As soon as I stepped out of the elevator, Max's sisters and brothers-in-law surrounded me. Ted, Max’s eldest brother-in-law, had been sitting on the floor slurping a bowl of instant noodles. When Mary, the eldest sister, slapped his shoulder, he jumped up, spilling noodles all over himself and the floor.Ted kicked the spilled noodles aside, wiped his mouth haphazardly, and charged at me, chili still clinging to his lips. He pointed a finger at me and yelled, “You damn woman! Did you get Mom and Max thrown in jail?”Mary’s glare was fierce. “Who else would it be? This bitch is live-streaming everything! Now everyone knows Max tried to steal her money, almost beat her to death, and drugged her parents!”“I knew we shouldn’t have let this jinx into the family. She’s got money but won’t share it with us because she looks down on us country folk!”“The police sealed our house! We have nowhere to stay! Are you trying to drive our whole family to death?”“You little whore, go to the pol

Luke grabbed his chin and issued a cold threat, saying, "If you dare to defame Jen, I will ensure that you deeply regret it."If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed this was the same Luke I knew. The icy, ruthless aura was completely out of character for the gentleman I thought he was.It felt like a scene straight out of a romantic novel where the domineering CEO rescues the damsel in distress, crushing the villains and saying, “Touch her and you’ll wish you hadn’t.”Patricia wailed, “Hitting people is illegal! You beat up my husband, and we’re going to call the police! You’ll pay for this!”Just as she finished speaking, the elevator doors opened again, and Wendy stepped out.Seeing me bruised and battered, Wendy exploded, pointing at them and asking me, “Jen, did they hit you? These bastards?”I nodded.Wendy immediately set her purse down and rolled up her sleeves, ready for a fight. I quickly wrapped my arms around her waist, but she still tried to k

I thought Luke would give a polite excuse, perhaps something about the editor's enthusiasm moving him, but the campus celebrity remained true to his cold demeanor."Personal reasons. I can't disclose them," Luke said curtly and then walked away.Even Wendy was surprised when Luke agreed to join us for dinner. She mouthed to me, “He really agreed?”I pressed my lips together, thinking, Wendy, having dinner with Luke, aren't you afraid of getting indigestion?I never imagined I would be sitting down for dinner with Luke—like friends. It was almost surreal. Is this what they call the twists of fate?As Luke drove, he asked, "Jen, what do you want to eat?"“I don’t know. Let Wendy decide. She’s the foodie here and knows all the best spots in the city,” I replied.Wendy thought for a moment and said, “How about some drinks? It’s a bit cold today. We could warm up with some lamb. Let’s go to that place on Elm Street that you love, Jen, the one with the iron pot lamb stew.”I had no o

I admired Wendy's boldness for asking such personal questions. Luke didn't seem like the type who enjoyed people prying into his private life. Whenever we touched on such topics, I would quickly change the subject. I guess it's because I've always had a certain reverence for Luke, influenced by Max's high regard for him.Luke picked up his glass, clinked it against Wendy's, and said candidly, "I've always been single."Both Wendy and I were shocked and exchanged a look of mutual surprise.Wendy pressed on, "You're not telling me you've never had a girlfriend, right? Still holding onto your first crush? Or maybe you're still a—"She didn't finish the sentence, but knowing Wendy as well as I did, I knew she was about to ask if he was still a virgin. But she stopped herself and said instead, "Still clueless about relationships?"Luke asked, "Is that a problem?"Wendy took a sharp breath. "You're truly a marvel."Luke responded coolly, "You flatter me."Wendy wasn't deterred. "Do y

I nodded, considering whether to tell Luke to go back and rest, but the words caught in my throat. I was afraid to meet his dark, intense gaze.Taylor handed me a detailed list of talking points for my meeting with Max. She sighed and said, "But Max might not cooperate. Attorney York suggested that you find what Max cares about most and use it as leverage. Ms. Middleton, can you think of Max's weak spot?"I pondered deeply. Over the years, Max had never shown any vulnerabilities in front of me. However, I knew that his upbringing had a significant impact on him, given his personality. He had once revealed that his father died early, and growing up in the village, his family faced discrimination and bullying. These experiences made him fiercely independent and determined to succeed.His mother, Annie, had endured many hardships to support her four children, and despite her flaws, Max often indulged her. While Max wasn't blindly filial, he did have a deep love and sympathy for Annie.