Hudson felt he had no hope when he heard Koven’s words. The hopeful look in his eyes vanquished.“Have I lost all my chances?”Koven looked at Hudson. He looked pitiful yet annoying. However, Hudson was Koven’s friend of many years. He did not want to say anything too harsh to Hudson, and he could not bear to disappoint Hudson either.“Well, not exactly…” Koven wanted to be as easy on Hudson as possible. “As long as you keep working hard at this, it might touch Chloe. Your effort will pay off.Despite his words, Koven knew that it all depended on what Chloe thought about all of this because it sounded like Chloe had given up on Hudson. Koven had no idea how Chloe felt about Hudson now.“What should I do? How do I make this work?Koven decided to help Hudson to the very end when he saw how eager Hudson was to work things out with Chloe.“How about learning from what Chloe did? She gave you flowers and wrote letters to you back then. Just do exactly what she did. That might work.”
Lucy sat across from Matthew, her mind racing with uncertainty.Just ten minutes earlier, Matthew had surprised her with an offer to be the lead designer for Leon Corporation's brand. She was thrilled but could not believe it."But I haven't created anything. You still want me to be the lead designer?"Matthew was sure Lucy was the right choice for the job, even without any experience."Everyone has to start somewhere, right? You need this chance, and it's a perfect way to show what you can do. Plus, I may be recommending you for the role, but Hudson won't agree if you aren't good enough."If you get it, it's because you're amazing, not because of any shortcuts.""That sounds good, but..." Lucy was still uneasy. The idea seemed so far-fetched to her. "How can a newbie without any designs take on such a big role right away?"Matthew believed Lucy was not like the others. He might not know much about fashion design, but he saw how she could impress tough clients like Koven. There
Joe ordered flowers early and brought them straight to the office. Hudson had never felt so anxious, not even with all the things he had been through growing up.Joe came with 99 roses. Some people might have said giving roses was pretty common, but it actually worked wonders."I asked for flowers with different meanings. What good are all these roses?"Joe replied, "Mr. Xender, you're missing the point. Roses might seem simple, but they're actually the most effective gift."Hudson was not convinced. He believed that a gift should be unique to show his true feelings.Joe might be new to the business world, but he knew a lot more about love than Hudson did."Mr. Xender, it's not really about the gift itself. It's about being genuine. You can't let it seem fake."However, Hudson had a nagging feeling that something was off. He had never told Joe who he was giving the flowers to."How do you know who I'm giving them to? You talk as if you know it all."Hudson was a little upset.
Hudson felt more and more awkward about showing up unannounced, but he could not bring himself to leave. He had that feeling that if he walked away right now, Chloe would only get further out of reach."Won't you let me come in for a bit? I made time just to see you..."Chloe was still pushing against Hudson's knee. She wanted to close the door and put Hudson out of her life for good.She thought she was ready for that, but Hudson's unexpected visit had thrown her off balance.She could not let this continue. She just could not.Who was Hudson anyway? He was a big-shot CEO. Meanwhile, she was just someone from an ordinary family who had known Hudson all her life. The gap between them was too wide to cross.She had been foolish to think otherwise before.Chloe said calmly, "Mr. Xender, a busy man like you doesn't have time for a nobody like me."Hudson's heart ached. He had once said those words to Chloe, not realizing how cruel they were. Feeling the sting of his own words, he
Chloe felt Hudson's grip on her wrist. She tried with all her might to pull away, but it was no use."What are you trying to do, Hudson?"Chloe's face turned bright red with annoyance. She really did not want to fight with Hudson in front of her colleague. It was just too embarrassing.The roses Hudson had brought were on the floor, petals scattered around his feet. Felix could tell there was trouble, probably because Hudson had tried to do something sweet, but Chloe was not having any of it."Sir," Felix started to speak. Seeing Chloe trying to get away from Hudson, he quickly stepped in like a true gentleman and pulled Chloe to his side. "Let's just talk this out. No need to get physical."Hudson stared at Felix, shocked. Could this guy and Chloe... They were wearing the same aprons, and with the way he was acting all protective, quietly pulling Chloe back to his side…No, something was not adding up..."Sir, what's really going on between you and Chloe?"Felix's sharp questi
At Life Story Company, the planning team was huddled together, whispering words of comfort to a young woman sobbing uncontrollably. Just ten minutes earlier, Hudson had given her a severe talking-to, and she could not help feeling utterly wronged. She was now crying out loud in the office. "Mary, what's wrong?" they asked. Mary cried even harder, her words interrupted by sobs. "Mr. Xender... got mad at me for a small mistake at work. He said if I mess up like this again, I might as well pack up and leave."One of her colleagues chimed in, " Mary, did you mess up a report or something?" Mary nodded, tears streaming down her face. "It was a brand event. I mixed up one of the rules... and Mr. Xender really let me have it when he found out."Another colleague shared their feelings of regret. " Mary, you were in the wrong this time, and it's not fair to blame Mr. Xender for how he reacted.""I know, but why did Mr. Xender get so... scary?!" Mary was still rattled by Hudson's recent f
"So, does this mean I did it?" Lucy asked, barely containing her excitement."Yes," Matthew replied, and his simple answer made Lucy's heart soar. She had passed the challenge set by Matthew and Hudson."Really? You're not just saying that because you like my work, are you?"Matthew cracked a smile. "I do play favorites... but not when it comes to this. Hudson and I both agreed, so no, there were no special favors."Lucy was so overjoyed she could not find the words. She flopped back onto her bed. Gazing at her design drafts, her mind raced with possibilities."Guess what? There was actually a secret judge this time," Matthew said with a twinkle in his eye. "Want to know who it was?""Who was it?"Lucy peered at Matthew, sensing she might know that mystery judge.Matthew decided to spill the beans. "It's Koven.""Koven? How could he...""Koven's buddies with Hudson, so when he heard I was putting your name forward as the designer, Koven chose to put you to the test himself. A
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