"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