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
Keith's fraudulent accounting practices masked the Ritter Corporation’s actual financial state, creating an illusion of sustained profitability that misled the public. Eventually, Ritter Corporation’s supervisory authority found out about his fraudulent actions, leading to severe consequences. It was no wonder Keith was in such a foul mood. Summer tried to comfort Keith. "Your position as heir is not set in stone. It's not a foregone conclusion that you'll be stripped of it. After all, Ritter Corporation is one of the four major enterprises. "Even if you experience a bad year, you can bounce back next year. They won't relinquish your position as the heir."Summer thought Keith was overreacting. In the history of the four major prestigious families, no heir had ever been disinherited due to poor business performance. The worst that would happen was a few days of punishment and some scolding.Moreover, Ritter Corporation was still going strong. Though slightly weakened, it was st
"All right. How did you feel just now? What did you feel when you touched me?"Keith's sudden and suggestive remark caught Summer off guard. Anyone who overheard their conversation might assume something romantic between them. However, Summer remained silent, unwilling to engage in such an inappropriate conversation.Seeing Summer's lack of response, Keith pressed on. "Why aren't you saying anything? Didn't you ask for proof? "Well, here's your proof. Feel my heartbeat. It's racing, isn't it? That's evidence."Keith was right. Summer recalled the moment when she touched his chest, feeling his heart pounding like a drum in his chest. It was so strong and rapid.There were only a few reasons why someone's heart would beat so fast: either they had a heart condition or they were experiencing strong emotions. One of the most common causes was nervousness or excitement when being around someone they loved. Since Keith used his racing heart as evidence, Summer had no choice but to ret
"Who revealed your supposed affection for me?" Summer asked."My younger sister, Monica," Keith replied.Summer was familiar with the lovely, petite girl who harbored a deep affection for James. She had been constantly attempting to sabotage Summer and James' relationship."Just because she claims you like me, that doesn't mean it's true. Why don't you deny it?"Only those directly involved could truly know whether or not someone liked them. If Keith adamantly denied his feelings for Summer, no one could do anything about it.In truth, Keith had tried this approach before. However, Monica was determined to dethrone him from his position as heir. So, she had meticulously prepared for this moment."Monica had gathered enough evidence, including my diary, photos from my room, and records of the fake accounts I created for the company. Without all that, the elders would never have believed her." Keith's voice trailed off, but it was clear how dejected he felt. He had been outsmarte