1\/2\u00a0<\/p>\n
By the time Scarlet arrived at Lucy\u2019s office with the soup, Lucy, with dark circles under her eyes, was hunched over her computer. Her fingers flew across the keyboard as she rewrote her proposal for the 180th time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Every so often, she\u2019d stop to clasp her hands together and say a quick prayer. She would beg every god in existence to \u201cbless\u201d her boss to not get laid in this life and the next.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This wasn\u2019t Scarlet\u2019s first time there. The moment Lucy\u2019s coworkers saw her, the whole office perked up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIs our resident beauty back with food again?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI brought some split pea and ham soup for Lucy.\u201d Scarlet set down the thermos along with the lunch she\u2019d picked up for Lucy on the way. Several heads craned in her direction in an instant.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucy scooted over on her chair. The instant the thermos popped open, every keyboard in the office went quiet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLife is so unfair! Why don\u2019t I have a beautiful woman to bring me food?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The plump man sitting next to Lucy pulled a pained expression. \u201cWho on earth gets to marry someone this pretty and thoughtful? Is there still hope for me in this life?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is,\u201d Scarlet said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He seemed overwhelmed by the flattery, his eyes practically lighting up. \u201cReally?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlet smiled. \u201cMy housekeeper made the soup. She\u2019s divorced and has no kids. I can introduce you if you\u2019re interested.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her words rendered him speechless.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucy\u2019s team leader walked over with a spoon in hand, theatrically leaning in to scoop into the container while pretending to ask, \u201cHave you finished revising your proposal, Lucy?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou approved this half an hour ago.\u201d Lucy slurped her soup while clutching the thermos tightly. \u201cHey! You\u2019ve already had three spoonfuls. Have some shame!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The office buzzed with activity. Scarlet wasn\u2019t hungry at first, but when Lucy offered her a slice of beef, she ate it without\u00a0<\/p>\n
protest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are you doing this afternoon?\u201d Lucy asked. \u201cWhy not stay here and keep me company? Sophia isn\u2019t here today. Put on a mask and sit at her desk. With how bad our boss\u2018 eyesight is, there\u2019s no way he\u2019ll notice.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlet was at a loss for words. \u201cDo I seem so bored that I\u2019d request a leave just to come work at your company?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucy cackled. \u201cI\u2019ve missed you! I\u2019ve been so busy I\u2019m losing my mind. I haven\u2019t seen you in days. You didn\u2019t pick up either when I called last night. What were you up to?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI was sleeping,\u201d Scarlet responded before suddenly hugging her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucy immediately put down her food and returned the hug. Then, she declared in an exaggeratedly affectionate voice, \u201cI love you! I love you so much!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlet patted her head. \u201cI know.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even Lucy\u2019s team leader had had enough of their display of affection. \u201cYou two should just get together. Same\u2013sex marriage isn\u2019t off the table.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucy snorted. \u201cIf she swung that way, do you think her husband would still stand a chance?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlet smiled and stood up. \u201cEnjoy your food. I still have somewhere I need to be.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
BC GAME\u00a0<\/p>\n
X CLOSE\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 58\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/2\u00a0<\/p>\n
Laurel Heights was once a landmark luxury residential complex in Lebavia. Yet, over the past two decades, new buildings had aged into old ones. The former upscale complex had weathered the city\u2019s rapid changes with the wear of time etched onto its exterior.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Thanks to its premium market positioning years ago, Laurel Heights attracted residents of a higher caliber. Many of its current occupants were retired officials.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Back when the complex was completed, the expansive green spaces were its main selling point. Now, the transplanted trees had grown lush. The surrounding area offered everything, from schools to hospitals and shopping centers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So, even though it had long fallen out of the ranks of luxury properties, the housing prices here remained the highest in the surrounding area.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Not long after Scarlet rang the doorbell, footsteps sounded from within. \u201cWho is it?\u201d A woman called out as she opened the door.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She stopped short when she saw Scarlet. The surprise on her face quickly gave way to a tangled mix of guilt, unease, and regret, weighed down by a hint of sadness.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/2\u00a0 By the time Scarlet arrived at Lucy\u2019s office with the soup, Lucy, with dark circles under her eyes, was […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13535","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-end-of-the-contractstart-of-his-obsession"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13535","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13535"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13535\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13535"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13535"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13535"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}