Serena's ears burned with heat, and her fingertips nervously clutched Wilson's sleeve. Wilson patted her head gently as a gesture meant to reassure her."Don't worry. I'm going to step out and make a call," he said as he took out his phone and dialed someone. It didn't take long for the person to pick up.Willow Quade's surprised voice came through. "Will? Why are you calling me?""Are you free right now?""I am, but—""Then come here," Wilson interrupted. He explained briefly that Serena had been drugged, gave her the address, and told her to come immediately.Once he finished, he turned and got back into the car. But the moment he opened the door, Wilson froze.Serena had unbuttoned her blouse inside the car, revealing her slender neck. Her fingers absentmindedly tugged at her collar, and one of her bra straps had slipped off her shoulder.Wilson stepped in, shut the door, and grabbed her restless hand firmly. Just then, Serena turned her head, her gaze locked on his deep, ca
Willow's eyes glimmered with curiosity.Wilson glanced at her and said, "You talk too much."Willow secretly stuck out her tongue. Gossip about Wilson was rare, so she couldn't resist probing a little further.Just then, the bathroom door clicked open, and Serena stepped out wrapped in a white bathrobe.Willow's eyes lit up. The woman's chestnut-colored hair was pinned up, revealing her stunning features. Her lips were a soft, rosy hue, and her skin was as flawless as porcelain with a faint pink glow. She was breathtakingly beautiful."Wow, my brother has good taste," Willow thought to herself.Wilson glanced at Serena briefly before looking away. He said, "This is Willow Quade. She's a doctor and knows about these things. Let her check on you.""Hello, Ms. Quade," Serena greeted politely."Just call me Willow. I'm Wilson's cousin," Willow replied with a warm smile as she stepped forward to take Serena's temperature."Don't worry. These things usually pass on their own once
The car sped back to the hotel from earlier. A group of people was already waiting outside the hotel.At the front stood a man with a cleanly shaven buzz cut and a stern face. The tattoos on his neck were faintly visible.When he saw Wilson, he gave a slight nod. "Good evening, Mr. Quade."Wilson responded with a faint acknowledgment before striding into the hotel, his long legs moving with purpose. The group followed in silent unison.Inside, the hotel lobby was empty of other guests, leaving only the visibly anxious hotel manager, John Langford, standing by the entrance."Mr. Quade, we've cleared everyone out as you requested, but—""Understood," Wilson interrupted. "Record the losses under my account. Someone will contact you later."His gaze swept over John. It was a calm, indifferent look that still carried an edge sharp enough to make the man shiver.John quickly nodded. "Rest assured, sir. Not a word of tonight's events will leave this building."Wilson shifted his atte
Serena turned her head with some difficulty, only to see a sleepy face staring back at her. "Rina, you're awake?"Serena went silent for a moment. "Why are you here?""Who else would it be?" Lauren replied matter-of-factly, then suddenly gave a mischievous grin. "Rina, don't tell me you thought it was Wilson?""I didn't…""Then why do you look so flustered? I knew it! You say you don't dare think about Wilson, but you've secretly been drooling over him!" Lauren wrapped her arms around Serena while laughing gleefully."My Rina is finally growing up. She's thinking about men now. Tomorrow, I'll fly to Mailand and get a gender reassignment surgery just for you!""You're getting more and more ridiculous by the day," Serena said while pushing her off and getting out of bed. "Enough already. I need to get to the office.""No need. Wilson called me yesterday to come over and told me you've got the day off today. He said you should rest well."Lauren added with a smirk, "I have to say,
Wilson said, "You're incredibly capable, I know, but this isn't urgent. You treat yourself like some kind of Iron Woman, but I don't want my best team member burning out.""Alright, I'll head over tomorrow.""See you tomorrow."After hanging up, Serena found herself lost in thought. Over the years, she had grown used to working her ass off. Justin never cared about her, and she barely took care of herself. Now, being at Quade Group, where someone actually cared about her well-being, it felt like leaving Farrow Corporation might have been the right decision.It was still early, and Serena was not in a rush to head back. She texted Willow instead."Willow, what kind of food does Mr. Quade like?"The answer she received caught her off guard. "Desserts." Serena decided to stop by a nearby mall, where a cake shop she liked was located. The place had always been one of her favorites, and she often visited.Before working as Justin's assistant, Serena had once dreamed of owning her
Candice stared at Serena for a moment, waiting for a reaction. However, Serena seemed unfazed by her taunts.Instead, Serena simply looked at her and asked, "Are you done?"She turned to the manager. "Can you pack me another one of these cakes?"The manager hesitated, glancing between the two women, but eventually handed over another cake.Candice's smile faded slightly. "Serena, why waste money buying another one? Here, take your cake back."She handed the bag to Serena but let go before Serena could grab it. Then, with a loud splat, the cake hit the floor, breaking apart into a mess.Candice covered her mouth with a dramatic gasp. "Oops! My bad. But it's not a big deal. This cake shop is about to be mine anyway, so I'll have them send over a few more to make it up to you."For the first time, Serena reacted. "You're buying this bakery?""That's right."Candice's smile widened with satisfaction. "I'm not really cut out for office work, so Justin told me to find something I li
Serena used to bring Justin a small cake from Indigo every week. She even learned how to bake, trying to create something special just for him.As the thought crossed his mind, Justin's eyes instinctively drifted to the small cake on his desk. He froze."Is this from Indigo?" he asked sharply.Candice blinked. "Yeah, I thought you liked it...""I don't like it. Don't buy it again," Justin said, leaning back in his chair, his mood souring for reasons he didn't want to admit.His gaze settled on Candice. "Why are you wearing a hat?""I-It's nothing," Candice muttered, fidgeting and pulling the hat down further.Justin's eyes narrowed. "Take it off."Her hesitation only fueled his suspicion. "I said, take it off. Now." Candice reluctantly walked over, her steps dragging. Justin stood, reached out, and pulled the hat off her head. His expression darkened the moment he saw the sticky smear of frosting in her hair."What happened?"Candice bit her lip, tears welling in her eyes.
Candice's smile fell. "Why not?"Justin pressed his cigarette into the ashtray, his brows furrowed. After a while, he replied, "This bakery isn't well-known, and the cakes aren't great. Pick a larger chain. You could franchise something better—I'll fund it, and it'll be much more profitable.""But I want this one," Candice insisted, her nails digging into her palm as she forced a smile. "Didn't you say I could make my own choices?""Pick another one," Justin stated firmly, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.Candice lowered her head slightly, hiding the bitterness and resentment in her eyes beneath her docile expression.Just then, a knock sounded at the office door, and a client stepped in. Justin stood, gently moving Candice off his lap. "You should head home. I've got work to do."With that, Candice left quietly. ...After a long day of meetings and a client dinner, Justin finally wrapped up his work. By the time he finished, the sky had already turned dark. Suddenly,
Serena opened it and found a beautiful scarf from a luxury brand.Smiling, Gwen said, "Serena, I don't have many friends in Nocturna, and you're one of them. I get along quite well with you, but I'll be moving away soon. I can't really bear to leave you.""You may visit Nocturna in the future. Once your mother recovers, bring her along.""I hope so." Gwen sighed. "I was packing today. I've decided not to bring along the pretty ornaments I've collected, but it would be a pity to throw them away."Serena, would you like to take a look at them and see if any of them would be suitable for you?"Serena agreed, "Sure."After organizing the details for the banquet the next day, Serena left with Gwen. On the way, they chatted happily. When they almost reached, Gwen jumped into a supermarket and bought some groceries."Serena, would you like to have dinner at my place? I'm a good cook."Serena wanted to turn down the invitation, but Gwen grabbed her arm. "Come on, I'll prepare my best d
Natasha pounded Jacob's chest, but it did not stop him. It spurred him on and added a different kind of excitement to what they were about to do.He leaned forward until he trapped her between himself and the bed, then smoothly pinned her arms above her head. Their bodies pressed closely together, Jacob gripped her waist with his free hand as if to mold the soft curves of her body into the hard planes of his.Jacob had developed a taste for Natasha since the first time he'd had her.They were so tangled up in each other's arms that they didn't even notice the bedroom door opening behind them.A loud thud sounded behind them. Jacob paused and turned to see David at the door, the latter's frame hunched over as shock colored his wizened face. A moment later, the shock was replaced by thunderous rage."You ingrate! And you! You whore!" David roared. He was quaking with anger, and it was only by bracing his hand against the wall that he could keep upright as he entered the room.Jacob
David pressed a hand to his chest as he burst into a violent coughing fit. Natasha tried to help him, but he shoved her away. "This won't kill me! Have someone send Marcus to the hospital!""Alright." Natasha turned and left to get help.After sending Marcus to the hospital, Natasha helped David up the stairs. He looked drained and haggard. It was as if years had been shaved off his life within minutes.David went to the study while Natasha returned to the bedroom. Her cheek was swollen and stinging from the slap Marcus had given her. She was about to seek out a housekeeper for some salve when a towering silhouette appeared at the door.Jacob stood at the door with one hand in his pocket, his gaze dark and piercing behind his glasses as he looked at Natasha. "Going somewhere?""I'm going downstairs to… look for Francine," Natasha answered hesitantly.Jacob stared at her evenly for a moment, then entered the room and closed the door behind him. Natasha backed away. "Can you please
David's 60th birthday party ended on an absurd, if not chaotic, note. The directors who came barely ate before getting up and leaving. In the end, only Serena and Wilson remained at the table.Wilson peeled shrimp for Serena, who felt uneasy. "No one's eating anymore…""That shouldn't stop us from enjoying our dinner," Wilson replied casually."Forget it," Serena replied. The atmosphere around her felt too heavy for her to stomach food."Alright, let's forget about dinner." Wilson rose and slowly wiped his fingers with a wet napkin. "Mr. Smith, you seem to have some household affairs to straighten out, so I won't be staying. Goodbye."David looked sullen but said nothing.Wilson exchanged a look with Jacob, then wrapped his arm around Serena's shoulders and left the Smith residence. It didn't take long for the sound of a car driving away to come from the outside.The moment all the guests left, Marcus threw a maniacal fit. "Dad, how could you sign that agreement? What do I get n
Louis snorted. "The facts speak louder than words!""Shut your damn mouth! My dad should never have trusted a bunch of ungrateful old farts like you!" Marcus thundered.The directors' faces darkened at Marcus's scathing remark, but for the sake of their friendship with David, they said nothing.Wilson lightly tapped his fingers against the table. "Mr. Smith, this is the son you're so proud of? He behaves like a rabid dog. You may want to put him on a tighter leash before he gets put down."Marcus turned to him and snapped, "Stay out of our family business!"A deadly look flashed in Wilson's eyes. David smacked the table again and barked, "Pipe down, Marcus! This isn't the place for one of your tantrums!""But Dad—""Scram to the side and stay in line!" David was nervous. The worst that could happen if they pissed off the directors was a heated argument followed by a fallout. But if they crossed Wilson, there was no telling what would happen.David glanced at Wilson. He was secr
With the truth out in the open, David saw no need to carry on with his pretenses. "So, you refuse to step down as CEO, is that it?"Jacob crossed his legs and lit a cigarette. "That's right.""Don't force my hand, Jacob. You'll be thrown out of Smith Group at the board meeting tomorrow!" David warned."You don't need to wait until tomorrow to throw me out. The executive directors are here today, so we may as well let them vote on the matter now. Once they've made their decision, you won't need the other directors to weigh in anymore," Jacob suggested."I'll hold you to that!" David swept his gaze over the directors at the table, signaling them to talk.For a while, there was only silence at the table. Then, Louis Callaghan said, "I… am in favor of Mr. Jacob remaining as the CEO.""What did you say?" David looked aghast.Marcus panicked as well. "Mr. Callaghan, do you have any idea what you just said?"Louis repeated, "I said—I am in favor of Mr. Jacob remaining as the CEO of Sm
Serena remembered now. Marcus was born out of David's second marriage.Marcus wheeled the birthday cake toward David. He stopped beside David and grinned. "Happy birthday, Dad! May you have a long and healthy life ahead of you!""Looks like you've pulled yourself together, Marcus," David praised, smiling. He'd never smiled like that when Jacob was around.David paid no mind to Jacob's darkened expression as he pulled Marcus closer and launched into introductions. "Everyone, this is Marcus. He's been majoring in finance abroad and flew home especially for my birthday today!"A few guests at the table recognized Marcus. "Goodness, it's Marcus! I haven't seen him in years! He sure looks different now.""Yes, he looks a lot like a younger Mr. David."Jacob lifted his gaze. "Dad, why didn't you tell me Marcus was coming home today?"David's smile slipped. "You should have known he was coming home, Jacob. You're the older brother, so don't go blaming me for not keeping you up to date
A loud cough suddenly sounded behind Jacob and the others. David was making his way down the stairs with Natasha's help."Mr. Smith," Wilson greeted.A shadow fell over David's face. "Wilson, I wasn't expecting you to come.""It's your birthday today, Mr. Smith. It's only right that I come over and celebrate with you out of respect, wouldn't you say?" Wilson said congenially. He snaked an arm around Serena's shoulders as he approached David. "Mr. Smith, allow me to introduce my girlfriend, Serena Judd."David made a noise of approval. "She's got a decent face and build, that much I'll say. You got lucky, Wilson.""Oh, my luck with the ladies is nothing compared to yours, Mr. Smith." Wilson grinned.Beside David, Natasha looked a little uneasy. She clutched David's arm and asked, "Would you like to sit, Mr. Smith?""Bring me to the couch so I may catch my breath."Natasha did as she was told and helped David to the couch, whereupon they sat.Jacob and Wilson sauntered to one si
Serena wished she could sew Wilson's mouth shut. He helped her put on her clothes and said, "We're going to the Smith residence tonight. It's Jacob's father's birthday."Serena considered her plans for the day. The patisserie was doing all right recently, and she had nothing urgent to take care of. As such, she agreed to be Wilson's plus-one.…Serena and Wilson arrived downstairs to find that Elsa had already prepared a meal for them. Under Elsa's curious and meaningful gaze, Serena finished her food and headed out with Wilson.They dropped by an upscale women's boutique. Serena was about to leave after picking out a dress when Wilson grabbed her wrist. "You may as well pick out a few more outfits now that we're here. With that killer figure of yours, you'll look good in anything."It was still early, so Serena decided to stay and shop a little while longer. It would have been foolish of her to decline Wilson's generous offer of new clothes. She tried on a dozen outfits, and Wils