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,
Arthur flashed Candice a polite smile. "Don't take it to heart. Mollie's always been like this.""It's fine," Candice responded softly, her demeanor obedient and composed.Arthur turned to Justin with a calm grin and added, "Mind if I borrow him for a minute?""Go ahead," Candice said, moving to sit quietly on a couch nearby.Mollie ignored her, and Joseph was too preoccupied with singing, leaving Candice scrolling through her phone alone.Justin loosened his tie and sat down next to Arthur. "What do you want to say?"Arthur poured him a glass of Burgundy. "Are you really done with Serena?"Justin's expression hardened. "You can't break up if you were never together. Serena and I were never a thing.""Then why keep her hanging on for so long?" Arthur asked.Justin's irritation flared. "That was her choice. She stayed because she wanted to."Arthur sipped his wine thoughtfully. "We've known each other forever, so I'll be straight with you. 19 years—she's spent nearly a quarter
Mollie rolled her eyes. "Mind your own business."Joseph said, "As someone who's been on the receiving end, I'm giving you fair warning—Wilson is even more dangerous than Justin. Don't think you can get close to him easily.""As long as he's not blind like Justin, I'm fine," Mollie retorted, glancing at Candice from a distance, her irritation bubbling up again."I still can't figure out what Justin's thinking," Mollie muttered. "My friend, Lynn Campbell, is so much better than this girl, but he wouldn't even consider her.""Lynn?" Joseph frowned. "Oh, come on. At that party, she was throwing shade at Candice the whole time. I don't like her.""Shut up!" Mollie shot back. "She likes Justin. Of course, she'd feel jealous seeing another woman by his side. You guys just don't get it!"Joseph shrugged and went quiet. Fine, maybe he did not get it. But at least his moral compass worked—he knew good from bad. ...After his talk with Arthur, Justin grew unusually quiet. He did not bot
Mollie slammed the car door shut, and the Maybach sped off into the night. Meanwhile, Candice stood by the curb, frozen in place for a long while.Not far away, Joseph had watched the scene unfold, and a flicker of pity crossed his face. "Mollie's temper can be a bit much. Candice looks pretty pitiful—I should give her a ride home."Arthur stepped in front of him, stopping him with a firm hand. He said flatly, "Don't get involved.""What's the deal? You're usually all about being a gentleman," Joseph asked, puzzled.Arthur's expression darkened slightly. "Candice doesn't need your help. She's no innocent little bunny.""And how would you know that?" Joseph challenged.Arthur smirked. "Because I'm good at reading people. For example, I knew right away you're an idiot. Nailed it, didn't I?"Joseph was rendered speechless, wondering what he did to deserve that....Mollie dropped Justin off at his villa and made sure the housekeeper, Wendy Moore, was ready to take care of him. Wh
The next morning, Serena woke up early to prepare breakfast. Her fridge was stocked with fresh vegetables and some meat, so she decided to make a pot of hearty mushroom soup. Once everything was carefully packed into a thermalware food jar, she headed to the office.As she approached the crosswalk near her building, a Range Rover suddenly sped out of nowhere, grazing past her. Serena instinctively stepped back, narrowly avoiding harm, but her bag was not so lucky. It hit the car, sending the food jar flying, and the soup spilled across the pavement.The Range Rover screeched to a halt, and the driver rolled down the window to toss out a wad of cash onto the ground. The driver barked, "We're in a rush. Mr. Jenkins says this is your compensation!" Serena slowly walked over, picked up the money, and approached the vehicle. Just as the driver prepared to step on the gas, Serena raised her hand and slammed the cash right into his face.She said firmly, "I've already taken a picture of
Just as Serena was about to leave, Wilson pushed the door open and walked in. He was dressed in a custom-tailored black suit without a tie, and the perfectly fitted trousers accentuated his long legs. His demeanor was cool and composed, yet there was a hint of casual indifference in his stride."Mr. Quade," Serena greeted him with a warm smile. "I brought you your breakfast."Wilson approached the desk and glanced at the neatly packaged mushroom soup on it. He clicked his tongue. He remarked dryly, "Ms. Judd, your soup looks so exquisite—exactly like the one from the breakfast shop downstairs. Funny, the packaging even has the same logo."Serena froze for a moment before explaining, "I did make soup for you, but there was an accident this morning, and it spilled everywhere. I had no choice but to buy some. Don't worry—I'll make it for you tomorrow."Wilson's gaze softened slightly. "Are you okay?""Huh?" Serena blinked. Then, it hit her that he was asking about her. "I'm fine. The
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