Summer asked, "When are you coming back?"James replied, "I'm overseas now, and I won't be back for a while."After hearing that, Summer became very suspicious. How could it be such a coincidence? James must have seen the news as well and known that Summer would ask him about it. Why had he gone overseas at such a time?So, Summer asked, "James, have you seen the news?"Right after she finished speaking, James replied, "I can't speak now. I'll reply to you when I'm free."The call was cut off with a beep. This was the first time that James had hung up on her like that. Summer had already guessed that the incident was most likely true. She felt very uneasy, but she couldn't vent her frustrations. The Quigley residence was an unfamiliar place to her, and the only person she could turn to, James, had become untrustworthy. Besides, many weird things happened after that. Normally, Summer would have to continue her lessons, but on that day, Caroline didn't rush her. It seeme
James must have told Bradly and Zach something so they refused Summer's request. Although she had not discovered the truth yet, Summer felt that she was very close to uncovering it. If the Quigleys were really involved in the incident, what would she do? The closer she was to finding the truth, the more uneasy she was. She didn't know if she should remain in the family if everything was true. Then, Summer exhaled deeply and decided to take a walk outside. Since Caroline wasn't keeping an eye on her anymore, she was free. As such, she changed her clothes and went out. As Summer's personal bodyguard, Lexi wanted to follow her. However, Summer wanted to be alone. After persuading her for a while, Lexi decided not to follow Summer. There were many people and cars on the streets. Summer walked around by herself. The atmosphere was lively, and many pedestrians were talking to each other. Advertisements blasted out of the speakers, and cars honked. This was Rosseera City, an
Monica sensed Summer's guardedness and could already tell that the latter was intentionally keeping a distance from the tone of her voice. So, she waved her hand and laughed. "Don't treat me like your enemy. I'm here to help you.""Help me?" "Yes, I'm going to help you. Don't you want to know the truth back then? The truth about your abduction." Summer was shocked. "You know the truth?""Of course." Monica narrowed her eyes and smiled eerily. "That's because I leaked the news out. Why wouldn't I know about it?"Her words felt like a punch to Summer's face. So, Monica was the one who had exposed the news! Summer couldn't understand why the latter had done that. After thinking about it, she realized that Monica wanted to ruin James' relationship with her. As expected, Monica was a smart person. As such, Summer became more wary once she figured out Monica's intentions. Though she didn't trust Monica, the latter knew the truth about what happened back then. Shouldn't Summ
"Of course I'll have to live a healthy life. You'll die before me!" Summer's life philosophy was that no matter what, she had to live a good life. There was nothing better than staying alive. After looking at the old man in front of her, she realized what was going on. Monica had brought her there so she could find out the truth. After all, the old man had been involved in the abduction. As such, she could discover the truth from him directly. "Tell me now. Did the Quigleys tell you to abduct me?" Summer asked. The old man hesitated. Was he trying to hide something from her?Summer snorted and said, "If you don't tell me the truth, I'll call the police on you. The incident wasn't resolved back then. If you don't want to spend your remaining days in a jail cell, you'd better tell me everything."However, her words were useless. The old man ignored Summer and looked at Monica instead. He seemed to be fearful. After Monica motioned for him to speak, he started talking.
"Haven't you figured out the truth? Everything that you witnessed just now was true."Monica thought that Summer was unwilling to face the truth, though it was right in front of her eyes. Back then, the Quigleys were the ones who abducted her. Actually, Summer didn't believe it completely. She thought, "I'll have to get the information from James himself. If he says the same thing, then I'll believe that the Quigleys were the culprits behind my abduction."Besides, Monica kept bugging Summer and even found the old man to reply to her questions. She might still wish to separate James from her. "Monica, don't you want to separate James and me? I'll give you a chance now." An idea popped up in Summer's head. Since Monica wanted to destroy James and Summer's relationship, Summer would let her do so. That was because she needed the Ritters' power to help her. Monica replied, "You're giving me a chance? That's interesting. I think you need my help instead, right?""Yes," Summe
Summer hugged Fred and Amelia and grinned. "I came back to visit you two. I was afraid that you'd think I didn't care about the both of you after I got married, so I came back."Summer was happy to see that Amelia and Fred were healthy and alert. In truth, she had gotten married to James for her family's sake. She had hoped that Amelia and Fred would live a good life and that Charter Corporation would continue operating smoothly. So, she'd had no choice but to marry James. Now that she'd come home again, Fred and Amelia asked her many questions. Those were easy to answer, like whether Summer was living well, how she was, and if she was happy. She didn't want to tell them the negative things that had happened. As such, she answered their questions positively. Amelia and Fred were happy that Summer was doing well. Just then, Fred started talking about a serious topic. "Actually, we wanted to call you to ask you something, but we were afraid you were too busy. We thought ab
Amelia asked, "So, they were all fake news? Really?""Of course!" Summer confirmed. "You know how popular James is with the media. They're out to give him bad press. The news about the Quigley family abducting me 18 years ago was completely false."Summer sounded certain, so Amelia and Fred believed her.She made sense—someone like James would be hounded by the media for sensational news. Besides, they saw how good James was to Summer.James had visited them with wedding gifts and asked for Summer's hand in marriage on his knees. Despite his level of prestige, his dedication and sincere affection toward Summer were crystal clear.Freed of doubts, Fred and Amelia chuckled, remarking that they had been too skeptical.Summer was glad to see them relieved, but she felt uneasy in her heart. She didn't know if the abduction was true or false.She stayed with Fred and Amelia for dinner and returned to her room afterward.Her room had remained the same even after she had married and mo
Fine. Finding James wouldn't be easy if he was determined to hide. Summer wouldn't be able to find him on her own anyway. She shouldn't complain when Monica was willing to help.She said nicely, "Monica, I'm counting on you. I can wait.""Don't worry. I won't make you wait for too long. I'll call you again tomorrow morning.""Okay."They hung up after that.Summer felt disappointed. She thought she would know James' whereabouts by that night, but Monica couldn't find him.This was the first time Summer had found it so hard to locate James. James had always been there at her beck and call, no matter how busy he was with work.This was the only time that he had avoided her when she wanted to see him.She wouldn't let it slide when she managed to find him.That was if she could find him. Summer put her hands together in a prayer, hoping that Monica would bring her good news about James the next day.…Her wish was granted the next morning. Monica called to say that she had conc
"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