Jean sneered. "You know what I think? I think she just wanted to steal your man at first. But she bought into her own bullshit so much, she ended up falling in love for real."I was too stunned to even comment.Jean continued. "Edward might act like he doesn't believe me, but I know he's got seeds of doubt inside him. They're gonna get into a fight real soon, Tay-Tay, mark my words."Aunt Patricia told me that treating cancer is grueling, and Maddison lashed out at people every day. The members of her treatment team keep changing because of it, and still, no one can handle her."How much do you think Edward loves her and vice versa? Can they really weather this challenge together?"Hard to believe it, man. I don't even think those two really love each other!"I nodded slowly. "Now I see why Edward showed up and tried to be nice to me."He must have been secretly sick of Maddison's abuse and was starting to miss all the good things I had done for him.Jean shot me a severe look.
Cherry said, her voice tinged with excitement, "The Kenways! You know, the mysterious Kenway family? The one whose ancestor founded this nation? The family of modern aristocrats?"The Kenways have always been shrouded in mystery. Hardly anything is ever known about them! And yet, they came to 'us' for a design!"If word of this deal gets out, every other member of the rich and elite will be ordering from us!"A manager chirped, "We're getting rich!""Hold up!" I interrupted, forcing myself to stay calm. "Are you sure we're not being scammed?"Cherry rolled her eyes. "I've already verified the man's identity, Tay-Tay. He was well-mannered, polite, and even paid a deposit."I was stunned."So, when are you free? You'll be swamped with agendas next month, so my suggestion is to schedule your appointment over these days as soon as possible!""I know, I know!" I replied, barely able to contain my excitement.This was our ticket to fame, fortune, glory, and God knew what else!Ther
Cherry and I got into the car without much thought, moving mechanically.Ironically, the driver—complete with a pair of white gloves—seemed far more at ease. He was also friendly, chatting with us briefly and encouraging us to relax.We had been on the main road for about an hour when the car turned onto a path concealed by verdant woods."We're almost at Beaumont now," the driver announced.We soon reached an entry point guarded by soldiers carrying actual guns.One of them signaled the driver to stop, prompting him to show his documents.Only after that were we allowed to proceed.Cherry looked bewildered. "Are we… in some sort of military base?!"I was just as shocked, but I managed to keep it to myself."Ah, the top approved this procedure, ma'am."Since the head of the Kenway family retired and now resides in Beaumont, every vehicle entering or leaving is strictly monitored."Family members only need to show their ID, but any guest or unaffiliated vehicle undergoes much
But I was sure I did not know the Kenways!"You're such a beauty, Miss Jones! A lively, shapely, brilliant young woman just from appearance alone."Oh my God. I thought I would receive a standard greeting, but instead, she showered me with affection almost immediately!Everyone always said I was a beauty, and yes, whenever I looked in the mirror, I couldn't help but wonder who that gorgeous babe was…But the Kenways must have seen all sorts of people with different kinds of beauty already! How could someone like me still elicit praise?Nah. She was just a good conversationalist, skilled at making others feel comfortable in a social situation.Charles leaned closer to me and whispered, "Uh, Miss Jones? This is Madame Lisbeth Kenway."I immediately smiled and nodded. "Good morning, Madame Kenway. Thank you.""What a melodious voice!" she exclaimed.I felt my cheeks burning. "I… I could say the same for you, ma'am. You're incredibly youthful-looking, but I admire your demeanor ev
Lisbeth frowned. "That wasn't your fault at all. You're the victim!""Thank you for your understanding, ma'am.""Are you still in love with the Kennedys' scion?""Nah. I'm focusing on my career," I replied, measuring another one of her relatives' waists.A lean silhouette appeared near the stairs.I hadn't noticed him at first, but someone else did and greeted him, "Soren! Sorry, has our commotion bothered you?""No. I've finished my work," a crisp, dulcet voice replied.I was reminded of the owner of the handkerchief. It was the same clear voice that could cut through the din.I looked up.It was the first time I could see Soren Kenway properly.The furtive glance I had shot him at the wedding had not done him any justice.The man was incredibly handsome—tall, lean, upright, and strong. He had the air of a field commander.No, he had the air of a superhero. Someone firmly on the side of good. Someone who exuded an air of incorruptible authority and nobility.And yet, when
"Mm-hmm." I nodded, avoiding his gaze.Cherry seemed to notice. She stared at me with a curious, almost suspicious expression.I switched to a longer tape and requested, "Please lift your arms and level them, Mr. Kenway."As he complied, I circled behind him and realized he was nearly 6'3'' tall. I was lucky to be 5'8'' myself. Otherwise, I would have needed a stool just to measure him.I finished measuring his upper body quickly, but when it came time to measure his waist and hips, I felt a bit unsure.Should I measure from the front or the back?What was even more striking was that every woman in the room had stopped talking and was now staring at us.I suddenly felt very nervous. The tips of my ears were burning—maybe even turning pink.Soren noticed my hesitation and asked, "What's the matter, Miss Jones?""Uh… You're… tall!" I blurted out."Should I crouch?""No! I mean, there's no need," I replied hastily.I bit my lip, steeled myself, and decided to measure him from
Even through Soren's clothes, I could feel his thigh muscles—strong, compact, and powerful.His entire body was as perfect as a professional male model's, judging by the proportions of his waist and hips, his shoulders, thighs, height, and leg length."Did you record everything, Cherry?" I asked, as matter-of-factly as I could."Yeap."I put away my tools and began asking each client for their preferences.Some liked empire dresses, while others preferred loose cuts. The older women favored longer hemlines, while the younger ones opted for short skirts.I made notes on my tablet.-By the time we were done, it was nearly noon.Lisbeth invited us to lunch, but I felt we had overstayed our welcome. I made up an excuse about needing to be in my office.Soren glanced at his watch and frowned slightly. "I've got lunch with Mr. Chance, so I can't stay either.""Great. You can see Miss Jones off," Lisbeth replied."T-That won't be necessary, ma'am. I—"Before I could finish, he a
Soren looked at me with humor dancing in his eyes.I met his gaze timidly. "Well, you're my client, and in our business, the client is king—""I prefer to be a random dude," he quipped.That was so unexpected that I laughed and relaxed."Okay, 'dude,'" I joked."Thank you for your work, Miss Jones," he said.He was incredible—he had a knack for saying just the right things to put me at ease."See you next time." He turned to the driver. "They're in your capable hands now, John. Please make sure they get home safely.""Yes, sir."He smiled at me and opened the door to an Audi A8, to my surprise.A man of his status and power was driving a relatively commonplace luxury car like that? No wonder they said the Kenways were enigmatic and hard to notice.Throughout our journey, Soren's car was always leading the way.While Cherry admired the sights of Beaumont, my mind was focused on the Audi ahead of us. I instinctively reached into my pocket for his handkerchief.The memory of
"So what? It's always couples' intimacy hour everywhere," Soren replied with a grin, leaning in for a kiss.I turned away. "You reek of alcohol!"He sniffed himself, clearly thinking he smelled bad, too. I expected him to ignore it and keep going, but instead, he pulled me upright. "Let's go. To the showers!"I guessed he was worried that our first time after two years would be ruined by bad breath and stench.He tried to lift me into his arms, but I was concerned he might be too tipsy. We had a playful struggle before he finally scooped me up in a bridal carry."I told you. I'm not drunk!" he insisted.I realized there was no escaping him today, so I reminded him, "Our son is still at the hospital, Soren. With Aunt Sarah.""Mm-hmm. Once his mommy and daddy love each other very much, he'll see us.""Soren! Be serious!""Loving my wife is the most serious thing there is."-Two months later, my grandmother passed away peacefully in her sleep. Soren and I had only just woken u
I got up and shot Soren a glance. "You guys must have been worried about him over these two years. Thank you for taking care of him.""Why, you're welcome," Richard replied with exaggerated pomp. "He didn't torment us, actually. He took it out on his subordinates. He worked like a machine, and everyone under him had to do the same. You should really thank his employees the most!"A pang shot through me as I looked at Soren. I'd heard about this from Jean, but hearing it again from his close friends only deepened that painful regret.I thought I'd been kind, but it was likely the cruelest thing I'd ever done to him. And yet, he held no blame against me and still loved me.It moved me. I filled both our glasses to the brim.Soren looked baffled. "What are you doing? They didn't specifically want to make you drink—""A toast to our relationship, my love," I said, passing him his glass.Soren froze, clearly not expecting this from me.The crowd, though, had already erupted into che
Being with Soren felt like a walk in the sunniest, coolest spring. He told me he loved me, and that made me his equal.Know what? It made me feel confident all of a sudden.We locked eyes for a long time before I pulled away."I… I'm basically unemployed right now," I muttered.I was about to launch a new business, but my grandmother's illness and my son's age forced me to set everything aside again."It wasn't easy raising a child alone, Tay, so don't put so much pressure on yourself. Besides, with your skills, it's only a matter of time before your career takes off again."I beamed. "You really think so? That's a lot of confidence, dude.""Of course I do." He held my hands. "Starting a business takes time and energy, so how about you move in with me? I'll raise our son while you focus on what you want to do."I laughed. "Oh God, was that the whole point of this talk from the start?"Soren laughed as well, his handsome face relaxing. "Well, now that we're getting married, whe
Soren smiled. "No need to doubt. That was one of my ulterior motives."So he wanted me to agree to our marriage because he wanted sex?!I stared at him, unmoving."Come on, I'm sending you both up," he said, his driver's presence making things awkward.Soren took the baby from my arms and strode inside.In the elevator, he stared at me without blinking.I grew self-conscious. "What?""Nothing. I just wanted to look at you, not missing a single detail," Soren replied matter-of-factly. "I hadn't dared do that before we started talking again because I was afraid you might be upset."I felt even more embarrassed.He set Silas in the cot, then turned to me and walked away.It was too late. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me into his chest. I saw his face loom over mine and cried out, "Don't do this, Soren! This is Amanda's place!"His reason and restraint were still functioning, turning his kiss into a brief peck."When will you move to my villa?" he breathed."N
I knew what had happened to me. I knew what two years had done to my face. A woman aged much faster when she had a child, after all.Celebrities looked the way they did because they didn't bear the weight of child-rearing. They had the money to pamper their faces and dedicate themselves to rigorous exercise routines.I had raised my son on my own. I had help when I needed it most, but most of the time, it was just me."So, you don't think I've grown older and uglier?" I muttered.Soren laughed."Oh, I do!" he teased. "But you're the mother of my son.""What does that mean?! And you said you weren't pitying me!"He laughed again—this time, affectionately. "I was joking. I don't think you're any less than who you were back then. I actually wish you'd grow older, too. That way, only I remain by your side."I couldn't come up with a response to something so ridiculous."Do you need me to throw a grand, elaborate proposal to finally convince you I'm serious about wanting to spend t
"It's the way he looks at you. His eyes look suspicious!"Suspicious, my ass. Jamie was so far away from him by now that there was no way Soren could see anything in Jamie's "eyes."I sneered. "Don't be daft. He's got a girlfriend now." "Oh, really?""Yes, really. Can we go now?"My old colleagues had been staring at us, and I really didn't want to become the subject of their gossip. I just wanted to leave.Soren finally told the driver to go.Silas had probably exhausted himself from crying. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep in my arms.Soren stretched his arms out. "Let me.""I'm fine. It's okay for him to sleep like this. My arms are fine," I replied.I didn't want to give him an excuse to enter Amanda's residence with me again. I was only here temporarily, and I certainly didn't want things to get... steamy and intimate at her place. Besides, I didn't want to be steamy with him, period.Soren withdrew his arms sheepishly and snickered to himself.Annoyed, and
"Hello?""When are you coming back?" Soren asked in a low voice.I stood and left the lively private room. "I'm having lunch with some old colleagues. What's up?""Wow. So while I was trying to handle our son, you went out to have fun," he whined.Please. He wanted Silas with him—he was just being dramatic.The wine gave me enough courage to respond, "Weren't you the one complaining about missing out on your son's childhood? I'm just being considerate.""Fine. Where are you? I'll bring Silas to you. He wants his mom now—no one here can calm him down," he replied.Just as I had expected.I figured lunch was nearing its end anyway, so I gave him the address. "Call me when you arrive. I'll meet you at the entrance.""Got it."I returned to the room and quietly told Amanda, "I have to leave soon. You guys go ahead."She checked her phone. "Nah, we should all start packing up. We still have to work this afternoon!""Oh, right."I paid for our meal while the others chatted.Whe
The company had seen some new hires, but many were familiar faces.Case in point: Cherry Birkin. Now Amanda's assistant and principal secretary, she was ecstatic to see me."Tay-Tay! You're back!" she cried, rushing over to grab my arms. "It really is you! I'm so glad you came to see us. After disappearing for two years, I honestly thought you'd never come back!"Amanda, who had been the one to welcome me, stood beside me, smiling. "See? Your old colleagues have been complaining about you being heartless.""Aww, I'm sorry for being gone so long! How about this? Lunch is on me! Cherry, gather the old crew and invite them over!""You got it!" she replied eagerly.I stepped into Amanda's office—the same one where I used to work.A lot had changed in the interior, but everything felt warm and welcoming. The company was thriving under her and Jamie's leadership.There was a knock at the door. I turned to see the man himself."So, you really are back, Taylor," he said with a grin. "
I was irritated. If I were being generous, I'd say Soren was being proactive. If I were being honest, though, I'd call it disrespectful—he was undermining my agency!"I haven't even agreed to this yet!" I snapped, straightening my back and glaring at him as the seniors watched. "Who gave you the right to make decisions for me?!"Soren barely reacted. "You overthink everything. You hesitate more than you need to, so I thought... why not just ask your grandmother and aunt?"Turning to Sarah, he added, "What do you think, Aunt Sarah? Do you approve of us being together?"Sarah blinked, stunned, then shot a quick glance at my grandmother. My grandmother raised her hand, as though she had something to say. I leaned in immediately. "I'm listening, Grandma..."She took a deep breath, grasped my hand, and said, her voice raspy, "I can tell… Ren really loves you… You have a child now… It's good for you two to just get married."She paused, then added, "That way, I… can finally let go...