"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
With a playful grin, Summer continued, "Helping you would benefit me in two ways. Firstly, it would prevent Monica from becoming the Ritter family heir, and secondly, you would owe me a significant favor."Summer's motive for obstructing Monica's ascension to the heir position was rooted in her affection for James. Should Monica become the heir, she might wield her power to pursue James relentlessly.Summer already had a rival in Suzanne; adding Monica to the mix would only lead to a headache. Furthermore, Summer sought to extract a favor from Keith."What do you think, Keith? Allow me to assist you. I'm confident in securing your position as heir, but in return, you'll owe me a favor." Keith's eyes flickered as if he was interested in Summer's suggestion. He asked, "First, tell me what your plan is. Second, what do you need me to do to repay your favor?""It's easy. Monica mentioned you like me, right? Well, I've got a way to prove you don't. Isn't that helpful? As for the favor
Keith understood Summer's intentions. She was trying to provoke him so that he would agree to her terms."You're so naive. Did you really think you could provoke me so easily?" he sneered."I'm not provoking you. I'm just stating the obvious. You're more ambitious and competitive than James," Summer said, hitting the nail on the head.Why did Keith always view James as his competitor? That was because they were so similar—both in personality and family background. Moreover, both men were incredibly talented.The difference was that James had risen from darkness to light while Keith had sunk deeper into the shadows. Furthermore, James could set aside his career for love; Keith would sacrifice everything for his ambitions.Summer turned to face Keith, and their gazes met. After a moment, he smiled."You really are something else." Next, Keith held Summer's hand and continued, "All right. You've got a deal. Let's make this work."Summer was surprised by Keith's agreement. She had e
"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