Summer tapped on James' shoulder and smiled. "What happened to your face? Haha! This is hilarious. Actually, it kind of suits you. You look good." James' face stiffened as he tried to control his temper. Wiping his face with a damp cloth, he growled, "Summie, can you tell me what's going on?""Huh? How would I know what happened? I just woke up." After a short pause, Summer continued with a puzzled expression, "It's really strange. Why would these weird things appear on your face? "Did a thief sneak in at night to draw on your cheeks? Or did pens grow legs and wander around your face?"Summer couldn't help but laugh at her joke. If a thief did break into the house, what kind of fool would waste time drawing on James' face instead of stealing valuables?And the idea of pens growing legs? Only a child would believe such nonsense.James, sharp as ever, wasn't buying it. He took a step closer, looming over her. "Summie, it's just you and me here. Who else could've done this?"Cl
Summer lifted her head after speaking and signaled for James to draw on her face, too. To her surprise, James didn't draw on her face. Instead, he caught her off guard with a sudden kiss. His lips were surprisingly cool against her skin, sending a shiver down her spine.When Summer snapped back to reality, her face burned a fiery red. Flustered, she stammered, "W-What are you doing? I never asked you to kiss me."James chuckled and replied, "Think of it as a punishment. Honestly, I wouldn't be able to bring myself to draw on your beautiful face. So, a kiss felt like the better option." This was a whole new side of James. He rarely complimented anyone, and expressing warmth wasn't his style. But here he was, surprisingly being romantic. Moreover, James claimed the kiss was a punishment. If that were his idea of punishment, Summer wouldn't mind him doing it a few more times. James had stirred Summer's heart, sending ripples of emotions coursing through her veins. The love hi
Summer rolled her eyes at Keith and tried to yank the car door open. "If you don't want me talking, then fine. Goodbye!"Summer was about to hop out when she realized the door was locked. The car's door had an automatic locking mechanism, which only the driver could unlock.Before Summer could ask Keith to unlock the door for her, he pressed the clutch and caused the car to lurch forward. His body lifted off the seat. In the blink of an eye, the yellow sports car was speeding down the street.The engine roared, and a streak of yellow light zoomed down the street. Even though Summer wasn't prone to motion sickness, she felt nauseous, and her stomach churned from the violent motion. "Stop the car, Keith! What's wrong with you? What are you trying to do?" Keith didn't respond to Summer's questions. He kept driving as if her life didn't matter. The car continued to sway violently. They had left the smooth roads and were now on a rugged dirt path. The bumpy ride, filled with rocks
Summer took a step closer and poked Keith in the arm. "Hey, what's the deal? You brought me here and haven't said a word.""I want you to accompany me.""Accompany you? Are you kidding? I'm busy!" It was 12:15 pm, half an hour before Summer's date with James. She had planned to have lunch with him but was dragged away by Keith.Shaking Keith's arm vigorously, Summer shouted, "Take me back right now! I don't care if you're in a bad mood. I'm not staying with you.""Are you really that eager to see James?""Of course.""What if he disappeared?" Keith's tone was serious, almost grave. Summer felt a chill run down her spine at the thought. If James vanished, she couldn't imagine how she would cope.Since Summer married James, he had become an integral part of her life. Their daily interactions and deep bonds had made them inseparable. If he were to be gone, Summer knew she would be devastated.But the idea seemed absurd. Summer tried to laugh it off. "What are you talking about
Contrary to Summer's expectations, James said over the phone, "I'm sorry, Summie. Something came up, so I have to cancel tonight's date.""Something came up? Why is the date canceled?"James was always dependable and kept his promises. Although a date wasn't a formal commitment, he had never canceled on her before since the moment they met.James' voice was calm but apologetic. "It's a work emergency, Summie. I really can't make it tonight.""If it's work, I get it. Take care of what you need to." Summer was a reasonable woman; she wasn't going to throw a fit over a canceled date. Working in the business world herself, she knew that sometimes work had to come first, and there were situations that simply couldn't be avoided. Thus, their date was effectively canceled. Over the phone, Summer reminded James to take care of himself and not to overwork before she hung up. As she glanced down, Summer noticed Keth sitting under the tree, smiling. It wasn't a friendly smile; it carrie
"Hey, Keith, you still haven't answered my question," Summer pressed. Despite the picturesque lake view, she wasn't in the mood to admire it. She needed to know what was going on with Keith."What question? Why did I know James wouldn't be free to see you tonight?" "Exactly!""Are you sure you want to know?" Keith leaned in, his smile turning sinister as if revealing the answer would shatter Summer's world.What could Summer possibly fear? She challenged him to speak the truth. "Tell me. How did you know James wasn't free to see me?""Because he's with Suzanne."The words pierced Summer's heart like an arrow. The mere mention of "Suzanne" caused her to feel dizzy. How could he be involved with her again?"Impossible! James would never be with Suzanne. I'm certain of that," Summer retorted.Summer knew how deeply James loved her. Moreover, James had long since cut ties with Suzanne. There was no way they could be involved again. However, that could be Summer's one-sided view.
Unfazed by Summer's decision to walk back, Keith gestured for her to leave. "I won't stop you if you want to leave. But be warned, there are pythons here.""Pythons?""Yes. They're about thirty feet long, big enough to swallow a whole person. After all, this area will be transformed into a commercial complex, and pythons are a great draw for tourists. That's why we have two of them here."Summer's spine tingled with a chill. Although she had never encountered a python in real life, she had seen them in movies. These terrifying creatures could reportedly swallow a tiger in one bite, so devouring a human would be no challenge."Darn it!" Summer cursed under her breath. She knew Keith was probably trying to scare her, but it worked. As long as there was a chance to bump into pythons, Summer would be too afraid to leave.Suddenly, Summer's anger subsided. "So, what exactly do you want? You can't expect me to stay here with you," she sneered."Just accompany me for half an hour. That'
Driven by curiosity and empathy, Summer felt compelled to console Keith."Why don't you talk to me about what happened? I'm not a fool. I know that you're upset." After a short pause, Summer added, "You weren't in a good mood earlier, were you? Otherwise, you wouldn't have asked me to stay with you."The moment was serene. The leaves rustled in the wind as a yellow warbler perched on a branch. The midday sun cast warm, bright rays that filtered through the leaves, creating intricate patterns on the ground.After taking a deep breath, Keith asked, "Can you promise not to share what I'm about to say with anyone else?"Since Keith was willing to confide in her, Summer agreed, "Of course! I won't breathe a word. I'll forget everything you tell me after hearing it."Upon hearing Summer's assurance, Keith confessed, "I may lose my position as the heir.""What?" Summer exclaimed in shock. This was big news indeed. Keith, one of the heirs of the four major prestigious families, was a