Most of what Annabella knew about Matthew was learned from the news. Now that he was standing before her, she could not let the opportunity to get to know him better slip away. It was extremely important to her as she saw it as part of expanding her network.She politely extended her hand to shake Matthew’s and said, “Hello, Mr. Leon. I’ve seen you on the news before, and I’d like to get to know you better. Would that be okay?”Matthew looked at her outstretched hand without extending his own, and he responded nonchalantly, “Hello.”His one-word response instantly shattered all of Annabella’s hopes.Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Lucy pulled Matthew aside and whispered, “You should go wait for me in the car. I’ll go inform Mom and my brother.”Matthew nodded and returned to the car.Feeling embarrassed, Lucy apologized to Annabella, “I’m really sorry, but I can’t stay to chat with you. How about you stay for dinner? We’re preparing a feast. Let me escort you inside the palace
Now that the situation Lucy had to 'watch over' had been settled for now, Lucy decided to give Chelsea a call after returning home.Since their last parting, Chelsea and Hugh rushed to Eurovia. She had not received a single call from Chelsea since then.Lucy was worried that things had not been resolved yet and that Chelsea might still come running to her again. If that were the case, Lucy would not let Chelsea leave, and she would make Hugh regret his decision for life.After several unsuccessful attempts to reach Chelsea, Lucy lost her patience and placed her phone on the bedside table.Just then, she received a message.After opening the message, she saw that it was from Chelsea.Chelsea: [Lulu, is everything okay? Is it urgent?]Lucy: [How could you do this, Chelsea? I'm so worried about you. I called you so many times, but you didn’t pick up. And now you're replying with just one message. Am I still your best friend?]Shortly after sending the text, Chelsea called.“Lulu,
Lucy was still hung up on what happened, and Chelsea kept apologizing on the phone. Eventually, Chelsea suggested treating Lucy to dinner to make amends, which Lucy accepted.While on the phone, Lucy asked Matthew to go freshen up. When Matthew returned, he found Lucy still fully dressed, sprawled out on the bed with her phone in her hand. She was completely out like a light.Matthew lightly tapped her cheek and called her name, but she remained deeply asleep.It was not surprising, considering she had spent the entire day at the palace taking care of things. Although Matthew heard her complaints on the way back about how her sole purpose today was to sit there and look pretty, Matthew understood that she did not like social engagements. It was especially draining when it came to interacting with people she did not like.Matthew thought to himself that if this happened again in the future, he would have to find an excuse to take Lucy away and save her from these boring social obl
Hugh was having a hard time breathing because of the phlegm in his throat. After the family doctor prescribed medication for him, he instructed Chelsea on how it should be taken. Hugh needed to lower his body temperature as soon as possible, or else he would have to go to the hospital to have his condition checked.Chelsea took the doctor’s advice to heart and sent him off before waking Hugh up to take his medicine.“Hugh… Hugh, wake up! Take the medicine before going back to sleep, okay? You’ll feel better tomorrow after taking the medicine.”Hugh refused to budge. He nestled into Chelsea’s arms like a pampered child and hugged her waist, refusing to let go.Chelsea gently nudged his head, but she could not persuade him at all.“Be a good boy and take your medicine before sleeping, alright?”Chelsea said as gently as possible. Only then did Hugh open his eyes to look at her.“...Do I need an injection?”Chelsea noticed Hugh’s wet eyes and realized something.“Hugh, are you sc
Hugh lifted his hand to cover her eyes. “Sleep a little longer. I’m feeling much better now. My fever has gone down, and I've coughed out most of the phlegm.”“No, I don’t trust you. I need to take your temperature myself.”Chelsea reached for the thermometer on the bedside table, but Hugh stopped her and placed her hand back under the covers.“Don’t worry, Chelsea. I told you before that I'd never lie to you. My fever has really gone down. You kept changing towels for me last night and barely got any sleep, so you must be exhausted. "Have a good rest, and when you wake up, we’ll go out for a meal.”Hugh kissed Chelsea on the forehead, but it was not enough, so he kissed her again on the cheek. In each other’s embrace, the two of them kissed for a long time before stopping.Chelsea playfully tapped Hugh. “I prefer you when you’re sick. How are you so full of energy when you’ve just recovered? I can barely keep up with you.”Hugh mischievously pinched her cheeks. “Go to sleep. I
Although Lucy complained about Matthew not spending enough time with her, she still understood why he wanted things to be this way.It was his sense of responsibility as the CEO of Leon Corporation. He felt accountable for every employee, and the burden on his shoulders was greater than Lucy could ever imagine. Even when she complained, she did it in a teasing tone.Most of the time, she just reminded Matthew to take care of his health and not overwork himself. She also expressed her desire to share his worries and burdens.Despite not graduating from a prestigious university, Lucy still had a good understanding of how the company worked, but Matthew rejected her offer.“Lulu, you have your own dreams now. You want to pursue both drawing and fashion design, but if you use your time to help me, you may not be able to pursue your dreams.”Matthew was trying to say that the company’s affairs should not stop Lucy from chasing her dreams. He believed that Lucy’s own aspirations mattere
Since Annabella could not get a favorable response from Theodore, she changed her tactics and started chatting with Juliana instead.Recently, Annabella came to the palace with gossip and witty jokes she heard from God knew where to entertain Juliana and make her laugh. Throughout it all, Theodore felt sidelined by Juliana, failing to find a chance to speak.While chatting with Juliana, Annabella would occasionally bring up Theodore, who would only smile politely as he did not want to seem disrespectful so soon.Sometimes, Theodore even wondered if Annabella had a defense made of iron as she seemed completely insusceptible to his coldness as she continued to approach him.Annabella spent the whole day in the palace, eating and sometimes going out of her way to help the maids.Theodore did not know if it was intentional, but Annabella knew very well that the maids would not allow her to help in the kitchen because of her status, yet she insisted on entering. This left the maids s
Theodore was reassured about Matthew, but if Matthew ever dared to abandon Lucy or even have just a fleeting thought, Theodore would never forgive him.…At that moment, Matthew sneezed.Leon Corporation’s foreign trade business had been booming lately, with a large influx of Eurovian manufacturers seeking partnerships. Given the stability of Charleston, many manufacturers approached Leon Corporation for collaboration.Matthew had been so busy that he was almost sleeping at the office. His routine had been disrupted because other than work and sleep, he had little time for anything else. However, he would still drive home after work sometimes as he had promised to spend time with Lucy.Lucy was very understanding as she even told Matthew not to rush home after work, but he knew deep down that she needed his company more than anyone else. Her facial expressions betrayed her reluctance to let him leave.Matthew was happy to see how much Lucy cared for him, but it also hurt him to