summer left her seat the moment Caroline let her go. She hurried over to the beautiful woman, Eleanor Myers.As she walked, she thought about Eleanor's name. If Eleanor was a Myers, was she related to Zach Myers? In Rosseera City, everyone would think of Myers as the Myers from the four prestigious families. If Eleanor was from one of the four prestigious families, Summer had some questions for her.Before Summer could ask about Eleanor, Lexi explained, "Mrs. Quigley, it's better if you don't go to Ms. Myers.""Why?""Well… I don't know if I should tell you." Lexi hesitated as if she were in a di
"Ms. Summer—or should I say, Mrs. Quigley? Why were you running away as soon as you saw me? Don't tell me it's because I used to pursue Mr. Quigley. Is that why you want to avoid me?"As Eleanor spoke, she looked gentle and smiled. But her words shocked Summer out of her wits. How come Eleanor knew her so well?In fact, only the four major prestigious families and some powerful individuals were aware of James' marriage. Although the public was oblivious, Eleanor, who belonged to one of the prestigious families, was crystal clear about it. She had recognized Summer the moment the latter had shown up to the tea party.Since Eleanor knew her, Summer no longer tried to hide her identity. She smiled and replied, "I'm not avoiding you. I just—""Mrs. Quigley, you're probably worried that I'd be hostile and think we shouldn't talk to each other, right? Rest assured. I don't hate you," Eleanor explained. Taking Summer's hand, she led the latter to the tea table. "I know what happened
Bradly had mentioned this about Zach too. Zach must've been badly hurt by a woman. But Summer was curious. Who would dump a scion from the four major prestigious families? There must be some messy story behind it.Another thought also occurred to her. If Zach was too scared of being hurt again to date, would he remain single forever? Would he never marry and build a family?Having children was an important issue for the four major prestigious families. If the heirs didn't have children, they might face threats to their positions."Ms. Myers, think about it. It's because your cousin has been hurt before that he needs a new relationship. Otherwise, he would be trapped in the past forever and be unable to move on." Summer paused and continued, "You wouldn't wish for your cousin to stay alone forever, would you?""Of course I wouldn't.""Exactly. That's why I think we should work together. Let me introduce someone to your cousin, hmm?"Eleanor slightly turned to one side. She did
Eleanor smiled brightly at James and said, "James, it's been a long time.""Why are you here?""I'm here to see you, of course. We haven't met for so long." Eleanor quickly walked up to him as she spoke. She turned around swiftly, wanting to sit in his lap.James wasn't having any of it. He immediately dodged as Eleanor lowered her body. Thanks to his fast reflexes, she didn't manage to sit on him and instead ended up in the empty office chair.She ran her fingers through her hair. Now, she no longer looked pure and innocent, like a fairy. She was a femme fatale."Oh, James. You're still the same. Do you really hate me that much?"James didn't reply. An inexplicable look flickered in his deep eyes. No one could figure out what he was thinking. But Eleanor was used to James being like that. His mysteriousness pulled her in.She put one hand under her chin and continued, "I don't think there's anything good about your wife. Zach and the guys are really curious why you chose a woma
Eleanor knew she had no chance talking to him as equals, so she decided to just say it. "I know you want to be with her. I can help you. I have a plan to make everyone approve of your marriage."James was silent after she said that, but he didn't ask her to leave. He was willing to listen.Eleanor saw that and continued, "Among the four major prestigious families, plenty of stubborn old people are getting in the way of your marriage. You know that too."But if the Myers family gives you full support, I believe the rest won't be able to do anything to the Quigleys. That's the card that I'm putting on the table. Let's play a game.""What game?""I want to test whether Summer likes you or not."James immediately saw through Eleanor's plan. She wanted to prove that Summer didn't like him at all. She wanted to make him lose confidence in his marriage.He didn't care about playing such a game. There were plenty of well-respected seniors and shareholders among the four major prestigi
"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