Summer teared up when she heard what Amelia said over the phone.No one loved her more than her parents."Don't worry, Mom, I'm doing fine here. James is very good to me. The worst thing that's happened to me is that I get a little bored," she said."It's Dad now, Summie," Fred said on the other end of the call. "Your mother is right, if you don't like it there, you can always come home."Summer was silent as she tried her best to hold back her tears. Even though she was far from home, she could still feel her parents' concern for her."Summie, it's not that we're not concerned about you or how you ended up marrying James. We're very worried about you, you know?" Fred continued. "That little bastard, Hank, teamed up with Simone to bring us down. None of us are happy about this, but you took it especially hard. We were hoping that you would get over it quickly, but that didn't happen, did it?"James spoke to us before you came home that day, actually. Did you know that he asked us
Summer didn't want to imagine the rumors and speculations flying around outside as the elevator doors slid closed. Everyone was definitely shocked. The gossip mill would have a field day about her."Isn't that Charlie, Mr. Quigley's bodyguard?""I know who he is. I'm more interested in who that woman is. Did you see her going into the president's elevator?""Shit, do you think the rumors are true?"All of the discussions were centered on Summer.Even though Summer had already expected this, she still couldn't help but feel anxious. Her hands were trembling as she clutched at the lunch box she was holding. It didn't take long for the elevator to reach its destination. When she exited the elevator, it was as if she'd emerged into another world.There was only black and white here. Black suits, white shirts, exquisite makeup, and sleek black heels. She noticed that some of the women here were barely older than her, yet they were dressed smartly and spoke decisively. They were professiona
While it would be natural for ordinary people to wait for James outside, it was a completely different case for his wife. Natalie hesitated before saying, "Mr. Quigley is having a rather lengthy meeting. I'm afraid you'll have to wait for a long time if you don't inform him of your arrival, Mrs. Quigley.""It doesn't matter. I'll just wait outside." Summer pursed her lips slightly and patiently waited. After all, she was the esteemed young madam of the Quigley family, and it was only right for a wife to wait for her husband. Summer felt the need to present herself well; at the very least, she shouldn't embarrass James.However, the wait lasted for half an hour. Although Summer remained composed, her patience began to wear away. Charlie, who was standing on the side, noticed this and suggested, "Madam, the building of Quigley Group is huge. Why don't I take you on a tour?""A tour?""Yes, you are the president's wife. Although you aren't involved in the company's internal
Despite being aware that James was an excellent man, Summer didn't expect that all the female employees in the company were so enamored of him. It made her feel a little displeased. It seemed that in the future, Summer would have to spend more effort driving away these admirers.But suppose James actually treated Summer as a mere decoration; would she mind if he sought other women outside? Even she couldn't say for sure. After all, the two of them weren't close and had no deep connection.While lost in her thoughts, a startled voice pulled Summer back to reality."Who are you?" It was the woman with dyed blonde hair questioning her. She scrutinized Summer with a pair of wary eyes as though Summer was a criminal.Summer panicked for a moment. She shook her head and explained, "I … I came to see Mr. Quigley and happened to pass by.""Pass by?" The blonde woman's eyes were full of distrust. Then, she said, "I think you must like Mr. Quigley, so you sneaked into the company to see
"I'm not a thief!" Summer explained, but her explanation was of no use at all.Another female office worker said affirmatively, "I don't think you look like a good person. Even if you're not a thief, you must have some ulterior motives. "I suggest we let the security guards come over and investigate carefully. You must have used some improper means to casually enter the company.""Yes, I'm going to call security right now." The blonde woman picked up her phone and dialed the security department. Within three minutes, four burly men in green security uniforms rushed in.One of them, a middle-aged man in his forties, asked, "What's going on?""Mr. Zimmer, it's good that you're here. We just caught an unidentified woman. She is definitely not one of our employees. Please investigate properly. She might be a thief."Seeing that the situation was getting out of hand, Summer immediately explained, "I am not a thief.""Then, who are you?" The head of security sized Summer up sternly
"My deepest apology, Mr. Quigley. I failed to recognize the young madam's identity." The head of security bowed at a ninety-degree angle, his expression apologetic. Then, he turned sharply and pointed at the blonde female office worker from earlier, saying, "It was Ms. Linda who reported to me that Mrs. Quigley is suspicious. "That was why I brought my men to apprehend her."In that case, it wasn't entirely the head of security's fault. If Linda hadn't casually suspected Summer, he wouldn't have mistakenly apprehended someone.Now that the president was questioning him, the head of security captain would naturally throw someone else under the bus.The blonde woman took a few steps forward and lowered her head in fear, "I'm sorry, Mr. Quigley. I didn't realize she was Mrs. Quigley."James had no time to waste on them. Every second of his time was valuable. He waved to his secretary on the side and said, "Fire them all.""Yes, Mr. Quigley."As soon as he gave the order, it
James did not speak, falling into a long silence. His eyes closed as he let out a deep sigh. "I am doing this for your own good.""I know, but they didn't actually do anything wrong. On the contrary, they were very conscientious, weren't they? Anyway, you're not allowed to fire them." Summer felt a surge of anger in her heart and reprimanded him when noticing that her advice fell on deaf ears.Summer's words shocked everyone present.Virtually no one in the company would dare to speak harshly to James. Summer not only spoke to him in a very arrogant and domineering manner, but she even used a commanding tone to stop him from firing the people. It was simply unbelievable.Just as everyone was expecting James to mercilessly reject Summer, he surprisingly admitted defeat with a dismissive wave of his hand and said, "Forget it. Let's just pretend that it never happened."Then, his lonely figure disappeared into the office like a defeated general retreating from the battlefield.
When Summer was leaving the office, she quickly chased after the blonde woman. The moment she left the office, the employees erupted in thunderous applause. The applause came not only from the blonde lady and the security but also from all of the employees. They were grateful for what Summer had done. Although they still felt that she didn't deserve to be with James, they realized that the young woman was kind, and they genuinely liked her. This was something Summer hadn't expected. Her unintentional actions earned the appreciation of the entire Quigley Group.She quickly walked off and reached the entrance of the CEO's office. There, she saw Charlie standing guard, and she asked, "How is James doing?""I don't know. Mr. Quigley didn't show any emotions." Charlie couldn't help Summer in that regard. James always had a stern look, like an iceberg. Charlie couldn't discern his emotions.However, even so, he still warned Summer, "Madam, you should be careful. You've gone too
"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