"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
"James, you're back! Hurry, take a seat," Suzanne said.James' expression turned sour. He had explicitly told Caroline over the phone that he was coming home to dine with her, not with Suzanne. Yet, here Suzane was, right in the Quigley residence. Caroline anticipated her son's displeasure and explained, "You know I'm often alone here. Your father and brother are busy elsewhere, so I asked Suzanne to accompany me."She then smiled as if nothing was amiss. "Come join us, James. Let's have dinner together."James didn't move toward them. Instead, he turned to leave. He had lost his appetite for dinner, especially after he had made it clear to Caroline that he didn't want to see Suzanne.Since Caroline could break her word, he saw no reason why he couldn't leave. Without looking back, James headed for the door.Caroline had anticipated James' reaction. Hence, she signaled Luca and the other bodyguards to block his path. "Mr. Quigley, please wait. Mrs. Quigley has more to say."Ign
For James, love was paramount. Because of love, everything else seemed insignificant, like dust. He was willing to give up on his high position in the Quigley family and become a nameless beggar just so that he could be with Summer."I won't let Summie go. Mom, please don't waste your efforts," James said firmly.The battle lines seemed to be drawn. Normally, Caroline would back down when she saw James so upset out of her love for him. But today, she was determined not to yield.Standing up from her chair, Caroline argued, "Traditionally, families of equal standing should marry. Summer's background doesn't match ours!"She paused before addressing the heart of the matter. "James, even if I agreed to your marriage with Summer because you love her, she still hasn't fulfilled her duty. It's been over a year, and there's no sign of a child."Caroline couldn't compromise on this matter. A child was crucial to continue the Quigley family's legacy. Without a child, everything was at risk
"Why not consider…" Caroline didn't continue speaking. However, James understood her intentions; Caroline wanted to seize the opportunity and persuade him to divorce Summer.There was no way James would relent. He scoffed, "It's just a matter of time that Summie gets pregnant. Mom, there's no need to force us to divorce."After that, James lost interest in continuing the discussion. He strode out the door, ignoring Caroline's calls to stop. Frustrated, she had no choice but to let him go.Luca shuffled in quietly, bowing slightly. "Mrs. Quigley, perhaps it's best not to rush this. Mr. Quigley is quite stubborn and hard to sway."Caroline nodded, knowing Luca was right. She knew James' temperament well, and pushing too hard might have the opposite effect. Hence, Caroline resolved to let things unfold on their own. But she was sure that Summer had no future in their family.Three days later, the Charter Corporation buzzed with its usual activities. Summer had just returned home fr
"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