Later into the night, the Quigleys' Christmas party gradually came to an end. When the clock struck midnight, snow began to fall, and the day came to an end.The next morning, Summer was standing under the sun in her nightgown. It was still snowing lightly, and the entire city was covered in white.Winter was a beautiful season. When she was younger, she used to love having snowball fights with her friends in an empty field. After she grew older, she never got the chance to do so again.Now, she was standing on the balcony. The cold winter breeze was blowing at her when she suddenly had an idea. Subsequently, she returned to the bedroom and woke James up."Wake up, James Quigley." Determined to wake him, she pinched his cheeks. James might look grouchy all the time, but he was actually extremely patient. Despite being woken up by Summer, he still looked as calm as ever. Now that he was awake, the latter proceeded to tell him her idea. "It's snowing outside. I did a quick check,
In the modern day, some would claim that it was easy to tell if a person loved you. If a poor man loved you, he would spend a lot of money on you. On the contrary, if a wealthy man loved you, he'd give you all his time. James was clearly an extremely wealthy man. How could he be unwilling to spend some of his time with her?"Do you love me, James?" Summer questioned."That's an age-old question, Summie." Love was a philosophical question that had confounded plenty of historical figures. Now, James didn't know how to answer her question either.She scoffed at the sight of his hesitation. Subsequently, she reached forward and pinched his nose. "Do you even love me?" she demanded. "Why is it taking you so long to answer my question? Now that we've been together for so long, are you starting to get sick of me?""No way!" He replied fiercely. He even raised his right hand and swore, "I, James Quigley, love Summer Charter very, very much.""Right. Since you love me, you should be ab
James dodged it with ease. Afterward, he made another snowball of his own and threw it at her. Once again, the snowball landed on her with a smack before breaking apart. Smaller bits of ice even managed to get inside her clothes. She felt extremely unlucky. "I'll make you pay for your actions, James." Summer already had a couple of huge snowballs ready. She shielded herself from his attacks with one hand and hurled the snowballs at him with another. Despite being adamant about getting revenge, none of her snowballs managed to hit him. He was very agile and quick at dodging. For the next ten minutes, he was the only one that was attacking. Summer, on the other hand, missed all of her shots. She wanted to throw in the towel. She proposed a snowball fight with the intention of teasing him. To her dismay, he didn't think to go easy on her at all.Frustrated, she demanded, "Stand there, James. Don't move a muscle.""Why? I'm not stupid.""You—" she exclaimed."I can't believe
Zach was seething with rage. If it were legally permissible, he would have killed Freddie right then and there because Freddie's signature had cost the company nearly 100 billion. He slammed his hand on the desk and asked sharply, "Tell me, Mr. Crane: what on earth happened? Don't tell me you don't know anything. If you didn't, why is your signature on the contract?""Mr. Myers, I really don't know what happened.""Really? Freddie, I suspect you have betrayed the company and privately transferred assets belonging to the Myers Corporation. You need to understand that these three buildings are the property of Myers Corporation, and you are now implicated in commercial crime!"Zach's usually composed face was now filled with fury. He was genuinely enraged.Freddie looked confused and was clearly distressed. He had no idea why his signature appeared on the contract.In his memory, he hadn't signed anything related to the sale of these commercial buildings. Was the signature forged?
But it was precisely because of this that Freddie continued to plead. "Mr. Myers, please believe me. I will get to the bottom of this and find out who's behind it. I'll start investigating right away.""Enough. Leave.""Mr. Myers…" He was still unwilling to give up. He knew that if he didn't fight for himself, he might end up facing charges of leaking company secrets and committing commercial crimes, possibly ending up in substantial debt. He needed to take responsibility for this situation.Zach, however, was done with the discussion. Freddie was nothing more than a pawn in the Myers Corporation, a well-respected senior from the previous generation with considerable power and influence. Now that he was in charge, this was the perfect opportunity to eliminate Freddie.He said coldly, "Mr. Crane, I'll say it one more time. Leave now, or I will hold you accountable immediately."Being held accountable meant Freddie would have to make up for the loss of 100 billion dollars. Upon he
Normally, Summer would need to return to work. However, with the Charter Corporation running smoothly and Gerald overseeing operations in her absence, nothing would likely go wrong.So, she decided to enjoy one more day of fun. With Rosseera City blanketed in snow, she wanted to go skiing and ice skating—she hadn't done these in a while.Back in the day, she would often drag Kelly along to enjoy these activities. But as they grew up and became busy, they eventually stopped playing."It's decided! I'm taking James out to play!" She cheerfully thought while rushing back indoors and leaping onto the bed. She pulled off the covers to wake James. "Come on. Let's go out!"Yesterday, she had a blast having a snowball fight with him. They played all day, but she felt they hadn't quite had enough fun.To her surprise, she found him curled up like a caterpillar when she lifted the blanket. His handsome, pale face was flushed and hot. His breath was faint, and his lips were pale. He looked v
This only made Summer feel even more guilty. If she hadn't insisted on playing around, James wouldn't be in this condition. His handsome face was flushed red, his breath was weak, and his limbs were warm. The usually formidable man now looked so fragile, as though he was on the brink of death.Noticing Summer's guilt, Charlie tried to comfort her. "Mrs. Quigley, please don't worry too much. Mr. Quigley did this willingly."Summer was taken aback and immediately asked, "What do you mean by willingly?"Charlie explained, "To be honest, when Mr. Quigley went out to play in the snow with you yesterday, I tried to dissuade him. "He has an extreme sensitivity to cold and is highly susceptible to falling ill because of it. Once the cold invades his body, he becomes extremely weak. In severe cases, it could be fatal. "But despite this, he insisted on playing with you. He said that he would regret it if he didn't.""Regret?""Yeah. Mr. Quigley has never played so wildly in the snow b
Summer paused, her eyes shimmering with emotion. "I know that you're sensitive to the cold. You shouldn't be exposed like that. "Last time, when Suzanne pushed you into the pool, you caught a cold. And now I made you play in the snow with me. It's no wonder you got sick. It's all my fault."Summer looked so pitiful, like a child who had done something wrong. Seeing her like this, James couldn't stay upset; he was feeling concerned instead.He raised his hand and gently patted her head. "Don't dwell on it anymore. I'm fine now, aren't I? So, stop worrying. Otherwise, I'll be upset."With that, James tried to put on a stern face, though it was obvious he was just pretending to be angry. Even though he usually had a cold and aloof demeanor—especially when genuinely upset—this time, he wasn't very convincing. James' mouth turned downwards, but it was clear he was holding back a smile. He probably found his own expression awkward and was inwardly laughing at himself.Summer stood u
"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