“Please, join us.” As there were others around, Lynn tried to be polite to Summer.
“I’d love to.” When Summer saw the changing expression on Lynn’s face, she said, “But, not today. I’m having lunch with my friends. Maybe next time.”
Lynn and Summer were not that close. He did not like Summer and would not want to dine with her. He visibly eased up when Summer declined his invitation, looking a lot gentler than before. “Then I’ll let you run along.”
Just then, Vicky turned around and took some dishes for Lynn. “Dad, you’ve got to try this. The dish they made tastes really nice.”
“You’ve got to eat more yourself. You look skinny.”
What a loving father and daughter.
Vicky shot Summer a scornful smile that almost said, “You poor little bastard who isn’t loved by your parents.”
It really got Summer this time although she had grown a heart of steel from repeatedly being made use and forsaken by the Jarretts. She still looked a little shaken after she sat down with her colleagues.
Her colleagues were all young ladies and internet savvy; it was no surprise that they had learned about the squabbles between her and Vicky online. They saw what happened earlier and must have sensed that Lynn did not like Summer. One of them placed the menu before her. ” What do you like?”
Summer pushed the menu back to her. “I’m not a picky eater. I’ll leave it to you to decide. What’s more, I’ve never been here and I don’t know what’s good.”
Upon hearing that, her other colleagues began to order their food. Since Summer looked approachable to them, one of them asked, “Do you know why Stone Green took leave again today? What happened in the president’s office?”
“I don’t know. Didn’t he do many bad things in the past? Perhaps karma has caught up with him,” Summer replied perfunctorily.
When the others heard that, they laughed. As they gossiped about Stone Green, Summer joined in on their conversation occasionally. The atmosphere was harmonious until someone broke it.
“Summer, why are you still working for Jarrett Group when you’re already a part of the Emerson family?”
It was an innocent question, but answering it was a challenge. Summer was frozen for a while, her voice hesitant. “That…”
Someone then came to her rescue. “Let’s eat. Time’s flying. We can still get some rest after lunch.”
The person who asked the question did not pursue it further.
Her colleagues had a feeling that the Emerson family did not like Summer. The disfigured and impotent young master of the Emerson family may have been the heir, but he was physically unfit to take on the role.
There were rumors that they were going to get another heir, but there had been no confirmation to the hearsay.
Had he not been the heir to the Emerson family, the young master would only be a cripple. Due to the disfavor, Summer had to find a job, and she looked pitiful enough, having to do the tough task of market surveying.
Summer looked vacant as her colleagues constantly passed her the food. It felt as if they were taking pity on her, and finally, it hit her. From the perspective of a third party, it was pitiful.
…
Leonardo had spent the entire day in the office.
At 5:00 pm sharp, Carl Jones came to him with excitement. “Let’s go for a drink!”
He felt as if he had been relieved of a great deal of burden once Leonardo returned. He could not wait to go out and have fun.
“I’m not going,” Leonardo declined without even looking up.
Carl Jones rolled his eyes. “Why would you want to go home so early? Staying home and refusing to go out socializing, that’s what old folks do.”
Leonardo retorted, “That’s what a married man does.”
Carl Jones smirked at his reply. Just then, Warren Smith came in, unaware of what had just happened. “Guys, can we go now?”
When Carl Jones left, Warren Smith glanced at Leonardo, asking, “Aren’t you joining us?”
Carl Jones looked back, his face cold as he said, “Married men don’t go partying.”
As Carl Jones expected, Warren Smith was stupefied.
He put his hand on Warren Smith’s shoulder and walked him out of the door. “Just you and me, mate because we’re still unmarried.”
Warren Smith frowned, taking Carl Jones’s hand off his shoulder.
He looked back, and his voice sounded like he was taking pity on Leonardo. “So much for a married man. All he can do is sit by and watch.”
“Don’t dream about having dinner in my house again,” Leonardo sneered.
Warren Smith’s expression collapsed. “As if I’m envious of a married man like you.”
Carl Jones gave Warren Smith a kick in the leg. Why could they not be smarter than that? Why did they always lose to Leonardo? But it seemed that Warren Smith did not feel a thing; he did not even blink.
Carl Jones pulled him away and said, “Stop making a fool of yourself here.” He then looked back at Leonardo. “We’re leaving now.”
Leonardo was in a good mood, and it was evident in his voice. “Enjoy yourselves. It’s all on me!”
Unfortunately, when he drove home and saw the empty mansion, he was down in the dumps.
He took out his mobile phone and called Summer. There was no answer.
He tried two more times, and it was the same, no answer. Did she refuse to pick up or did something happen to her?
Leonardo stood in the middle of the living room. The bodyguard saw the grave expression on the young master’s face and thought that something may have happened. He asked, “Young Master, what’s wrong?”
Leonardo said nothing. He took his jacket and headed to the door.
At the doorway, he turned around and instructed his bodyguard, “Call me when the young mistress comes home.”
So, it was about the young mistress who had not returned?
…
Summer was at the mall. Just as she was about to head home after work, her colleagues had insisted on bringing her to do some shopping.
They probably pitied her for having to go back to an empty house. However, it did not bother her at all. Even if the house was empty, it was still a luxury mansion, which was miles better than her previous small rented house. But out of courtesy, she allowed herself to go with them.