Summer trailed off, unable to finish her sentence. She glanced up at James.He caught her gaze. Tilting his head, he waited for her to continue. Summer couldn't help but recall her first impression of him. He was truly uptight and inflexible, and it annoyed her.Summer took a few moments to gather her wits and reassess the situation. Once she was less flustered, she said slowly, "I have a few questions, Mr. Quigley."That came out a little awkward. She paused and thought for a moment. "You don't have to say anything, you can just nod or shake your head. Is that okay?""It's alright, I don't mind answering your questions," James said. He nodded solemnly to emphasize his point.Summer was amazed by his naivete. She couldn't quite believe that he was as daft as that, but she couldn't deny that the innocence looked cute on him. He was cute, handsome, and very much her cup of tea …She quickly shook her head to get rid of her stray thoughts.What was wrong with her? She shouldn
James was silent as he thought about how he should answer Summer's question. As he was thinking, the car rolled to a stop."We've arrived, Mr. Quigley," the driver said, breaking the uncomfortable silence between them. Summer took off her seatbelt and opened the door. Just as she was about to get out of the car, James appeared beside her and offered her his arm chivalrously. He even helped her lift the hem of her dress off the ground as she got out of the car.Summer gave him a quick glance as he did all this before looking around. To her shock, she found that they were really at the entrance of the town hall."We're at the town hall? I thought you were joking!""Where else could we go?" James raised his eyebrows. "We can't exactly register our marriage at the hospital.""You …" Summer was speechless with anger, but James had on that innocent look again, so she couldn't decide if he was playing her for a fool or just really that stupid.Recalling their interaction in the car, s
"It's simple," James said. "Marry me. Summer, I just need you to marry me, that's all."Summer did not know how to react to that. Head buzzing, she tried her best to calm herself down.This was a great opportunity. It was her fault that the Charter Corporation ended up where they were today. So, it was only right that she sacrificed herself to this man who promised to help them. After all, what else did she have to lose?She just needed to marry him."Alright, I will." Once she got her emotions in check, she picked up the pen and signed the marriage certificate."I have to deal with some other things now, so I won't be able to send you home. Will you be okay?"James was still holding her hand even after they exited the town hall, which made Summer a little uncomfortable. His look of concern did not help at all. The man didn't seem to be putting on an act. She didn't understand what he was trying to do, but she tried her best to be polite."Of course I will. I'm not a child,
"You're Summer, right? James told me all about you," Caroline said, looking at Summer with amusement. She couldn't understand why James had taken a liking to someone like her. All she had was a pretty face; she had no background and no power at all. "Don't be nervous, I'm just here to take a look at you," she continued. "I raised James, you know, so you can come to me if you need anything."James had told Caroline about marrying Summer as soon as they'd come out of the town hall. Before this, she'd been worried as he'd rarely dated, much less brought home a girlfriend, so when he announced his marriage suddenly, she was shocked.She'd gotten her hands on Summer's information as soon as she could, but the information had disappointed her. The Charter family was well-off, but compared to the Quigleys, they were just passable. Therefore, not satisfied with just reading about Summer, Caroline decided to pay them a visit in her best dress."Thank you, Mrs. Quigley. I'll try my best t
"Sorry, Summer, I should introduce myself. I'm John, James' younger brother. Now that you've married him, you're part of our family, so don't hesitate to ask for help if you need any," John said.""Thank you, John," Summer replied.Caroline and John did not stay for long, to Summer's relief. She wasn't stupid; she could see that Caroline hadn't quite accepted her yet and that John wasn't as harmless as he looked. Life probably wouldn't be peaceful in the days to come.After such an eventful day, Summer decided to take a relaxing bath. The day had been filled with all sorts of excitement. First, she'd been humiliated by Simone and Hank at their engagement party. James had saved her from that, but then he turned around and proposed to her for no reason at all. Within the hour, they were legally married.Then again, it wasn't all a loss. Earlier, at dinner, she noticed that her parents looked more relaxed. Gone were the hushed and anxious tones of the past few days. She knew th
"Don't be so dramatic, you silly girl," Amelia admonished. "These people are here to pick you up on James' behalf. He called last night to tell us about this. We didn't tell you because you went to bed so early. "They've been here since morning; I told them you were still sleeping and tried to get them to come in, but they refused. They said they'll only move when you get up, as they didn't want to disturb you. I couldn't convince them otherwise, so here we are. Look, just go and pack your stuff. Don't make them wait any longer than they already have."Hearing this, Summer ran back upstairs to wash up and pack her things. She felt nervous; she didn't want to leave a bad impression so soon after getting married. She regretted staying in bed so late. She changed her clothes and pulled her hair back in a messy bun as quickly as she could before running out."I am so sorry you had to wait for me for such a long time. I overslept. I'm really sorry!" she apologized repeatedly. The me
Summer had no confidence in this sudden marriage at all. She trusted nobody—the memory of her trauma still lingered.Sighing, she placed the photo frame back on the nightstand. While she was wallowing in the uncertainty of her future, she did not notice that she was also in the photograph, right behind James.Feeling bored, Summer decided to clean up the apartment. Just as she had expected, James did not return home for lunch, so she made a quick meal out of the ingredients available in the fridge and then went out for a walk. However, the two bodyguards who were assigned to her kept following her around, so she cut the walk short and went back to her room.She spent the rest of the afternoon reading books. When dinner time approached, she went out to get some groceries as she expected James to return for dinner.She didn't think much of making dinner for him. It was just cooking, after all, and her cooking was pretty good if she could say so herself.Unbeknownst to her, her bodyg
"You guys must be tired. I forgot to make lunch for you just now. Come and try some of my cooking," Summer said as she placed two bowls in front of the bodyguards.Charlie and Connor stared at her like she was an angel descended from the heavens."Thank you, Madam," they stammered as they took the bowls. They swore silently that they would protect Summer with their lives."No need to thank me. In fact, I should thank you for protecting me, which is why I cooked you dinner," Summer said. "Now, don't stand out here while you eat. Come on in!"She felt sorry for them. It wasn't easy standing guard all day with nothing to do. She couldn't bear seeing them eating outside the apartment, so she urged them to take a break indoors. However, she did not know that the bodyguards were rotated by shift or that they lived in the apartment next to hers by James' design to keep her safe at all times."It's alright, Madam, we wouldn't dare impose on you," Charlie said hastily when Connor gave hi
"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