"I'll ask the housekeeper to bring your meal over. Now, go to the piano room for your lesson," Caroline said in an irrefutable tone. If this had been the old days, she would be like a landowner exploiting peasants.Summer obviously didn't want to go, but she had no choice. It was her own fault for saying that she wasn't tired. That had given Caroline an excuse to give her extra lessons. In the end, like a diligent slave, Summer went for her piano lesson.According to the piano teacher, they were supposed to practice one simple song during the three-hour piano session.However, Summer had no energy at all and couldn't concentrate. Like a robot, she mechanically followed the teacher's instructions. She couldn't remember any of the essentials of playing the piano.When the lesson finally ended, Summer stumbled back to her room lifelessly. She couldn't understand why Caroline's attitude toward her was getting worse.Caroline hadn't had a good impression of her before they had gone
Summer listened to James and found his words reasonable, so she decided to wait for another month. Once that matter was settled, Summer brought up another crucial issue."James, you're close with Zach, right? Can you do me a favor?" Summer asked mysteriously. Her favor was to help play matchmaker for Kelly.Although James didn't know what Summer was thinking, he could tell from her expression that she was up to something. "What do you want to do?""Help me ask Zach out. If you ask him out, he will definitely come. I want to introduce him to a friend."James was too smart not to see through Summer's intentions right away. She obviously wanted to set up a blind date. He replied, "That won't do. He's not ready for a relationship now.""I know about his past. He's been hurt before, but what's the harm in trying again?"Summer added softly, "Aren't you the same? You obviously have no interest in women, but you still ended up marrying me. How do you know that Zach doesn't want someone
"Fooling around? You chose the wrong time to fool around."The Quigley residence was enormous. It had a magnificent main hall, but the other areas were slightly run down. After all, the manor had been around for some time. If one went deeper inside, they would notice how eerie the atmosphere was.That was why Summer felt uneasy when she walked through the dark and narrow corridors sometimes. She wouldn't dare to walk through them alone. It seemed that Howe was like a grown child who liked to play pranks. He had managed to scare her this time.Come to think of it, considering the fact that the manor was nearly 50 years old, the Quigleys had done a pretty good job of preserving its history. They were probably wealthy enough to build dozens of gorgeous manors, but they had never left this one.It was commendable. It seemed there was a good reason why the Quigley family could establish themselves as the head of the four major prestigious families. The older and larger the famil
Now that they had a way out, Summer no longer had concerns and decided to go out with Howe to have some fun.However, there needed to be some ground rules. For one, they couldn't come back too late. Now that Summer and James were sleeping in the same bed, he might worry if she didn't return. So, they agreed to come back in two hours.After changing into simple black sportswear, Summer followed Howe out.In the back garden of the manor, there was a broken hole that could accommodate one person to come and go freely. This must be the secret passage that Howe mentioned.Howe shared that he had dug that hole five years ago, when he had still been a student. He would use it to go out when he couldn't sleep at night. The reason why no one had discovered this hole after so long was because this area had the fewest security patrols. Howe had looked into it and found that out. He had used a big plant to cover up the hole, and it had remained unnoticed.After passing through the hole,
But that wouldn't do. Summer had worked so hard to get to this point with James, not because she liked him, but because it was a promise.She had said that she would be willing to give herself up if James could help her save Charter Corporation.That meant that her freedom didn't belong to her now, but to James. Unless James was the one who asked for it, she wouldn't divorce him."Howe, I don't know if marrying your brother is a good or bad thing, but it's not up to me to decide whether we stay together. The decision lies in your brother's hands.""Is that so? But have you ever considered that if you insist on getting a divorce, James would definitely agree?" Howe paused slightly, then revealed a gentle smile. He seemed to genuinely care about James' and Summer's well-being.He continued, "If you divorce, everyone benefits. First of all, Mom would definitely agree. Secondly, James can also find a better partner, and you will be free. Moreover, your family's business won't be aff
Howe had already stepped out of the driver's seat and faced the three men. "Fellas, let's all contact our own insurance companies to settle this matter. What happened here tonight really isn't good."Claiming insurance was the most reasonable thing to do when one got into a car accident, but it seemed that the three men were unwilling to do so.The leader of the trio, a wide-eyed man, said fiercely, "Insurance, my ass! Pay up!"The wide-eyed man seemed to only want money. From the side, Summer could faintly tell that something wasn't right. These men had cunning smiles on their faces, as if they were up to no good.So, Summer pulled Howe to the side and worriedly asked if these guys were trying to extort money from them.Howe didn't lie and confirmed her suspicion. But given the current situation, it would be unfavorable for them if they got into a conflict. So it would be better for them to just give the men money.Howe was very brazen to say that, but it wasn't surprising com
Summer snorted coldly, as if she didn't know what was going on. She puffed out her chest and heroically faced the three men in front of her. "If you leave now, I can pretend nothing happened here today. If you try anything else, I will resist. If you try to harm me, the police will catch you tomorrow!""Lady, believe it or not, I will kill you!" The man with wide eyes flashed his dagger and pressed it against Summer's neck. However, Summer didn't show any sign of fear and remained composed."Go ahead, kill me!" I'm not afraid of death!""You maniac!" The man was clearly shocked. He suddenly turned his head and ran away, followed by the other two guys. They hopped in the beat-up black sports car and fled.Howe was completely baffled by this scene. What the hell just happened? He thought that the three men would definitely resort to violence when Summer threatened them. Yet not only had they not retaliated, but they had also been scared off."What just happened?" asked How
Caroline lashed out at Howe, "Shut up! I haven't dealt with you yet. You actually made an escape tunnel in our house? "And I heard from your father's police friend that there was a car accident on the outskirts of the city. I'm sure that it was your doing."There were traffic cameras along the highway to the suburbs. Even though it was late at night, there were people keeping watch. When they spotted a car with the Quigley family's license plate, they had immediately contacted the authorities. That was how the Quigleys had found out that Howe and Summer had gone to the outskirts of the city.Fortunately, the two of them were fine, so everyone could relax. However, they weren't going to get away so easily. Punishment was still necessary."Howe, you're grounded for a week. No leaving the house during that time!" Caroline issued the order for Howe's punishment.The news was like a lightning bolt out of the blue. It made Howe fall to the ground in shock. He loved to have fun, a