For that brief moment, Summer thought she was a playgirl. She was already getting all sweet with James when she had only decided to get over Hank just a second ago.Although they were a married couple, she felt the resistance in her that pulled her from accepting James that quickly. She needed some time to get to know him, at least.He fell silent as his eyes were dark and remained undecipherable. His long silence slowly drove her nervous. She wondered, "Does this mean he disagrees with it?"It wasn't weird for him to disagree with it. It was normal for a hormone rush to happen when a man and a woman shared the same space alone together.Now that they were married, she figured that it was a little too much for her to prohibit James from touching her.Thus, Summer was contemplating if she should be more lenient with her request. They couldn't have sex before she completely accepted James—that was her bottom line.Other than sex, holding hands and holding her by the waist
Half an hour later, an empty lunchbox lay atop the table in the office. It was the one Summer always brought for James.It was squeaky clean.After taking a cup of coffee, he had to continue working. Right when he was going to ask Charlie, who was outside, to send her home, the door was opened.A man barged in with heavy steps. "Jamie." It was a flirty tone.The young man in a floral shirt grew his hair that reached his shoulders. His actions were untrammeled.Once his eyes fixated on James, he bulldozed in that direction. "Jamie! You're here! Are you free tonight?""No, Bradly.""What could possibly make you busy? I bet it's unnecessary work again. Why don't you put it off for a moment and keep me company?"Bradly tried to drag James away without a care of James' will. However, his weak strength didn't allow him to have it his way.Releasing James, Bradly sighed. "Mr. Workaholic, all you know is to work round the clock. You'll die of over-exhaustion one day."Only then did
Summer merely returned Bradly a polite smile. Since they weren't close, it wouldn't do good if she gave off too many details. "Summer Charter. The successor of Charter Corporation. James and I got married two days ago.""I don't think I've heard of that corporation before. Is it a new uprising company?" Bradly simply thought that only someone from the four major prestigious families deserved to be James' wife. Even if it wasn't from the four major prestigious families, the woman's background should be somewhere on the same level as theirs.However, Charter Corporation was a small corporation. It wasn't as huge as Bradly expected it to be.While Summer was in a dilemma to explain the situation, James helped her out. "Summie, you should get back home now. I'll be home late.""Okay." She heaved a sigh of relief and left the office instantly.Bradley's words somehow put an invisible weight of burden onto her shoulders. It felt like an interrogation, and she found it very unc
Birds of a feather flocked together. People of similar kinds hung out together.Bradley had a messy personal life, yet she found that he was on good terms with James."Do you think that Bradly's a good guy or a bad guy?" It was a blunt question from Summer, but it put Charlie in a difficult position.People had all different kinds of sides, making it difficult for one to judge if they were actually good or bad.Summer appeared quite naive to Charlie. Otherwise, she wouldn't have asked such a question.He answered honestly, "I think Mr. Walsh is a good guy. His private life is kinda messy, but he's a righteous person. When he found a kid lost his way, he sent the kid home.""Is that so …" She caressed her chin as her eyelids flickered. In fact, those questions were asked so that she could figure out if Bradly was a safe person to be with.Becoming an innocent lamb waiting to be swallowed up by a wolf was the last thing she wished for.After having a series of questions answere
Bradly appeared in suits, which failed to mask his untrammeled aura. His teasing gaze zeroed in on Summer.Noticing the disrespectful glint in those eyes, Charlie reminded softly, "Mr. Hayes, is there something Mrs. Quigley can help you with?"The Hayes brothers were standing right behind her. Bradly waved them off. "Why don't you give us some time alone? I have something to tell her.""We can't do that. We've received orders to protect her safety. We can't leave her side unless it is Mr. Quigley's orders." The Hayes brothers were particularly loyal because they owed James. Wanting them to leave Summer's side? Not a chance!The helpless Bradly gave her a look that read, 'I wanna talk to you alone. Could you ask them to leave for a moment?'She understood his notion as she looked across her shoulder. "Give us a moment. Wait for me outside. I have something to tell Mr. Hayes, too.""Mrs. Quigley, we …" Charlie showed hesitance.Bradly huffed, "Stop dilly-dallying, will you
"A heart of steel?" Summer was stunned, not understanding Bradly's words.When she thought about it, she figured that Bradly was referring to James.From day one, she noticed that James never smiled. It was always that same old deadpan expression on his face and that cold disposition. Not to mention that he was a man of few words.If she had never interacted with him, she would've thought that he was a robot.However, based on how Bradly described James, it was possible that there was more. It wasn't as simple as not smiling."Mr. Hayes, you sound very surprised that he's married.""I am! He has never shown interest in women since the day we met each other. I took him to clubs, but he only drinks. He doesn't touch the ladies," he responded with certainty.Summer couldn't understand how he could say that with confidence. When she gave it a thought, she sensed something off.Perhaps James had a secret kept untold?She wondered, "Is James really devoid of sexual desire? Or is h
Bradly's fingers caressed Summer's hair. A meaningful smile smeared across his lips. "A long time ago, I wondered why Jamie didn't show interest in women. Sexual desires drive humans inherently. "As long as one is a man, they should be attracted to women. That was why we once assumed that he was devoid of sexual desire. "But it seems like things weren't as we thought they were …"His eyes suddenly lit up, and he raised her chin.Not giving him the chance to take advantage of her, she slapped his hand away. "What are you doing?""You're the first to reject me, Summer." He paused before turning around. His back appeared quite lonely for some reason. "Don't worry. I will never do bad things to you. You're my friend's wife. I'm just thinking of using you to test him since you could be the breaking point.""Test him?" The way Bradly worded it was weird."Yeah, I wanna test him. I wanna test if he really likes you or simply thinks of you as a useful tool. After all, he's press
James' feelings and intention of using Summer as a tool had nothing to do with her.She was grateful that he helped her out, and as a repayment of his favor, she became his wife.If he genuinely liked her, it would be better, but if he turned out to be devoid of sexual desire, it wouldn't be bad to maintain as a married couple, too.However, that was what Bradly wanted.Frustrated, he flung his hair and sighed. "Summer, we are curious about what's on James' mind. You can be the key to making him open up to people."She didn't care about being the key to making James open up to people, but she definitely sensed something fishy.Bradly kept using first-person plural pronouns when he mentioned the test. That meant there were other people behind this, too!"How many are there?""What?" he questioned back."You said 'We.' I bet you're not the only person who wants to know the answer to your question. There are more." She hit right at the bulls-eye.Only then did he realize that it
"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