Chapter 5

"Let's discuss that when we meet later," Logan said. Lorraine hummed in agreement. "That's all, really. I need to get back to work now." "Okay." Lorraine hung up. Logan was still staring at his phone when William came in. When William saw him sitting there, looking thoughtful, he asked teasingly, "What's so captivating about your phone?" He placed the dossier on Lorraine before Logan. "Here you go. It was done in an hour. Remember to give me a higher bonus. You have no idea how many want to steal an assistant as capable as I am from you." He gave Logan a look, telling him to appreciate him. But all William got in return was an eye-roll from Logan. Logan picked up the dossier, saying, "It's not like I'm shortchanging you on that front." As his special assistant and trusty right-hand man, William held much power in Moore Corporation. His annual salary was the highest among his peers. Logan continued, "I won't be coming into the office tomorrow and the day after. If there are any urgent documents that I need to attend to, bring them over today." "Where are you going? On a business trip?" "Are you the boss, or am I? Do I need to report to you on everything I do?" William curled his lip and muttered, "I know exactly where you're going. You're going to look for that woman." "I can sew your mouth shut for you if you can't keep it zipped." "Thanks, but no thanks." Logan looked up at him. He hurriedly added, "I'll get lost and get back to work right now." "There's no need to lose yourself. I'd have to send a search team after you, and you'll scare the other employees," Logan quipped. William was lost for words. After a while, he sat down. "We might have a superior and subordinate relationship professionally, but we're friends in our personal lives. I'm just worried about you. Can't you tell me what's going on? "You're just piquing my curiosity by leaving me hanging, you know. I'll obsess over this and neglect my work." "Lorraine is the mother of my children." "What, their birth mother?" William blurted. Seeing Logan roll his eyes again, William hurriedly said, "Wait, are you actually looking for a mother for Luna and Finnegan? Their birth mother isn't dead. You can find her with some time and money. Why do you need to get them a different mother?" Logan's expression darkened at the mention of the twins' mother. "Don't bring that woman up in front of me!" Knowing what she had done, William apologized, "Sorry, I'll try not to mention her in the future. Did Luna and Finnegan ask you about their mother? "I suppose it's normal, seeing as they would've seen other kids with their parents when going to kindergarten. They only have a father, after all… Wait! Are you saying Lorraine is your wife?" The only way Lorraine could be the twins' mother was if she and Logan were married. Logan looked at William like he was a fool, making him feel incredulous. William couldn't believe it. In the next second, he snatched the dossier from Logan and snapped the attached photo of Lorraine. He said, "This is a photo of her going about her daily life, and it's much clearer than the one you sent me. I have to remember what she looks like. She's the CEO's wife, after all!" Logan didn't stop him. The photo of Lorraine was candid, and it made him feel at ease. The only thing he didn't like was that her glasses were a bit too big for her face. He said, "Keep this a secret. I don't intend to announce my marriage any time soon." He and Lorraine had a shotgun marriage and barely knew each other. He wanted to wait until they weren't complete strangers before making anything public. He added, "I also want you to add my name to the list of workers at the construction site near Glendale Grand Hotel." Since he wanted to put on an act, he had to cover all his bases. Even if Lorraine didn't mind and didn't ask around about him, her family likely would. Since she thought he was a construction worker, he would let the site supervisor know about this so that the Somner family would know he was a worker there. "Alright." Now that William's curiosity had been satisfied, he didn't yap on. He did whatever Logan wanted. … Cowtail Village was the village where Lorraine lived. It was named as such because one of the mountains in the village looked like a cow from afar. While Logan had to field William's questions, Lorraine had to face Irene. "I told you to bring the photo along, but you didn't. I told you to always have a spare pair of glasses with you, but you refused. Look at what's happened now! You went on a blind date and married the wrong man! "Honestly, the nerve of you! You'll be the death of me one day!" Irene stood beneath a cherry tree with her hands on her hips. She raged at Lorraine. At the same time, she was afraid the others would hear about this—it was such a humiliation. So, she kept her voice down as she berated Lorraine. She looked furious, but her voice wasn't loud enough to be scary. Lorraine threw a bunch of cherries down at her. She deftly caught them before continuing, "Stop throwing them around, or they'll spoil! This bunch has to be about ten pounds! Cherry season is just starting, so they're still expensive now. The ones I'm holding now should be worth quite a lot." Lorraine grew two types of cherries—one type ripened early, and the other was the Staccato cherry, which ripened later than the other. The cherries that ripened early could fetch a high price if they were to be sold now. As for the Staccato ones, they could still fetch a high price because she could produce cherries when other farmers had already run out. Wasn't that what business was all about? It was essential to have something that others didn't have. That way, she'd have a unique selling point. "Those are for you to try, Mom," Lorraine said. Irene didn't hold back. She ate one, saying, "It's bad enough that you got into a shotgun marriage. Why haven't you brought your husband back so I can meet him in person? "I've lived longer than you, so I have more life experience. I'm also a better judge of character. You need to bring him to meet us so that I can see whether he's trying to con you." "Don't worry, Mom. Your son-in-law isn't going anywhere. He'll come over later in the day once he's picked the kids up, so you still have time to prepare a feast later. Go and buy snacks for your grandchildren from the supermarket." Irene fell silent. She was starting to wonder whether she'd gone too far in urging Lorraine to marry. Look at how Lorraine had gotten into a shotgun marriage and become a stepmother! "I'm going to ask your father to ask around about Logan in Glendale. If there isn't anyone by that name at the construction site, that means you've been tricked," she said. "I trust him. I'm sure he hasn't lied to me." Lorraine's instinct told her Logan was a good guy who wouldn't lie to her. Besides, she wasn't drop-dead gorgeous or anything. She was even in debt! What would he get out of lying to her? Her debt? "Will he really be here in the evening?" Irene asked. She checked the time—it was already past noon. "I need to head home and ask your grandfather to start cooking, then. I'll buy some vegetables. Bring some fruits home with you later." Despite her grumbles about Lorraine's shotgun marriage, Irene still stopped berating her about it when she heard Logan was coming over. She hurried home to prepare a delicious feast for him. Lorraine muttered, "You guys were on my back when I refused to marry, and you're still at it despite me already being married." At least Irene was gone now. Otherwise, her nagging would only give Lorraine a headache and possibly cause her to fall out of the tree.