"You can see it however you want to," Summer said, not interested in explaining at all."I know you like Anthony. Help me, and I'll give him back to you, okay? Please don't be like this, Summer! I'm begging you!" Janice was clearly afraid that Summer would hang up and even brought up Anthony out of desperation.Summer was rendered speechless.What was Anthony thinking, telling Janice that Summer liked him?"There's nothing between me and Anthony. He's Rose's boyfriend. You've got it all wrong. I don't like him one bit," Summer said coldly."That's impossible! Anthony said it himself. You and Rose were always fighting over him!" Janice said."You believe that nonsense?" Summer paused for a moment. "The two of you are already engaged, but let me give you some advice. Be careful. Don't believe in everything Anthony says."Summer hung up after that.Janice stood frozen in place, and her mind raced wildly.Anthony happened to step inside at that moment. "Who were you talking to on
"Ms. Sullivan, it's already too late for you to realize my true colors!" Anthony leaned in close to Janice's face.He sneered. "At this point, you either die with me or stay by my side and help me get the company back on track, just like we agreed! Once I've made it, you can go chase after your little prince."After a pause, Anthony suddenly laughed. "Oh, right. I almost forgot. Your little prince killed someone. I wonder if he'll even be around then?"Janice felt utterly humiliated, yet completely powerless.Ever since she met Anthony, it was as if she had stepped into quicksand. The more she struggled, the deeper she sank."If you like Summer so much, why are you clinging to me?" Janice asked in despair.Anthony clenched his teeth. "You think I want this? If it weren't for the crap you and Rose pulled, Summer and I would've been together. All of this is your and Rose's fault! Do you feel miserable? Good. That's what you deserve!"Janice felt like her heart was being stabbed.
"I'll walk you out," Summer said softly.She then kept a respectful distance while she led Mason toward the exit.Mason gave Henry a nod on the way out, but Henry simply huffed and turned away.Once they were outside, Summer glanced around. "Why did you come here?""It's only right that someone from the Hunt family apologize to the deceased. I also want the public to see where I stand on this matter," Mason said.Summer looked at Mason helplessly. "If anyone tells me Mason Hunt is some sort of evil demon again, I'll knock their damn head off."Mason smiled. "Are you really that fierce, Ms. Hartford?""Much fiercer than you think." Summer shrugged."Mr. Hartford Senior is watching. You should head back in," Mason said in a gentle tone as he lowered his gaze slightly.Summer was startled, but she held herself back from turning around. Instead, she gave Mason a polite wave and turned back toward the building.Henry was waiting for her at the entrance. "What did he say to you?"
"There was definitely something wrong with you. That's why Summer didn't get out of the car!" the men said impatiently.The pitiful look on that woman's face instantly vanished."I did exactly what you asked for. Anyway, the deal was 1,000 dollars a day. I've been on this road all day today. Pay me first!" The old woman, Meredith Young, stretched out her hand."She didn't even get out of the car. Why should we pay you?" one of the men snapped."So you're not paying? Then, I'll go straight to that young woman and tell her that you guys told me to pretend to sell flowers here!" Meredith looked like a sweet elderly woman, but her tone was sly."You!""Forget it. Pay her. It's hard to find such a kind-looking old lady," the leader said impatiently.Summer's security was way too tight, and they couldn't get close to her at all. The only way was to trick her into getting out of the car and then kidnap her."We'll give you 3,000 dollars in total. Make sure you come here for the next f
Everyone knew that the reason Summer narrowly escaped danger that day was because she stopped to buy flowers from an old lady.So, Summer suddenly had a moment of realization. Could that suspicious flower stand have been set up for her?So, she had the driver circle ahead before she quietly returned through the small path behind the Hartford residence.After Summer got out of the car, she happened to see those men handing Meredith money. At that moment, she was certain that the stall was a trap for her.After a moment, Meredith felt a chill down her spine as she glanced at the gloomy, unfamiliar surroundings. "What right do you have to detain me? I didn't do anything illegal."There was another villa near the Hartford residence that had been empty for years. Summer had the old lady brought there.She sat down. "You're quite elderly, so I don't want to make things hard for you. You just need to tell me who those people were and what they asked you to do. If you do that, I'll let y
"Really?" Meredith hesitated slightly.If Summer really helped her pay off her debt, she could run far away. Vincent might not be able to touch her, but she didn't really know about her children.It was as if Summer could read her mind.Summer could immediately tell why Meredith was hesitating and said, "I promise no one will know it was you who gave me the information. Over the next few days, keep selling flowers at that same corner like before. Just do whatever they tell you to.""Sure!" Meredith agreed.Summer looked at her indifferently."Ms. Hartford, I really don't know exactly what they're planning. But yesterday, when Vincent called me over, I did see a very suspicious woman there," the old lady said."Continue," Summer said."The woman looked very rich and somewhat familiar as well. I just can't remember where I've seen her before. I did overhear that her son was sent to jail because of some woman, and she wanted Vincent to get revenge for her!" Meredith said.Summer
Robin's expression changed drastically. "Ms. Hartford, they're trying to catch you, and you want to go right to them?"Summer's lips curled up. "Exactly. I want to walk in proudly!"…Two more days passed, and Dustin finally got his medical results. It appeared that his illness was due to congenital issues. The family hadn't had the money to treat it before, and the prolonged delay had taken a serious toll on his health.After the doctors gave him a clear treatment plan, Dustin rushed home to attend Paul's funeral.As for Meredith, she was still selling flowers there every day.Summer came and went daily. Only once did she actually buy flowers, and even when she did, she had a staff get out of the car to do it.The men watching her were getting more and more anxious. They scratched their heads in frustration and were just about ready to barge into the Hartford residence to take her.Then, one evening, Meredith was still at her flower stand. She was feeling incredibly uneasy, wo
"Ms. Hartford, what are you doing? Aren't I on your side?" Meredith trembled violently in the car.Summer gazed out the window. "Didn't I tell you just now? If we're putting on a show, we should do it properly. I've already captured his men. Wouldn't it look suspicious if I didn't take you as well?"Meredith froze for a second. Thinking it over, that definitely made sense. Only then did she let out a small sigh of relief."Ms. Hartford, does your family know you're doing this?" Meredith asked, nervously glancing at Robin.Robin looked particularly fierce and was always by Summer's side. Meredith wasn't sure what his relationship with her was. The man looked like a bodyguard, but they seemed way closer than that."It's just a small matter. There's no need to tell them," Summer said offhandedly.Meredith gasped. "Ms. Hartford! Vincent isn't someone a young lady like you can deal with. You crashed into his men without telling your family? You're playing with fire!"Summer smiled.
"I'll do as you wish," Robin said."Mom's busy filming and definitely doesn't have time for me. It's boring at home, too. Let's go eat somewhere!" Summer declared."Alright," Robin replied.Summer was in an unusually good mood today.Summer and Robin went to a famous restaurant nearby. The restaurant served food that was from what she vaguely remembered Henry telling her was Robin's hometown.Back in the day, Henry had even tried to help Robin find his family, but they had failed.The restaurant was inside a bustling shopping mall. Summer and Robin asked for a small private room when they arrived.Toward the end of the meal, Summer received a call from Saul. "Summer, are you home yet? There are two sections I need you to review and revise.""Are you still at the company?" Summer asked."Yes," Saul replied."Have you eaten?" Summer asked again."I haven't," Saul responded.Summer said, "I'm at the shopping mall near the company right now. Come over, and we can talk as we eat
At Royal Financial Group, Henry earnestly looked at the cooperation proposal and the rough draft of the contract that Mason had provided.Henry was a seasoned old fox. He was extremely shrewd.Just going over the contract once was enough for him to see whether there were any hidden traps.Henry put down the contract and looked at Mason. "Mr. Hunt, what's the meaning of this? To put it bluntly, you're not even looking to collaborate with us. You're just giving us free money."Mason said seriously, "Mr. Hartford Senior, you're misunderstanding us. We do need a reliable partner for this project. As everyone knows, you have the highest credibility among all local enterprises. Partnering with you would greatly reduce the risks we face."Henry looked very clear-headed. "Don't try to butter me up. Be straight with me. What's your real goal? Let me make this clear. The matter of your cousin running over my granddaughter's driver has no room for negotiation."Henry emphasized, "If you're
Saul nodded. "Alright. I'll walk you downstairs.""Okay." Summer could tell Saul seemed like he had something he wanted to say.The two of them walked side by side toward the exit."How's the car accident case going?" Saul asked."It's moving through the legal system," Summer replied.Saul hesitated for a moment. He really wanted to tell Summer that Chandler was actually his cousin. But when the words reached his mouth, he just couldn't say them.Summer had never liked him romantically. She only saw him as a work partner. She was someone who drew clear lines between those she loved and those she hated. If she found out that Chandler was his cousin, would she end up hating him because of that?Just the thought of being disliked and pushed away by Summer made Saul feel like his heart was being torn apart."Saul, are you alright?" Summer asked when she saw he didn't look so good."It's nothing. I'm just worried about you," Saul said.Summer paused for a moment, realizing that he
Robin looked utterly stunned. "When did that happen?""It's just been a few months. It's still a little baby," Summer said."You're already meant to inherit the family's company anyway. It's good to get some practice in now." Robin thought that it would just be a small studio or something like that."This is a secret. Just like with Mason, it's absolutely top secret. You can't tell Grandpa, Dad, or Mom," Summer stated.Robin had never kept so many secrets in his life. "I understand.""Let's go." Summer opened the car door and hopped out happily.Robin followed closely behind her, scanning the surroundings cautiously.They entered the elevator. Inside, Robin immediately noticed the dazzling advertisement for Eridanus. So, that terrifying game developer was located here, too. He had seen both Henry and Luke playing After School and had secretly downloaded it himself to try. Him playing that game was the very definition of a tough guy getting scared.The elevator quickly reach
Mason chuckled and said, "Tomorrow morning. I guarantee you'll be able to slip out."Summer never doubted anything he said. He always managed to do whatever he promised. She just wondered how he would pull it off.…The next morning, Summer was in the CEO's office at Hartford Group, editing a script when Luke rushed in. "Dad! Royal Financial Group just sent us an invitation. They want to collaborate with us on their bioengineering project!"Summer had heard a little about this project before. She didn't know much about the field, but it sounded amazing. And Royal Financial Group was the only one with that technology.Over the past year, many companies had tried to partner with Royal Financial Group, but they had all been rejected."What's the meaning of this?" Henry froze for a moment before he frowned. "Why does this reek so much of a scheme to take advantage of us?"Summer almost burst out laughing.So, that was the method Mason talked about yesterday that would guarantee s
The man with the scar said, "You should be grateful that lady isn't the ruthless type. Otherwise, you'd already be shark food.""Summer!" Rosanna screamed at the top of her lungs.Summer wasn't actually being kind. She just knew that Rosanna would suffer far more being alive than just letting her die like that.The man said, "But since you caused Mr. Rourke to lose a lot of money before and even almost got him on Mason's bad side this time, you'll be soaking here until this time tomorrow night as punishment. Whether you survive or not is up to God's will."After he spoke, he waved his hand. "Let's go have a drink.""No! Don't go!" Rosanna had been born into wealth and privilege. She'd never been in such a terrifying place before.At that moment, she was overwhelmed with fear.The sea was so deep. Who knew what kind of creatures were lurking inside?And they had even mentioned sharks just now. Could there be sharks here?Just the thought alone scared her to death.Unfortunatel
The men in the van looked at each other, then burst out laughing. One of them pulled out a dagger and tapped Rosanna's face twice with the flat side.Rosanna nearly wet herself in fear."Vincent? What a coincidence! We're here on his orders!"Rosanna froze. Then she asked, "So, you're taking me to see Summer?""You'll know when we get there!"The man didn't say anything else. They tied her up with rope and pulled a black sack over her head.Rosanna's heart was pounding. Since they were working for Vincent, they probably wouldn't hurt her, right?But something about the way they looked at her didn't feel right.The van bumped along the road. After some amount of time, just as Rosanna was about to fall asleep, the vehicle finally came to a stop.She vaguely heard the sound of waves crashing nearby. Then, they shoved her out of the car. As she walked forward, two of the men behind her exchanged glances and chuckled. "It's the first time I've seen an abduction victim so cooperat
Just as Jane entered the room, there was a sudden thunderclap, startling Victoria awake."Mom, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Jane rushed over.Victoria's face was pale, but she shook her head. "Why are you here? Where's Rosanna? Is she slacking off again?"Jane looked troubled. "She still hasn't recovered from her foot injury. She's probably just too tired. It's alright. I'm here, aren't I? If you need anything, I'll take care of you. I've gotten used to it these past few days anyway."Victoria looked even more displeased. "When I could still control Mason, every one of my kids and grandkids clung to me like treasure. Now that I can't rein him in anymore, they all ran off so quickly! They only came to visit me here to see how close I am to dying so they can split up my inheritance!""Mom, it's not like that. Everyone's just been busy lately. They all really care about you," Jane said gently.Victoria snapped. "Aren't you busy, too? Rosanna's already been kicked out of th
Robin was right there, but Summer was already setting up their next date."Alright." Mason nodded.Summer was then promptly shoved into the car by Robin.The car sped off, and Mason stood there, watching.Kyle asked softly, "So, the relationship is basically mostly revealed to the Hartford household, right? It's only Mr. Hartford and Mr. Hartford Senior who don't know yet."Mason nodded. "More or less.""Didn't Mr. Hartford say last time that he wanted to treat you to a meal? Now that you've got over a week here, why don't we arrange that dinner?" Kyle suggested.He'd seen it on Mason's schedule and remembered it."Yes." Mason nodded.Kristen didn't seem hostile toward him. Robin appeared to be completely under Summer's thumb now, so he was firmly on their side. Henry was the hardest one to deal with.So, Mason felt like he should start with his future father-in-law first. He should build the relationship slowly, and the rest would come easier.Kyle couldn't help but sigh in