Holding two cups of water, Blake approached Kevin and asked, "Mr. Harrison, did Mr. Jardin assign us a new task? I overheard Mya's name just now. She's my cousin, you know? Given that I'm your apprentice, could you maybe share just a tiny bit of what's going on? It'll help me shoulder some of the burden, and be part of the solution."Kevin took his cup of water with his face turned icy. He said, "Mind your own business, Blake. Focus on your work."As Kevin walked away, Blake rolled her eyes and mimicked Kevin. "Mind your own business, he says."Kevin had seen Blake's mockingly exaggerated expressions reflected in the fire extinguisher's glass casing. He caught everything in his gaze.Having ended his call, Zach went upstairs to pacify Madelyn who was brooding in silence.Madelyn sought refuge in her art studio, where she drowned her frustrations in swathes of color on canvas. Next to her palette was a vase with a freshly cut flower. Zach came in and crouched down beside her, takin
"Would you like me to bring it up for you?" asked the maid.Madelyn was cradling the freshly bathed Dalton and paid no mind to the maid. They prepared to catch a few winks as Dalton was already drowsy. They snuggled into bed, hands positioned in their usual comforting spot, and soon slipped into a peaceful slumber.Meanwhile, at the Sovereign Luxe Resort & Spa, Fred looked the woman ardently at work between his legs. Cecilia wiped the corner of her mouth, looked up at him with seductive eyes, and asked, "You seem off today. Already had a fling outside, haven't you?"Thirty minutes later, Cecilia's doing was no fruition. Her lips tingled from exhaustion.Fred lifted Cecilia's chin, his eyes lingering on her inviting lips. He said, "Ten more minutes. If you still can't satisfy me, I'll have my men teach you how to please a man."Cecilia's face soured for a split second, but she quickly regained composure. She knew Fred well enough to take his words seriously. Fred had a penchant for
Feeling a bit down, Mya walked across the crosswalk with a bunch of people when the traffic light turned green. She had a stylish purse with pearls on it, and she seemed lost in her thoughts, thinking hard. 'What would I do if I'm really pregnant?'On the same street not far from her, a car was also waiting for the traffic light. Fred's deputy spotted Mya in the crowd and nudged Fred. "Sir, look, it's Ms. Harper."Fred quickly located Mya in the crowd. She was small and slim, not especially standing out—easy to miss in a sea of regular folks. He had never paid much attention to regular-looking ladies before, but there was something about Mya that intrigued him.Mya was the only one brave enough to toss his clothes out the window. Even though Fred usually didn't like that kind of bold behavior, Mya's rebellious side was kind of interesting. To Fred, Mya was not like the women he usually fooled around with. She was special—like a pet he wanted to keep. A bit of teasing wouldn't do any
Mya got a bit scared when she saw Fred looking all serious. She tried to act like she didn't hear him, hoping he would drop the whole thing if she stayed quiet. But Fred wasn't planning to let her off easy.Curled up in the corner, Mya looked a bit silly. Fred lifted her shirt and saw the soft parts spilling over her pants. He'd seen different kinds of people before, some thin and some with curves, but Mya was a bit plumper than the others."Your family feeds you well, huh?" Fred remarked, eyeing her figure. Mya showed no signs of illness.Mya proudly puffed out her chest. "Of course! I have like five servings of Mediterranean rice every day. These curves are all thanks to the amazing cooking at Madelyn's house. Too bad Madelyn's husband, the big jerk, doesn't let me eat there anymore. He says I eat too much."Fred could not believe how oblivious Mya was. She didn't catch the hint about her weight or the subtle digs at her smarts. At first, he thought she might have some secret age
Mya kept her head down and didn't dare to speak again. Fred put the money on her lap and said, "This is what I owe you. I don't like owing people.""I'll take it, just please don't hurt me," Mya replied, feeling flustered, and she quickly stuffed the money into her bag.Suddenly, a memory flashed in her mind, and a voice echoed, "Since you like eating so much, finish this spoiled meal. If not, I'll keep you locked up here like a dog. If you disobey, I'll have someone beat you to death."A buried memory rushed back, giving Mya a sharp pain in her head. For the rest of the car ride, Mya stayed quiet and timid.Fred noticed Mya's change in behavior and gradually lost interest as the car became quiet. He ordered, "Stop the car."When the car halted, Fred, growing impatient, lit a cigar. "Get out and grab a cab home."With a brief command, the car doors unlocked, and Mya, shaking a bit, quickly got out. Before she left, Fred's keen eyes spotted the money, untouched on the car seat.M
The server looked troubled. She asked, "What do you—"But before she could finish her question, Mya quickly put thirty dollars on the table and rushed out the door. Tears streamed down her face as she left The Deli.The server wanted to follow Mya, calling out, "Ms. Harper!"But Mya had already left.The server hurriedly told the woman who was making fun, "Don't you know who she is? That's Mya Harper, the heiress to the Harper Nutritional Enterprise. She's also friends with Madelyn Jent, who is close with Zach Jardin. Several dishes here are actually Ms. Jent's own recipes, specially made for Ms. Harper."The group that was laughing couldn't find anything funny anymore after hearing that. The news hit them hard because all four had just gotten jobs as models for Harper Nutritional Enterprises. They had signed the contract but hadn't started the photo shoots yet."Can we... say sorry to her now? Did we mess things up?" one worried."It's your fault for talking so mean. Now we ups
"You're always so carefree, Mya. You get bullied, and then you just forget about it, not holding a grudge at all. I wonder who you take after," Grace said, kinda scolding but feeling sad about how Mya had been treated.Mya said, "Mom, go ask Dad to come down for dinner.""Your father's still caught up in a meeting; he won't be back until late," replied Grace.Ever since the company was severely depleted by Luke, it was in a weakened state. Only when Madelyn extended a helping hand under the name of Jardin Corporation during the crisis that the Harper Nutritional Enterprise was saved from ruin.Mya's parents had thought Luke was an honest man and believed that Mya's marriage to him would help the company. However, they didn't expect his greed. Not only did he and his family swindle a lot of company money, but they also tried to take over the company entirely.Now, as Mya's parents were getting older and the company was struggling, they worried about what would happen to Mya after t
"Not long ago, Mya was bullied at The Deli, and the bullies were models that had just signed contracts with us. Just when I was gonna do something about it, those four models just vanished. I ended their contracts," shared Simon."What? Mya was being bullied? Why didn't you tell me earlier?" asked Grace. Her main concern was Mya.Simon replied, "I didn't want you to get all stressed out. It's alright, go get some rest. I've got a meeting tomorrow."Grace was frustrated, but she kept it to herself. She told Simon, "I've set up your bath. Take a soak and hit the hay soon.""You're busy?" Simon asked Grace.Grace yawned and said, "I still have to get Mya's medicine ready. The doctors said she has to keep taking them."Simon interrupted, "You can let the maid handle it."Grace disagreed, saying, "The medicine is for Mya. I can't trust just anyone with it. You never know if someone has sneaky plans in the house. Don't worry about me. Go get some sleep. I'll be done soon."At three i