"Don't cry, Susanne." James had immediately protected her when he sensed danger. Just then, a few boys had charged at him. Meanwhile, the leader of the group had been so infuriated that he'd used a tree branch to hit James. He said, "Rich people like you are horrible. I'm going to beat you to death!" After that, the four boys had followed suit and started fighting James.A cloud of dust had kicked up, and the sound of crying had filled the strawberry field. Everything had been utterly chaotic. Meanwhile, James had hugged Susanne tightly. He had wanted to suffer the beating alone because he hadn't wanted her to be harmed. After that, Susanne had stopped crying. It had seemed like the world had fallen silent and that James and her had been the only two people left in the world. From that moment on, she had developed a crush on him. She had thought that he was the only man who would protect her. 20 years had passed since then. After Summer heard Susanne's story, she was surpr
However, Summer had to persuade Susanne and convince her that the love she had for James wasn't romantic. It was only a familial relationship. Sadly enough, Susanne seriously believed that her concern for James was true love. "Susanne, what happened in the past was normal, wasn't it? Naturally, your older cousin protected you like your parents. They care for you, so they protect you. But that isn't romantic love."Susanne sneered. "Summer, I don't think you understand me. You can't understand James' relationship with me. You don't know anything.""I don't know anything? No, I know how you feel. That's why I said all that." Summer had joined a psychology club at university. Although she wasn't a professional, she had encountered similar cases like Susanne's before. Some siblings didn't know what romantic love was, so they developed strange feelings for each other. It wasn't an illness, but it was illegal and unethical. That type of love was twisted. She wanted to continue pe
"You aren't to blame for your mother's death. She loved you. That's why she rescued you." Susanne retorted, "What do you know? You know nothing. My mother died because of me. Otherwise, my father wouldn't have sent me to live with the Quigleys back then. He abandoned me."Summer paused. She realized that Susanne resented Herbert. At first, Summer had thought that Susanne and Herbert were on good terms. After all, when she had met them in the living room, Susanne addressed Herbert affectionately. Summer suddenly understood how terrifying Susanne was. Susanne was very cunning and wasn't as simple as she appeared to be. However, she also had a vulnerable side. Summer could tell that the sadness Susanne had shown earlier on was real. The latter was upset over her mother's death. Regretfully, she had misunderstood many things. Summer yearned to help her. "Susanne, you have to understand that Uncle Herbert doesn't blame you. If he blamed you, he wouldn't be so good to you, right?
Susanne tried to forcefully stop Summer from leaving. So, the latter turned and asked, "What's the matter?""Since you already know everything, I'll tell you why I visited the Quigleys this time." Meanwhile, Susanne's eyes glittered dangerously. She looked like a predator who was lying in wait for her prey. Summer couldn't help but worry. She felt pressured by Susanne. It seemed that the latter had an ulterior motive. Her welcoming and friendly behavior before had been just for show. Summer could only blame herself for being too naive. She finally understood why James had said that Susanne wasn't a simple person. "What do you want, Susanne?" she inquired. "Give James to me. I want you to divorce him.""That's impossible," Summer refused. Many people wanted her and James to divorce, but they weren't successful. Besides, even if she agreed to divorce James, he would never consent to it. Yet Susanne stood her ground. "Don't blame me for what I do if you don't agree to divo
There was a complete change in Susanne's behavior. She apologized, like Summer had hoped she would. But how could the matter be resolved so smoothly? Suddenly, Susanne took out a sharp fruit knife from behind her and lunged at Summer. She aimed the blade at Summer's heart while the latter was caught off-guard. Summer couldn't help but scream in shock. At the same time, she dodged swiftly, thanks to her athletism. Although the knife missed her vital organs, it slashed her arm. Blood dripped onto the floor.In an instant, Summer's arm was covered in blood. Warm liquid trickled down her arm and fingers. The sight was terrifying. She endured the pain. That was when Summer realized that Susanne had tricked her.She'd apologized so that Summer would let her guard down and use the chance to murder her!It was a ruthless trick. If Summer hadn't dodged in time, she would've been dead by now. Summer continued running for her life. She turned to rush out of the room. However,
"No, James. Don't come closer! Don't!"Susanne rejected his help vehemently. In reality, she wasn't refusing James. She just couldn't bring herself to face him. Earlier on, she had been too overwhelmed and had tried to kill Summer. However, she had been unsuccessful in her attempt and even injured her beloved James. As such, she couldn't face him. "I'm sorry, James. I'm so sorry. I know I did something very wrong." Susanne curled into a ball and started apologizing. Her apology was very sincere and didn't seem fake at all. She could only be her true self in front of James. Meanwhile, James knew Susanne well because they had lived together for a long time. Although Susanne was cunning, she could also be innocent and kind. Hence, he hugged her. "Don't be afraid, Susanne. I won't blame you for this.""I'm sorry, James." Susanne continued apologizing, even after she embraced James. At that moment, she seemed to calm down. Summer had mixed feelings as she watched them.She w
"Of course." James' reply confirmed Summer's suspicions. She was extremely curious to find out the secrets Susanne had been hiding. "She has schizophrenia," James replied. His answer stunned Summer. So, Susanne did have a mental illness. In simpler terms, people with schizophrenia could lose touch with reality, making them appear crazy. They would often be delirious, develop hallucinations, and be paranoid. However, Susanne looked like a normal person. Earlier on, she had wanted to murder Summer. That could be attributed to her losing control of her emotions instead of having schizophrenia. "James, you aren't joking, right? Do Uncle Herbert and the others know of her condition?"Herbert was Susanne's father. Since they lived under the same roof, he would definitely know about it. Meanwhile, James shook his head and sighed. "Uncle Herbert doesn't know about it. Susanne's schizophrenia happens intermittently, and it doesn't occur at a fixed time. "Moreover, her symptoms are
It was best to keep that a secret. James had his concerns and reckoned that it would be safer if fewer people knew about Susanne's illness. It could be controlled at the moment. Anyway, her schizophrenic episode had occurred this time because Summer's words had triggered her.Summer complained, "James, you should've told me about Susanne's condition earlier. Although it was meant to be a secret, I almost died because I didn't know about it."The incident earlier had been frightening. Susanne had almost stabbed Summer's head with a fruit knife. If James had been a second late, Summer would've died. Summer wanted to know what James was going to do next and asked him about his plan. James replied, "When Susanne comes to her senses tomorrow, I'll take her to a psychiatrist to see if she needs to be isolated. If her condition isn't serious, I want things to remain as they are."James wanted Susanne to continue living her life normally. Besides, he wanted to continue keeping her ill
"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