If Summer had a child, Caroline would turn a blind eye even if she wanted to embezzle Quigley Group's properties.Yet, nothing mattered if Summer didn't have a child. This was the baseline for Caroline. So long as Summer had a child, everything else could be discussed.James' expression turned serious. He knew it was possible to have a child with Summer within six months. After all, they were a healthy couple. As such, she could get pregnant within that time frame. Yet, was Summer willing to go through the stages of pregnancy and give birth?Still, they had already consummated their marriage. If they wanted to continue living happily, having a child would be necessary. Thus, James agreed to Caroline's request. However, he had one condition. "Mom, we can have a child, but I'd like to hold a wedding.""A wedding?""Yes. I want to give Summer a wedding. I wish to marry her officially, and I want everyone to know that she's my wife."His voice grew louder as he spoke. Every wom
Summer walked over and held James' arm. "Did something good happen? You look happy.""No…" Actually, James was a little flustered, but he kept his composure. His expression was stiff like a statue. Despite that, Summer noticed something was amiss because she was his wife. To stop Summer from getting suspicious, James told her about what happened at the Quigley residence. "I had a chat with Mom. She admits that she was in the wrong and even promised not to say such things in front of you from now on."On the other hand, Summer was in disbelief. How could her mother-in-law admit her mistakes? That was impossible. She believed that Caroline was a stubborn old lady. It would already be great if she didn't bully her. Why would she apologize to Summer?Summer looked suspicious. "James, you're not pulling my leg, right?""I would never," James replied coldly. He had a strict expression on his face. Although he was just putting on an act, he succeeded in convincing Summer. Since
Summer half raised her eyebrows, somewhat suspiciously asking, "James, have you really never been in a relationship before? I noticed that you're quite skilled with your kisses, and you seem to know some weird things.""Weird things?""Yes, some weird techniques, like just now…" Summer was about to say he used his tongue to kiss her neck, but her words were stuck in her throat.Summer felt embarrassed. How could she say such things? Besides, she found such intimate gestures a bit repulsive.Summer turned away, deciding not to speak to James anymore.Seeing her silent, James circled around and appeared in front of her. "What's wrong?""Nothing! Forget it… I don't want to talk to you. I'm going back to the room to rest." Summer felt that if she said anything more, it would only get worse. In this case, she might as well go back.She had first come out to check if anything had happened to James in the Quigley residence. Now that she confirmed he was fine, it was time for her to g
In the office corridor, Kyle saw Summer full of smiles and asked, "Ms. Charter, did something good happen? You look very happy.""Huh? Nothing's happened…""Nothing's happened? Your expression says otherwise."Summer immediately hid the joy from her face. Indeed, she had been smiling too sweetly. It would be strange if others couldn't tell.She cleared her throat and changed the subject. "By the way, I haven't asked yet—how are the two projects you've been handling recently?"Summer was referring to the Sunflower Garden and New Paradise Villa projects, both of which Kyle was overseeing.Now that she asked, Kyle brought Summer to his office and pulled out some drawings from a pile of thick files."Look, Ms. Charter, these are the designs a few engineers and I came up with yesterday. I hope you'll find them satisfactory."Kyle displayed two exquisite drawings, the overall plans for the Sunflower Garden and New Paradise Villa areas. The drawings were very intricate, depicting ever
Keith's appearance sparked discussions among the company's employees. It was no wonder. After all, he was naturally handsome. His mother was half Rasnian, so his mixed heritage gave him an exotic look.However, Summer couldn't help but feel awkward seeing him. Recently, there were many scandals around her, not to mention the commotion caused by Simone in the company.Moreover, Summer was now a married woman. If a single man came to see her for reasons other than work, it would definitely attract criticism.Summer waved her hand, gesturing for Keith to enter her office, then asked, "Why are you here? Is there something you need?""Yes, I came to apologize to you."Summer knew why he was apologizing. It must be because of the incident a while ago when he abducted her and attempted to violate her.However, Summer didn't take the matter to heart because she knew Keith didn't do it on purpose.In fact, Summer had wanted to talk to Keith about it earlier. Now that he was here, she too
Keith didn't say anything. The faint smile on his lips disappeared, replaced by a cold and solemn expression.Keith was calculative, and his ultimate goal was to provoke James. He wanted to defeat the man before him and take away everything he loved.Since last year, Keith noticed that James had changed—his personality and behavior were different. Keith wondered what was the reason for this change. After some digging, he discovered that it was Summer."Just like me, James was abandoned, ignored by God. But I must admit, us loners possess something that others can't do without—talent!" Keith said as he stood up, raising both hands.A majestic air emanated from him, like a heavy mountain, giving off a suffocating pressure.At this moment, Keith was his true self. Unlike James, he was inherently cold and cruel.After saying that, he lowered his head and continued, "Summer, do you know? You are a pawn, a toy between him and me. James has always been my opponent. It would mean a lot i
James had reported Keith to the police and had him arrested, but he still appeared perfectly fine in front of Summer. It seemed that the Ritters had used considerable means to have Keith released from the police station."Alright, you're amazing, Keith. So, what do you want now? Didn't you come here today to apologize to me? You don't look very apologetic right now."An apologetic person wouldn't act so cocky.Summer complained, "If you really want to apologize, be sincere. At the very least, say you're sorry.""Fine, I'm sorry," he said without any emotion. What was more, he was sitting on the office chair with his head held high. Like the lead wolf in front of a pack, he exuded aloofness.Summer felt extremely displeased. If he was going to apologize in this tone, he might as well not apologize at all.However, Summer wasn't petty, so she waved her hand and said, "If there's nothing else, please leave. I'm busy.""There is something else. I want to invite you for dinner."Sum
There was a dark side hidden beneath Keith's personality. Deep within him, there was a twisted and fragmented train of thought. As a former good friend of his, James felt that Keith needed help, which was why he agreed to let Summer help.But suddenly, James had a change of heart. Now, his cold expression showed that he was not willing."Summie, listen to me. You can't be alone with him. I allow you to help him, but you can't meet him like this!""Why are you so worked up… I'm just having dinner with him." Summer couldn't understand. She wasn't going on a date with Keith; there was no harm in having a meal together.Although Summer felt that having dinner wasn't a big deal, James thought otherwise.Summer agreeing to dinner with Keith now could lead to a movie next time. Then, what would happen after that?As a man who liked Summer, James couldn't stop himself from showing concern. Even though he was trying to appear calm, he was filled with unsettling nervousness.James knew
"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