《Ex-husband's Sweet Trap》 Chapter 1: Goodbye, Ex-Husband Chapter 1: Goodbye, Ex-Husband "Ah!" At 12 o''clock in the morning, a heart-wrenching scream came from the maternity hospital. "Ms. Boone, Push! Push! Thebour had been going on for 13 hours. Luz Booney on the bed panting weakly. Her hair stuck to her face, wet with sweat, and tears were falling uncontrobly from her eyes. She really had no strength left, even breathing. "Ms. Boone, push! Hold your breath and push as hard as you can! The little one cannot wait!" The doctor was very anxious. Thebour had been drawn out for too long. If this goes on any longer, both mother and child would be in danger. Luz closed her eyes tightly and clutched the sheets beneath her. She took a deep breath and pushed with all her might ¡ª "Ah!" "My child, you must survive!" she thought. ... Seven yearster, at the airport in North City, a seven-year-old boy stood in the middle of the lobby and waved to the woman behind him. After a while, he ran to her impatiently and grabbed the luggage bag from her and pushed it like a grown up. ... "Mommy! Hurry up! Didn''t you ask uncle Den to go to the amusement park together?" The little fellow''s eyes were shining when he mentioned the amusement park. Luz was wearing a rose red suit with a pair of jeans. Her beige high heels showed off her long, toned legs. She took off her sunsses and picked up the little boy. "Logan," she said kindly, "Mommy is tired from the long flight. How about we eat with Uncle Den instead going to the amusement park?" "Mommy!" The boy did not agree. "You promised!" Luz smiled and did not say anything. She put him down and walked out of the airport with him. An SUV stopped in front of them. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. The door opened, and a man in a casual suit appeared. He was tall, and his ck hair brought out his handsome features. "Luz!" He called her. "Den." Luz smiled. Logan brightened and ran over to the man. "Uncle Den!" The man bent down and picked him up. "You''ve grown taller!" "I have to grow tall to protect Mommy!" Logan frowned and said seriously. Luzughed at his words and shrugged, then walked over to Den Carver. "How are youtely?" Den looked at her. Luz tried for a rxed expression and nodded. "I''m fine! Don''t worry! Let''s go have something to eat!" "Sure." He gaze at her dotingly and took the luggage bag from her. Logan was protesting in his arms. "You promised to bring me to the amusement park first," he mumbled. Den flicked his head. "Didn''t I tell you that you should listen to your mother?" Logan''s eyes dimmed slightly. "Okay," he said sullenly. ... Chapter 2: A Chance Encounter At The Restaurant Chapter 2: A Chance Encounter At The Restaurant At the West Siena Restaurant. As soon as the waiter handed over the menu, Logan grabbed it with his chubby little hands. He flipped through the pages with a frown on his face. "Mommy, why are there only steak, sd, or foie gras here? We had those in America and I''m sick of it!" Luz coughed awkwardly as she nced at Den and took the menu from Logan. "You should order, don''t mind Logan, he''s just a kid." Den had a gentle smile on his face. "It''s okay. You don''t need to be so careful around me. Logan is like my own child." His words were so touching, even the waitress blushed and nced surreptitiously at him. Luz blushed and avoided Den''s eyes. She hurriedly handed the menu to the waiter and said, "Two French steaks, a children''s set meal, and one foie gras. Thank you." "Sure. It''ll be out in a moment." After the waiter left, Den poured a cup of tea and pushed it to Luz. "What are you nning to do now?" he asked. "The HQ transferred me to the M&Rpany as the head secretary," Luz replied, as she took a deep breath. Den frowned. "M&R? That small mediapany that is close to bankruptcy?" She was nomital. "They used theirst capital to invest in our headquarters in America and asked for a reputable team to help them out. I was chosen for the team. What are the chances?" While Luz was talking, the waiter served up their hot drinks. She moved to the side to make room for her. At this moment, several figures approached from the end of the corridor not far away from where they were seated. Their footsteps were audible in the quiet corridor. Among them was the sound of high heels. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. "Mr. Maynard, are you really not going to consider our project anymore? We will definitely spend a lot of money to support a beautiful and talented actress like Emily. We think this movie will do really well!" A middle-aged man in a suit, who looked like a manager, trailed behind them. "We need a good and reputable movie with value, not a run of the mill one with some sex ses." Henry Maynard held a lit cigar in one hand and stuck his other hand into his pocket. The woman hanging on his arm beside him was one of the four most popr celebrities in recent times ¡ª Emily Hurst. The yellowish light illuminated her soft features, revealing a dainty nose and red lips. Her thick eyshes left shadows under her eyes. She had a smile on her face as if she was holding the most outstanding man in the entire North City. For her, it was a kind of pride. "Our movie is not run of the mill! We do have some sex scenes in the movie, but Mr Maynard, nowadays, sex sells. I don''t think there''s anything wrong with that," the middle-aged man continued. Henry released a cloud of smoke as if he did not hear him. Emily, on the other hand, stopped in her tracks. She tilted her head and said with some amusement, "Mr. Wang, do you really not understand what Henry is saying? With our rtionship, do you really think he will let me film any sex scenes?" The way she called him was so intimate that the middle-aged man was stunned for a minute. Emily Hurst and Henry Maynard were in a rtionship? Chapter 3: A Kiss Seven Years Later Chapter 3: A Kiss Seven Years Later Henry frowned unconsciously. As he stopped, the two bodyguards following him also stopped. Matthew Myles'' mouth twitched slightly, but he did not say anything. Emily was really bold. Their boss had just brought her out to discuss a contract, but she was iming a status for herself here. Henry turned to face Emily and asked indifferently, "What kind of rtionship do we have?" "..." Emily was at a loss for words. She let out a faintugh and said, "Henry..." "I don''t want to hear that another time." The corners of his mouth curled into a cruel smile as he ripped himself from Emily''s grip and strode forwards. "Henry!" Emily shouted and chased after him. Logan had been attracted by their loud argument. As Henry turned around to leave, he got a clear look at his face. Those sharp features looked a lot like those he saw in the mirror every day. His eyes lit up, and the spoon in his hand fell to the ground with a ng. "Mommy! That man looks like me!" he eximed loudly. His childish voice and handsome face attracted a lot of attention, including Henry''s. ... The waiter lifted the curtain for him. He stepped over the threshold but looked back instinctively when he heard the child''s voice. His gaze swept across Logan''s face and then fell on the slender woman sitting beside him. "Who?" Luz was a little confused. "Him!" Logan raised his hand and pointed. Luz followed his finger and turned to look. Her grip on the cutlery tightened when she saw the man''s face. She nched. "Henry Maynard?" Luz said slowly, reliving the name that had been hidden in her heart for seven years. It was also at this moment that she felt the scar on her heart torn open again. Henry saw her and knew it was her, but he did not show any expression. With his dark eyes and pale lips, he stood there, wearing a simple white shirt under a business suit, a perfect picture of the business elite. His expression only changed when Den turned around. The two men stared at each other from a distance. He slowly tightened his grip on the cigar and put it out in his palm. After all this time, she still ended up with him in the end. They even have a happy family of three now. Henry pursed his lips and smiled coldly. He saw Logan, but he was not interested in another man''s child. "Long time no see..." Luz tried for a smiled. She did not expect to see her ex-husband Henry Maynard on the first day she came back. "Mr. Maynard, I''ve heard a lot about you. I''m Den of the High Tidustries." Before Luz could say anything to stop him, Den had already gotten out of his chair and held out his hand. She choked on her words and felt her heart tighten. Henry''s gaze shifted from the woman''s face to Den''s outstretched hand. A cold smile appeared on his lips. "I don''t think I know you," he said. His hands were still in his pockets, and he gave no sign of returning This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. the handshake. Den''s arm hung in midair awkwardly. Chapter 4: A Seven-Year Love Chapter 4: A Seven-Year Love Suddenly, Henry strode over to Luz. "What do you want?" Logan red at him fiercely and held on to his mother''s hand. "Don''t bully my mommy!" This strange man''s expression was cold and scary, as if he wanted to eat his mother. "I just need to talk to your mother," Henry said told him without taking his eyes off Luz. Then he tilted his head as if he had just thought of something, and turned to Den. "Mr. Carver, you don''t mind, do you?" His voice was as cold as ice. "I..." Den didn''t know what to say. Everyone in North City knew the name, Henry Maynard. He represented authority and status. As for Den Carver, he was just a general manager in a second-ratepany. He did not have the power to fight against Henry. "Of course not." He concessed with a elegant smile. Henry snorted disdainfully and turned back to Luz. He was tall and exuded a chilly aura. With every step of his approach, Luz felt even more flustered. When she tried to lower her head out of nervousness, he suddenly lowered himself and said into her ear, "Luz Boone, do you know what I swore to myself the day you left me?"This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ... Her heart jumped. She raised her head and saw that his thin lips were curled up even more. However, little Logan was not happy to see them in this intimate position. He widened his eyes and tried his best to re at Henry. "Why did they have to whisper into each other''s ears?" he thought. "Something fishy is going on!" ... Even though this man looked very simr to him, the good impression he had just developed had disappeared! "I swore to never see ¡ª" He tilted his head and his breath fell on her cheeks. "Your face." Henry''s voice was so low only Luz could hear it. Her heart pounded as he straightened and looked at her coldly. "I hope this is thest time." As soon as he finished speaking, Emily quickly followed him in her high heels and called his name. Luz''s attention waspletely attracted by this intimate way of address. By the time she realized what was going on, Henry had already strode away from her heartlessly. "Luz, are you okay?" Den reached out and steadied her as she swayed on her feet. "Do you know Henry Maynard?" His tone was more of a statement than a question. Henry Maynard was infamous for his indifference. He would never talk to people he did not know. If Henry Maynard spoke to her so intimately, they must have some kind of rtionship. "What did he say to you?" Den continued to ask. "Nothing." Shaking her head, she took a deep breath. When she turned around, she saw Logan looking at Henry''s retreating back thoughtfully with a hand under his chin. "Mommy, that man really looks like me!" Logan was still thinking about this problem, and it was obvious that there was some connection between this man and his mommy. "Is he my father?" He asked in confusion. "Logan!" Luz stopped him. Facing Den''s slightly suspicious gaze, she pretended to be rxed and smiled. "Den, it''s not like that." ... At night, the royal-blue BMW SUV slowly stopped at the main entrance of the Boone residence. Chapter 5: The Boone Family Mansion Chapter 5: The Boone Family Mansion The Boone family Mansion had been deserted for many years. The flowers in the garden were long withered and the big swimming pool was filled with dead leaves. Only the delicate flower patterns carved on the white gate seemed to show the status and reputation of the owner of this vi once owned. "We''re here." After Den parked the car, he opened the door and went to the trunk to get their luggage. Luz took her son''s hand and came out from the back of the car. "Thank you, Den. You''re must be tired too. Go back and rest early," Luz said to him with a smile when Den brought her luggage to her. "Aren''t you going to invite me in?" Den gestured at the main entrance of the vi. "That''s right, Mommy!" Logan looked serious and raised his chin. "Let Uncle Dene in and y with me for a while, okay? I brought back the Superman figurine from America, but I don''t know how to assemble it!" Luz and Den couldn''t helpughing at his cute pout. Her dimpled smile was just the same as seven years ago, except with an aura of maternity as she ruffled her son''s hair. ... Henry stared at the image reflected in the rearview mirror. Under the shade of the tree, she and the This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. man embraced each other. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel and pressed his lips together. "Den, I''ve only juste back after seven years. I haven''t had the chance to clean up yet. The house is not visitor-ready. I''ll definitely invite you over when I can next time!" At this point, Den understood what she meant. He smiled and hid his disappointment. "If you need anything, call me at any time. I''ll be here immediately." "Okay." Luz nodded with a smile andforted Logan. Then, she took the boy''s hand and walked up the stairs. Den focused his attention on her back as she left, concealing hisplicated feelings in his lowered eyes. It was as if he had fallen into a deep and distant state of thought. Around the corner, a ck Maybach was parked in the dark. The man watched as the blue BMW drove away. He sat in the car and continued watching as the light shone from the house''s second storey and took out his phone from his pocket. He just fidgeted restlessly with his phone without pressing any buttons. ... It took Luz two hours to clean up the house. The dusty living room became exquisite and dazzling in the blink of an eye. The European sofa was also looked brand new. She gently brushed away the dust on the portrait in her hand, as if she was taking care of her beloved item. She hung the portrait in the most striking position in the living room. Logan was wearing Ultraman pyjamas. He stood at the door with his hands clenched tightly, frowning as he looked at the portrait that Luz had ced on the counter. "Mommy, are they your daddy and mommy?" On the portrait was a couple in their early 50s. The man''s hair was white, and his eyes were intimidating while the woman in the gown had a gentle smile. They leaned against each other in an intimate pose typical for a married couple. Luz put down the rag in her hand and took a deep breath. "Yes, these are your grandparents." "Where did they go?" The big house was empty. There was no one living here except him and his mother. Luz turned around and looked at Logan, who had a curious expression on his face. She couldn''t help "They went to a very far ce. You won''t be able to meet them." Seven years ago, the fire took away her parents and her love. She had lost everything and could only escape. "Do you miss them, mommy?" "I do." But so what? They can never meet again, but she will avenge them. ... Chapter 6: She Will Take Revenge Chapter 6: She Will Take Revenge Logan slipped into the nkets. Luz tucked him in as he stared at him hopefully. "It''s like I miss my daddy, right?" Luz was stunned. When she thought of the man she had just met in the restaurant, her heart trembled slightly. The pain spread in her heart. She sighed bitterly and ruffled Logan''s hair. "Just sleep, darling. I''ll take you to Mia''s ce tomorrow," she said with a gentle smile. "Okay!" Logan replied and closed his eyes. It didn''t take long for him to fall asleep. Luz leaned over and kissed her son on the forehead. "I love you, baby." ... The next day, at the M&R Company. "Amy, I may need to stay here for a while," Luz told the person on the other end of the phone. When she saw that the elevator door was about to close, she ran up hurriedly to stop it. "Sorry, please Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. wait!" After entering the elevator, the phone hung up automatically. Luz pouted helplessly and put the phone back into her bag. A familiar voice sounded beside her. "Henry, I want to have the fillet steak at Morrey Casey Restaurant for lunchter today, can youe with me?" "Okay." The man replied in a cold voice. Luz was shocked. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a man and a woman standing in the elevator with her. Emily Hurst was in a flowery dress with ten-centimetre high heels. She was holding on the arm of the man beside her. They looked like a perfect match. The man was Henry Maynard. It was Henry again! He stood beside Emily as if he did not see her, but he exuded a dangerous aura. Emily was smiling. Luz could hear her say coyly, "Then you can take me to the set after lunch, okay?" "Don''t you have a helper and an assistant? Do you still need me to send you there?" As he spoke, Henry ced a hand on Emily''s delicate shoulder. It seemed that he did not take this matter seriously. Emily giggled and said bashfully, "That''s different. I want you to see me off!" The two of them talked unscrupulously in front of Luz, which made her frown. She tightened her grip on her bag unconsciously. She should be used to this already, but why did it still hurt even after seven years? With a "ding", the elevator door slowly opened. When the secretary saw Henry and Emily, he greeted them politely. "Mr. Maynard, Ms. Hurst." Then, he turned to look at Luz inside. "Secretary Boone." "A secretary?" Emily stopped outside the elevator with Henry. She was surprised and turned to look at Luz. "She''s a secretary?" Henry''s expression also turned cold. He turned his head and stared at her. "Sorry, this happened too quickly, I didn''t have time to inform you," the secretary said apologetically. "Ms. Boone is sent by the American investors to take my position. She will be in charge of the MR." ... "I didn''t expect Ms. Boone, a surgeon, to switch careers to the entertainment industry." Henry''s cold eyes shed. The secretary was stunned. The woman that the investorpany praised so highly used to be a doctor? Luz''s heart skipped a beat. She took a deep breath and tried to keep her voice calm. "No one said we have to stay in the same industry for our entire life. I like office work, so what''s wrong with joining the entertainment industry? Do you have any doubts about my abilities, Mr. Maynard?" The atmosphere instantly tensed up. "Linda, arrange for Secetary Boone to seat next to my office," Henry said suddenly. "Hand over everything to her in a week. She can take charge of the meeting next week." ... He walked away as soon as he finished speaking without sparing her another nce. Linda replied respectfully in the direction he left, "Okay, Mr. Maynard." Chapter 7: He Is Mine Now! Chapter 7: He Is Mine Now! As soon as he left, the smile on Emily''s face became colder. She studied Luz coldly. If she remembered correctly, this woman was also in the restaurant that day with a little boy. She knew instinctively that this woman had some history with Henry. Emily smiled. "I don''t care what rtionship you had with Henry in the past, but he''s now mine. Watch yourself when you''re working with him." "She''s certainly different from what she shows to the public," Luz thought to herself. "Jealousy is an ugly look on her." It was terrifying and ugly. "I would never touch your man, Ms. Hurst." She took two steps back and smiled. "I know you have powerful backers." ... Emily snorted arrogantly and nced at Luz with disdain. "Emily." Henry''s indifferent voice sounded in front of them. Emily closed her mouth tightly and red at Luz. Then she turned around, changing her expression, and followed Henry hurriedly. She took his arm. "Henry, was Secretary Boone really a surgeon before? What if she''s not suitable for the job?" "Then she''s fired." His words were cold. Luz took a deep breath and forced herself to smile. "Yeah, I thought so too. MR won''t hire useless people even if it''s going bankrupt." Emilyughed as she gloated. "You shouldn''t take advantage of her beauty, you know." ... Henry wrapped his arm around her slender waist and said in a doting tone, "Is she as beautiful as you? Huh?" "Come on!" Luz sighed as she watched them leave. If she had known that it was Henry who took over thepany, she would never have agreed to let her boss take this investment. The secretary asked tentatively, "Secretary Boone?" Luz dropped her gaze and nodded at the secretary. "Sorry, let''s go to the office." Linda''s office was a little far from the president''s office because she had to take care of other things. She got someone to tidy up the office beside the CEO office and brought Luz there. There was everything she needed in the office, which had great lighting and huge French windows. The only downside was the office connected to the office on the left, with only a pane of ss and some shutters to separate the two offices. The shutters could only be let down on the CEO side. She would not have any privacy when the shutters were up. Linda brought in a box full of important documents and handed them over to Luz. "Ms Boone, this is all the information about MR over the past year. You can take a look at them, and you can call me on the internal phone if you have any questions. Also, this is Mr Maynard''s schedule for this week." After Linda left, Luz looked through the schedule. When she saw the words "Emily", "g", and "lunch", she averted her gaze and rubbed her temples bitterly. Had Emily be hispanion over the past seven years? As you embrace me under the umbre / Your promises were heavy / And your eyes held so much kindness... The mobile phone on the table suddenly rang, which startled Luz. When she saw a familiar short number, her eyes strained. Before she went abroad, she kept this number and added enough credit tost for several years. This was the first time since then she had used this number, and the first person to call her was, unexpectedly, Madam Maynard. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. When she answered the phone, her voice choked for a moment. "Grandma..." "Hello, is it little Luz?" After really hearing Luz''s voice, the olddy breathed a sigh of relief. "You little girl, you made me so worried! I was so worried about you all these years." The olddy''s words made her very sad. "Grandma, I''m sorry." "Silly girl, there''s no need to apologize to me!" The olddy med her a little. "Luz, since you''re back, After a moment of hesitation, Luz finally agreed. Madam Maynard had been very kind to her when she was still the daughter-inw of the Maynard family. She had treated her just like her own grandmother. She hadn''t seen her for seven years, so she wanted to see if she was doing well. ... Chapter 8: Going Back To The Maynard Residence Chapter 8: Going Back To The Maynard Residence Half an hourter, the taxi arrived at the Maynard Family mansion in the southern suburbs. One of the ancestors of the Maynard family used to be a high-ranking officer in the royal court. The mansion, which was given to the family by the royalty, had been through several wars. It was now worth billions. When the taxi stopped in front of the mansion, the Maybaching from the opposite direction also stopped. The man got out of the Maybach. His ck suit was not wrinkled at all, and his thin lips were pressed into a straight line. He looked at Luz. Henry Maynard? Why is he here? Luz was stunned for a minute before remembering that this was the Maynard family mansion. Of course, he would be here for dinner. There were several paths leading to the house, so Luz took a shortcut so she would not have to walk in with Henry. When she arrived at the house, one of the maids greeted her. "Good evening, madam." Luz''s expression was frozen as she nodded back in greeting and followed the maid in. Old Mrs Maynard had just turned 60 this year. Her long green dress made her look younger than she was as she chatted happily with Henry in the living room. She stood up when the maid told her of Luz''s arrival. Luz walked into the living room and greeted the olddy. "Grandma." "Hello, Luz! Come here!" The olddy''s smile deepened at the sight of Luz. She moved over a little and This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. gestured for Luz to sit beside her. "Come and sit here, let me take a good look at you." Beside her, Henry lowered his eyes and focused on his tea as if Luz did not exist. Luz bit her lip and went over to sit down. She was very close to Henry. The strange and familiar coldness around the tip of her nose made her feel a little dizzy and ufortable. She moved her hips slightly away from the man behind her. Mrs Maynard was evidently very happy to see Luz and kept asking her questions. Later, when they arrived at the topic of Mr and Mrs Boone''s car ident, Luz was a little down. Seeing this, Mrs Maynard hugged her tenderly. "Silly girl. why did you tell me about this?" "Grandma, it''s all in the past. It doesn''t matter now." It took Luz a while to calm down. She pursed her lips and smiled at the olddy. "As long as you''re well, I''ll be very happy." The olddy tapped her on the forehead. "You only care about others." While she was speaking, the olddy looked over at Henry. She was frustrated when he did not say anything. It was all her grandson''s fault for being useless. He couldn''t even keep such a good wife! The Maynard Family had a strict seating order at meals. Since Luz had already divorced Henry, she was technically a visitor, which meant she should be sitting at the end of the table. However, Mrs Maynard insisted that she sat beside Henry. "Henry, pass the soup to Luz. She needs to eat better." "That''s alright, grandma. I can do it myself," Luz hurriedly refused. The olddy red at her disapprovingly. "No, let Henry do it for you. Don''t move." As she spoke, the olddy gave Henry a pointed look. Henry pursed his lips and got up. He picked up Luz''s soup bowl and filled it for her. Luz reached out and took it. When she touched his cold fingertips, her heart trembled and she quickly lowered her eyes. The olddy chuckled. She was the first to eat at the table. Halfway through the meal, Mrs Maynard asked Luz where she was staying. When she learned that she was living in the Boone Family mansion, she frowned and felt a little distressed. "Luz, no one has lived there for seven years. It must be dirty and outdated. I''ll get someone to go renovate the house for you. In the meantime, you can stay here. I''ll feel less worried with you here." "Mother, are you confused?" Thedy sitting to her right of the dining table couldn''t help but say, "Henry has divorced her. She is not the daughter-inw of the Maynard Family anymore. It''s against the rules for her to live in the Maynard family." The olddy had never liked her eldest son''s second wife. She nced up when she protested and said, "Do I need your permission to allow Luz to stay here?" Thedy''s face stiffened and she said dully, "Mother, I, I didn''t mean that." "What, I have no right to speak in this family now?" No one dared to make a sound when the olddy said that. Chapter 9: Mrs Maynard Is A Force To Be Reckoned With Chapter 9: Mrs Maynard Is A Force To Be Reckoned With It wasmon knowledge that thete Mr Maynard had passed on everything he owned to Mrs Maynard before he died. His assets included two boxes of priceless antiquities. To sum it up, Mrs Maynard was a force to be reckoned with. It would be unwise to offend her. "You''re the most respected elder in the Maynard family, grandma," Henry spoke up suddenly. His tone was less chilly now. "We all wish you a long and healthy life. Don''t get too worked up." "Grandma, Henry is right." Luz quickly got up and walked over to Mrs Maynard. She brought a bowl of soup with her and said with a smile, "Grandma, have some soup as an appetizer first. I''ll apany you to the garden for a walk after dinnerter." For the sake of Luz, the olddy rxed her frown and nodded. "Okay. Thank goodness for you, Luz." Henry nced at Luz, then looked away quickly. This topic finally came to an end. After dinner, Luz took a stroll in the back garden with Mrs Maynard. Mrs Maynard did not know the full story behind Luz''s divorce from Henry. She held her hand and kept ming Henry while implying that she hoped Luz could forgive her grandson. Luz pursed her lips in a smile and kept changing the subject subtly. They talked in the garden until ten o''clock at night. When Luz realized it was veryte, she said her goodbyes and left. Mrs Maynard wanted her to stay for the night, but after Luz''s protests, she relented. "Grandma, you can go back in now. Someone ising to pick me up," Luz said. However, the old house. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. A ck Maybach was parked at the door quietly. A tall and elegant man leaned against the car in an image of casual debauchery. There were several cigarette butts scattered around his feet. "Henry, you''re still here?" When she saw Henry, the olddy was stunned at first. She pulled Luz over to him and said with a smile, "It''s gettingte, why don''t you send Luz home?" It was not an inquiry, but a direct order. Luz frowned at her words. "No, I''m good, Grandma, I can get home myself." "It''s sote. There''s no need to trouble someone else toe and pick you up," the olddy said as she pushed her towards Henry. "Henry is going back to the city as well, so he can drop you off on the way as well." Luz was pushed so hard that she was caught off guard and fell against Henry. He could smell the faint scent of mint off her. Flustered, Luz pulled herself upright and stepped away from his embrace. She did not notice him gazing intently at her before throwing his cigarette onto the ground and putting it out with his feet. "Okay, grandma. Don''t worry, I''ll send her back." Henry bend down and opened the car door for Luz as an invitation as she stood there dumbfounded. Mrs Maynard smiled. "Luz, don''t forget to text me when you get home." Luz was not sure what to do. After hesitating for a while, she sighed and said, "Okay then, goodbye, grandma. I''lle to see you when I''m free." Then, she got into the car. "Okay, okay!" The olddy nodded with a smile, then turned to Henry. "Drive carefully," she said coldly. "I don''t care if you get hurt in an ident, but don''t endanger Luz." Henry hummed nomittally, got into the driver''s seat, and started the car. The car drove off into the night. The two of them were silent in the car. After a while, Luz''s phone rang and broke the silence. She picked up her phone. "Den." "Where are you now? Should I go pick you up?" "... No, it''s fine." Luz nced quickly at Henry and continued gently, "I''ll be home in 15 minutes. Is Logan still with you?" Den chuckled and said pleasantly, "He wanted to have pizza, but fell asleep after eating one slice." Luzughed when she thought of her cute son. "Thanks, Den. Sorry for the trouble." Chapter 10: Do You Know How Long Youve Been Gone? Chapter 10: Do You Know How Long You''ve Been Gone? Henry could hear every word of Luz''s conversation with Den in the enclosed space of the car. His face was clouded over at their sweet and lingering words. Henry stepped on the elerator and sped up, which made Luz jump. She turned and saw Henry light a cigarette with one hand, his expression dark. "Den, I''ll talk to you when we get home." Luz quickly hung up the phone and grabbed the handle over the door. She had always been afraid of the way Henry drove. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. There was dead silence in the car. It was so quiet that one could almost hear a needle drop. After a while, the man''s cold voice sounded in the car. "Luz, do you know how long you''ve been away?" Luz was silent. After a long while, she replied, "Seven years." "2555 days and four hours!" Henry corrected her as he puffed out some smoke from his lips. The smoke lingered in the car and around Luz, which made her choke slightly. She coughed. Henry nced at her and said coldly, "Did youe back because Den''s career is stable in North City now?" "How long I''ve been gone and why I came back doesn''t matter." Luz frowned, offended by his sarcastic tone. She returned with a simr tone of sardonicism, "It''s really none of your business, Mr Maynard." "It''s none of my business?" Henry repeated. He scoffed as if he had heard something funny. Veins popped on his hands as he tightened his grip on the steering wheel. Without warning, he mmed on the breaks, sending an unprepared Luz sprawling forwards. Before she could hit the windshield, a strong arm grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back. Luz fell back into the seat heavily. As she cried out in pain, Henry''s voice seemed toe from a distance. His tone was heavy and hurtful. "Luz, do you know how much I want to strangle you when I saw your face again?" He had lived in so much pain for so many days and nights because of her! "... Is that so?" Luz suddenly gave up struggling and looked down. "But I found my happiness when I left you." Her hurtful words frustrated Henry. He could no longer hold in his emotions. He reached out his hand suddenly and grabbed Luz, then lowered his head and kissed her hard. "Henry... Let go of me..." Luz protested faintly and pressed her hands against his chest, trying to push him away from her. But Henry pressed down on her so hard that she had no chance to struggle. He kissed her ferociously as his hand slipped under her shirt. Luz trembled all over and instantly tensed up. Chapter 11: An Accessory In An Arranged Marriage Chapter 11: An essory In An Arranged Marriage His grip was very tight. Luz felt humiliated. She shed back to her wedding night seven years ago and cried silently. Her tears dampened Henry''s face as well. "Henry Maynard, are you trying to... rape me again?" Because of her words, the fierce kiss suddenly became gentle. Henry''s breathing also became a little heavy. He stopped groping her body and stared at her, his expression dark. He said word by word, "I raped you?" "Didn''t you?" She looked at him with tears in her eyes. "When have you ever cared about what I wanted? You always had to force me to have sex with you, didn''t you?" Including the time when Logan was conceived. "Ha..." Henry snorted when he heard that. If she didn''t tell him, he wouldn''t have known that she was unwilling every time they had sex. Henry was no longer as aroused as he was. In fact, he was now cold and distant. "Get out of the car!" He snapped suddenly, his voice as cold as ice. Luz felt a pang in her heart, but she straightened her dress and got off the car anyway. Before she could even steady herself, the car had already driven away. She stumbled slightly. She had gotten off in a remote area. There were no taxis around at this time of the night. Luz forced N?velDrama.Org holds this content. herself to be calm and started walking. She would rather walk home than stay with that man! ... Two hourster, when she opened the door, Luz almost slumped to the ground. Den was sitting in the warm living room, flipping through a photo album. When he heard the door opening, his frown dropped slightly. He got up to open the door, but Luz had alreadye in and was changing her shoes on the porch. Den took her bag from her and asked anxiously, "What''s wrong, Luz? Did you hurt yourself?" "I''m fine." Luz''s face was pale from exhaustion. She had been walking in high heels until she couldn''t take it anymore, at which point she had taken off the shoes and walked the rest of the way barefooted. The rough asphalt had cut her feet. But even those wounds didn''t hurt as bad as the one in her heart. She pursed her lips and smiled. "Is he still sleeping?" "Hmm," Den replied. "I took him to his room to sleep." When he saw the blood oozing out of Luz''s shoulder, he took a step forward as his face darkened. "Luz, what happened?" "It''s okay. I bumped into something just now." Luz was not used to being so close to him, so she took two steps back quietly and said softly, "Den, it''s gettingte. I''m going to bed soon." Den was a little disappointed that she was asking him to leave, but he still asked carefully, "Luz, how about I stay here tonight to apany you?" "... I''m sorry." At that, Den had no choice but to say goodnight and leave. Luz sent him out and turned off the light in the living room. She looked at her right shoulder while she was showering. That man''s teeth were sharp, and he had bitten her hard. The teeth marks were prominent and there was still blood oozing out of the wound. She stood under the shower and allowed the hot water to wash her wound. Her heart ached slightly. That night seven years ago, she was happily waiting for him at home, but he hade back smelling strongly of alcohol and had choked her on the bed. "Luz Boone, do you know, you''re just an essory in this arranged marriage!" That one sentence had devastated her. He had held her hands firmly and took from her cruelly without taking notice of her pale face and furrowed brows. He just stared at her emotionlessly. After that, he had left with the words, "Luz Boone, I will never fall in love with you!" Luz was left curled up on the messy bed, tears running down her face. Henry Maynard, did you know that I loved you very much? I''ve loved you for ten years. ... Logan woke up early the next morning and got himself dressed. He was able to brush his teeth by standing on a stool to reach the sink. He was young, but he knew how to take care of his mother. He brought the stool to the kitchen and made some breakfast so that Luz could sleep in. After a while, he went upstairs to wake her up. "Mommy, get up for breakfast, or you''ll bete for work." Luz opened her eyes and sat up slowly when she heard her son''s soft voice. She felt dizzy and not very energetic. Seeing that Luz didn''t look well, Logan climbed onto the bed and touched her forehead with his little hand. He frowned and said, "Mommy, you''re a little feverish." He jumped off the bed and brought her a first aid kit from outside. The sensible little fellow warmed her heart. Luz ruffled his hair affectionately and said, "Mommy is fine, don''t worry, baby. I have a very important meeting today, so I have to go to work." "No, you should stay at home and rest!" Logan said seriously. He took a thermometer and put it into her mouth. "It''s not like yourpany will go bankrupt without you. Take a day off today!" Luz nodded and made an OK gesture. Chapter 12: Hes Just Your Boss Chapter 12: He''s Just Your Boss Later, Luz found an excuse to distract her son and managed to slip out quietly. She called Mia and asked her toe over at lunch to look after him as she drove to thepany. ... This was the first meeting that Luz had attended on the second day of work. She was mainly responsible for hosting and recording the meeting. At 9:30 in the morning, Henry entered the meeting room in a ck suit with the senior executives. His indifferent expression and cold aura startled Luz, who was standing the closest to him. She almost dropped the documents she was holding. She looked away awkwardly and forced herself to calm down. "Luz, just treat him as your boss," she told herself quietly. "Don''t bring in any other emotions!" Before long, Luz felt her head spin because of the fever. Cold sweat coated the back of her shirt as her face turned pale. Suddenly, Henry''s voice came into her ears. "Ms. Boone, what do you think?" Luz''s hands on the keyboard suddenly flinched. She was going to read off the meeting minutes and find out what Henry was asking her about, but she realised that the document in front of her was just a bunch of jumbled words. Evidently, she did not take down the minutes properly. "Well,well. Secretary Boone, for getting distracted in a meeting." Henry''s lips curled into a cruel smile when Luz did not answer his question. His face was so indifferent it was almost cruel. He rapped on the table and said, "Get out and ask Linda toe in." Obviously, he was very dissatisfied with her. Luz clenched her fists, burying her nails into her palms, and admitted fault to Henry. "I''m sorry, Mr. Maynard. Please repeat what you just said, and I''ll reflect on this after the meeting." Henry''s eyes turned cold and said curtly, "I don''t need any excuses. Get out!" "... Okay." She bit her lips and got up to leave the meeting room. Less than half an hour after the meeting, everyone in thepany knew that the new secretary was absent-minded during the meeting and had been told off by the CEO. Many people were secretly taking pleasure in her misfortune and saying that she deserved it. When Linda brought her thepleted meeting minutes, she also gave her a box of medicine. "Secretary Boone, you must not be well. Take some of this and go home. There''s not much work left anyway, I can help you with that." "Thank you, Linda, but you didn''t have to." Luz smiled and refused Linda''s kindness. If she left now saying she was sick, everyone else would think that she was abusing her power. The gossip mill would work hard to discredit her. "Okay then, take care of yourself." Henry sent her two contracts by email and instructed her to settle them by next Wednesday. Luz worked hard on them for the entire afternoon. Thankfully, she did not feel as dizzy after taking some medicine. When they were about to get off work, the receptionist called in from the front desk. "Ms. Boone, a little boy is waiting for you in the lobby." A little boy? Did her sone here? Just as she had expected, Logan was waiting in the lobby for her when she arrived on the ground floor. He ran towards her with a bright smile on his face. "Mommy, I missed you so much!" "I missed you too, Logan." All her exhaustion evaporated when she saw him. Her mood improved drastically. "Did Mia bring you here? Where is she?" "Mia left because she has something to do. She asked me to wait for you here." "Mommy, I want ice cream!" Logan quickly changed the subject before Luz could ask too many questions. He took her hand and This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. pulled her towards the elevators. "Let''s go, we can drive there." Luz smiled resignedly at her lively son. Chapter 13: Bad Guy, Let Go Of My Mommy Chapter 13: Bad Guy, Let Go Of My Mommy The underground parking lot in thepany was very big, about the same size as the parking lot under a mall. The stuffy air made Luz dizzy again when she brought Logan down. The little guy was walking forwards, chattering happily while holding her hand. Luz couldn''t hear what he was saying. She rubbed her forehead and stumbled slightly. "Mommy, be careful!" Logan shouted suddenly and pulled Luz to the side. A car drove at high speed towards them with its lights zing. The dazzling lights startled Luz, who stumbled and fell onto the ground. Logan was also shaken and yelled, "Mommy, are you okay?" He quickly ran over to Luz. The ck Maybach stopped two meters away from them with a sharp screech of brakes. Henry got out of the car, mmed the door, and strode toward Luz. When he saw the woman on the ground, he frowned and walked quicker. Luz Boone?! This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Logan had taken out Luz''s phone from her bag and called the emergency services. While he was giving their address over the phone, he saw someone picking up his mother and panicked. He recognized the man who made his mommy upset at the restaurantst time. "You''re a bad guy, let go of my mommy!" Seeing that Henry was about to leave with Luz in his arms, Logan caught up with him and kicked him like an angry animal. "Put down my mommy, or I''ll hit you," he threatened angrily. Henry nced at the little boy and kept walking. "I''m taking your mommy to the hospital." Emily had been watching the entire thing from the beginning. She gritted her teeth in hatred. When she saw that Henry was about to put Luz into the backseat of the car, she couldn''t stop herself from saying, "Henry, she''s just a secretary. You''re being too kind to her. Didn''t her son already call the emergency services?" "I am the boss of thispany. I must be responsible for mypany''s employees." Henry nced at Emily as he continued, "How would the other employees see me if I just leave her here?" Emily tightened her grip on her handbag and forced a smile. "You''re right, I didn''t think it through." After Henry put Luz in the back seat of the car, Logan mbered into the car as well and tried to shield his mother behind him, ring at Henry. Henry''s expression darkened when he saw his protective actions. As he sat back behind the wheel again, Emily went around the car hurriedly and opened the door to get into the passenger seat. Before she could get in, Henry said coldly, "Get your assistant to pick you up." "It''s fine, I can apany you to the hospital," Emily replied softly. Unexpectedly, Henry''s face turned cold, and he forced her to let go of the door. She took a step back. "Then, then I''ll wait for you in the restaurant?" She did not get an answer. Henry''s car had already driven off, leaving only a trail of exhaust. ... Emily clenched her teeth as she watched the car leave. Her beautiful face was twisted with anger. "Luz Boone, how dare you seduce my man with such lowly tricks?" ... In the hospital, Luz was sent to the general ward on an IV drip after a full-body checkup. The doctor thought Henry was her family, so he stood at the door and told Henry, "She''s just a little malnourished and have a slight fever, it''s not too big of a deal. Just make sure your wife eats regrly and stop staying upte for work." Henry wanted to protest that Luz was not his wife, but then he realized that Luz was technically his ex- wife. He pursed his lips and just nodded in acknowledgement. Chapter 14: Who Is Your Father Chapter 14: Who Is Your Father After the doctor left, Henry pushed the door open and entered the ward. Logan was hanging on to Luz''s hand that did not have the IV drip. He was just watching her when Henry entered, at whom he bared his teeth and said, "My mommy will pay for the medical fees when she wakes up. I''m not going to thank you!" If he hadn''t driven so fast towards them, his mommy would not have fainted at all! Henry was at a loss for words. This little guy was quite hostile to him. Henry walked closer and saw that Luz looked better than she did before. Her small face had slightly more colour, and her brows were furrowed. It made him feel a little agitated. He hated this woman, but he couldn''t help worrying about her. "Bad uncle, don''t touch my mommy!" Seeing Henry bending down, Logan thought that he was going to do something to his mommy, so he rushed to push him away. "I''ve already called Uncle Den. If you dare to do anything to my mommy, I''ll get Uncle Den to hit you!" Henry lowered his head when he heard his angry speech. Logan had short fluffy hair, and his little face was chubby, but very cute and tender, which made people want to pinch him. His thick eyebrows were knitted together out of anger. The more he looked at him, the more Henry felt that the little guy''s looked somewhat like him. He frowned and asked, "Who is your father?" The little boy snorted. "It''s definitely not you!" Logan pouted. He actually didn''t know who his father was. "I, my daddy must be Uncle Den!" Henry narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "Then why did you call him uncle?" "I, I..." Logan could not exin himself. In the end, he stomped his foot in frustration and tried to push Henry away. "You''re so annoying. Get out of here. My mommy doesn''t want to see you." Unfortunately, Henry just stood there firmly. No matter how hard Logan pushed, he would not move, which made him very angry. "If you don''t leave now, I''ll cry and tell the doctor you hit my mommy!" In the end, Henry gave in to Logan and walked out. Before that, he plucked a hair from his head while he wasn''t looking and put it into his pocket. Logan yelped in pain and looked up, but the man had already walked away. He stamped his foot again in frustration. "Don''t let me see you again, or I''ll beat you!" N?velDrama.Org holds this content. After leaving the hospital, Henry immediately drove back to thepany. Linda was still working. When she saw Henry back at the office, she thought that he was here for some emergency matters, but he just handed her a transparent bag with a chilly expression. "Send this to Rory. Tell him I want the results in a week." The man''s tone was so cold that Linda was almost scared. She acknowledged the order immediately and left with the bag, which contained two strands of hair. Henry clenched his fists as he looked out of the window at the sunset. The atmosphere around him was heavy and stifling as if he could explode at any given moment. "Luz Boone, don''t let me find anything out of order!" he thought menacingly. ... Luz woke up slowly as her second bag of drip was about to finish. She found herself in the hospital. It was dark outside the window. The ward was lit, and the smell of disinfectant was a little pungent. "Mommy, are you awake?" Logan was nodding off with his head propped up on his hands. When he saw that Luz was awake, he mbered onto the bed and felt her forehead. "Mommy, do you feel okay?" he asked anxiously. Luz smiled and shook her head. She grabbed his little hand and kissed him. "I''m okay. Mommy is fine." "Luz Boone, why can''t you take care of yourself properly? You''re already an adult!" Luz heard Mia James before she saw her. She looked over towards her voice and saw her best friend "Aunty!" Logan called out sweetly and ran over to grab the food in Mia''s hands. He cheered. "Yes! I knew Aunty Mia always has good food!" Chapter 15: I Dont Have A Husband Chapter 15: I Don''t Have A Husband Mia was on a diet, so she couldn''t eat any high-calorie food. She pulled a chair over to the side of the bed and ate an apple while Luz and Logan had their dinner. "What, your newpany is piling so much stress on you that you had to be hospitalized?" "No, it''s not that, Aunty Mia. Logan stuffed a piece of chicken into his mouth and said vaguely, "I was going to the underground parking lot with Mommy and a bad guy almost hit Mommy with his car, so Mommy fainted." Mia was at a loss for words. Luz blushed slightly and said awkwardly, "It''s just a cold. I felt better after taking some medicine, but maybe the air in the parking lot was too stuffy, so I passed out." "No, that bad uncle scared mommy!" The little fellow said indignantly, his cheeks bulging with food. "He was touching Mommy when she was sleeping! He''s bad! I won''t let him go so easily the next time I see him!" Mia was interested in this. "Really? Is he handsome?" "...He''s a little more handsome than Uncle Den, but he has a bad temper." Logan realized something was not right after he said that. He nced at Mia derisively. "Aunty Mia, you''re focused on the wrong thing." "If that uncle is handsome, then your Mommy didn''t lose out on anything!" Miaughed so hard that she was trembling. She raised her head and ruffled Logan''s hair. "If he was rich, you can consider him your new dad! Isn''t that great?" "I don''t want that!" The little fellow said angrily and pushed Mia''s hand away. That man was handsome, but he was not a good person. He preferred Uncle Den. Luz waited for her son to finish his food before going out to deal with the discharge procedures. To her surprise, the nurse at the window told her, "Your husband has already paid for three days of hospitalization. I can refund the extra to you." "Husband?" Luz was dumbfounded and somewhat embarrassed. "I don''t have a husband. Did you mistake me for someone else?" "No, he did pay for you. Your name is on the invoice here." The nurse was also confused as she gave her the invoice and the refunded money. "I guess he''s your friend, then. Sorry for the misunderstanding." Mia came over to the counter with Logan and raised her eyebrows in question. "What''s wrong?" "Nothing." Luz smiled, put the invoice and the money into her bag, and walked towards her. "Let''s go." When they got home, Logan gave Mia a kiss and then jumped out of the car. "Luz." When Luz opened the door and was about to go out, Mia stopped her. "You must have seen Den''s feelings towards you all these years. It''s hard to find a man like him now, so you should... think about it." Hearing this, Luz''s body stiffened. She pursed her lips and said, "Okay, I know. Be careful when you go back." Logan did not want Luz''s help and showered by himself. Luz heated up a ss of milk in the kitchen. When she brought it into the bedroom, her phone vibrated on the bedside table. She picked it up and saw a message from Den. Den, "I''ve arrived in Myanmar. I got a little jade charm for Logan. P.S. I miss you." Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ... Luz stared nkly at the message for a long time before slumping down on the bed. She didn''t know how to reply. When she came back, she had told herself that she would try to give Den a chance. However, even after seven years, Henry could just jump into her life and break down the defences she had set up. No matter how long it had been, she just couldn''t forget about the man named Henry Maynard. ... Linda had told her that Henry would be in New Zend for three days for a meeting. Luz was relieved about this since she wouldn''t need to see him while her emotions were so jumbled. She would just need to follow up with emails. Luz had already picked up everything she needed to know in three days. Her efficiency surprised Linda. "If you''re all set, I''ll just report to the CEOter. I won''t be here tomorrow." "I''m all good," Luz said as she frowned at the documents in her hand. "Actually, Linda, do we have any coboration with Aprico Jewelry?" Linda nodded and replied, "We have worked together before, but their models are quite fussy, and Aprico Jewelry wasn''t earning much out of the coboration, so they broke it off. It''s been about a year." Luz had a bad feeling at this. Chapter 16: An Impossible Contract Chapter 16: An Impossible Contract When Henry took over thepany, he must have known that thepany was not on good terms with Aprico Jewelry. Even so, he still told her to deal with this contract. It was obvious that he was trying to set her up. Linda could see that something was wrong from Luz''s expression. She said sympathetically, "Ms Boone, Mr Harper, the general manager from Aprico Jewelry, is not easy to deal with. If you are looking to coborate with them, it might be a little... hard." Luz had already read up on Aprico Jewelry, so she nodded in agreement. She felt like crying. It wasn''t just hard, it was almost impossible! Unfortunately, Henry had told her to solve the problem within five days. Tomorrow was the deadline. Luz spent the rest of the day calling Aprico Jewelry. However, they hung up as soon as they heard that she was calling from MR. She was even mocked by the employee over the phone. "Hey, are you new? You must not know what is going on yet. MR is on the brink of bankruptcy, why would we coborate with you?" "F*ck you!" she cursed silently. If they didn''t want a coboration, they could have just said so. There was no need to be so smug. She slumped against her chair dejectedly for a minute. Then, she pulled up Aprico Jewelry''s website on herptop and called them under the guise of a client. She managed to get the general manager''s phone number after half an hour of careful persuasion. Mr Harper, the general manager of Aprico Jewelry, was a well-spoken man. He did not hang up immediately after she introduced herself as a representative from MR. Instead, he told her politely that they had already found an ambassador for their new line of jewellery, so they did not have any room for coboration. He also informed her that he was busy. However, Luz overheard someone talking about attending a g on the other end of the phone. She noted down the time and ce of the g quickly and smiled. "Alright, Mr Harper, I''m sorry to bother you." She would just go to the g and meet him in person. At the cier Hotel on Thursday night. Luz arrived at the g in a low cut navy blue gown, which entuated her tall and slim figure. Her bare arms were pale and almost translucent. Her eyes were bright while her lips curved in a pleasant smile. She was surrounded by a hazy aura of brightness as if she was a goddess. She attracted a lot of attention when she arrived at the banquet hall arm in arm with a man. Unfortunately, Henry was also there! He was standing in the crowd, elegant and calm. When he heard themotion at the door, he just nced over. That single nce was so cold. Luz stumbled a little and almost tripped. He averted his gaze and drank a toast with the entrepreneurs in front of him as if Luz''s appearance was inconsequential to him. Luz''s partner helped her up and asked in concern, "Are you okay, Luz?" Luz shook her head. She managed to slip into this g because this friend had an invitation. She wouldn''t have been able to attend without him. Luz calmed herself down and looked around. She caught sight of Mr Harper and whispered something This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. to her friend before walking over. She grabbed a ss of wine from a waiter on the way. "Mr Harper." After Mr Harper finished talking with the others, Luz put on a bright smile and walked over with the ss of wine in her hand. "I''ve been hearing a lot about Mr Harper. I didn''t expect to see you here." Bobby Harpy was a middle-aged man in his 40s. He had a sturdy frame, and he wore a ck suit that made him look less intimidating. When he saw Luz, a hint of surprise shed across Bobby''s eyes. "Miss, who are you?" "I called you twice earlier this afternoon." Luz pursed her lips and smiled. She stretched out her hand gracefully and said, "Mr Harper, I''m honoured to make your acquaintance. I''m the head secretary of MR, Luz Boone." Bobby suddenly realized why this woman''s voice sounded so familiar. He reached out and shook hands with Luz. The soft and delicate hand made Mr. Harper''s eyes darken for a moment, and then he smiled. "Ms. Boone, I''m really sorry. I didn''t mean to refuse you, but there are too many things going on recently." Luz nodded to show that she understood. "I came to this party with my friend and wanted to see if I could find a coborator. I didn''t expect you to be here, Mr Harper." After a pause, she asked, "Mr Harper, do you think it''s convenient for us to talk about the coboration now? You''re an old friend of ours. We won''t treat you shabbily when ites to cooperation." Chapter 17: Forcing Her To Drink Chapter 17: Forcing Her To Drink Before saying these words, Luz was prepared for rejection. Unexpectedly, Bobby only considered her words for a while before nodding in agreement. "Yeah, I''m free now. I can give you 20 minutes." Luz immediately took the opportunity to invite Mr. Harper to sit down and have a good talk in the rest area nearby. The two of them walked side by side. Unbeknownst to her, a pair of dark eyes were fixed on her. He had such a tight grip on the ss in his hand he almost shattered it. The person standing next to Henry shuddered in the cold aura that he was exuding. "Mr Maynard, are you okay?" Henry took back his gaze and resumed an indifferent expression. "I''m fine," he answered. Luz had the contract and a pen with her while she exined the terms exactly as outlined in the contract. She was bent over the table slightly, with her arm resting on the coffee table. Bobby''s eyes nced over her neckline. The longer he watched, the more his gaze burned with lust. "That''s it, Mr Harper." Luz straightened up and reached out to push her hair behind her ears. Her beautiful face became more charming and dazzling under the light. "If there''s anything you need to negotiate about the terms, just let me know. I can talk to my boss about it." Mr Harper picked up the contract and pretended to read it. He seemed to think it was very good. He nodded. "The conditions you offered are indeed good, but yourpany is now bankrupt. It''s very risky to cooperate with you." "You don''t have to worry. MR will never go bankrupt." Luz smiled confidently. "Mr Maynard is now in This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. charge of thepany. I believe you know about Mr Maynard''s ability. We will definitely be more sessful than Diamond Entertainment in the future!" ... Bobby was stunned and joked, "You have confidence in your CEO." "It''s because Mr Maynard is very capable. Everyone in thepany trusts him. As his head secretary, I have to be confident in his abilities." "You''re a sweet talker. Mr Harper has got a good eye for great employees," Bobby saidughingly. He called a waiter over and ordered three bottles of red wine. The waiter brought over the wine as ordered. Bobby pointed at the uncorked bottles and looked at Luz. "I will sign the contract if you finish all three bottles of wine here!" Luz frowned, feeling a little irritated. Mr Harper had been going back and forth with her all this time. Did he intend to force her to drink under the pressure of the contract? Mr Harper sighed and smiled apologetically when Luz did not answer. "Ms Boone, if you can''t drink, that''s fine too. Our 20 minutes is almost up. I have other matters to attend to, so I''ll take my leave now." "No, it''s fine. I can drink," Luz said, gritting her teeth. She picked up a bottle and filled her ss. Red wine was rtively low in alcohol content, so she wasn''t too worried. Luz gulped down ss after ss of wine in front of Bobby. Her actions startled a lot of people in the g. They thought she had gone insane. Why was this woman drinking wine like she was drinking water? Even Henry, who was standing in the corner, frowned slightly and looked a little colder. In less than half an hour, Luz finished three bottles of red wine. Apart from a little colour in her cheeks, she did not look drunk. She was still perfectly conscious. She handed the contract and pen to Bobby. "I''ve finished all the wine, so now you should keep your promise, Mr Harper." Bobby''s face twisted slightly. He did not expect her to be so sober even after drinking three bottles of wine. But he had already made a promise, so he had no choice but to sign the contract. After signing, Bobby inched closed to Luz. He was about to say something when a huge figure loomed over them, casting a cold aura that made him shiver. "Mr Harper, long time no see." The deep voice made Luz tremble slightly. She lowered her head and put the signed contract back into her back. When she stood up, she stumbled slightly as she left hastily. Chapter 18: We Wont Be Working Together Chapter 18: We Won''t Be Working Together Bobby was a little disappointed when Luz left. He stood up from the sofa and held up his ss to Henry in a toast. "You have a great secretary there, Mr Maynard," he said with a smile. "She''s pretty and diplomatic. Here''s to a good time working together!" "We won''t be working together," Henry said indifferently and mercilessly. Mr Harper''s face twisted into a fake smile. "Your secretary just got me to sign a contract." Henry snorted coldly and walked over to Mr Harper. "Not just MR," he whispered into his ear. "Heroways will also be stopping all coborations with Aprico Jewelry." "By the way," he continued, "No one touched my woman except me, on pain of death." He barely finished before disappearing, leaving Mr Harper stunned and wondering if he heard wrongly. ... Luz had just been keeping up a facade of soberness in front of Bobby. When she got into the bathroom, she fell to her knees in front of the toilet and puked violently. After vomiting for nearly ten minutes, she still felt very ufortable. She was very weak. She made her way to the sink and sshed some water on her face. "Oh, I''m really drunk..." Luz held her head in her hands as her vision blurred. She walked slowly to the door, but she lost her bnce in her high heels and listed to a side. A big hand reached over and held her slender waist firmly. "Hmm?" Luz looked up and thought she was seeing her son''s face in front of her. It was even doubled. She reached out to pinch his face. "Hi, baby, why do you have two heads?" Henry frowned. It looks like she mistook him for her son. "Oh, baby, why are you so tall suddenly?" Luz mumbled, hugging his waist. Her full breasts were pressing against his chest. His eyes darkened at the sensation. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. He turned around and pressed Luz against the door. He grabbed her chin. "Luz Boone, look at me. Who am I?" "Who are you?" Luz raised her head and stared at him with her beautiful eyes. Then sheughed daintily and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You''re that... annoying Henry Maynard, right?" Hearing this, Henry''s face darkened, while Luz was still muttering, "That annoying Henry." Then, she kissed him on the lips before he could react. Her lips were soft, and she bit his lips gently as if she was eating. Henry was taken aback for just a moment before pressing his body forward and holding the back of her head with his big hand. He kissed her back while panting heavily. "Luz Boone, you asked for this!" Henry left the g with Luz, who couldn''t even walk straight. He drove to his residence¡ªle Loch Bleu. They kissed from the living room to the bedroom, and their suits were scattered everywhere. Chapter 19: Confidential Document Chapter 19: Confidential Document There was no forey at all. Luz frowned as Henry manhandled her. Her nails were almost digging into his arm, and she cried out in a weak voice, "... Don''t, it hurts..." "Do you even know what is pain, Luz Boone?" Henry smiled coldly, leaned over, and took her hand to put it in his heart. "Do you know that I''m feeling even more pain than you are?" He leaned down and ravaged her after he finished speaking. ... The next day. The incessant buzzing of the rm sounded beside her. Luz reached out from under the nket. Her arm was dotted with hickeys, which were very visible against her skin. She fumbled for the phone. As soon as she picked up, she heard a woman crying from the other end of the phone. "Henry, why didn''t you tell mest night that you weren''ting to the restaurant for dinner? I waited for you for four hours." Henry? Henry Maynard?! Luz was startled back to reality by Emily''s words. She stiffened. Why did she have Henry''s phone? At the same time, a man''s muffled snort came from behind her. She felt a naked chest press into her back and almost screamed. She pulled off the nkets and fell off the bed in her hurry to get out. Luz had no time to think about what Emily was talking about on the other end of the phone. She knelt on the wool carpet with a confused look on her face. All she could think of was that she had... slept with her ex-husband, Henry! "Don''t be angry, Henry." Emily thought that Henry was angry because of what she said, so she continued hastily, "It''s just that you should have told me you weren''ting, so I won''t have to wait for so long." The phone was now burning in Luz''s hands. She hung up quickly. Her bracelets tinkled against each other as she hung up. Emily did not miss this sound. She was immediately on guard. Emily wore jewellery herself, so she knew the sound of women''s jewellery. She could tell that it was a woman who picked up the phone. She immediately told her driver to bring her to le Loch Bleu without even stopping to have breakfast first. When her car arrived at the le Loch Bleu, she happened to meet Linda, who came to deliver some documents. Linda greeted Emily politely, "Ms. Hurst, have you had breakfast?" Emily answered casually, "I forgot my keys in my hurry today. Open the door." In fact, she didn''t have the key. Henry never gave her the key to this apartment. Linda knew the rtionship between the starlet and her boss, so she did not suspect anything. She took out her key and opened the door, then left the documents at the usual ce. "Right then, Ms Hurst, I''ll be leaving now." "Go ahead. I''ll make breakfast for Henry." Emily said and went to the kitchen, pretending to be a good girlfriend. Once Linda closed the door behind her, her face darkened and she ran upstairs. The door to the master bedroom was half-closed, and Emily opened it with a gentle push. The curtains over the windows were half drawn. Therge bed was messy, and Henry was sleeping there peacefully with a nket over his waist. The bedroom had the unmistakable scent of sex. Emily clenched her fists as her face twisted into an ugly expression. She had thought that Henry missed their date because he was busy, but he was actually sleeping with other women! Emily only stayed at the bedroom for a while before leaving before Henry could wake up. Who the hell was the little b*tch? How dare she steal her man! When she went downstairs and passed by the living room, Emily identally caught a glimpse of the file bag on the coffee table. She narrowed her eyes slightly and changed her direction towards it. Henry didn''t like other people touching his things, so Emily had never touched his documents. But Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. when Linda left, she repeatedly told her not to touch Henry''s things, which made Emily suspicious. It wasn''t as if the documents were highly confidential. Why was she so nervous? Emily hesitated for a moment, then picked up the envelope and opened it. There was only two pieces of paper in it. She was curious, so she took them out. It was a DNA parent-child test report. The client was Henry Maynard. The identification results at the bottom were attached with DNA and data. The line "The probability of paternity is practically proven by 99.6%" made Emily dizzy. She slumped onto the sofa while holding the report. "Henry has a... son outside?" she thought absently. No way. She had been with Henry for so long, but she had never seen him fooling around with any other woman. How could a son appear out of nowhere? Was it the woman he slept withst night? Emily had never felt so desperate. If this is true, then her dream of marrying into a rich and powerful family waspletely shattered. Emily''s assistant Abbie, who was sent to buy breakfast, entered the house with the hot food. When she saw Emily''s devastated face, she put down the breakfast and ran over to ask, "Emily, are you all right?" "How can I be fine?" Emily gritted her teeth and held the DNA report in her hand tightly. "Henry is secretly dating another woman and even has a child with her." Abbie leaned over and took a quick nce at the document. The content also shocked her. Who could anticipate that Mr Maynard has a son? "Don''t worry, Emily," Abbie said hesitantly. She had a bold idea. "Since Mr Maynard is doing a DNA test, he definitely didn''t believe that the child was his. Why don''t we..." Abbie whispered something in Emily''s ear, which immediately made the pale-faced Emily excited and hold her hand tightly. "Then go do it right away. I''ll give you 300,000 dors as soon as it''s done!" 300,000 dors was enough to tempt Abbie. She immediately nodded in agreement. "It''s going to take time, though, so you might have to distract Mr Maynard." "Don''t worry, I will!" After Abbie left with the report hurriedly, Emily took out a mirror from her bag and checked her perfect make-up. She rouged more lipstick on just in case. Her eyes were filled with determination. No matter which woman the child was from, she would never let him be Henry''s child! Emily heated up the milk and put the breakfast that Abbie had bought on the te. When she brought the tray upstairs, Henry had already gotten up and was putting on his clothes. The red scratch marks on his back made her frustrated again and she almost dropped the tray. This man''s figure was reallyparable to that of a model. His shoulders were wide and his waist was narrow, and he had long athletic legs. It was pleasing to the eye. Henry''s face darkened when he saw Emily walking in without knocking. He grabbed a nket and wrapped it around his waist. "How did you get in?" he asked angrily. "Linda happened to bring over some documents when I came," Emily smiled gently and put the tray down on the bamboo table on the balcony. She nced at Henry out of the side of her eye. Henry was calm. He picked up his trousers and went to the bathroom. After he finished washing up, Emily walked up to him with a tie and a coat. She stood on tiptoes and helped him put on the tie like a loyal wife. "I think this blue tie suits you really well." "Don''t you have work today? Why are you here in the morning?" Henry nced at her and spread out his arms, letting her put on his suit jacket. "Don''te in without permission next time. I don''t like it very much." Emily bit her lip and wrapped her arms around his back. She said softly, "Henry, I just want to take care of you. If you like, I can give up acting and be the woman behind you." Henry pulled her hand away, turned around, and lifted her chin with two slender fingers, with a faint smile on his face. "Emily, you''re too pretty. A lot of your fans would be sad if you stop acting, you know?" His rejection was very obvious. Chapter 20: DNA Does Not Match Chapter 20: DNA Does Not Match Emily narrowed her eyes in disappointment. Seeing that Henry was about to leave the bedroom after putting on his wristwatch, Emily quickly took his arm and said, "I brought you breakfast. Have a try." As she spoke, she took Henry to the open balcony. Henry gave her a sidelong nce and strode over to the rattan chair on the balcony. "We didn''t get to have our dinner date togetherst night, so let''s have breakfast together now." Emily set out the tes of food with a bright smile. "I told Abbie to buy these." Through Emily''s best efforts, the mealsted a good ten minutes. She let out a silent sigh of relief when her phone finally vibrated in her pocket. This was the signal that Abbie was back, so she ended the meal and began cleaning up. They went downstairs together. On the coffee table in the living room, the envelope was back in its original position, as if no one had touched it. When he saw the envelope, Henry''s eyes darkened. He strode over to it and said with his back to Emily, "My housekeepers will clean upter. You can leave now, Emily." Emily gave him a gentle reply of ordance and left the apartment. The moment she closed the door, a sinister smile appeared on her lips, like that of a demon. Henry sat down on the sofa and opened the file bag with extremelyplicated emotions. He wondered how he would tell Logan about his identity and how he would get along with him if the little guy was really his. A quick nce at the bottom of the reportter, his expression was very cold, as if coated with ice. The results showed that the DNA match for both parties was less than 3.3%. In other words, the boy who looked like him was not his! "Damn it!" Henry tightened his grip and wrinkled the report in his hands. The temperature of the living room dropped drastically. "Luz Boone, you''re ruthless!" he thought. At the same time, Luz, who was driving to work, sneezed, sending a tremor throughout her body. She might have caught a cold from not covering herselfst night. The thought made her ufortable. Henry''s strong physic still lingered in her mind, especially his heavy breathing by her ear. It was like he was still right beside her. In her distress, Luz almost drove the car up the sidewalk. "F*ck! Learn how to drive better, woman!" The people walking on the sidewalk scattered while cursing, for fear that Luz would hit the elerator identally. "I''m sorry, I''m sorry." She forced a smile and tried to calm herself down. Yesterday was a terrible night! When she arrived at thepany and walked through the swivelling doors, she smelt the pleasant smell of flowers. She was wondering who had such nice smelling perfume when a delivery boy walked towards her from the reception counter. "Hello, are you Miss Luz Boone?" Luz nodded. "Yes, I am. What can I do for you?" The delivery guy handed the purple box in his hand to her with a smile on his face. "A gentleman with thest name Carver sent you some flowers. Please confirm the delivery and sign here." As he spoke, the delivery guy opened the box. There was a bouquet of 27 blue enchantresses in the box. The delicate flowers gave off a pleasant smell. A colleague saw the contents of the box and eximed in envy. Luz was stunned for a moment, then quickly signed on the delivery receipt. She took the box and said, "Thank you." Den called her as she was walking back to her office with the flowers. "Morning, Luz, did you get the This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. flowers?" "I just received them. They''re very beautiful." She pursed her lips in a gentle smile and stroked the petals with her fingers. "Blue enchantresses are quite expensive, and they onlyst for three days. You bought such a big bouquet too, what a waste." Den smiled and said in a gentle voice, "For me, nothingpares to you." Even though Luz had always been calm, his deep voice and sweet words made her blush. She heard Den say, "I''ll arrive back at North City at three o''clock in the afternoon today. How about we have dinner with Logan tonight?" Luz looked at her schedule and said, "Sure, I''m not so busy now." Henry only arrived at thepany at 10:10 am. When Luz saw Henry entering his office, Luz sorted out her emotions and grabbed the signed contract. She knocked thrice on the door of the CEO office. "Come in." Luz opened the door and walked in. When she saw Henry''s indifferent face, she suddenly recalled their time togetherst night, the way he sweated over her. Her heart trembled and she almost copsed on the floor. "What''s wrong, Ms Boone can''t walk properly?" Henry nced at her and loosened his tie slightly. When he settled onto his chair, Luz felt pressured. It was as if he was a lofty emperor and she was a soldier from a neighbouring country who hade to surrender. "Mr Maynard, this is the contract with Aprico Jewelry." Luz stepped forward and pushed the contract to Henry. "I have reached an agreement with Mr Harper of Aprico Jewelry. Please ¡ª" "We will not be working with Aprico Jewelry," Henry interrupted her. When Luz looked up at him in astonishment, he added indifferently, "We will never be working with them." "Mr Maynard, this contract is legally binding. If Aprico Jewelry breaks the contract, they have to pay us 3 million dors aspensation." Luz thought he was referring to the fact that Aprico Jewelry might not acknowledge the contract. "Don''t worry, I will keep following up with Mr Harper." "Did I not make myself clear, or do you just don''t understand English?" Henry tapped his fingers on the table. His aura became colder. "I said, MR will never work with Aprico Jewelry. Got it?" Luz clenched her fists but did not show her emotions on her face. "MR is not in a good situation right now. If we don''t get more investors through coboration, thepany will not survive." Henry lit a cigarette with one hand and put it in his mouth with an air of debauchery. He didn''t look at Luz at all and ordered coldly, "Secretary Boone, get out." Luz swallowed her anger and left the office with the documents. Why didn''t he tell her earlier that he didn''t want to coborate with Aprico Jewelry? Was it fun letting her work so hard for so long? She wasn''t sure if Henry was doing it on purpose. He had handed her a lot of work after her three-day business trip. A lot of people were depending on her, so she was very busy. She didn''t even have time for toilet breaks, but she still had to go on coffee runs for him. At 12 o''clock in the afternoon, when it was time to get off work and have lunch, Henry recapped his pen and rubbed his forehead. He was still thinking about his work forter this afternoon. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the blinds separating their offices to his right. He took out a remote control from his drawer and opened the blinds. Chapter 21: Blue Enchantresses Chapter 21: Blue Enchantresses He could see Luz''s entire office. There was aputer and a document stand on the mahogany table, and several sulents beside theputer to counter radiation. All in all, it was a standard white-cor office. However, there was a purple box on a nearby cab caught his eye. He knew that Luz liked Blue enchantress, but who bought such a big bouquet for her? A name came to mind suddenly. His face darkened instantly. He called Linda on the internal line and said, "Linda, I thought I''ve said before that I''m allergic to flowers. Go and check the offices and get rid of all flowers!" Linda froze with her food halfway to her mouth. She did note back to her senses even after Henry had hung up the phone. When did Mr Maynard be allergic to flowers? She didn''t even know! At about one o''clock in the afternoon, Luz bought her lunch and the coffee that Henry ordered and returned to thepany. She brought the food straight into his office for him. "A warm Americano with less sugar. I''ve also bought some lunch for you, non-spicy. You should have the appetizers first." Luz rattled off her words before she realized she was talking too much. She put down the food and left hastily. Henry stared at the take-out bag on the table. He wanted to ignore it, but his hand wasn''t listening to his brain. He reached out and took out the food with a cloudy expression. When it was time to get off work, Luz called Den and asked him to wait for her at the Boone family mansion. She drove home herself. Den brought a lot of presents when he arrived. Some of Logan''s favourites were the remote- controlled aerone and the model tank. He gave Den a hearty kiss on his cheek in thanks. "You''re the best, Uncle Den!" "Then can you do me a favour when we go out to dinnerter?" Den ruffled his hair and whispered to him. The little fellow nodded fervently and said with a smile, "Don''t worry, Uncle Den, I''ll help you!" At seven in the evening, Luz got dressed and went to the Graeme Restaurant with Den and Logan. The Graeme Restaurant was the most exquisite and luxurious restaurant in North City. The tables, chairs, and tes in the restaurant, including the disy items, were all high-end goods. The environment was exquisite. There was a three-day waitlist for advanced reservations. After they were brought to their table, Luz couldn''t help saying, "Den, it''s just a meal, why did you bring us to such a high-ss restaurant?" "The food here is good." Den smiled and gestured at the menu. "If you don''t mind, I''ll order." Luz nodded. Den did not take long to order. He even added a bottle of 1989 Chevalier red wine. The wine was served to their table in a small ice bucket along with some Haagen-Daaz strawberry ice cream. "Wow! Uncle Den, I love you so much!" The little fellow cheered pulled the ice cream towards him happily. "Mommy never lets me have ice cream. It makes me so upset!" Luz nced at him in equal parts annoyance and amusement. "You''re one to say. You''re always eating snacks and not eating real food. Look at your legs, they''re so thin! You can''t even outrun girls of your age." "I can!" The little fellow protested with a pout. "I won first ce in the 800-meter race twice when I was in kindergarten! The teachers said I was good!" "That''s right. Logan is the best." Den smiled and reminded him, "That''s why you should finish your foodter. The little fellow replied, "Okay, I will listen to Uncle Den!" Their food was served to them quickly. Luz realized that all the dishes were her favourite, including the dessert, which was a ssic brownie. From time to time, Logan woulde up with some wittyments, much to the amusement of Luz and Den. Their table was happy and full ofughter. Luz had a smile on her face and looked up just as the doors opened suddenly, revealing a tall figure. The figure walked in with a beautiful woman by his side. When she saw the man''s face clearly, she was shocked and her pupils shrank sharply. She quickly lowered her head. Why did hee here for dinner? When he noticed that Luz''s hand was shaking slightly, Den turned around and saw Henry and Emily Coincidentally, they sat at the table behind them. "Here, Luz, try some of this buttered mushroom." Den quickly averted his gaze and ignored Henry. He pushed a te closer to Luz. "This is their speciality." "... Okay." Luz nodded. It was hard to pretend she did not care about Henry''s presence, though, because she could feel his prating gaze boring into her from behind. It made her restless and fidgety. The food had suddenly lost all taste. Their tables were quite close together. Luz could smell Emily''s perfume. It was the same perfume she used to wear. The brand, Lilian, had filed for bankruptcy ten years ago due to conflict amongst the shareholders. They were removed from the perfume industry and all productions for their brand had been stopped. Did Henry give all her stuff to Emily? Logan saw Henry when he came in. He was not happy. The sentiment increased when Henry sat at the table behind them. "That auntie has so much powder on her face it''s a wonder you didn''t choke when you kiss her," he muttered. Hearing this, Emily''s face stiffened with anger. "Sh*t," she thought. "Why did I have to run into this naughty boy here?" ... Luz red at her son with a warning look. "Logan Boone, do you want to be grounded?" Logan quickly lowered his head and focused on his strawberry ice cream. "He''s young," Den said with a smile. He picked up the napkin in front of him, reached out, and gently wiped the corner of Luz''s mouth. "Look, you''re so distracted you got some sauce on your face." Henry was reading the menu. When he identally saw Den''s ambiguous action, his eyes narrowed. "I''m fine." Luz was stunned for a moment. She hurriedly took the napkin from his hand and looked embarrassed. After the main courses, the waiter brought them their dessert. It was also at this time that the lights of the entire restaurant suddenly dimmed. The warm yellow wall lights were turned on, and the restaurant seemed to be surrounded by warmth. A group of people walked to the small stage in the center. While Luz was in a daze, Den, who was sitting opposite her, slowly got up and made a gesture of invitation to her. "May I have this dance?" "I''ll answer on behalf of Mommy. Yes, you may!" Logan said excitedly and nudged Luz. "Mommy, hurry up. Don''t waste this good opportunity!" "You guys are in with this, aren''t you?" Luz knew that her son and Den had worked together for this. She didn''t know whether to be angry or amused. She took Den''s outstretched hand. The music started. Luz realised that it was a tango. It was Assassin''s Tango, one of the songs from her favourite movie, Mr & Mrs Smith.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Chapter 22: A Proposal Chapter 22: A Proposal The music and the beautiful couple attracted the attention of the customers in the restaurant, including Henry and Emily. The navy blue figure on the stage caught his eye. When he saw her smile as she was twirled across the stage, his eyes darkened suddenly, as if there was a huge storm brewing in them. After he put down his order, Henry whispered something to the waiter. He nodded and left with the menus. "These two are really a good match," Emily said with a smile. She nced at Henry out of the corner of her eyes. His face was nk as he lit a cigarette, much to her relief. As long as that woman had nothing to do with Henry. As the dance gradually came to an end, Logan dug out something from his pocket and ran onto the stage. Den took the little box from Logan and knelt down on one knee in front of Luz, then opened the box. His eyes were sparkling with deep affection. "Luz, can you give me a chance to take care of you and Logan?" "It''s a proposal, how romantic!" "Hurry up and marry him. I wish you happiness!" Some guests were calling out yfully while Luz stood there frozen, dumbfounded. She fidgeted with the hem of her dress. "Den, I..." Suddenly, all the lights in the restaurant went out. It was dark. "Luz!" Den hurriedly stood up and reached out to grab Luz. A hand appeared out of the darkness with a gust of wind and grabbed Luz''s wrist. Luz stumbled slightly as she was pulled backwards and fell into an embrace. The man kissed her. The kiss smelt faintly of tobo. Henry Maynard? Luz struggled and hit Henry''s chest repeatedly, afraid that Den would find out, but Henry grabbed This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. the back of her head and deepened the kiss. It was not until her toes were numb and she was almost out of breath that he showed mercy. He turned his head and bit her shoulder hard. "Luz Boone, don''t you dare marry Den Carver!" he said fiercely. He hated this woman, so she should not have a happy life. Another warm hand grabbed her wrist and the smell of tobo dissipated. Luz held her hands to her chest and tried to calm her beating heart before the lights came back on. When the lights came back on, they were not bright, but she still narrowed her eyes reflexively. She saw Den''s concerned expression in front of her. "Luz, are you okay?" There was a hint of nervousness underlying his gentle question. The lights had gone out so suddenly that he had a bad feeling about it. "I''m fine, just a little startled when it went dark suddenly." She took a deep breath and forced a smile, but she still felt a little ufortable. She nced at Henry''s table out of the corner of her eye and saw him sneering at them with a wine ss in his hand. His fingers threatened to break the thin ss at a moment''s notice. She recalled his fierce threat from just now and shuddered. "Don''t be afraid, I''m here." Den noticed the change in her behaviour. He took off his jacket and ced it around her shoulders, but she turned to the side to avoid it hastily. His hands brushed over her shoulder awkwardly, which aggravated the wound. Luz frowned. "Henry Maynard is aplete animal," she thought to herself. ... Den''s gaze fell to her shoulder and he frowned. There was a lipstick mark and some moisture on her shoulder. What had happened in those short moments of darkness? He turned his head to look at Henry, who was elegantly eating his steak at his table. He was slightly annoyed because he could not understand the rtionship between him and Luz. "Mommy, you haven''t agreed to Uncle Den''s proposal yet." Just as the atmosphere fell into awkwardness, Logan licked his ice cream spoon clean and called out from the side. However, he suddenly felt a st of cold air from beside him as he said that. He swallowed and thought, "Is ice cream supposed to be that cold?" The crowd had regained theirposure after the initial panic from the electrical shortage and had turned to look at the couple on the stage to continue calling out encouragements. "Marry him!" Luz looked a little embarrassed. She had thought that Den''s proposal would just end there after the electrical shortage, but the crowd''s enthusiasm was unexpected. She pursed her lips and could only pin her hopes on Den, hoping that he would not ask the question she did not know how to answer. However, Den insisted on the proposal. Once again, he knelt on one knee and said with a doting and expectant look, "Luz, give me a chance to take care of you and Logan. Marry me. I swear I will be good to you and your son for the rest of my life." "..." She lowered her head and looked at the diamond ring in his hand. The diamond was cut in the shape of a heart and sparkled under the lights in the restaurant. Before, when she was still naive and had hoped for a good marriage, she had told Den that she wanted a heart-shaped engagement ring so that she could wear his heart on her finger for the rest of her life. ... She did not expect him to remember that casual joke after all this time. She fidgeted with the hem of the dress again. Mia had told her that any woman who married Den would be happy. She believed so, too, because Den was a good and loyal man. He would be a faithful husband. If she gave up this opportunity, she would probably never meet another man like Den. But why was she hesitating? Why was she looking for excuses to reject the proposal? "Luz, we grew up together. When we were in middle school, I told myself that you are the only woman I want to marry in my life. I love you." Den raised the ring in his hand again in front of her. He believed in his childhood sweetheart''s feelings and was willing to take care of her for the rest of his life. The rest of the restaurant was enjoying the romantic scene. Some people even whistled in encouragement. Luz was blushing, but she did not hesitate to answer him this time. "Den, I... I can''t." After saying that, she lowered her head awkwardly and did not dare to look into Den''s eyes. She really did not know why Den would suddenly propose to her today. If she had known, she would not have brought Logan to see him. The smile on Den''s lips froze, but it came back again quickly. He stood up. "It''s okay, I know it was too sudden and you did not have a chance to prepare yourself. I can wait. You can reject me a hundred times, and I will keep proposing because I know you will ept me one day." He put the ring box back into his pocket and hid his disappointment so that she would not feel bad for rejecting him. Chapter 23: A Rejected Proposal Chapter 23: A Rejected Proposal Luz smiled at him and nced towards Henry out of the corner of her eye. He was smirking as if mocking Den for his failed proposal and her earlier embarrassment. "What a pity. I thought Ms Boone would agree to the proposal." Emily propped her chin on one hand and said with a look of pity. However, she was feeling frustrated on the inside. She was going to grab onto Henry when the lights went out just now, but he wasn''t where she thought he would be. "Any man who kneels to propose is a loser." Henry said coldly, then got up and pulled Emily into his arms. "I''m done. Let''s go." Emily''s anger was pretty much extinguished by his cold aura. Her smug smile returned. She knew she would agree to get married if Henry ever proposed to her, even if he did not kneel. Luz quickly withdrew her gaze when she saw that they were leaving arm in arm, but Den had seen her nce towards them. "Den, I''m sorry. I''ve embarrassed you." After saying this apologetically, she quickly got off the stage and returned to her seat. Logan pouted. "It was such a romantic proposal! Besides, Uncle Den is a good man who buys ice cream for him. Why would mommy reject him?" he thought. "Eat your ice cream." Luz gave him a stern look. Logan covered his mouth and turned to Den, who had also returned to his seat, and said, "Mr Carver, you can do it. Good luck!" His mother should not let go of such a good man. Besides, he would get to eat ice cream every time he proposed. "Logan knows me well." Den ruffled the boy''s hair and smiled dotingly. He had waited for so long, what''s a few more years? Outside the restaurant, Henry started the car as Emily prepared to get into the car with a sweet smile. She was still imagining how Henry would propose to her. Suddenly, she heard him say in a displeased tone, "Who told you to use this perfume?" "..." Emily''s mind went nk for a moment. She sniffed and felt a little wronged. Thest time she went to his house, she had smelt this perfume in his bedroom. At first, she suspected that it was Secretary Boone''s perfume, but she discovered it wasn''tter on. She asked around and went to a lot of trouble to finally get her hands on this discontinued brand of perfume. She had hoped that by using his favourite perfume, she could get closer to this excellent man, but he lost his temper with her inexplicably. "Henry, I thought you liked this scent..." She was a little nervous under his cold gaze. She had taken great pains to keep herself in favour with Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. this powerful man, and it had paid off somewhat. Even though Henry was indifferent to her at best, he had never been so scary before. "Emily, I don''t like people who are arrogant." He stared at Emily''s wary expression, his eyes full of hatred. "Did she really think a perfume would make him like her? What a joke," he thought scornfully. Emily nched and nodded fervently. "Don''t be mad, Henry, I know. I won''t use this perfume anymore." She did not like the sweet smell anyway. It was too generic and did not suit her seductive disposition at all. "You''d better, or I will ruin you return you to your deste state overnight," Henry said coldly. It was like his breath was made of ice. Emily shivered and recalled her deste state before she was famous. Her face became paler as she remembered her unbearable past. She shook her head. She had gone through too much to make her way to where she was now. She will not go back to the days where she was just a small fry in the industry. "Don''t appear in front of me for the next few days." With that, he stepped on the elerator, and the Maybach sped past Emily, leaving her with just exhaust and dust. She stood still for a few seconds before she realized that she had been left at the side of the road. She wanted to run and catch up with him, but Henry''s car had already disappeared. She was angry but she could only stamp her feet. "Why is this happening?" Even though she knew that Henry did not love her, she still knew how to keep him by her side. This was why she was the only actress who could stay with him, even though many others had tried and failed. Her fingers, which were holding her handbag, turned red because of the force she was gripping it with. She took a sniff at the perfume she was wearing and there was a sh of resentment in her eyes. It was all caused by this perfume. Thinking of his abnormal reaction just now, she took out her phone and called a number she had saved. "Hello, Mr Giles." "Ms Hurst, why are you calling the paparazzi?" A chuckle immediately came from the other end of the phone. She would never had called Andres Giles unless she really needed to, because he knew all about her ugly past, but right now, he was the only person that could help her. "I''ve got a job for you. Help me with something, and I''ll pay you 100,000 dors." Emily regained her previous arrogance. 100,000 dors was just a piece of cake for her. As long as she could find out something, it would be worth a million dors, let alone 100,000. "I always wee a high-paying job. Go on, what is this about? Did some actress get on your bad side again, and you need some ckmail material?" Andres''s strangeughter rang out once again. He thrived in the industry because of the ckmail material he had. Every celebrity had something to hide, and this was what he based his expertise and wealth on. A trace of hatred shed across Emily''s eyes. She took a deep breath and pretended to be calm. "No, I just need you to investigate someone for me. Her name is Luz Boone. I want to know her rtionship with Henry Maynard." The perfume in Henry''s room was obvious from a woman, and she wanted to know if it was Luz''s. "Henry Maynard? He''s a big shot in North City. I''ll get in trouble for investigating his rtionship status with a woman." "Two hundred thousand dors. If I find the information useful, I will pay more." Emily knew what Andres was implying, so she doubled the price with the promise of more. Evidently, it worked, because Andres was satisfied with the payment and agreed to the job. He told her not to worry, and to wait for his call, then hung up. Emily returned her phone into her bag and smirked. Henry Maynard is hers. She will not let another woman take him from her. Especially Luz, who does notpare to her at all. Chapter 24: Ill Give You A Ride Home As Courtesy Chapter 24: I''ll Give You A Ride Home As Courtesy In the restaurant, Luz was still feeling awkward even with Logan lightening the atmosphere. They managed to finish their meal in rtive peace, after which Luz pulled Logan out of the restaurant hastily. "I''ll give you guys a ride back." Den was about to open the car door, but she shook her head to stop him. "Don''t bother. Let''s take a taxi." "Luz, you can reject the proposal, but don''t reject my good intentions, okay?" Den opened the car door after saying that. He was ufortable about the rejection today as well, but he was willing to hold out hope and wait. "All right then." It would be cruel to reject him again after what he said. Luz bundled herself and her son into the back of the car. No one spoke along the way. The slightly dull air made her lower the window. Fortunately, the journey wasn''t very long. As soon as they arrived at the vi, she got out of the car with Logan. "We''ll ve heading in, then." "Luz, can I say something?" His gentle words made her freeze in the middle of turning away. Luz turned back. Logan was grinning and winking at them from the side. "I''m just a child, so I won''t interfere in your adult matters. Enjoy your talk, don''t hurry back!" He winked and ran into the house. "You..." Luz opened her mouth but didn''t know what to say. She felt really ufortable. "Luz, I know you were unprepared for my proposal today, and it put you in an awkward position, but I won''t give up on you. I''ve liked you since we were young, and you''re the only woman I would want to marry in my life. I don''t mind waiting years for you." Den had a resolute expression on his face. He had tried to move on from her several times before to no avail. He did not mind that she was a divorcee with a child. He could not stop worrying about her no matter where she was. "Den, I know you are very kind to me, but I..." She regarded Den as a friend. Even though she knew it was hurtful to him to put him in this position, but try as she might, she couldn''t fall in love with him. It was like her emotions were not in her control. "Luz, can you stop hurting me today?" Before Luz could speak, she was interrupted by Den. "..." "I''ll head in then. Drive safe." She didn''t know what else to say that wouldn''t hurt him, so she just waved and went into the house hurriedly. After a while, she heard the sound of the car leaving. She was relieved. During her seven years abroad, her only male friend was Den. His feelings for her was hard to ignore, but she did not know how to respond to them. "Mommy, Uncle Den is very nice to you. Why didn''t you agree to marry him?" Logan, who had been spying on them from the window upstairs, immediately ran downstairs with a displeased expression on his face. He had been a child without a father for seven years. Now that he could have a handsome stepfather, but his mother had rejected him. He felt sad when he thought about Uncle Den''s sad figure as he left. "You''re still young, you don''t understand these things." Luz ruffled her son''s hair gently. She knew that Den was sincere, but she could not marry him just because of this. A loveless marriage was the worst. "How can I not understand? You''re still in love with someone else. It''s a ssic love triangle!" Logan crossed his arms and pouted. His chubby cheeks seemed to invite someone to pinch them. Luz bent down and nted a kiss on his cheek. "You''re harassing me." Logan took several steps back in offence after the kiss. He had said several times before that he was a big boy now, no one should kiss him without his consent. "Who told you to pretend to be an adult?" Luz smiled. Her worries and fears had dissipated with the kiss. She decided to have a thorough N?velDrama.Org holds this content. conversation with Den after everything was settled. As for what the little fellow had just said, she had to admit that she was still in love with someone else. In the past seven years, she had tried very hard to get rid of everything rted to him, but when she returned and met that person, she realized that it wasn''t that easy to forget someone. Her feelings for him grew like wild grass from the moment she met him again. In the le Loch Bleu vi, soothing music filled the room along with a light smell of perfume. It was the fragrance that she used to like. Henry satzily on the sofa. His usual indifference was gone, but he still seemed to be in a bad mood. That Den Carver actually proposed to his woman in front of him! He picked up the wine ss in front of him and raised his thin lips into a mocking smile. Women are really fickle beings. Not only had she changed her perfume, even her preference for proposals had also changed. He finished all the alcohol in the ss in one gulp. He had gotten the answer that he wanted, but he was still unhappy. He couldn''t help thinking about the time before he and Luz were married. There was no restaurant, no ring or flowers. At that time, she was still in college, but their respective parents had insisted that they get married, so he drove to the gate of her college, ready to say hello to the wife his family had chosen for him. It just so happened that she was also heading out after ss. "Luz Boone?" he asked, frowning slightly as he saw the same face he had seen in the photograph. She looked younger in person, with a little chubbiness around her cheeks. He had the urge to pinch her cheeks. "Yeah, that''s me, Luz Boone." She had answered him with a bright smile, baring her blindingly white teeth at him. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail. Henry was used to dealing with spoiled socialites and their fawning smiles, but he had never seen such an innocent smile. He did not want her to know that she had astounded him, so he looked away and said coldly, "I don''t care what your name is. Our parents want us to marry. Even if I marry you, would you marry me?" This was just an arranged marriage. She shouldn''t have any hopes that he would love her. At the end of the day, she was just a pawn on the chessboard. "You''re not an animal, why wouldn''t I marry you? Henry Maynard, is this a proposal? If so, then my answer is yes." His mind''s eye froze the scene at her smile. He could see the stubbornness and challenge in her narrowed eyes. He shook his head and pulled himself back into reality. His eyes reflected some of his smugness. Chapter 25: The Wedding Eight Years Ago Chapter 25: The Wedding Eight Years Ago She had been the one who wanted to get married eight years ago. He never knelt before her and asked her to marry him. Only ipetent men would kneel down and ask a woman to marry him. His smugness turned into irritation as he recalled the way Den had gone on one knee in the restaurant and asked Luz to marry him. If he hadn''t been there by coincidence and did not threaten her, would she have epted the proposal and married Den Carver? After all, that woman had never been one to be shy. He narrowed his eyes coldly as he imagined her nodding in agreement to the proposal and then kissing and embracing Den. She would never marry again as long as he was still single! He got up, picked up his coat, and strode out of the door. ... It took Luz some time to coax her son to sleep. She rubbed her stiff neck and was about to take a bath to relieve her fatigue when a beam of strong light came in from outside. She instinctively narrowed her eyes. The dazzling light reminded her of the time she had brought Logan to a production set in Hollywood. Once her eyes adjusted to the light, she went to the window and looked out. Her breath hitched in her chest when she saw who was outside. How could it be him! They had just met two hours ago. Why would hee to her house? The light shed a couple of times, so dazzling that her eyes hurt. Luz ducked behind the curtains, flustered. Did hee to threaten her again? Her heart pounded as she thought of this possibility. "Should I call the police?" she wondered. But then, Henry Maynard was almost like a god in North City. Even if she called the police, they wouldn''t do anything to him. It might even aggravate him further. Logan was also affected by the light. He mumbled something in his sleep and turned over. If he continued to shine the light into the house like this, Logan wouldn''t be able to sleep. She took a few deep breaths, pressed her chest with her hands, and walked out of the room. Henry was sitting in the driver''s seat, flicking the controls for the car lights. The Maybach''s lights were truly a sight to behold. He nced towards the woman who was running out of the house coldly, smiling when he saw her clothes. "Henry, what else do you want?" Even though the distance from the house to the car was just a few steps, Luz had to psych herself up with every step she took in order to keep her calm as she appeared in front of Henry. "What do you think?" Luz just wanted him to get straight to the point and leave, but he wasn''t going to cooperate at all. The car lights were still shing. She gritted her teeth and reached out to turn off the engine. "Just say what you want to say." After that, she swallowed her saliva and took a step back. It was not a wise choice to get close to him. Henry did not expect her to turn off the engine. His eyes showed his distaste as he got out of the Maybach. "Why didn''t you agree to Den''s proposal?" Even if she had changed in thest seven years, any woman would have agreed to marriage after that stupidly romantic show. Luz could not believe that he woulde all the way to her house and sh his car lights to force her out just to ask this question. She wasn''t sure how to answer him. She was touched by Den''s proposal, but other than that, she did not feel anything else she should have felt. "Why did you reject a man who does not mind that you have been married before?" His voice rang out coldly once more. The words made her face twist in disgust. He was implying that Den was out of her league. "Henry, if you''re here just for this, I''m not going to stay out. Please be considerate and don''t unt your poor character with your bright lights." She had experienced beingughed at and despised countless times, but she didn''t know why the same wordsing out of his mouth would make her so upset that she wanted to retaliate. "Say that again!" He narrowed his eyes dangerously as he took a step forward, leaning into Luz''s personal space. She felt crowded. He was always good at stressing her out. "I''m tired. Drive safe, Mr Maynard." She sumbed to the pressure and used her backup n, which was to walk away. However, she hadn''t even taken a step when Henry grabbed her and pushed her against the Maybach. "Henry, what are you doing?" Pressed against the hard roof of the car, she had nowhere to go. Henry''s well-defined face was right in front of hers. Their noses were just barely touching. Her body stiffened instinctively, but her heart was pounding hard. She did not know what he was going to do to her. Henry stared at the pale-faced woman in front of him. When he saw the fear and dissatisfaction in her eyes, he also frowned. "What''s the matter? Do you think you''re on the market again now that someone proposed to you? I''ll have you know, no one can take anything that belongs to me, not even my leftovers." His thin lips were moving, speaking hurtful words, while pain shot up from her waist. This position was N?velDrama.Org holds this content. seductive and sexy on paper, but in reality, it was harmful to her waist. Not to mention the hurtful words that wereing out of his mouth. She felt humiliated. "Since I''m just your leftovers, you shouldn''t be so close to me." The scars on her heart had opened up again, but she just pursed her lips and met his eyes calmly. She was not going to show her pain in front of him. "You haven''t answered my question. Did you refuse Den''s proposal because I threatened you?" The closer he got to her, the less unhappy he felt. There was even an instinctive desire rising in him. He thought it would only be a short while, but the answer from her mouth made him lose all interest in an instant. "What else could it be?" The pain in her heart turned into stubbornness. She answered his question with another question. She would not tell Henry that even if she did not threaten him like that, she had no intention of marrying Den. "..." The silent cold stare and the obvious anger in his eyes made Luz immediately regret it. Before she could react, his cold lips suddenly met hers. Chapter 26: I Never Want To See Your Face Again Chapter 26: I Never Want To See Your Face Again Damn it, she did reject Den''s proposal because he had threatened her. If he didn''t turn up today, she would have had another man''s ring on her finger. "Oh." There was no tenderness or sweetness in the kiss. It fell on her lips like a merciless hurricane as he vented his anger with his teeth upon her lips and tongue. The worst part was his hands tearing at her clothes. The thin material could not withstand his anger and tore apart easily. Her skin was so pale it was almost glowing in the dark. Henry sweep his eyes over her and felt his body heat up. He could almost feel his lust peaking. Luz wanted to cover her exposed skin, but she found that her hands had been tightly sped against the car. She couldn''t move at all. Her breasts were also tightly pressed together, creating a curve and cleavage that made her blush. What should she do? She was so panicked that he wanted to escape, but there was no way out. Henry naturally saw such a beautiful scene, and he couldn''t tear his eyes away. It only took her seven years to learn how to be tough. Even her breasts looked plumper. She was shocked by his cold and burning eyes. Her mind was racing. When he looked up and let go of her lips, she shouted bravely, "Henry Maynard, are you still in love with your ex-wife?" When she asked this question tremblingly, his hand stopped in front of her breasts. Henry''s lust receded faster than it came on like a fire put out by pouring rain. "Seven years in America has made you arrogant." He pushed himself off her and nced at her disdainfully. "Have you forgotten what I said? I don''t want to see your face anymore!" Now that she was free, Luz detached herself from the car and pulled her clothes back around her. Even though they were torn, they could still cover up enough skin. "As you wish, Mr Maynard, I''ll disappear now." With that, she turned around and ran back into her house. She did not understand why he would keep appearing in front of her if he didn''t want to see her. He even came in the middle of the night to harass her. Henry watched as the door mmed shut. He felt annoyed for no reason. "I must be out of my mind to Luz stayed behind the door and watched from the peephole on the door. She did not rx until the Maybach left with Henry. A sharp pain came from her lips. Instinctively, she reached up and touched the wound. Her fingers came off with specks of blood. "He must have been a dog in a previous life." Not only did he bite her shoulder again and again, but he also bit her lips. Thinking of the heart-pounding and fearful kiss just now, she blushed. Even after seven years, she still felt the same towards Henry ¡ª passionate yet hesitant. She lowered her head to look at her own body. Could it be that in seven years, her body still remembered everything about Henry? Feeling a little annoyed, she went upstairs to make sure that her son was not awakened by what had just happened. After that, she went back to her bedroom and turned on the shower in the bathroom. The thin stream of water washed over her curvy body as if it was going to take away all her tiredness. "Why did you reject Den''s proposal?" The water continued to flow, but she seemed to hear the voice of Henry''s questioning again. Her watery eyshes made her eyes a little blurred. Yes, Den was so kind to her and Logan. Why did she refuse? Although she was unwilling to admit it, she still could not get rid of the shadow of another person in her heart, so there was no extra space for him. When was the name Henry Maynard carved into her heart? Was it that breathtakingly beautiful night ten years ago? "Luz, there''s going to be a lot of handsome fellows at the g tonight. If you see one you like, I''ll get him for you." Braden Boone had said with a smile. His cold features were a boon when dealing with business. People used to say that Mr Boone of the Boone family was not easy to get along with, but in front of his wife and daughter, this cold man had a whole different facade that would shock people. "Dad, you''re saying that as if you''re going to kidnap someone." She smiled bashfully. Finding a husband was not like a walk in the park. It wasn''t like she could just marry at first sight. "I could. As long as my daughter likes him, I''ll get him for you," Braden said with an imperious air. Luz pouted. "Then I''ll go take a look." She put on a proper socialite smile and walked out of the room and into the hall. Her sweet features and bedazzling smile attracted the attention of many bachelors. Luz was a little unhappy at being ogled at like she was prey, but she didn''t show it on her face at all. These rich bachelors were just the ck sheep of their families. They were responsible for the downfall of their families. "If I had known earlier, I would have convinced Den toe as well," she muttered, feeling a little bored. She felt like she was choosing among rotten potatoes. Just as she was ready to go back into the lounge, she spotted a slim figure out of the corner of her eye. Everyone around her was wearing smart ck suits, but he was the only one who really brought out the "smart" in the suit. Luz couldn''t help but take a few steps towards the figure so that she could see more clearly. At the same time, the figure moved. Just like in a slow-motion scene in a movie, he turned and gave her a full view of his side profile. Her breath hitched in her throat. "Henry, I wasn''t expecting to see you here," someone called out to him. He turned and nced towards the voice coldly. From where she stood, she could clearly see his whole face. His sharp facial features were the result of God''s excessive favor. His tall and straight nose entuated his deep eyes, which pulled her own into them. His name was Henry Maynard. The sudden darkness pulled her back from her past memories. Luz looked around the dark room, realising with a start that there had been a power outage.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. "..." She quickly wrapped her body with a bath towel and carefully walked out of the room. When she went downstairs and looked at the numbers on the ammeter, she couldn''t help but feel depressed again. The first thing she needed to do the next day was to settle her electricity bill. Chapter 27: School Chapter 27: School The next morning, she brought Logan along with her to pay their electric bill before going to enrol him in school. "Mommy, can''t you let me have my freedom for a few more days?" Logan whined from the back seat of the car. In his opinion, he should have more time to get used to life here before starting school. He heard that school here was very demanding, so it''s only right that he spent more time getting used to it. "I would, but I can''t bring you to work with me every day." She was just a secretary. She would be fired if she brought her child to work every day. What''s more, she didn''t want her son to have more contact with Henry, lest he realizes Logan''s true identity. "I can stay at home and work on my ninja moves." He held up his arms in the posture of a ninja move. Luzughed. "Are you a turtle?" "..." "Mommy, ninjas and ninja turtles are different things, okay?" Logan protested, pouting. Ninjas were formidable, unlike turtles. Why was it so hard tomunicate with his mother? "Alright, stay still. This is a good school, I went there when I was your age." Luz pinched his cheeks and said wistfully. No matter how much suffering she enduredter in her life, she was still thankful that she had a chance to have a happy childhood with loving parents and a home full of warm memories. "It''s just primary school. Why are you so proud?" "..." Luz drove faster at her son''s teasing words. She should not let him have so much freedom anymore, or she would be the one to suffer. The car stopped in front of a small gate. She spoke briefly to the guard stationed there, and they let them in. "You can''t drive in, though." "Don''t worry, I won''t drive in." Luz immediately smiled and nodded. She pulled her reluctant son out of the car and headed towards the principal''s office. The school had undergone many renovations over the years. She was very satisfied with the facilities and environment. She walked faster. "Excuse me, are you Mr Duncan?" she asked politely after knocking on the door. "Yes, I am. Are you that Boone someone who called earlier for enrolment?" "Luz Boone." His father used to say that the two things he was most proud of in his life were his daughter and giving such a memorable name to his daughter. To this man, though, her name had been reduced to Boone someone. "Did you bring the child?" The principal pushed his sses up and looked at the little fellow from head to toe. "Yes, his name is Logan Boone." She pushed her son forwards and was about to introduce him further when the principal interrupted her. "He has his mother''s surname?" "Yes, he does." Luz could only nod. She was still pregnant when she left Henry. How could she let her child use the surname of the Maynard family? The principal raised his eyebrows and immediately understood what was going on. "Go ahead and handle the enrollment process. He can go to the first-grade ss starting tomorrow." "Thank you, Mr Duncan." The enrollment procedures were not asplicated as she thought. After filling in two forms and paying the tuition fees, she led the little fellow to meet his teacher. They arranged for him to start sses tomorrow, then they left the school and got into a taxi. "Study well at school. I''ll pick you up after school. If you do well, you can get a reward." "Got it." The little fellow said discontentedly. He was a sensible boy. He knew that he would be abandoned at school, so if he didn''t do well, he might be thrown to the side for good. Luz knew that her son was sulking, so she tried to bribe him, "Don''t be mad, let''s go have something nice to eat, how about that?" N?velDrama.Org holds this content. "Then I want something really nice." Logan''s eyes lit up at the prospect of food. He wanted ice cream, sandwiches, fried chicken, hopefully with a side of soda. "No problem. I brought my wallet today, so you can have whatever you want." "Deal!" Luz told the taxi driver the name of the restaurant they wanted to go to. The taxi arrived soon. When Logan caught sight of the name of the restaurant, he was visibly disappointed. "Is this what you meant by something nice?" He pointed at the name of the restaurant ¡ª Aroma Restaurant. "Home-cooked food can be nice too. This restaurant specializes in local delicacies, and it''s the best in North City." When she was his age, she had the same opinion, but her parents told her that this restaurant had been passed down for generations. It was hard to make a reservation here. Thinking of this, she couldn''t help but chuckle. Logan was definitely her child. "Don''tugh at me." Logan thought Luz wasughing at him, so he frowned at her unhappily. His expression looked eerily like Henry when he was angry, which made Luz nervous. She stepped into the restaurant hastily. "Thank goodness it''s a weekday today and it''s not lunchtime yet, or we might have to queue up for a long time." The waiter brought them to a table by the window. Luz flipped through the menu and ordered their speciality and the best food she knew from her memory. "Please wait a moment." The waiter took their orders and left with a smile. Logan was pouting. He wanted hamburgers, coca- c, fried chicken and fries. Why was it so difficult to get what he wanted? Soon, their food was served. They looked and smelt as amazing as she remembered. Luz handed her son a fork and urged him, "Go on, try them. It''s definitely to your taste." Logan was not ustomed to the food here, since he grew up in the US. He did not have the appetite to try the food at all. "If you don''t eat what I ordered, the food will be wasted. It''s shameful to waste food. Do you remember the poem I taught you? ''Whenever you leave some food in your te...''" ... "Remember who stands starved at your gate." Logan finished for her. He still thought that he should be allowed to eat something more familiar to him since he had just arrived back. "Then eat your food, or I''ll take away your ice cream privileges for a week." She knew that reasoning would not work this time, so she pulled out her secret weapon. "You''re threatening me again." Logan red at her, his eyes widened in anger. He hated it when his mother threatened him. He knew it was just a trick, but he always fell for it. "It''s a good move." It always worked. Luz patted his hand and told him to hurry up and eat, but he did not move. "Mommy, you know wasting food is bad, but it''s also a waste if I don''t enjoy them." Chapter 28: This Is An Adult Matter Chapter 28: This Is An Adult Matter Luz was surprised that her son had said such deep words. "That''s deep." "Of course, I know what I''m talking about." Logan''s glumness melted off his face as he raised his head proudly. "Really? Then I''m all ears." Luz put down her fork and waited for him to exin further. "It''s just that if I pretend I don''t see all these delicious food in front of me and refuse to eat them, it''s waste, just like it''s a waste that you didn''t agree to marry Uncle Den. You''re going to regret this one day." "..." His exnation made her speechless. She did not expect him to be so hung up that she did not agree to Den''s proposal yesterday. "I''ve already told you, this is an adult matter that you won''t understand. Do you think marriage is that easy?" "Maybe I don''t understand, but I have eyes. I can see who is really good to you. Uncle Den didn''t even mind that you have an extra burden in the form of me. Is that not sincere enough for you?" If it was possible, he would not want a stepfather, but if he really had to have one, Uncle Den was the best choice. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. As a filial son, he certainly did not want his mommy to be lonely for the rest of her life. If a good man appeared, he would be willing to ept a stepfather. "Who says you''re a burden? You''re mommy''s sweetheart." Hearing that Logan had described himself as a burden, Luz immediately corrected him. Logan would never be a burden to her, even if she never married again for the rest of her life. "Fine, I won''t say that anymore." Knowing that it would only make her sad if he continued, Logan immediately picked up his fork and poked at the te in front of him. It didn''t look as delicious as fried chicken, but the overall presentation was not bad. The smell was quite tantalizing. A smile appeared on Luz''s face as Logan finally began eating his food. Just as she was about to call the waiter over to order some ice cream as a reward for him, she spotted ady walking in through the door. She widened her eyes in surprise and lowered her head hurriedly, trying to pretend that she didn''t see her, but it was toote. Thedy had already spotted her. When Madison Nash walked over to her favourite seat by the window, she saw Luz already sitting there. Her surprise quickly morphed into disdain. The negative emotions lost her some elegance. "Mrs Maynard, table for one today?" The manager of the restaurant immediately greeted her with a smile. Even though Maddison was just a mistress and now a widow, she was still part of the Maynard family. It would not do to offend her. Maddison was stunned for a while and then nodded with a smile. "Yes, I''m alone." "Please take your usual seat here." Since they had already locked eyes, Luz decided that there was no point in avoiding her. If this were seven years ago, she would have stood up and greeted her, but right now, there was no need for that. Maddison followed the manager and stopped at the table where she was. "Mrs Maynard?" "Go ahead. I met an acquaintance I haven''t seen for many years," Maddison said, with an air of arrogance. The manager made himself scarce immediately. He didn''t want to serve her either. "What a coincidence. I didn''t expect to meet you here again." Maddison said with a smile. Her fake smile made Logan a little ufortable. He could tell that this olddy was not a good person. Maddison caught the boy looking at her. Her mouth twitched as she looked at his striking resemnce to Henry. "Is this Henry''s son?" she wondered. Luz angled her body slightly to shield Logan from her gaze. "Yeah, North City is quite small." "This child..." Just as expected, she asked about Maddison. "Aunty Maddison, if you have any suspicions, you can call Henry and ask him yourself." Maddison was stunned. If this child was Henry''s, Luz wouldn''t have dared to say that. She wouldn''t have filed for divorce in the first ce either. With that in mind, Logan didn''t seem as simr to Henry anymore. "s, some people just aren''t fated to have good lives. For example, the Boone family used to be such a big deal in North City, but you lost everything overnight, and you attempts to climb back up the social Her sarcasm made Luz frown slightly. Maddison''s words were sharper than that of seven years ago. Before she could find the right words to respond, Logan spoke up. "Grandma, what brand of chewing gum do you like to eat?" Maddison was stunned by his question. She looked at the boy in front of her with suspicion. "Why are you asking?" She usually didn''t like cheap things like chewing gum. "I think you need some Extra, the one whose jingle goes ''get your ding back''. I don''t think other brands would work on you." Logan answered seriously, which stunned her. She only realized what he meant when she saw Luz trying to hold back herughter. He was implying that her breath smelled! "You brat." She pointed at Logan, her finger trembling from anger, but he just red at her. "If I''m a brat, then you''re an old hag! Also, it''s rude to point at someone. Didn''t your parents teach you that?" Logan retorted calmly, with a hint of provocation and mockery in his eyes. He would not let anyone bully his mother. "You..." Maddison had never been so angry before. Her face alternated between red and white as she reached out to grab Logan, but Luz stopped her. "Mrs Maynard, I hope you''re not nning to hurt my son in public." She frowned with a hint of irritation in her eyes. Logan was a little rude, but this woman was the one who started it. "Chip off the old block indeed, Luz Boone, is this how you raise your son? Take a look in the mirror, you''re just a b*tch." "Who are you calling a b*tch?" No one could keep their calm after being called a b*tch in front of their child, not to mention that she was already irritated. Maddison sneered. "Don''t pretend. Where did this boye from? Did Henry Maynard not satisfy you, so you had to go and have a b*stard child with another man?" Chapter 29: Henry Maynards Son Chapter 29: Henry Maynard''s Son A loud p resounded loudly in the restaurant. Maddison was so shocked by the p that she almost couldn''t register the pain. She held her hand to her stinging cheek. "Did you just p me? How dare you p me!" "You insulted my child and me first. Why wouldn''t I dare to p you?" A trace of anger appeared on Luz''s face. If Maddison had only insulted her, she might have been able to ignore her since they were in public, but she should not have said that her son was a b*stard. Previously, most of the patrons in the restaurant were enjoying their food and not taking notice of what was going on in their corner, but the loud p attracted a lot of attention. Several people had looked up from their food to watch them. Maddison had covered her face with her hand, but the other cheek that was not covered was redder than the one that was pped. She had lost all the elegance and reputation that she had fought so hard to build all these years. "Luz, you''ll pay for this." Maddison couldn''t stand another second of embarrassment here. She stomped her foot and exited the restaurant in a hurry. After seeing them leave, Luz pulled Logan back to their table. She had suddenly lost all appetite for the food that she had been looking forward to. She should have checked the horoscope beforeing out today. Meeting Maddison Nash had put a damper on her day. Logan was watching her intently. He was going to retaliate for the b*stardment as well, but he was limited in height, so he didn''t carry out his ns. He wasn''t very bothered about it, though, but he drew the line at insulting his mother. However, it wasn''t all in vain. At least he now knew for certain that he was Henry Maynard''s son. When he thought of that cold and angry face, there was more dissatisfaction in his eyes. That guy was not gentle at all, nor was he cute. At most, he had some money, but he also heard that his mother was rich before he was born. Why had she married him, of all people? Compared to him, Uncle Den was much better. "Forget this. Didn''t you want fried chicken and ice cream? I''ll take you to the fast-food restaurant." Opposite him, Luz threw down her fork. She had lost her appetite after speaking to Maddison. "Yes! Mommy, you''re the best!" The mention of ice cream was enough to make Logan forget about who would make a better father. He grabbed Luz''s arm and dragged her out of the restaurant. The two of them left the restaurant happily. Behind them, a camera clicked several times, recording the scene that had just happened. "Henry, are you still angry with me? I know I was wrong, can you forgive me?" At the movie set, Emily was calling Henry and begging for his forgiveness pitifully. She knew that if she didn''t admit to her wrongdoing about the perfume, she would be reced soon. As long as she could keep having Henry Maynard as her sponsor, she was willing to stoop to any level. "I''m busy today. Find your own way home." At the other end of the phone, Henry hung up without giving Emily another chance to apologize. "What should we do? Henry is really angry." She looked down at the phone in her hand that was still showing the ended call. She knew very well that Henry did not love her, but he had never treated her so coldly. That was how she was able to make a name for herself in the entertainment industry, but it seemed that he was really angry this time. "Emily, do you want me to send you back?" Her assistant asked, seeing that she was in a bad mood. "No, I''ll drive back by myself." Emily stomped her foot, feeling very annoyed. Without Henry, she might lose her status as a superstar. "Alright then, drive safe, Emily." The assistant didn''t dare to say anything else. She packed up the scripts and went back to talk to the stunt people. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Seething with anger, Emily drove out of the filming location. She wanted to go to thepany to see Henry, but she was scared. Henry had told her that he did not want to see her for at least a few days. She didn''t dare to defy him. When she was so angry that she didn''t know where to go, the phone suddenly rang. She looked at the phone number, and there was a sh of contempt and annoyance in her eyes, but she still picked up the phone. "Hey, did you find something?" "Of course. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have dared to take the initiative to call a big star like you. Come out and have a talk." Andres''s voice came from the other end of the phone, which made her frown with disgust. "Mr Giles, I don''t think it''s appropriate for a paparazzi and a celebrity to meet in person. You can tell me what you found over the phone." It had taken her a lot of effort to climb to where she was now, so she wouldn''t risk it all and associate herself with people of her past. However, Andres clearly did not want to talk over the phone. "I have something you''ll be interested in. Don''t you really want to see it yourself? I make an appointment in the Osrant Mansion. Don''t worry, it''s safe there. I''ll see you there in an hour, superstar." He hung up right after he finished speaking. Emily gritted her teeth in anger so hard that her jaw hurt. It was one thing for Henry to hang up on her, but this Andres Giles was just a nobody. How dare he threaten her! But when she thought of what Andres had just said, she couldn''t help but be curious. She quickly changed the direction of the car and drove to the Osrant Mansion. The Osrant Mansion was a private garden famous for its primrose collection, so it was not a high-end ce, since primroses were amon breed formoners. Emily disguised herself with some of the garments she kept in the boot of her car and went in cautiously. "Over here, superstar." Andres had already seen her. When Emily entered the room, he shouted, which scared her so much that she quickly ran over to cover his mouth. "Keep your voice down!" Emily sat down opposite him angrily. She immediately held out her hands and said, "What did you want to show me?" "Why are you in such a hurry? After all, we are old acquaintances. Let''s have a talk about the good old days first." Andres looked at Emily with lust in his eyes. In the past, this woman had asked him for a lot of help in order to get more exposure. As for the repayment, well, he hadn''t had a chance to enjoy her since she got together with Henry Maynard. "Andres, I warn you, if you speak to me like that again, I''ll make sure you lose your position in the entertainment industry." Emily''s expression soured. Her past was nothing but a long and nasty humiliation to her. She would erase all memories of it if it was possible. "Ouch, the superstar is threatening me." The smile on Andres''s face did not change, but he looked away from her plump bosom. After all, she was now Henry''s woman. He could torture herter when Henry gets tired of her. "Good. Now show me whatever it was you wanted to show me." Emily raised her head in mock arrogance. She did not want to rpse, so she could not lose Henry. "Look at how anxious you are. I''ve been working hard the entire morning. Here''s the result." Adres took out a brown envelope from behind him. He did not expect to get such scandalous news in less than a day after receiving the job. Chapter 30: Mr Maynards New Lover Chapter 30: Mr Maynard''s New Lover Emily opened the envelope impatiently. When she saw the photos inside, her eyes widened. Why was Luz Boone with Maddison Nash? "Take a look at the rest. It''s even more interesting." Andres said with a smile. Sure enough, she found a photo of Luz pping Maddison. Henry must have had a rtionship with Luz, so it was not strange that Maddison knew her. However, it didn''t seem like they were close. "You want to cause some trouble for this Boone woman, right? Is she Mr Maynard''s new lover?" Andres chuckled. Men are all the same fickle beings. They like to change up their ythings. "Don''t be absurd, I just... I just don''t like the look of this woman." Emily''s expression soured for a moment before morphing back into impassiveness. No matter how many women were eyeing Henry, he will always be hers. "That''s good, then. As soon as this photo is released, Luz Boone will be known as the woman who offended the Maynard family. She will have a hard time doing anything. Also, Maddison Nash is not the forgiving type." Andres said exactly what Emily was thinking. She smiled slightly, triumph sparkling in her eyes. "Then do it. Don''t worry, I''ll add on 100,000 dors to your payment. I''ll pay more if you can find more stuff like this." Andres was inspired by financial greed. As long as he was given enough money, he would work hard. Her money wouldn''t be wasted on him. "I like women like you. Don''t worry, Luz Boone''s news is on me." With Andres'' guarantee, Emily''s smile widened. As soon as this photo was revealed to the public, Luz Boone would be ruined, and Maddison Nash would be embarrassed. She was just a mistress anyway, she would never be the real matriarch of the Maynard family. The most important thing was that if Henry found out that she had leaked the information, she could use Maddison as an excuse. After all, she and Henry did not get along well. Emily felt that her n was wless. She smiled wider. "Luz Boone, how are you going to deal with this?" she thought. Luz pushed her conversation with Maddison to the back of her head as she brought Logan for fast food. However, the next morning, she received a call from Mia. "It''s so early. Aren''twyers supposed to sleep inte to recover their lost brain cells?" She opened her eyes in confusion and couldn''t helpining. She had been having nightmares the entire night and had just managed to fall into a fitful sleep before getting woken up by Mia''s call. "Congrattions, you''ve upied the headline of the entertainment section. Maybe you can be famous overnight." A teasing voice came from the other end of the phone. Luz was stunned. "What headline? What''s going on?" "Look it up on the Inte. If you get sued, I can rmend a couple ofwyers to you." Mia seemed to know that she was stunned, so she hung up the phone after saying that. As soon as she opened the web page, she saw a high-definition photo of her on the page. An elegant the scene where she had pped Maddison. "How did someone take this photo?" She muttered to herself in shock. These reporters must be psychic. She was just there for dinner. After taking a closer look at the title, "Former Socialite ps Wealthy Lady", Luz almost spat out a mouthful of blood. This was a good clickbait title. Just one sentence was enough to imply who was in the right and who was in the wrong. She read the rest of the article and realized that she was in big trouble. She didn''t even read the She identally nced at the time on her mobile phone and pped her forehead hard. "Oh no, it''s Logan''s first day of school today!" she remembered. She went to the next room hurriedly and pulled Logan out of bed to get dressed and brush his teeth. He was not happy about it. "Mommy, where''s my breakfast?" "..." Luz looked embarrassed. She had slept through her rm due to the dreamsst night. "Logan, my little darling, I woke up a littlete today. How about tomorrow? I''ll definitely make you a hearty breakfast tomorrow." "A littlete? This is veryte," Logan said, pursing his lips in dissatisfaction. Going to school hungry would be detrimental to his development. Being rendered speechless, she had no choice but to tell the taxi driver, "Please hurry up. It''s my son''s first day at school today. I don''t want to bete." "Okay." The driver agreed quickly and stepped on the elerator without hesitation. The car immediately sped up and headed straight to the primary school. They arrived just in the nick of time. Luz watched her son go into the school and heaved a sigh of relief. She would have to set more rms in the future. Then she thought of the news about her and Maddison and frowned. As soon as the news came out, her colleagues in thepany were probably waiting to see her make a fool of herself. It might be a good thing if she was fired for this. With the worst-case scenario in mind, she calmly went to thepany. From the moment she stepped into the revolving door, she attracted so much attention it was like she was an alien. "Do you think she''s flirting with death? It''s not easy being Mr Maynard''s secretary in the first ce, and she goes and ps Mrs Maynard. I think she''ll be fired soon." "That''s hard to say. I heard that our Mr Maynard and Mrs Maynard don''t get along very well," a woman whispered. Most of the people in North City knew that the current Mrs Maynard was not Henry''s biological mother. Luz knew that women were natural gossipers, so she walked faster towards the elevators and left the gossips outside the door. In the office upstairs, Linda gave her a friendly smile. "Secretary Boone, Mr Maynard is a man of principle. As long as you don''t make any mistakes in your work, he won''t fire you." "Thank you, Linda." It was rare for there to be someone who wasn''tughing at her. She also responded with a sincere smile, but she was sceptical about the fact that Linda said Henry was a man with principle. Henry Maynard would do anything. When she returned to her office, the blinds between their offices was up, so she could see into Henry''s office. He wasn''t in. "Why wasn''t he in at this time?" she wondered. In the Maynard Family''s vi.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Chapter 31: Basic Respect Chapter 31: Basic Respect Maddison was crying hysterically. "Mother, you have to stand up for me. I might not be Luz'' mother-in- will I live with this? I''ve embarrassed the Maynard family." She said that she had embarrassed the Maynard Family, but she put all the me on Luz. That damn girl, how dare she p her? And this embarrassment was even posted online. How will she face anyone in the future? The old Mrs Maynard had been hearing her cry for the entire morning and was not in a good mood. "Luz is not an unreasonable person, you must have done something to aggravate her." She had watched Luz grow up, and she was her preferred granddaughter-inw. She wouldn''t just p Maddison without reason in the restaurant. "Mother, don''t you believe me? What can I do to her? I just happened to meet her at lunch, so I took the initiative to say hello to her. She never like me when she was still married to Henry because I was his stepmother, and she''s been much ruder to me since the divorce. I just told her that she should respect me as an elder and she pped me. Mother, was I wrong?" Of course, Maddison wouldn''t tell her exactly what had happened yesterday. If Henry heard that she This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Henry sat on the sofa with narrowed eyes. Early in the morning, when he was about to go to the woman had taken the day off for this. She really was something else. "Luz isn''t like that. There must be some misunderstanding." No matter how Maddison cried and distorted the facts, the old Mrs Maynard was more willing to believe in her intuition. However, she was also confused. What had Maddison said to the girl to make her behave like this? Now that it''s been posted online, she must be flustered. "Henry, you have to investigate this matter carefully. Even though you and Luz are divorced now, you should still look after her. I don''t want her to suffer." The old Mrs Maynard nced at her grandson, who had not spoken since he came back. Luz must not be having a good time at the moment. She had lived long enough to know the fickleness of human nature. There must be a lot of gossip and rumours circting around about her in thepany. If Henry helped her out now, maybe they might get back together. "Grandma, I know what to do." Henry responded faintly and picked up his coat. "If there''s nothing else you need from me, I need to get to work." "Okay, go ahead." The old Mrs Maynard waved to him with a smile and watched him leave. Then she looked at Maddison next to her and said, "Stop crying. You have been in the Maynard Family for nearly 30 years. I know how you are." Luz was not the kind to p someone unprovoked. Maddison had a sharp tongue. She had always been unkind to the servants at home, so it was no surprise that she would be the same to Luz. "Mom, why don''t you believe me? Why can''t you stand on my side?" "I''m old, not blind." With a snort, the old Mrs Maynard returned to her room. Maddison wiped her tears and cursed her in her heart, but there was nothing she could do. Now all the assets of the Maynard Family were in the hands of old Mrs Maynard. If she didn''t please her, what would she and her son do if she gave all these assets to Henry? Henry drove out of the old house and went straight to MR. All gossip stopped from the moment he stepped into thepany, reced with curious eyes that nced expectantly at the office upstairs. Luz had just arrived at thepany and was still a little uneasy, but her work made her forget about the news. When she was immersed in her hard work, the door of her office was pushed open. She raised her head unhappily. No matter what, this was still her private office. It wasmon courtesy to knock before entering. But when she saw who entered, her heart rate picked up. Her mind went to that fiery night for a second, but she reined in her thoughts quickly and stood up. "Mr Maynard, what can I do for you?" she asked politely. "What do you think? Secretary Boone pped someone in the face because of a disagreement. You have more guts than you had seven years ago." A mocking smile appeared on Henry''s face. He could remember that she used to hide somewhere secluded and cry seven years ago. Now, she could p someone in public. Was it because she had someone behind her now? Was it Den Carver? "Mr Maynard, this is a personal matter. I don''t think it''s appropriate to talk about this during working hours." Luz subconsciously stood up straight, so that she would not show fear in front of him. "Personal matter? You seem to have forgotten that Maddison is from the Maynard Family. Since she is from the Maynard Family, it has something to do with me." Henry smiled coldly. His sharp eyes bored into Luz painfully. She had nothing to do with the word "Maynard Family" since seven years ago. "Mr Maynard, if you''re looking for reparations, you can sue me." Maddison was the one who insulted her first. Her p did not cause much damage to Maddison either, so even if they sued her, she wouldn''t lose too badly. "Sue you? Luz Boone, you think too highly of yourself." No entity had been able to stay in North City after being sued by Heroways. "Then if you''re asking forpensation for Maddison Nash, then I can apany her to the hospital and pay for any recurring fees. Is that okay with you?" She was a little reluctant to part with the money, but it would be worth it for the p. Henry sneered as if he had just heard a joke. "The Maynard family has been getting better since you left. We don''t need your money." "..." Luz''s face was a little pale. The night before she left the Maynard Family was the most painful night in her life. Every time she thought of it, her heart still ached. Even if seven years had passed. "Then what do you want?" She forced herself to raise her head even though she was hurting badly. She met the eyes that she had never been able to forget. Henry and Maddison had never had a good rtionship. He would only be happy if she embarrassed Maddison. What he was doing now was just an excuse to torment her. Chapter 32: Tell Me Why You Hit Her Chapter 32: Tell Me Why You Hit Her He adjusted the cor of his shirt as she waited for him to say something harsh then leave, but instead, he leaned over her and ced his hands on the table behind her. He stared at her. "Tell me, why did you hit her?" The oppressive position and his demanding tone of voice made Luz catch her breath. How was she supposed to answer that? Should she just say that Maddison had insulted his ability in bed, her character, and their son? "Tell me!" After waiting for her answer impatiently, Henry spoke again in a cold tone. This time, he was even more demanding and sharp than before. "Maddison used to bully me a lot. Yesterday, when I met her at the restaurant, she insulted me, so I reacted out of anger." She had no choice but to go for another excuse, but Henry insisted on asking further. "How did she insult you?" Luz was at a loss for words. Did he have to do this? "I don''t think I need to say anything else, Mr Maynard. I''m actually quite busy at the moment, so if you have any problems with my reasoning we can take this to court as I suggested earlier. Now if you don''t mind, I need to work." Mia''s colleagues should be good at their job, so she wouldn''t lose if they really had to go to court. "Fine." Henry smiled coldly. His gaze bore into her, so cold that it felt like sharp knives were stabbing into her heart. Just one word was enough to make her legs feel weak. What did he mean? She looked at him dazedly as he withdrew his hand from the table and turned to leave. She still did not This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. understand what he meant by that word. The calm she had managed to muster had disappeared with Henry''s presence. She couldn''t concentrate on her work anymore. She stared at the document in front of her, then closed it in frustration. "It''s just awsuit," she thought to herself. "Nothing to be scared of." ... "Secretary Boone." Linda''s voice came from outside. Luz patted her face in an attempt to rx and put on a smile. "Come in." "Secretary Boone, there''s a man downstairs looking for you. He said his name is Den Carver." Linda''s eyes were full of amusement, which made her a little awkward. "Don''t overthink it, we''re just friends." "It''s fine, friendship has lots of potentials. Go downstairs, he probably saw the news online and is worried about you." "Thank you." She nodded. This was what Den would do. She got up from her seat and subconsciously nced at the office next to her, but the blinds snapped shut suddenly at the same time, blocking her view. It was better like that, that way Henry wouldn''t know she was leaving her post. She took her phone and went downstairs, where Den was waiting at the door anxiously. When he saw here out, he rushed to her immediately, his eyes full of concern. "Luz, are you okay?" "I''m fine, why wouldn''t I be?" She stretched out her hands casually. It wasn''t like she would be murdered just for pping Maddison Nash. "It''s unlike you to p someone without reason. Why did you get into conflict with Mrs Maynard?" His worries subsided a little when he saw her calm attitude, but he was still ufortable at the thought of Maddison and Henry''s rtionship. Did she hit her because of him? "Why are you looking at me like that? Don''t forget, I was quite the fighter when I was young." Luz felt a little ufortable under his appraising gaze. She showed him her muscled arms to lighten the mood a little, which worked because Denughed. "Oh yeah, you reminded me. I remember when you were twelve, there was a boy in your ss who liked to pull on the girls'' pigtails. It was just a way to get them to talk to him, but you thought he was bullying them, so you beat him up and pulled out a chunk of his hair. He had to wear a hat for the rest of the year!" Den''s eyes lit up. It was as if the distant past had only happened yesterday. He was three years older than her, so they only shared memories of primary school, but he remembered everything about her. Luz blushed at the mention of her embarrassing childhood antics. "Why do you still remember this stuff? I was so dumb back then." In fact, she still didn''t understand why the boys in primary school were so childish. They would rather make the girl they like angry to get attention rather than just confess. "Alright, I just thought of it. But you were so cute then, trying to be a tomboy." In their social circle, the girls were taught to be elegant and gentle, proficient in the ways of ady, so that they can marry into a rich home and be a trophy wife. Luz was the anomaly. Her parents were known for their love for her, and never forced her to do anything she didn''t want to do. That was why Luz was as elegant as a socialite, yet still stubbornly insist on making it on her own. This was especially prominent when they were applying for university. Rather than settling for something sophisticated like business or management, or something rted to her family business, she chose to go into medicine and be a surgeon, which was rare for a woman. Other rich youngdies might have finished their studies abroad in two or three years. She was the only one who stayed in medical school for five years with ns of taking a doctorate until she had to drop out because of that incident. "Don''t tease. Logan is almost tall enough to y basketball, how can I still be cute?" She pushed her hair behind her ears, trying to cover up the awkwardness she felt at Den''s words. To the cold eyes looking at them from upstairs, however, this told a different story. Henry''s face distorted in anger as he watch her bashful act. He thought she had left her office hurriedly to find awyer to fight with him, but it was actually her lover. He looked at the blue SUV in the parking lot downstairs and sneered. "Den Carver, heir to the Carver family. Great." "I wonder who can touch Luz." Den, who was downstairs, shivered for no reason as if he had been targeted. He nced upwards, but he did not see anything because of the angle. "MR''s office building is not as impressive as the Carver family''s office." MR was on the brink of bankruptcy, so its offices were not in a prime location. The facilities were also nothing noteworthy. Chapter 33: MR Is No Longer the Previous MR After Henry Chapter 33:MR Is No Longer the Previous MR After Henry "MR is no longer the previous MR after Henry." Den''s tone was a littleplicated. MR had not only been revived by Henry''s participation, it had the potential to go down a vastly different route. When she heard him suddenly mention Henry''s name, she pursed her lips and said, "Den, I can''t be away for too long. If this is all for now, I should get back to work." If Henry found out that she had skipped work, he might cause trouble for her. "Okay, go ahead. I just came by to check on you." Den smiled and waved as he climbed into the blue SUV and left. Henry watched the car leave and pursed his lips when he saw Luz still lingering at the entrance, also watching Den leaving as if she was reluctant for him to leave. Luz had learnt some tricks on romance over thest seven years, it seemed. Very good! The news was all over the ce. When Luz got off work, the lobby was already crowded with reporters, like leopards waiting for their prey toe out. All of their eyes were shining. She stood in front of the window and looked down, then quickly averted her gaze. "Linda, thank you for reminding me of the reporters downstairs." If it weren''t for Linda''s reminder, she would have been caught unawares by those predatory reporters who wouldn''t have given her a chance to speak. "Don''t thank me. We''re all colleagues." Luz smiled and nodded at Linda as she left with a gesture. At present, she could only wait for a while. Maybe those reporters would get bored and leave if she didn''t appear soon. She turned to look at the office next to him, but she still couldn''t see anything. Henry had always left on time. He must have been gone by now. "No, his Maybach is still here." She remembered the luxury car that she had seen just now. She returned her gaze to the blinds. Was Henry still in his office? The great Henry Maynard of North City couldn''t possibly be afraid of the media. Then why didn''t he leave? "Is it because of me?" Luz pinched her own face without hesitation. She was an adult now, she shouldn''t have such unrealistic expectations, not with Henry Maynard. She used to think that he cared anout her, but the result was... bitter. She looked down at the time on her wristwatch. She still had to pick up Logan from school. It wouldn''t do to leave him waiting on his first day of school. She frowned as she looked at the reporters on the ground floor again. They didn''t seem to want to leave anytime soon. She scowled at them for a while, then made up her mind. She straightened her clothes and called Den. "Den, can you do me a favour and pick up Logan from school? I have something urgent to attend to at work." If she told Den that the reporters had blocked the door and she could not get out, she would definitelye to pick her up first. If that happened, it would cause more scandal. Since she had decided toy low, she should keep to that n. "Don''t worry, I''ll go pick up Logan and take him to dinner. I''ll send him back to your vi after he''s finished. I''ll keep him safe." On the other end of the phone, Den''s voice was gentle and intoxicating. Hearing this, she immediately felt a little ashamed. She could not ept Den''s feelings, but she still kept looking to him when she needed help. She could not help but despise herself, but other than Mia and Den, she had no other friends in this country. Mia always workedte at thew firm, so she had no other choice. "Thank you, Den." After saying thank you, she gave him some instructions to not allow Logan to have too much ice cream, then hung up and sat back down at her table. She put her head down on the table and waited. It was her against the reporters. In the office next door, Henry was quietly smoking a cigar as he nced at the clock on the wall from time to time, his eyes carrying a multitude ofplicated emotions. How long was this woman going to dither around? He had thought that she had be short-tempered during her seven years in the US, hence why she dared to p Maddison in public, but it appeared that wasn''t the case. He put out the cigar that he had just lit and threw it aside. Then he got up from the sofa, picked up his coat, and went out of the office. The reporters downstairs had already waited until it was dark, but no one came out. North City had a reputation for mosquitoes, so many of them had mosquito bites on their legs. "We''ve been stuck here for a long time, but we haven''t seen anyone. Did that Luz note to work at all?" A young reporter couldn''t stand it anymore. Heined as he heaved his camera on his shoulders and was contemting going home for dinner when a tall figure came out of the building. "It''s Mr Maynard." Someone shouted. They were here for Luz Boone. No one expected to get a big fry like Henry Maynard. He had always been able to dodge reporters, but maybe he would say something since this concerned his stepmother. Henry walked out in confident strides The shing lights in front of him made him frown unhappily. "Turn off the sh." "..." The reporters groaned inwardly. Without shes, the photos would just turn out dark and unusable. But they had no choice but toply under his cold re. No one in North City wanted to offend Henry. What''s more, they were all working in the same industry. "Mr Maynard, we''ve turned off the shes. Can I ask you a few questions?" One of the more experienced reporters asked eagerly. If they couldn''t get a decent photo, then at least a short statement would be good. "I can give you three minutes." Henry inserted his hand into his trouser pocket and an impatient look shed across his face. He did not want to waste his time, but he wanted to get rid of these reporters for that woman. Hearing this, the reporters brightened. Three minutes was a lot. They raised their microphones expectantly. "Mr Maynard, it is said that Ms Boone is currently working as a secretary at yourpany, MR. Why did she get into an argument with Mrs Maynard? As a family member, how do you n to deal with this matter?" "Mr Maynard, is there something wrong between you and Mrs Maynard? Will you be partial in this situation where Secretary Boone hit your stepmother?" This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. "Mr Maynard, is there any other rtionship between you and Secretary Boone?" "..." There were only three minutes, so all the reporters spoke in double speed. Henry''s expression darkened further at the ovepping voices. Why did he agree to talk to these chatterboxes? "Mr Maynard, would you please answer me?" "I have noment!" The four words, with his usual coldness, made everyone''s jaw drop. He must be kidding them. He allowed them to question him, but the answer was those infuriating four words, "I have no