"James, you..." Summer was speechless. Even though they were in love, did he really need to display his affection so publicly? They would make any single person envious. Everyone who dined there could see James' declaration of love for Summer on the ceiling.Noticing Summer's embarrassed expression, James thought she did not like it. He said, "What's wrong, Summer? If you don't like it, I can have it removed.""It's not that I don't like it…" Summer turned away, feeling a bit awkward. "It's just a little embarrassing, but I do quite like it."Summer couldn't deny how much she appreciated James' public affection. It made her happy, filling her heart with warmth. Her smile was bright and genuine, as if love had spread throughout her entire being.Then, the waiter brought out the dishes, which were unique traditional recipes believed to have been enjoyed in ancient times. James had ordered the chef to recreate them from lost cookbooks, with a few named especially after Summer. Some
Keith didn't respond at first. His expression was cold and unreadable as he stared at Summer in silence.Upon seeing his demeanor, Summer felt a twinge of unease but pressed on, "What's with the look? Can you at least give me a reaction? Do you remember her?""I remember. Why are you bringing her up? I'm not interested in her." He seemed to know exactly where Summer was heading and preemptively cut her off with his blunt declaration.Summer was naturally disappointed upon hearing this. She hadn't expected Keith to be interested in Kelly, but she hoped he would at least show some courtesy instead of being so blunt."Hey, Keith. Is there something wrong with my friend? You did meet her once. "Let's not talk about interest yet. I just want to know what you think of her as a person," Summer urged, knowing that matchmaking wasn't easy—it required patience and a gentle touch.Keith, who was a man at the pinnacle of the business world, easily saw through Summer's intentions. "Are you t
"Keith, let me emphasize again; it's impossible between us. But you stand a chance with Kelly. Don't you feel you two are meant to be?" Summer was contemplating whether to bring up the fact that they had crossed paths once, four years ago. She assumed Keith had forgotten about it, but surprisingly, he hadn't. With a cold smile, he countered, "Is meeting once really fate? I know Kelly likes me. Four years ago, when she was an intern reporter, she interviewed me. Maybe she liked me from that time?"The revelation left Summer speechless; she was stunned that Keith knew about it all along.Summer slammed the table in frustration and asked, "Since you know everything, why won't you agree to the date?"Just because I know doesn't mean I have to agree. I have no interest in Kelly." Keith's tone was calm and justified. Indeed, just knowing someone likes you, or having met once, didn't obligate you to date them. Love had to be mutual, and it couldn't be forced.At this moment, Summer
"My condition is that before I go on a date with her, you have to go on a date with me.""A date with you? You must be joking!" Summer almost jumped out of her seat. If she really went on a date with Keith, it would be a betrayal of James. She was James' wife, and doing something like that was unthinkable. Besides, Kelly liked Keith, and if Summer did such a thing, she'd be betraying her best friend. Without a second thought, Summer refused, "That's absolutely impossible. Change the condition.""Another condition?" Keith flashed a mysterious, wicked smile.He leaned over the table toward Summer, closing the space between them. "What do you think I need? Money, power, status, reputation—I have it all. "Besides, I never chase after those things. What I truly want is..." Suddenly, Keith raised his hand, his fingers brushing against Summer's cheek. The touch made her hair stand on end, and she nearly fell off her chair."W-What are you doing?" Summer exclaimed in panic."I did
Keith flinched from the sting of Summer's slap, his face darkening with displeasure.Summer huffed, "See? Don't think you can bully me. If you keep this up, I'll really hit you—""Haha!" Keith laughed as it was the first time Summer attacked him. Perhaps he found her spirited defiance amusing. Lowering his gaze, Keith firmly stated, "I like you, Summer. You don't belong with James. You're a better match for me."Why was Keith so shameless? He's even spouting nonsense! Summer raised her hand to strike again, but Keith was faster and caught her wrist in his grip."Stop it. How can a girl like you be a match for me in a fight?" Keith's hand was like a crab's claw; once it clamped down, escape was impossible. The more Summer struggled, the more her wrist hurt. She realized how naive she had been. If it came down to a physical confrontation, she couldn't possibly outmatch someone like Keith, who had martial arts training."Let go! It hurts," Summer said tersely. Keith, surprisi
Labeling it as an investment might sound appealing. But in reality, it was more of a takeover. Keith knew Summer wasn't easy to fool. As the president of Charter Corporation and a business administration graduate, she should understand these things well.Keith didn't bother sugarcoating his intentions any further. "You know how big Ritter Corporation is. Accepting my investment means you can leverage our resources, and Charter Corporation can grow stronger."He wasn't wrong. With Ritter Corporation's backing, Charter Corporation could thrive. At the very least, it would protect Summer from Caroline's threats.Caroline often used the Quigley family's influence to pressure Summer. If she didn't comply, Charter Corporation would suffer. Partnering with Ritter Corporation would provide a strong defense, making it harder for Caroline to cause trouble.However, partnering with Keith was like making a pact with the devil. Summer would lose control of her company, and the business coul
Summer offered a favor in exchange for Keith agreeing to go on a date with Kelly. She was really going all out for her best friend. After all, Summer had confidently promised Kelly on the phone last night that she would help set up a date with Keith. If she failed, she would be letting her friend down. To her surprise, Keith gave a mischievous smile and agreed. "Okay. As you wish."With that, he walked past Summer, heading straight for the café’s entrance. As he walked, he casually added, "Don't forget you owe me a favor. As for the date, time, and place, you can decide."Once Keith disappeared through the café’s revolving glass door, the surroundings went quiet, as if nothing had happened at all.For some reason, Summer felt like she had fallen into Keith's trap. What if Keith asked her to put her life in danger? Would she go through with it or not?The more Summer thought about it, the more it bothered her. She felt like she'd lost her mind to make such a promise to Keith. St
Kelly had been on dates before, but they were always arranged by the men pursuing her. Now that she was the one initiating the date with Keith, she had to plan everything herself, from where they would go to what they would do. Summer had already discussed the plans with Kelly over the phone: dinner, a movie, and a walk. While these activities might seem a bit cliché, they were reliable ways to deepen their connection through shared experiences.Summer had also advised Kelly to open up and share her feelings during the date. Hopefully, she would win over Keith's heart.Kelly understood and expressed her gratitude for Summer's help. Summer simply wished her good luck with the date. Even though Summer now owed Keith a favor, she felt the sacrifice was worth it.Summer was lounging on the sofa, waiting for James to come home. Unexpectedly, his call came through before he arrived.The phone rang, and Summer picked it up. "Summie, I won't be home for dinner today. I need to go back