Near evening at the extremely lively stadium. Joyce's team is playing against a fairly strong opponent, and the score is neck and neck. Despite her sore arm, Joyce remains the standout player on the team.
Celina was pulled over by her friend to cheer for her brother. Quickly, she caught a glimpse of an image that was both unfamiliar and somewhat familiar.I had said we wouldn't meet again, and now here we are. Earth is small, isn't it?The applause of the crowd echoed, and Joyce's gaze drifted upwards, just as she caught the girl looking at her. What a coincidence.The two exchanged challenging glances, and anyone observant enough would notice there was something between them. Meanwhile, Joyce's friend also harbored a secret crush, casting less-than-friendly looks towards Celina.The match ended with Joyce's team victorious. Celina and her friend went down to greet her brother.Seeing the girl ignoring her, Joyce pretended to accidentally drop the ball near her, then gave a commanding look, saying, "Hey, pass me the ball."Celina held the ball but didn't make any attempt to pass it back, saying, "Don't feel like it.""Why do I keep seeing you everywhere? Are you stalking me?" Who said we wouldn't meet again, yet here you are before the day is even over. Well, that's good. This gives me the opportunity to confront you about this morning as well."Are you paranoid or something? Who's stalking you? I know you're here; I haven't come before." The man was not only arrogant and womanizing, but also delusional. Celina felt sorry for his seemingly wasted good looks.The girl's words momentarily caught Joyce off guard. He retorted sharply, "Arrogant brat. Keep the ball and play."Being a man, he didn't want to escalate the situation. Just as Joyce turned his back to Celina, he suddenly felt something hit him hard. Turning around, he realized it was the ball she had thrown."Wanna start a fight or something?" Joyce asked."Give me back the ball, then." After that, Celina said to her friend, "I'll head back first."Joyce glared at the girl as if he wanted to devour her. There are many men here who don't want to be seen as harassing someone's daughter. Meeting twice surely means there'll be a third time, and both old and new grudges will be repaid without anything being left out.The next day, Joyce's wish came true as his department welcomed new staff members, including Celina, the arrogant girl.With a seemingly reasonable pretext, Joyce made things difficult for Celina in various ways. She knew well that it wouldn't achieve much, considering he wasn't her superior. She could only blame her bad luck for encountering someone with a long memory for grudges.Lately, Joyce found his work to be quite satisfying, which is why he started arriving at the company right on time. In his job, he was serious and efficient in resolving issues. He could have held a higher position, but he chose to remain a department head to avoid encountering his father.Having documents that needed photocopying, Joyce lifted his phone and was about to instruct someone to take them when he suddenly placed the phone back in its original position. His lips curved into a slight smile as he took the documents, walked out, and stood by Celina's desk, placing the papers in front of her."Make two photocopies and bring them to my office," he instructed."Yes."Suddenly, Celina obediently went to work without any complaints, which struck Joyce as odd. Did this girl accidentally take the wrong medicine today?Joyce decided to test Celina by asking her to make coffee and throw away trash, both of which she did obediently. Leaning back in his chair, he gazed at Celina and asked, "Did you leave your attitude at home today?"Celina nonchalantly replied, "Just didn't want to argue with you. You're the boss, you get what you want. If you have nothing else to complain about, let me get back to work."Although Joyce should have felt pleased, for some reason, he felt extremely uncomfortable. It was as if when Celina walked out, Joyce's energy significantly diminished. Could it be that...The thought hadn't even fully formed in his mind before Joyce dismissed it. How could he possibly like a girl like that? She was sharp-tongued and never backed down. It was only in the workplace that he could toy with her. Maybe outside of the office, she wouldn't argue with him like a knife to the face.While his mind was telling him one thing, Joyce's heart was leading him in a different direction. Every opportunity he got, his gaze would find its way to the girl, looking for ways to engage her in conversation and make her smile. The relationship between the two gradually softened, and he couldn't quite pinpoint when it happened. He even invited Celina to play basketball together."I don't even know how to play, yet you're inviting me," Celina didn't outright refuse."I'll teach you," Joyce said, pulling Celina along.Joyce taught Celina everything from how to hold the ball to shooting it into the hoop. She realized he wasn't actually all that detestable. The distance between them was close, and as a result, their hearts skipped a beat in unison.Back home, Joyce recalled the scene of him teaching Celina to play basketball, and his lips unconsciously formed a silly smile of someone in love.Before he could express his love, Joyce had to witness a heart-wrenching scene.His father led a woman to the house, their hands intertwined right in front of Joyce's eyes. Adonis also noticed his son's presence. He said, "What a coincidence. Let me introduce you to someone. This is Ula, she will be your father's wife."While Joyce was still in shock, another figure stepped out of the car. Initially appearing as a stranger, little did he expect that it was the girl who had gradually taken a significant place in his heart.Adonis spoke up again, unaware that his announcement could irreversibly strain their father-son relationship. The resentment within Joyce grew even stronger. "And this is Celina, your stepsister," he said.Celina's eyes were bewildered. She knew Adonis had a son, but she never expected this coincidence. Joyce was not only her superior but now her stepbrother as well. She had just begun to breathe a sigh of relief when he stopped making things difficult for her at work, and now, all of a sudden, they had become family. Could it be that he had suspected her of planning this all along?It turned out to be like that, everything had a purpose, not just mere coincidence or some unfortunate fate.Joyce looked at the three of them, seeing no signs of happiness. On the contrary, he understood why his father had abandoned his mother until her passing."I won't marry someone who doesn't love me," Celina felt her heart race when she heard Joyce say he would give her a status, but in the end, he was only showing pity, not real love. So, what was the point of all this?"What makes you think I don't love you?" Joyce asked in a low tone. To Celina, leaving his life was the most illogical thing ever. Did she need to say it herself? All his actions and words in the past proved it. She wanted to preserve her dignity and walk away from this."I just want to go on like this," Celina felt that continuing this argument was meaningless. The situation was clear. Holding on would only cause more pain."You've been neglecting me all this time. Prove to me that you married me out of love, not pity," Joyce's sincere eyes were fixed on Celina. He held her hand and took both of their passports to the civil registration office.At first, Celina hesitated because she didn't know if she should write her name on the paper, but with Joyce's expectant gaze,
Celina couldn't resist and sat down in the chair opposite Joyce, but throughout, she didn't dare to lift her head to look at him even once, only hoping to quickly finish the meal on her plate and go to her room.In the somewhat oppressive atmosphere, Celina heard the voices of the third and fourth person in the house, saying, "You both enjoy your meal."Suddenly, there was someone else in the house that surprised Celina and made her lift her head. It was a woman, slightly over forty, serving as a helper. Just as she was puzzled, the voice of the person sitting across from her spoke up, "This is Rinnai; she will be helping with the household chores. From now on, you won't need to cook in the kitchen. Consider it my way of finding you a dining companion to make your meals less lonely."This implied that Joyce wouldn't be coming home to eat with her or have any further contact. So, why was he being so considerate? Celina could take care of herself without his pity.At this moment, Celina
It had been Joyce's second week in his new position as CEO, and every weekend seemed to bring even more work. Being a young CEO, the board of directors wanted to test his capabilities by arranging numerous partner meetings.Despite knowing how busy he was, Celina still prepared dinner for Joyce. Men usually focused on business discussions once they sat at the table, occasionally indulging in a few drinks. Excessive alcohol consumption could lead to untimely intoxication, so she cooked a hearty soup to help him recover from the effects of alcohol. Whether he drank or not, it was better to be prepared.On previous occasions, Jack had returned home by 9 PM, but tonight it was already 10 PM, and Celina hadn't seen him yet. Worry crept in, making her restless. She glanced at the cold food on the table and then at her phone. Many times, she wanted to call him, but the fear of bothering him held her back. Eventually, she sent him a text message."Are you coming home soon? If you're drunk, pl
Celina's intense reaction only made Joyce more certain that she was afraid of the darkness within her. He talked more to relieve the pressure and keep her from dwelling on that matter. Half of the story he was sharing was indeed true.Celina could hear the steady tone in Joyce's voice, which calmed her fears, and she began to relax, her hand resting on the floor and accidentally brushing against his fingers. A jolt of electricity seemed to run through her, making her want to pull her hand away, but he had already firmly held onto it. Their breaths were synchronized, and they were dangerously close to each other. Celina tried to pull away, but Joyce quickly closed the gap by leaning in and planting a passionate kiss on her lips.Celina's rational mind told her that this couldn't be happening between them, and she struggled to escape this situation. However, her efforts were futile compared to Joyce's strength. On the contrary, he skillfully slipped his tongue into her mouth, intensifyin
Is it difficult? Is everything that simple? If everything were that simple, you wouldn't have come this far. You're not my target either.Joyce turned Celina's chair, pulled her closer, face to face, eye to eye, and gently said, "Do you think I would leave you here alone? Your mother would definitely not be happy if she found out."He didn't say that because he was worried about her; he was afraid of his mother's scolding, so he insisted on staying here with her. Celina thought this way, and having Joyce here didn't make her any happier. On the contrary, these seemingly meaningless numbers might have been completed by now.Celina wanted to retreat to her previous position, but the chair didn't budge, mainly because Joyce was holding it firmly."If you're afraid of your mother scolding you, then let go," Celina said, glaring."I'll help you finish faster," he replied.Of course. Joyce showed Celina how to be more precise and not waste time searching, hitting the bullseye with every sho
Celina opened her eyes to find herself sleeping in the car, memories of the day quickly flooding her mind. Due to some exploration game that had exhausted her, she sat in the car listening to Joyce and Xavia's conversation, feeling drowsy, wishing only to lie on a large bed and get some rest.Throughout the journey, Celina had not uttered a word as if she were invisible, allowing the two people above to have their privacy. Yet when Xavia got out of the car, she expressed worries and hints that she might lose Joyce. It's truly perplexing what was going through her mind to say such a thing. Furthermore, she also knows that it's impossible, given that when Joyce introduced her to Xavia as her "little sister," she should understand."Only those who are hard to understand can truly play together."But where did Joyce go?Celina's gaze quickly searched and spotted Joyce's figure leaning against the outside. She opened the door and stepped out, the slightly cold temperature causing her to hu