Liam was looking at Blake the entire time. He said with a smile, "We're acquainted. Are you heading home? Let me give you a lift."Blake responded, "I think..."Before Blake rejected Liam, she noticed a bus pass by the bus stop. She immediately changed her mind, "Thank you then."Blake's colleague from the Editorial Department next to them glanced over with curiosity and said, "Mr. Xander, I've arranged a ride for you. It'll be here very soon."Liam responded, "Okay."He wondered, 'Could this be a new opportunity?'Soon, the car arrived. Blake and Liam got into the cab together. She comfortably leaned back in the seat and said, "I usually take the bus after work. Never thought I'd get a ride home with my idol. Thanks, Liam."Liam's gazed gently at Blake and said with a smile, "You don't have to call me your idol. Just Liam is fine."Blake responded, "But I like calling you 'my idol'."Liam replied, "Okay, it's up to you."Curious, Blake asked, "What brings you to Jardin Corpo
Even if they saw each other at the company, Blake could still keep her calm.At that moment, a colleague from the Editorial Department brought Blake a work badge and asked, "Blake, what's your relationship with Xander Gale? He insisted on working with you for the book signing. I'm jealous! could you get a complete set of books for me?"Blake happily put on the work badge and flicked her hair smugly before saying, "Sure, it's no big deal."Then came another request, "One more thing. I'm embarrassed to ask, but could you do me this favor?"Blake agreed, "Do tell."The editorial colleague said, "I found Xander's contact and texted him, but he hasn't responded."Blake replied, "I'll mention it to him, but I can't promise anything.""It's okay, it'll work if you tell him. I think he treats you differently. Also, the car's here. You should hurry. Xander is waiting for you," said the editorial colleague.The book signing event was at half past nine, so there was still half an hour. Ma
When the car arrived, Olivia opened the car door for Liam. She turned and asked, "What's wrong?""I'm waiting for her," Liam answered. His eyes fixed in Blake's direction.Not far away, Blake held four cups of lattes while running over. She was panting slightly, and her cheeks were flushed. She said cheerfully, "Lattes on me."Olivia declined, "I'm sorry, Ms. Dion. Liam and I don't drink lattes."Liam surprised both by accepting the latte and said, "It's fine. I can drink it."Then, Liam opened the door to the backseat and gestured, "Hop on."Blake replied, "Thank you."Liam usually sat with Olivia, who acted more like his personal assistant than an editor. Their website was once a little-known literary platform, but after Liam's debut as Xander Gale, it outperformed many renowned sites in earnings. With expansion and its own sales channels, the site is not a leader in literature.Meeting Liam was a stroke of luck for Olivia. Back then, her mother was undergoing cancer surgery.
The manager smiled and continued, "Mr. and Mrs. Jardin have reserved the whole place."Blake could not hide her envy. She said, "Imagine being that wealthy! One day, I'd love to do the same."Liam looked at Blake and smiled, "You will."Olivia stopped outside the corridor and said, "Mrs. Jardin just wants to meet Liam, so we don't need to go in, Ms. Dion. Let's just sit at the main dining area."Blake chuckled and boasted, "I'm sorry, but I'm here to meet my friend. I've already texted Madelyn on the way here."Liam chuckled and said, "It's okay. She can come with me. You can go back, Olivia. When we are done, I will send Blake back."Olivia furrowed her brows, then swiftly suppressed her emotions. She replied, "Alright, there are matters regarding your publishing that need my attention. Don't forget to check your royalties this month. There might be a surprise in there.""Let's go," said Liam. He opened the door and ignored Olivia. Blake smiled at Liam followed him in.In the
Liam had not left yet and asked, "Why didn't you give her the latte you bought?"Blake picked up the remaining three lattes and said, "Madelyn had surgery before and still recovering, so she can't drink this. Besides, it's been out for so long. If she got sick from drinking it, Mr. Jardin might kill me. You don't know how scary he can be."Blake took a deep breath and continued, "It's up to me to finish it all."Zach had recently upgraded to a luxurious new Bentley. He spent most of his time by Madelyn's side while making preparations for their wedding. The new car offered a smooth ride and had plenty of space. Besides the drinks and food, it was mostly filled with baby supplies.Zach asked Madelyn, "Have you met him?"Madelyn replied, "Mhm, he's quite young. I think Blake is dating Liam. They seem like a perfect match."Zach's expression kept changing throughout the conversation. It turned gloomy at the start before returning to normal."You're already married, so stop dreaming
Blake fought back, "No, I'm already off the clock."Kevin warned her, "Did you forget what I told you? You'll suffer the consequence if you don't get in."'He's threatening me!' Blake thought. She shouted back at him firmly, "We've already broken up, so why are you still looking for me? It's after work, and you still want to take up my free time! You're heartless!"After Blake finished, she pretended to cry and wiped her tears. Kevin lost his patience and got out of his car. He said, "Before you cry, make sure you have tears on your face.""Mr. Harrison," A gentle voice suddenly rang from not far away. Blake saw her and greeted her with a bowed head, "Ms. Parker.""What a coincidence! We meet again," Audrey Parker said."Ms. Parker, it's windy today. Let us go inside quickly," Audrey's maid suggested.Audrey was dressed in a white fur coat while her hair was tied into a bun. Her features were soft and had an air of elegance. She also looked weak, as if a gust of wind could blow
Liam replied, "I do."Liam's reply was lost in a cold breeze, and Blake could not hear it clearly. Leaves rustled and fell from the roadside trees as she turned back. She felt disappointed.'Kevin had already left with Audrey.' Blake thought to herself.Blake embraced herself and straightened her long, wispy hair near her ear. She asked, "Liam, why is this happening to me? He's the one who asked me out, but why is he so cold to me now? We just broke up yesterday, and now he's keeping me in suspense. Do you think he's just keeping me on the hook?"Blake may not be a top student but she graduated from a reputable university. She did not have much dating experience in her student days. The senior Blake dated found her too rigid and chose the campus belle from the neighboring art school instead.She remained single until now, and it was rare for her to find someone she liked. However, the person she liked was treating her badly.Blake had never felt so frustrated. She continued, "Eve
Blake lay on the couch with an adoring gaze, tilting her head as she watched the person who looked handsome even when reading documents.The staff in the Administrative Department were jealous that she got to work as Kevin's assistant. They thought being able to see his good looks every day could make their food taste better.After Kevin finished his work, Blake switched off the last main switch, and they stepped into the elevator to go down. Coincidentally, a group of coworkers who had just finished work emerged from the adjacent elevator on the ground floor, excitedly discussing plans to grab some late-night snacks.One bold female colleague among them called to Kevin, "Mr. Harrison, did you guys also just finish work? How about grabbing a bite with us? With the company landing such a big project, it wouldn't be right if Mr. Harrison didn't treat us!""Yes! We rarely work this late. Mr. Harrison, please join us for late-night snacks!" The colleagues behind them all chimed in."I
Liam was standing in the rain, and though it hadn't been long, he was thoroughly drenched.Blake quickly pulled him close, her voice laced with concern. "Are you crazy? It's pouring rain! What if you catch a cold?"Liam's look was subdued, his face showing signs of fatigue. "I'm okay. This is for you; I didn't want you to have to come out in this weather."As Blake took in his forlorn appearance, her heart softened suddenly. 'Am I losing my mind?' she thought."Now you'll have to pay more attention to me, Blake... I was just so scared of losing you. I've put everything I have into getting you to agree to marry me; the idea of you walking away is unbearable."Overwhelmed with emotion, Blake locked eyes with him. "Did she teach you to say that too?" she asked, her hand moving on its own to brush away the raindrops from his hair.A maid nearby, observing the scene, rushed over with a blanket and an umbrella. However, Grace, fully grasping the gravity of the moment, halted her. Ackno
Cecilia said, "It's fine. Let's give them a week. Rearrange the flight and all the plans for the trip. This is Blake's first time getting married and going abroad for honeymoon. I want to make sure she has a good time."Susan nodded. "Okay, Ms. Samford."Not long after Cecilia left, three editors who used to work for Olivia's company entered her office. All of them spoke in panic, "Ms. Blue, what should we do? Ms. Samford already knows everything. If the legal department finds out about it, will we go to jail?"Olivia remained calm as she said, "Don't panic. Just focus on your work.""But we got into this company through you. What if they say we got into this company through the back door and then fired us?"Olivia sat at her desk, supporting her forehead with her hands. She was obviously panicking. "Don't worry, I'll handle this."You guys can leave now."Olivia did not expect this matter to be exposed so soon. She wondered how Cecilia found out about it. 'Could it be that she'
StartReading Literary was the last place Cecilia wanted to be. But she made an exception this time.Olivia had just finalized a cooperative copyright deal with another website company. Several editors from her own company were there at StartReading Literary. As she entered the office, she saw all the editors from StartReading Literary sitting upright, not daring to make a sound.She also saw her office door was wide open. She frowned as she walked into her office and was surprised to see an unexpected gust.Olivia put down the documents in her hand. "Ms. Samford, what brings you here?"With her legs crossed and Susan standing behind her, Cecilia stared at Olivia, who was in front of her.Cecilia sneered and stood up. She ran her fingers along the desk. "StartReading is actually the last place I want to be. I came here because I found out that you enjoy meddling in other people's affairs. Otherwise, you wouldn't even qualify to see me."Olivia instantly looked wary. She remained s
Liam stood up. He watched as Blake, who looked weary, walked away. "Blake, what do you want me to do so you'll like me?"Blake did not stop walking. Instead, she took even bigger steps and left.She went to the Harper residence, which surprised everyone.Grace asked, "Blake? Why did you come back here? Where's Liam? Why didn't he come back with you?"Blake stuttered, unable to find the words. She just made up an excuse, saying, "It's nothing. I just wanted to come back."After Hannah and Yael left the wedding last night, they went back to the research institute.As for Simon, he went to the farm to manage the business.After Blake went to her room, Grace became worried. She followed her and saw her sitting with a blank expression in the room, not knowing what to do.When Blake saw Grace, she quickly adjusted her mood. "Grace, why are you here?""I came to check on you. Blake, what's wrong? Did you have a fight with Liam? You just had your wedding yesterday, and you're already
The pregnancy test report came out fifteen minutes after Blake did the test. She was indeed pregnant. She was even seven weeks pregnant.Blake had indeed been involved with Kevin while in Northern Myanmar over a month ago.She held the medical report while standing bewildered in the cold hospital corridor. Lights shone through the floor-to-ceiling window onto her body, but all Blake felt was the cold, which made her hands and feet numb.She was lost in her thoughts. 'I'm really pregnant. What should I do with this baby? I want it to be born more than anyone else. But now, everything has changed. This child shouldn't come into this world.'She wandered in the corridor. Suddenly, she saw someone coming out of another gynecological room.She thought, 'Some things are just destined by fate. When I long to see him, even catching a glimpse of him in a dream feels like a luxury, an unattainable wish. But now, when I don't want to see him, it seems he appears everywhere I go.'Kevin supp
Blake wondered, 'I'm now pregnant with Kevin's child. What should I do?'She woke up groggily when she felt someone carry her. She opened her heavy eyelids and asked, "What time is it now?"Liam responded, "It's four-thirty in the morning. It's still early; go back to sleep for a while more."Blake said in a hoarse voice, "I've made an appointment for an abortion at eight o'clock. Regardless of whether I'm really pregnant or not, I don't want to keep this child."She had thought about it all night and believed this was the best decision.Kevin was going to get engaged. Blake believed he would get married and Audrey would give birth to his children. There was simply no need for her to complicate things further.She thought, 'If I choose to be selfish and decide to keep this baby, and if people find out about it, my child will be treated as an illegitimate child. I don't even dare to imagine how badly the child will be treated.'If giving birth to the baby will bring it a lifetime
Blake continued, "What about you, Liam? Do you mind?"If you do, you can choose to divorce me. After all, I've wronged you. No one wants to marry a woman who's carrying someone else's child."Liam stepped forward on the shattered cup and hugged her tightly. "I don't mind. Blake, I love you, including everything about you. I don't mind your past. I just want to start over with you. I didn't tell you about the pregnancy because I was selfish; I wanted to keep you by my side."Blake, your child is my child. I want to raise the baby with you."Don't leave me, okay?"Blake did not know why, but she was not surprised by her pregnancy. However, she felt that there were still some things that she could not let go of, though she was unsure what those were.She was not as calm as she had imagined.She thought about her past events. Then, she indifferently said, "Liam, I don't want this child. Since I'm prepared to be with you, I won't keep this child. It wouldn't be fair to you."Liam di
On this romantic night, the moon was obscured by the clouds.Breathing heavily, Blake felt some pain in her abdomen. She asked to stop. "Liam, my stomach hurts. I think I'm going to have my period soon."Liam sobered up instantly. "I'll go get you some medicine."She peeked out from under the blanket as the bedside lamp turned on. She could clearly see Liam's naked upper body. Her face flushed as she averted her gaze. "It's fine. Just help me call the front desk and ask them to bring up a pack of sanitary pads. I'll go to the bathroom to deal with it."Liam replied, "Let's go to the hospital tomorrow for a check-up."Blake picked up her clothes from the floor and went to the bathroom. "It's okay. It's probably just my period."However, judging by the blood flowing out, it did not seem like menstrual blood to Blake. It looked like something else.Blake's voice came from the bathroom again. "I think we should go to the hospital."She sat on the toilet and watched the tall, slende
Blake had no bridesmaids, so she returned to the hotel room alone. As she stepped out of the elevator and was ready to use the room key card in her hand to swipe and enter the room, she suddenly saw a figure appear from the corner of her eye.She stopped her action and looked at the person who had left the wedding earlier.At that moment, Blake felt her breath catch, but it was only fleeting. She then quickly regained her composure and averted her gaze. She asked, "Didn't you leave? Why are you still here?"Kevin replied, "Congratulations."Upon hearing his congratulations, Blake felt a mix of amusement and discomfort. "There's nothing to congratulate. If anything, I should congratulate you. You're soon to be the mayor's son-in-law. In the future, we won't belong in the same social class anymore."I'm tired and came back to rest. You should leave now before Liam comes up and sees you here."Don't look for me again. I don't want him to misunderstand."Kevin responded, "Audrey and