Tobias and Lucy stood by the sink. She was washing the vegetables while Tobias stood behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held the vegetables for her. The water kept flowing as his mind wandered far. "My parents were always occupied with work when I was young. When they finally had off days, I wanted to have a happy weekend with them, much like any other child did. "However, they started fighting as soon as they saw each other. They even resorted to physical violence. Once, they fought in front of me. I saw with my own eyes how my mom wielded a knife and hacked away at my dad…"Tobias' voice choked up toward the last part of his sentence. Lucy was heartbroken after she heard what he said. Some people had such a blissful childhood that it allowed them to deflect any harm in adulthood. But there were others who had been traumatized in their childhood and ended up being scarred for life. Tobias undoubtedly belonged in the latter group."My mom used to take it out
"Heh. It turns out the CEO of Ripley Group had a female childhood friend. If we go by the cheesy soap operas, you guys should've reunited with each other. "Then, you two should've fallen in love and gotten married with a couple of kids. So, why didn't you marry her instead?" Lucy grunted and said in displeasure, "It looks like I got in the way!"She pouted as she spoke. Then, she turned her head sideways and ignored him. Tobias looked at Lucy as she got jealous, and his lips curled into a wicked grin. He cupped her face and turned it back gently. "Are you jealous?"Lucy huffed and turned her head to the side again. Tobias turned it back toward him again. "Look at me, babe." His voice was both deep and seductive. "Why bother looking at me? I'm not as pretty as your childhood friend!""It's true. I'm very grateful that she consoled me when I thought back to those moments. However, we were both so young. How were we supposed to know anything about love?"Tobias stared deeply int
It was already 9:00 pm by the time they were done with cleaning up."You've kept me company for the whole day, Tobias. Go ahead and do your work if you have to."Tobias checked the time and said, "Okay. I have a video conference later. What are you going to do after dinner?""I'm feeling a little tired. So, I'm not going to move around. I'll just sit on the couch and watch a movie.""Alright."Tobias turned around and went into the study to get his laptop. Lucy got comfortable on the couch and pulled up an application on her phone to watch a horror flick. Tobias came around and saw the cover poster for the movie. He said in a shocked tone, "Won't you spook yourself if you watch a horror movie at night?"Lucy shook her head and smiled. She said, "I won't be afraid if you're around."Tobias' lips curled into a grin. He placed his laptop on the table and sat on the rug before he crossed his legs.Lucy heard him making a video call and plugged her earphone into her phone. She wat
The next day, the golden rays of the sun shone through the glass and fell on the bed. Two figures were hugging each other and sleeping on the bed. Tobias was the first one to wake up. He had slept in the same posture for the whole night, and his hand was numb. He endured it longer before he finally couldn't take it anymore and pulled his hand out from under Lucy's head. Lucy woke up when he did that. But she was too tired from all the unspeakable things they had done last night. It felt like her body was drained of every ounce of energy. So, she was content to keep her eyes shut and continue sleeping. Tobias' phone vibrated. He slipped out of bed and answered it outside."Hello.""Today's Her Majesty's birthday party, Mr. Ripley. The presents have been prepared. Have you prepared formal clothes for Mrs. Ripley and yourself?"Tobias didn't remember it until Finn brought it up. He had forgotten to buy the formal attire yesterday. He checked the time and saw that there were sti
Lucy scanned Felicity from head to toe. The latter was a Faldorian. She was very pretty. Her warm smile made people feel comfortable. Lucy raised her eyebrow and said deliberately, "I'm just browsing. I might not be able to afford the stuff in your store."Felicity smiled graciously and said, "That's fine. Go ahead and browse. I can help you if you have any questions.""Alright."Lucy proceeded to point at several hair accessories. "This one and the other one. Also, the one over here."Daisy sneered and said sarcastically, "Good eye, ma'am. These items are the top-selling accessories in our store. They suit you just well—"Before she could finish, Lucy clicked her tongue. Felicity looked at the hair accessories Lucy had pointed at and said, "You made a mistake, Daisy. These accessories were part of a consignment from several years ago."Daisy gave her a sidelong glance, as if telling her to shut up. "I don't want all of these."Daisy rolled her eyes and snorted coldly. She
Tobias and Lucy got into the car. His phone rang when they were on their way to the palace. He realized that Joey was calling him, and the blissful smile on his face vanished instantly, only to be replaced by a cold expression. "Hello."Joey spoke in a seemingly concerned tone, "How are you holding up in Faldoria, Tobe? I heard from Finn that you're having trouble acclimatizing over there. You're already done with your business there. Maybe you should come home sooner—"Tobias frowned. His attitude and tone were very cold. "Get to the point."Lucy sat next to him and heard Joey's voice from the phone. She noticed his expression getting colder and reached out to hold his hand affectionately. It was as if she was giving him warmth wordlessly. In a matter of a second, Tobias' cold heart was filled with warmth by Lucy's small gesture. He turned his head sideways and flashed her a smile. Lucy smiled back at him. Back on the phone, Joey said, "Um… Here's the thing. Your dad and I ha
Lucy was speechless. Then, she looked at Chloe, and her eyes were filled with iciness. Chloe lifted her chin and gave Lucy a taunting look. Tobias understood Chloe's intentions and shot her a cold warning look. His gaze was so blood-chilling, it was as if the devil himself was staring. Chloe was so intimidated by Tobias that she took two steps back. "Please explain yourself, Mrs. Ripley. Did you actually plagiarize Alicia's design when you altered this shoe?""Exactly. You're just a socialite. There's no way you could come up with a design style so similar to the nation's lead designer. You must have stolen her design!"Anabella was infuriated immediately when her shoes were involved in plagiarism. "How do you plan on explaining yourself, Mrs. Ripley?"Lucy sneered. "They're pulling things out of thin air, Your Majesty. They accused me of plagiarizing Alicia's design, but do they have evidence to back up their claim?"The onlookers exchanged glances. Chloe exclaimed, "Of c
The reporters at the scene were quick to broadcast the news live. The comments left by the viewers in the live stream were also very gripping. The first viewer wrote, "I would've settled in my role as a rich man's wife if I were Lucy. Why did she have to establish herself as a talented lady? She has gone ahead and gotten into trouble now!"The second viewer commented, "They kept saying Lucy stole someone else's work, but I have yet to see concrete proof. Where the heck is it?"All of a sudden, Chloe exclaimed, "I have more evidence!"Everyone at the scene gasped, while the discussion in the livestream became more intense. Tobias looked at Chloe coldly. "Your days are numbered!"He was about to deal with Chloe, but Lucy held his hand all of a sudden. She gave him an affectionate and assuring look. "Don't worry, darling. Let me handle her."Tobias saw the confidence in her eyes and chose to believe in her. "Okay. Go ahead and do what you have to. I have faith in you."Lucy felt