“Let go, Jake! I can get out by myself!” Caroline struggled, knocking Jake’s hand away until his grip came loose.
“Caroline, I know you love me very much. But try to be realistic—you’re not good enough for me. You’re beautiful, but you’ll only become a burden to me,” Jake said confidently.
“How many times do I have to tell you that I hate you? Don’t you know what the word ‘hate’ means?”
“You don’t have to deny it. I know you love me very much.”
“Say whatever you want. What matters is that I never want anything to do with the Corner family again.” Caroline spoke firmly. She removed the necklace from around her neck and handed it to Jake. “Give this to Uncle Jared. Tell him I’ll submit my resignation letter soon.”
Jake fell silent after the necklace changed hands. He watched Caroline leave the party with an irritated expression. He didn’t know whether he should feel happy or not. Still, he felt a little satisfied when he saw the annoyance on Caroline’s beautiful face.
Jake had just turned around when Jared’s sudden appearance startled him. The thirty-seven-year-old man snatched the necklace from Jake’s hand and walked out without saying a word. This left Jake even more confused, wondering about Jared’s feelings for Caroline. His reaction was too extreme. He seemed to care more about an outsider than his own family. The party had not even started, but Jared had already left.
Jared looked around, trying to find Caroline. But the woman was nowhere to be seen.
He reached into his pocket, found Caroline’s number, and called her repeatedly. However, she didn’t answer. He kept trying until Caroline finally rejected his call.
[Sorry, Uncle. Thank you for treating me kindly all this time. I don’t know what your intentions are, but I believe you’re a good person. I’ll submit my resignation letter soon.] That was the message Caroline sent.
Jared clicked his tongue in annoyance. He ordered Thalius and Donny to find Caroline. She was truly as slippery as an eel; there was no sign of her anywhere that night. Jared could only give in and ask his subordinates to hurry to Caroline’s house.
“Uncle.” Caroline looked confused when she came home and found Jared sitting on the living room sofa with his eyes closed. She glanced at the clock on the wall. It was already one in the morning. She had no idea how long Jared had been there.
Caroline stepped inside with a frown. There was no one there except Jared. Usually, the man was always with Thalius and Donny. But not tonight. Neither of them was there.
Bonnie, who heard that her daughter had come home, quickly left her room and went to Caroline.
“He’s been waiting for you for a long time,” Bonnie informed her.
“What does he want?” Caroline asked in confusion. She had entrusted the expensive necklace to Jake, so they shouldn’t have anything to do with each other anymore.
“I don’t know.” Bonnie shrugged.
“Uncle.” Caroline gently patted Jared’s shoulder to wake him. But the man didn’t respond at all. “Uncle…” She continued trying to wake him.
“Leave him. Let him sleep here tonight,” Bonnie stopped her daughter.
Caroline let out a rough sigh. She went to her room, grabbed a blanket and a pillow, then returned to the living room to lay Jared’s sturdy body down. She removed the shoes covering his feet and draped the blanket over him. She cared for him like a younger sister caring for her older brother.
“I don’t know what I mean to you, Uncle. Your behavior is so confusing,” Caroline whispered to herself as she looked at Jared’s handsome sleeping face. Even asleep, the man looked incredibly handsome. He looked very much like Jake, only more mature.
Caroline’s heart pounded when she imagined that the man was Jake. She couldn’t lie to herself—she still had feelings for her ex-fiancé. She gently caressed Jared’s handsome face, imagining that she was touching Jake’s. She wondered what her love life would be like now if Emily hadn’t ruined everything.
“Jake, I miss you. I miss falling asleep in your arms while listening to your heartbeat. You said your heart beat because of me. But now, it beats for another woman.” Caroline spoke in a trembling voice, holding back her tears. Her eyes reddened and filled with tears. She hugged Jared tightly. His body felt slightly more muscular than Jake’s.
Even though she was using Jared as a substitute for Jake, Caroline felt very happy to be able to hug him. The warmth radiating from his body made her feel a little calmer.
“I really miss you,” Caroline said again.
Caroline lifted her head and studied Jared’s face. She looked at it seriously, from his eyebrows, which resembled ants marching in a line, to his tightly closed eyes, his high nose like a slide, and then… his incredibly sexy lips. Her blood rushed when she remembered the warm kisses Jake had once given her. Now she missed everything. She moved her face closer and pressed a gentle kiss to Jared’s soft lips. They felt sweet and slightly wet. Caroline’s heart began pounding even faster. She was breathing hard. She started to feel hot as desire surged through her.
Before she could go any further, Caroline stood up. She quickly turned around, switched off the lights, and ran to her room. She didn’t know how she could have been so reckless in venting her feelings for Jake. She felt like a terrible person for taking advantage of Jared’s presence.
Jared opened his eyes after hearing the bedroom door slam shut. He let out a harsh sigh and touched his lips, which had just experienced the warmth of a woman’s lips for the first time. Caroline had stolen his first kiss.
Jared sat up. He could still taste traces of wine on his lips after Caroline’s kiss. Now he knew where Caroline had been until coming home so late. He hadn’t expected her to choose getting drunk on wine over coming straight home.
“I can’t believe your heart is still his,” Jared said weakly. His chest hurt after learning that Caroline still loved Jake. He had thought her feelings would have vanished after all the betrayal and humiliation she had endured. But Jake’s name still remained in her heart. He wondered how long it would stay there.
Caroline was shocked when she woke up in the morning and found Jared gone from her apartment. The sofa where Jared had slept the night before was now empty. Only the pillow and blanket remained, neatly folded on top of it. Jared must have left around dawn, or perhaps he had gone home after Caroline entered her room the previous night.
Caroline froze when she saw a necklace lying on the table. Frowning, she approached and picked it up, her mind filled with confusion. She stared at it for a long moment. She had handed the necklace to Jake the night before, so why was it suddenly here?
“Did Uncle Jared bring it here?” Caroline murmured to herself.
Her phone ringing forced Caroline to stand and return to her room. She picked it up to see who was calling so early in the morning. Her boss’s name appeared on the screen.
This only confused Caroline further. She didn’t know what had happened after she left the party the night before. She also didn’t know why Jared had waited for her until he fell asleep.
“Hello, Uncle.” Caroline answered hesitantly.
“I’ll pick you up in an hour, as usual,” Jared said without preamble.
“But—”
“You can’t just quit working whenever you feel like it. Have you forgotten that you owe me? I saved your life that time. I’ve helped you so much, too. Why are you acting like someone who doesn’t know how to repay a favor? I’m angry that you left the party last night. I looked for you everywhere, but I couldn’t find you. I went to your house, but you weren’t there. Next time, I won’t forgive you if you go back to the bar to get drunk.” Jared spoke emphatically, then ended the call.
Caroline fell silent. She was even more confused now. How did Jared know she had gone to a bar last night? She hadn’t told anyone—not even her own mother.
Caroline remained silent for several minutes, weighing her decision.
“Carol.” Bonnie called out when she saw her daughter lost in thought so early in the morning.
Caroline turned around, sighed deeply, and placed the necklace back on the table.
“Are you having a problem?” Bonnie approached, wanting to know what was troubling her daughter.
“Everything’s fine.” Caroline answered with a smile, trying to hide all the burdens on her mind.
With no other choice, Caroline still had to go to work as usual. But she didn’t look as cheerful as she normally did that morning. She was mostly quiet, her face lacking energy. Usually, she worked determinedly to repay Jared for his kindness. Now, she worked because she had no choice. She remained silent throughout the ride, her face downcast, spending most of the time staring out the window.
Caroline thought Jared was treating her like a toy. He hadn’t defended her at all the previous night. The man had even agreed with every insult she received.
The car stopped when they reached their destination. Before getting out, Caroline reached into her bag and took out the necklace.
“It seems you left this at my apartment this morning.” Caroline held the necklace out to Jared.
“It belongs to you,” Jared answered honestly.
“At first, I was happy because I thought you had given me this necklace sincerely. It turns out I had to pay for it with humiliation. You deliberately brought me to Jake’s mother’s birthday party just so I could be humiliated there. You saw how happy Jake and his fiancée were.” Caroline vented her feelings.
“I didn’t do that,” Jared defended himself.
“I thought you were a good person, Uncle. I forgot that you and Jake share the same blood.” Caroline spoke angrily. She took Jared’s hand and placed the necklace in it. “Don’t ever show me your fake concern again. I know you don’t really care about me.” Caroline spoke angrily, then got out of the car.
Jared let out a rough sigh. His brow furrowed, and his right eyebrow rose. He began to speculate, then concluded that Caroline was angry that morning because she was jealous of Emily. He had clearly heard Caroline confessing her longing for Jake the night before. Caroline still loved Jake, so she was angry and upset when she saw the man happy with another woman.
“Mr. Madison, Caroline seems really upset with you,” Donny informed him.
“She already knows. You don’t need to spell it out,” Thalius commented.
“If she knows, she should go after her instead of letting her walk away like that.”
“Don’t tell Mr. Madison what to do. He knows what he needs to do.” Thalius elbowed his friend in the waist.
“Tell Jake I’m transferring him to work at this office,” Jared decided.
“Are you serious about that decision, sir?” Thalius looked doubtful.
“Caroline still loves Jake. If they see each other every day under these circumstances, Caroline may come to hate him.”
“What if they decide to get back together?” Donny pointed out the worst possibility.
“That would mean they’re meant to be. I can’t do anything if they love each other.” Jared sounded desperate.
“You have to try, sir. Don’t give up so easily. Women like it when a man fights for them. If you show her your feelings, I’m sure Caroline will gradually soften.” Donny offered his advice.
“I think he’s right, sir. Caroline is angry because you brought her together with Jake. She’ll only get angrier if you transfer Jake to this office.”
“I know what I’m doing. Just do what I ordered.” Jared spoke firmly, then got out of the car.
The broad-shouldered man walked down the office corridor with authority. Everyone bowed when they passed him as a sign of respect. Everyone he met tried to attract his attention and flatter him so he would notice them. Caroline, however, was different. She still showed her annoyance whenever she encountered Jared.
“Mr. Madison is looking at you,” Lenzy informed her.
“Let him. He has eyes,” Caroline answered irritably.
“Sir.” Lenzy greeted him with a smile, offering him her best smile.
“Starting today, your office will be moved. You’ll no longer work for me,” Jared told Caroline.
Caroline looked up at him after hearing those words.
“What do you want now? Where are you transferring me?” Caroline looked even more irritated, and her tone was also disrespectful.
The employees who heard Caroline’s tone were shocked and curious. How could she be so bold with her boss?
“Jake will be working here starting today. You’ll share an office with him.”
“Uncle, you can’t do whatever you want!” Caroline stood up, her face flushed with anger.
“Are you the boss here, or am I?”
“You are,” Caroline answered angrily.
“Good. You know that. So you have to follow my orders.” Jared spoke firmly, then left for his office.
Caroline clicked her tongue in annoyance and grumbled as she dropped back into her chair.
Caroline grumbled the entire time she moved her belongings to her new office. Her position had been demoted from CEO’s assistant to manager’s secretary. She didn’t mind the demotion, but she was angry that she had to work for Jake. How could she? How could she survive even one day working in the same room as someone she hated so much? Especially if she had to spend the rest of her working life doing it.
Caroline organized her desk, then sat in her chair to wait for her new boss. She let out a rough sigh. Every minute of waiting for Jake felt like hours. What she hated most was when her heart began pounding and her chest fluttered uncontrollably. She hated realizing that a tiny part of her was happy at the thought of seeing Jake.
“I hate this situation. Control your heart and your mind, Caroline!” Caroline told herself.
Footsteps sounded outside the room. Caroline stood and greeted Jake with a sour expression.
“Good morning—or rather, good afternoon,” Caroline said coldly.
Jake looked at her and stopped walking. “Why are you here?” he asked in confusion. He hadn’t been told that Caroline would be working for him. He had only been told that he was being transferred from the branch office to headquarters. If he had known he would be sharing a room with Caroline, he would have refused.
“You should ask your uncle.” Caroline answered curtly. She sat back down and waited for instructions to begin working.
“You must have asked my uncle for this, didn’t you? Are you still trying to seduce me? How do I have to tell you that I never loved you? You were only a toy to me because I liked your body.”
Caroline clenched her fists so tightly that her fingernails cut into her palms. Her heart felt pierced when she heard those cruel words. She felt like a complete fool for ever giving her entire heart and all her feelings to a heartless man like Jake. How could she have been that stupid?
“Do you think I ever loved you? If you weren’t from the Corner family, I never would have wanted to be your girlfriend,” Caroline refused to lose.
Jake smiled sarcastically. “Just as I thought. You only wanted money. You must have seduced Uncle Jared and asked him for a lot of money, right? You’re also the one who persuaded him to make my life this difficult. I regret ever meeting someone as scheming as you.” Jake pointed at her angrily.
Caroline looked up and glared at Jake. “Yes, everything you accused me of is true.” She no longer wanted to argue and waste her energy fighting with Jake.
“You bitch!” Jake cursed harshly. He raised his hand high, preparing to slap her.
“Put your hand down. This is an office, not a boxing ring.” A deep, familiar voice rang out.
Jake and Caroline turned at the same time. Jared stepped inside with the two men who worked for him, Thalius and Donny.
“Uncle, I don’t want her here,” Jake immediately protested.
Jared looked seriously at Caroline. She appeared annoyed and seemed to still be angry with Jared, so she turned her face away to avoid meeting his eyes.
“I’m doing this so you can resolve the problem between you. Break the cycle of hatred between you.”
“No way!” Jake immediately replied.
“You’re not resolving anything. You’re only creating more problems between us,” Caroline answered unhappily.
Jared looked tired of the two of them. He cared about them both and wanted them to live in harmony. He planned to make Caroline part of the Corner family in the future. If there was conflict between Caroline and Jake, it would cause him trouble.
“Work as usual. You’ll get used to it.” Jared tried to ignore their complaints.
“I don’t want to!” Jake said bluntly.
“You have only two choices: work seriously here, or live as a homeless man out there.” Jared spoke with emphasis.
Jake fell silent. He knew his life was in Jared’s hands, so he had no choice but to obey.
“Any more complaints?” Jared looked between Jake and Caroline.
Jake seemed forced to comply and had no more complaints. Caroline, meanwhile, acted as though she didn’t care because she knew she couldn’t protest at all. She owed Jared too much, so she had no choice but to obey.
“Good. Work properly. Thalius and Donny will take turns watching you and reporting to me. If you cause trouble in the office, I’ll deal with it personally.” Jared spoke firmly, then left the room.
Jake and Caroline could only sigh heavily, forced to accept the situation.
They began working as usual. But the tension between them was obvious. The flag of hostility between them flew clearly. They stayed silent and spoke only when necessary.
When lunchtime arrived, they both rushed to leave the room first.
“I’m your boss. You should let me go first,” Jake said arrogantly.
“You’re only my boss during working hours. It’s break time, and you’re nobody.” Caroline pushed Jake aside and left the room confidently.
“Damn it! You’ll pay for this! Just wait!” Jake was furious.
“I’m not afraid.” Caroline gave him a mocking look. She walked confidently toward the cafeteria and calmly began eating lunch there.
“How’s your first day working with Jake?” Jared asked as he joined Caroline at the same table. His plate was piled high with food.
Caroline let out a rough sigh, clearly struggling to contain her irritation when Jared suddenly appeared across from her.
“As you can see, terrible,” Caroline answered indifferently.
“I’ll ask Jake to treat you more gently.”
“Don’t bother. Jake isn’t someone who can be controlled. He’ll only do whatever he wants.” Caroline clearly knew Jake very well. Of course she did—they had spent years together.
“You won’t be able to relax as long as you keep making my life miserable.” Jake appeared suddenly. He placed some broccoli on Caroline’s plate and joined them at the same table.
“What are you doing? You know I hate broccoli!” Caroline snapped, glaring at Jake.
“I know. That’s why I put it on your plate.”
“You’ve ruined my appetite.” Caroline slammed her spoon onto her plate. She had no desire to keep eating.
“If you don’t like it, I’ll eat it. I like broccoli.” Lenzy joined them as well.
This time, Caroline’s sigh was heavier than before. She was so frustrated that she couldn’t have a moment of peace. She hated three people in her life, and all three were now sitting at the same table, ruining her mood.
God, this is torture! Caroline screamed inwardly.
“I’ll take you home.” Jake approached Caroline’s desk when the workday ended.
Caroline narrowed her eyes at him. Her brow furrowed as she looked at the man. Didn’t they hate each other? Why was Jake suddenly being kind enough to offer her a ride home? What scheme was he preparing now?
“I can go by myself.” Caroline refused.
“I’m still taking you home,” Jake insisted.
“Mind your own business.”
“I don’t want you seducing Uncle Jared again, so I have to make sure you don’t go home with him this afternoon.”
“He and I have nothing to do with each other anymore, so why would I go home with him?” Caroline stubbornly refused the ride. She would take a cab so her life could be a little more peaceful.
The phone on the desk chimed. A message from Jared came in.
Jared: I’m waiting in the usual parking lot. I’ll take you home.
Caroline sighed after briefly reading the message. She didn’t reply and didn’t want to respond to Jared at all. She had already decided to go home alone, and she would do it her own way.
“I’m warning you—stay away from Uncle Jared,” Jake warned her.
Caroline looked disgusted. She didn’t know what she had done to deserve such painful torment. She had resolved to move on from all the bitter memories Jake had given her. But Jared had dragged her into an even more serious problem. What had he been thinking when he put Jake and Caroline in the same office? Now they were forced to spend time together.
“I want to tell you the same thing. Tell your uncle to stop bothering me. If he hadn’t helped me, I wouldn’t be forced to work here. I’m sick of and hate the entire Corner family. Especially you!” Caroline pointed at Jake’s face with wide, furious eyes, then hurried out of the room.
Jake followed behind her, half running to match her pace.
“I’ll keep watching you,” Jake said firmly.
“Whatever.”
“You three are so close,” Lenzy commented as she joined them.
Caroline could only scream inwardly, wondering when her difficult days would end. She wore an annoyed expression and ignored Lenzy and Jake as they continued throwing out unrelated comments.
A car horn sounded as Caroline walked in the opposite direction from where Jared’s car was parked. She looked back at the luxury car waiting there. When it suddenly began moving slowly toward her, she ran.
“Why are you running?” Lenzy asked in confusion.
“I’m not letting you get away!” Jake shouted as he ran after her.
Confused, Lenzy eventually ran after Jake and Caroline as well. She kept following them even though she had no idea what was happening.
Caroline stopped when Jared’s car came to a halt directly in front of her. She let out a rough sigh to express her annoyance.
The car window lowered slowly, followed by the appearance of Jared’s handsome face, his expression impassive.
“Get in,” Jared said flatly, but with unmistakable emphasis.
“I can go home by myself.” Caroline refused.
“I know you can go home by yourself, but let me take you home safely.”
“I don’t want to!” Caroline continued refusing.
Jared opened the car door and gave Caroline a sharp look, making it clear that he would not accept a refusal.
“Why do you like forcing me?”
“Are you unhappy?”
“Of course!”
“I don’t care whether you’re happy or not. Get in!” Jared said firmly.
Annoyed, Caroline got in and sat down with a pout.
“Move over!” Jake said as he climbed in too, making the seat extremely cramped.
“What are you doing?” Jared protested, uncomfortable because of his nephew’s behavior. The three of them were squeezed together in the passenger seat.
“I’m not going to let Caroline seduce you and make my life even harder.” Jake glared at his uncle.
“To hell with what you think. I can barely breathe.” Caroline pushed against Jake, who was half crushing her. Jake and Jared were both large and muscular, making Caroline look as if she were sinking between them.
“Stop struggling and sit still!” Jake shouted at Caroline.
Lenzy, watching from outside the car, could only smile. She thought the three of them were incredibly close and in sync. She walked around to the front passenger side, intending to open the door and squeeze in with them.
“Let’s leave before Lenzy makes this even more cramped,” Caroline said.
Thalius nodded, then hit the gas and sped away.
“Hey, you forgot me!” Lenzy shouted, half running after them.
Jake watched Lenzy through the window. He frowned, then turned to Caroline.
“She’s your friend?” he asked seriously.
“Uncle Jared’s biggest fan,” Caroline answered indifferently.
“But I think she’s obsessed with you. She’s always wherever you are.”
“She thinks I’ll help her win Uncle Jared’s heart.”
“Why do you refuse to help her?”
“I’m very busy and don’t have time for that.”
“Just admit you don’t want to have a rival.”
“A rival? Do you think I like an old man like him? Especially since he’s your uncle? Big no!” Caroline emphasized.
“Can’t you two be quiet?” Jared raised his voice.
Jake and Caroline finally fell silent.
The noisy atmosphere suddenly became quiet. Only their mingled breathing could be heard, along with Jared’s rapidly pounding heart because his arm was pressing against Caroline’s breasts. He felt extremely cramped, and the small, unwanted touch caused his desire to rise without warning.
The ride, which usually felt short, now seemed to take forever. Jared prayed inwardly that they would reach Caroline’s apartment soon so he could drop her off.
The car stopped when they arrived at their destination.
“You still live here?” Jake looked at the towering apartment building in front of them.
“Where do you think I should live?” Caroline answered curtly.
“I miss your warm bed,” Jake teased mockingly.
“The one thing I regret most is letting you climb into my bed. I had to throw away the sheets and blanket you touched because they were disgusting.”
“You should have kept them as souvenirs. You’ll regret throwing them away someday.”
“Shut up and get out. I can’t stand this anymore.”
Jake opened the door and got out first so Caroline could follow.
“Don’t pick me up tomorrow morning. I know the way to the office. If you want to pick someone up, it seems your nephew needs it more.” Caroline spoke with emphasis, then got out, extremely annoyed.
Jake went to work very early. His car was parked in the courtyard of Caroline’s apartment building before Jared arrived. He didn’t want to lose the advantage because he didn’t want Caroline going to work with his uncle.
Caroline left for work earlier than usual. She thought she could take a taxi that morning, so she wouldn’t have to waste her energy arguing with someone she hated. When she saw Jake’s car parked outside, she turned around, found another route, and immediately booked a rideshare.
Jake waited for quite a while, but Caroline never came out of her apartment. Then Jared’s car arrived and parked not far from where Jake had left his.
When he saw his uncle arrive, Jake got out and approached him with determined steps. He knocked on the car window so he could speak to him directly.
“Uncle, you go ahead. Caroline made plans with me this morning,” Jake lied to fool his uncle.
Jared didn’t simply believe him. He took out his phone, found Caroline’s number, and called her.
“You made plans with Jake this morning?” Jared asked as soon as the call connected.
“What plans would I make with him? I have nothing to do with him.” Caroline answered curtly because she was still angry that morning.
Jared didn’t ask anything else. From Caroline’s answer, he already knew his nephew had lied.
“All right. I’ll wait for you in the usual place. Don’t be late.”
“I’m almost at the office, so you don’t need to wait for me,” Caroline informed him.
Jared let out a rough sigh after hearing that. He ended the call and put his phone back in his pocket.
“Let’s go,” Jared said to Thalius, who was in the driver’s seat.
Jake was happy that Jared had finally given in and chosen to leave first.
“You should head to the office now, too. Caroline is almost there,” Jared told Jake before the car sped away.
Jake looked confused. He had been waiting since very early that morning and hadn’t seen Caroline at all. He didn’t know when she had left. But after hearing his uncle’s words, he believed Caroline had indeed gone ahead. He had no choice but to follow them to work.
Jake watched Caroline tidy her desk. It was lunchtime, so they were about to take a break.
When Caroline left the room, Jake followed and quickened his pace slightly. He trailed behind her, making sure Caroline couldn’t be alone with Jared. He now watched Caroline constantly while they were at the office, ensuring she had no time for Jared. That way, no one could influence Jared into demoting him further. He still believed that all the bad luck he had suffered was because Caroline had brainwashed his uncle.
“Carol!” Lenzy waved and ran toward Caroline when she spotted her in the distance.
Caroline tried to cover her face with both hands and walked faster to avoid her. She disliked Lenzy because her first impression of the woman had been poor. She knew what Lenzy was really after.
“Hey!” Lenzy gently patted Caroline’s shoulder.
Caroline could no longer pretend not to see her. She smiled reluctantly, putting on the friendliest expression she could.
“Are you eating lunch in the cafeteria?” Lenzy asked conversationally.
“As you know,” Caroline answered lazily.
“Will Mr. Madison join us?”
Hearing the word us made Caroline feel tortured. Lenzy alone was enough to stress her out, and now Jared might join them too. She was going to go insane.
“He has a lot to do, so I think he’ll eat out while attending an important meeting,” Caroline answered casually, hoping Lenzy would change her mind about eating with her.
“She’s lying. Uncle Jared is going to eat lunch with us, so join us,” Jake deliberately said, ruining Caroline’s mood. He would not let Caroline live peacefully as long as she worked there.
Caroline could only grumble inwardly, hiding her annoyance and resigning herself to having lunch with Jake and Lenzy.
“Where’s Mr. Madison?” Lenzy looked around because she couldn’t see Jared anywhere as they enjoyed lunch at the cafeteria table.
“I already told you he wasn’t going to eat here. But you believed him instead.” Caroline answered while giving Jake a sarcastic look.
“Since you’re cousins and both close to Mr. Madison, I thought he was telling the truth.”
“Cousins?” Jake and Caroline stared at Lenzy at the same time. They looked shocked when she called them cousins.
“Yeah. You’re both Mr. Madison’s nephews, right?” Lenzy looked at them with complete confidence.
“Where did you get that terrible information?” Caroline asked, bewildered.
“What do you mean, terrible information?” Jake asked Caroline in return.
“How cruel of whoever spread the rumor that I’m your cousin. I don’t want to, and I will never want to, have any connection to the Corner family,” Caroline said frankly.
“Do you think the Corner family wants to accept you as part of our family?” Jake replied mockingly.
“I’ll carry my hatred to the grave.” Caroline glared at him.
“Do you think you’re the only one who can hate? If you hate me as much as a mountain, I’ll hate you as much as the earth.” Jake refused to back down.
“You have no right to hate me. You and your family trampled on my dignity and my family’s dignity. I’m the only one who has the right to be angry and hate you!” Caroline was beginning to lose her temper.
Lenzy felt bad for ruining their lunch. She began thinking that Caroline’s relationship with the Corner family really was terrible, which explained why Caroline didn’t use Corner at the end of her name. Still, her name was very similar to the Corner family name. Lenzy didn’t know what problem existed between their families, but she knew that Caroline and the Corner family were not on good terms. She became determined to bring them together and repair their relationship so she would be viewed favorably and could easily become part of one of their families.