Summer was extremely pleased with the nanny James had hired. Later that evening, after Tina had gone home, she asked him where he had found someone so competent.James was sitting on the bed, reviewing some business documents. When Summer mentioned Tina, he smiled with a touch of nostalgia. "Tina was my nanny, too. She took care of me when I was a kid.""What?" Summer's jaw dropped in shock. She had no idea that Tina had been James' nanny. No wonder he trusted her so implicitly.Given James' cautious nature, he was always wary of people, especially when it came to selecting people to care for Summer. However, James hadn't asked many questions about Tina. He even let her change the way things were arranged in the house, giving her complete control over the decor. It all made sense now, knowing the history they shared.Summer couldn't help but be impressed by Tina's abilities. At least when it came to picking the right people, James clearly had a better eye than she did."Tina rea
Six butlers stood rigidly at the entrance, flanked by ten housekeepers arranged in two lines to welcome Summer. However, this display only served to create an invisible pressure weighing heavily on her. As she walked through this human corridor, it felt as though countless stones were pressing on her chest, making it hard to breathe. Caroline sat on an antique rosewood chair at the front of the living room in a tailored dress. She exuded the aura of a distinguished matriarch. She lifted her eyes and looked at Summer with a condescending gaze. "So, you've finally arrived.""Mom, is there something you need?" Summer forced a smile, but it was more of a grimace. The atmosphere was tense and intimidating. With sharp eyes watching her every move, Summer felt extremely uneasy.Caroline didn't immediately reveal the purpose of this meeting. Instead, she gestured with a slight wave of her hand, prompting Luca to step forward with a wooden tray in his hands. He presented it to Summer.
As fate would have it, Summer's pregnancy was particularly discreet, and it had only been confirmed in the last few days. In fact, James had only found out yesterday. Naturally, Caroline could not have known any sooner. Moreover, James had been extremely protective of Summer, especially after discovering the pregnancy. He immediately locked down all the information. Even Caroline, with her extensive network of spies around Summer, had no way of finding out so quickly. Caroline sneered, looking every bit like a tiger, ready to pounce. "Summer, it's bad enough that you're not pregnant, but now you're trying to lie to me? It seems that with James protecting you, you've grown increasingly bold." After saying this, she called out, "Luca, bring it over."Luca bowed and handed her an old-fashioned feather duster. The sight of it sent a chill down Summer's spine. Was Caroline really planning to punish her in front of everyone? If James found out about this later, he would undoubtedly
"That's not what I meant—I would never doubt your word."Caroline and Lilian had been friends for a long time. Since they had such a close bond, Caroline trusted her. If Lilian was also claiming that Summer was pregnant, it must be true.Now, Caroline was staring at Summer's belly with a greedy expression. "I can't believe this. You're carrying my first-ever grandchild.""Yes, I am." Summer felt incredibly relieved. She'd finally gained Caroline's trust. At the very least, the latter wouldn't pick on her for the foreseeable future.They returned to the Quigley residence after the hospital appointment. On the way back, Caroline was significantly nicer toward Summer. She used to be aggressive and vicious, but she was now speaking to her in a much gentler voice. During the ride home, she kept asking her about her favorite foods and the clothes she wanted to wear.Summer wasn't surprised. Now that she was pregnant, it was only natural that Caroline would treat her in a different way
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
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
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
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,