It was Lucy's first time meeting Hudson. He was so focused on the papers on his desk that he did not notice her walk in."Mr. Xender?"Lucy had to call out a few times before Hudson looked up.Hudson raised his head from his work. "Hello, you are...?"With a warm smile, Lucy said, "I'm Lucy.""Oh, you're Mrs. Leon?""Yes."Lucy gave an embarrassed smile."I've heard so much about you. Mr. Leon always brings you up during our annual meetings... Did he send you over today?" Hudson said."Yes, Matthew thinks it's best to discuss the company's brand with you, so that's why I'm here for work."Hudson looked really tired, with dark circles under his eyes that he could not hide.Lucy was worried Hudson might fall asleep any minute. "Mr. Xender, did you have trouble sleeping last night? Maybe you should rest a bit. I can always visit another day."As Lucy got ready to leave, Hudson said he did not need to rest."It's okay. Work can be overwhelming, and it's normal to lose some sle
Hudson did not mean to spill his heart out to someone he had just met, but he could not control his feelings. Thinking of Chloe's coldness, his heart felt like it was being torn apart. He needed to find a way to let it all out."Sorry, I just don't know where else to let it all out... Did Mr. Leon send you?"Hudson tried to focus on the important stuff, but his mind kept wandering."Yeah, Matthew and I have gone over the design plans, but we still need your input... Mr. Xender?"Lucy could tell Hudson was spacing out, and it was tough to keep the conversation going."Mr. Xender, if something's bothering you, maybe we can skip the work talk for now?"Hudson knew he was too caught up in his own worries to think about work right then.Lucy had a bright idea."Mr. Xender, you seem really worried. It must be about someone you care about. What if... I talk to her for you? Would that help?"Hudson was curious, but if it might help, he was ready to share everything about Chloe with Lu
Everything was so quiet for a moment that Lucy could hear her own heart thumping. She wondered if Chloe would find out Hudson sent her and just send her away. "Hudson?" Chloe looked a little funny, but she did not kick Lucy out. "You're not mad, are you, Chloe?" Lucy had only met Chloe that day, but she seemed nice, even though Hudson had complained about her. Chloe gave Lucy a chocolate bar, placing it softly in her hand. "This chocolate is super sweet," Chloe said, staring at Lucy like they had not just been talking about Hudson. Lucy felt nervous holding the chocolate, but she tried it anyway. It was as sweet as Chloe said, really sweet. "Can I call you Lulu?" Chloe asked, not even noticing Lucy's worried look. She was trying to make Lucy feel better. "Sure, that's okay," Lucy said, a bit dazed. "You're not scared I'll send you away, are you?" Chloe's smile made Lucy sit up straight. "Am I going to be sent away?" Lucy sat up tall and looked at Chloe, wondering if s
"Chloe, um...""Lulu, I whipped up some mango pancakes. Give them a taste!"Chloe cut off Lucy, presenting the mango pancakes she had made."You made these?"Lucy had always been keen to learn baking, but she just could not get the hang of it. She could cook up a storm, but desserts were like a foreign language to her.Chloe acted as if it was no big deal. "Of course! I learned from a dessert chef. If I couldn't make these, I'd be pretty lame, right?""And you still find time to learn this with your busy job? I never have the time."Chloe passed a dainty spoon to Lucy. "You know, I've been thinking about quitting my job. Being a dessert chef is my dream."Lucy eagerly scooped up a bite of the mango pancake. It was soft, bursting with mango flavor. It was sweet and fragrant but not too rich.Lucy remembered the fancy desserts she had tried at a Charleston party. Chloe's mango pancakes were just as good as those desserts made by top pastry chefs.In no time at all, Lucy had pol
Lucy blamed herself for not being able to help at all. Hudson had repeatedly asked Lucy to talk to Chloe for him, hoping that Chloe would at least give him a phone call.However, Hudson and Lucy had overestimated themselves. Chloe’s disappointment and indifference seemed irreparable, and not even God could help.It appeared that Hudson would need a lot more time to change Chloe’s mind.“I’m sorry, Chloe. I had no idea Hudson did that to you. If I had known the truth, I wouldn’t have helped him.”“It’s okay. It’s not your fault for not knowing.” Chloe was very kind. She brought out a strawberry cake from the fridge and said, “I made this earlier, but I was afraid I couldn’t finish it all, so it’s perfect that you’re here to help me out.”Chloe’s strawberry cake looked irresistible. Lucy took a small bite, and as expected, she was not disappointed. The combination of strawberries and cream melted in her mouth, yet it was not cloying at all.“Chloe, have you thought about quitting y
Chloe and Morgan’s story sounded like a fairy tale, but Chloe only had eyes for Hudson.The sympathy Lucy had for Hudson had disappeared. It was no wonder Hudson ended up in this situation. It seemed like Chloe had to teach him a lesson about not taking him for granted.“Forget about him. Let’s talk about you, Lulu. I’ve seen you on television, but that didn’t feel real enough. Do you mind telling me about your relationship with Matthew?”Chloe bombarded Lucy with questions, leaving her flustered. Even so, she answered each one.“Matthew and I have a dramatic story as well. When my ex-boyfriend cheated on me, I took it too hard, so I ran into the streets and got hit by Matthew’s car.“When I woke up in the hospital, I asked him for compensation, but he offered to marry me instead. That’s how we ended up together.”Chloe looked envious. “Lulu, I’m so jealous of you two.”“At that time, I didn’t even know I was a princess, so you could say Matthew and I were like from two differen
"Yeah, I decided to move out the moment I resigned.”To Lucy, she seemed to understand it as, 'There’s nothing here worth holding onto.'“I’ve been wanting to leave for a while. You have no idea how awful the landlady here is. Every time rent is due, she raises the price. I even dread talking to her now.“I always pay on time, yet she still does this. It’s not like the location of this place is that great either. The faucet in the bathroom is broken, and whenever I ask her to fix it, she makes excuses, so I end up having to pay for repairs myself.”Chloe moved all the boxes to the front door and clapped her hands together. “If it weren’t for the fact that the landlady knew I desperately wanted to rent this place, she wouldn’t have raised the rent that much.”Chloe’s place was situated in a semi-suburban area, and it was over an hour’s drive from the city center. Even with the subway, it was inconvenient. There were no malls nearby, and getting groceries was a long walk away.“Why
Lucy’s suggestion was reasonable as it was indeed the most suitable option for Chloe at the moment.Chloe had already settled into her current job, and more importantly, she had a stable income.If she were to quit her job, she might find herself struggling to put food on the table for months or even longer.With limited savings, especially after investing in the costly pastry chef training, Chloe had been living on a tight budget.“I understand. It’s better to teach a man how to fish than to give him fish. How about this? I know becoming a pastry chef is expensive and demanding, but I can help you find a professional pastry chef to help you complete your training. Would that work for you?”Morgan did not ask for a single penny when Chloe was learning under him. However, Morgan had been busy flying around Eurovia, so he had not had the time to teach her recently. Hence, Chloe took up classes with other pastry chefs to continue her training, but this required self-financing her s