Who writes and reads novels nowadays?

Last Updated: 02.07.2025 06:21

Who writes and reads novels nowadays?

The atmosphere was silent.

A series of notifications popped up on my phone and it was an X post that Marco had just posted.

The perfume in her hand was more of a brand I had long since disliked.

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I leaned back in the recliner and sneered.

I was really reluctant to leave everything behind and return to Brimstone now.

Since the argument that day, Louisa had blocked me on X and WhatsApp.

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After all, there was no evidence that they were having an affair.

My face turned cold and so did my heart.

But I did not expect, Louisa brought me breakfast on the table with the sticky note on the bag.

How do I deal with my annoying little kids?

As soon as I arrived, the airport lobby was crowded with people.

I lit a cigarette and blew a puff into the air.

Although I did not want to admit it, I was now so jealous that I was insane.

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I did not even glance at them, just brushed past them.

With an annual revenue of nearly 10 billion, she said we were not a match.

It was obvious that it was not what she was prepared for me.

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Louisa, took my underwear and gave it to his assistant?

“But you have to know, as an assistant, what you should and shouldn’t accept.”

[Marco and I go to meet some clients and have lunch together.]

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I spent the next whole week busy with the transfer.

And staying up the whole night working on a project together and drinking American coffee at 3 a.m.

Let her pick and send it away.

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My assistant suddenly pushed the door and casually said, “Sir, I saw Ms. Louisa and her assistant went to eat seafood. What do you want to eat? I’ll order it for you.”

“Well, my Baby, here … I bought you a new limited-edition perfume, so don’t be angry.”

[Having a boss who cares for her subordinates is my happiness.]

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Marco’s eyes slightly lifted and his cold face turned slightly pale.

I nodded and looked at her leaving back, then opened the cabinet where my underwear was stored.

“Am I strange?”

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Louisa who was wearing a white suit and holding a white crocodile leather bag, stepped out of the car.

She took a deep breath and said, her eyes filled with disapproval of me, “You took back the gift I gave him in public and now you’re letting him waste so much time at the dealer.”

“I can’t help it. This is the girls nowadays.”

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Louisa then pulled me all the way into the bathroom.

Now everything had changed.

Five years ago, after graduating from university, my father asked me to return to Brimstone to inherit the family business.

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On the contrary, Marco posted photos related to Louisa every day.

She and Marco would go back to the company to work overtime tonight and would not go home.

A majestic roar came from afar and a limited-edition supercar with black and gold paint appeared in front of the villa.

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I saw admiration and heartache for another man in her eyes.

After five years of ups and downs, we opened the largest clothing company in Araya.

Marco took two steps forward with his long legs and blocked me.

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If he dared to accept it, he should be able to guess who the original owner of the car was.

She was standing in the crowd, looking at me from afar.

“This is an irrefutable evidence. Do you want me to expose all the dirty things you have done?”

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Only when we did not love could we make rational judgments.

I was too lazy to argue with her, so I just opened X and showed her Marco’s X account.

“As the marketing director, you have a keen eye, so you shouldn’t miss it.”

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“You have a prominent family background, Lionel, unlike ordinary people like me.”

She reacted, quickly stopped me and angrily said to Marco behind her, “What the hell is going on! When did I lie down with you?!”

My raging anger suddenly died down and what followed was endless coldness and disappointment.

She grabbed her assistant’s hand, pushed the office door and left without looking back.

I just wanted my favorite supercar back.

I got in the car and headed to the airport.

I dragged my suitcase towards the security checkpoint and ran into Louisa and Marco who were rushing back.

Until I saw a post on X.

“The blind date with the eldest daughter of the Scotts, I’ll go.”

It was her handwriting.

Louisa Watson, who was showing off her affection to me on X a second ago, quietly took away the limited-edition sports car that I had reserved for a long time in the automotive dealership.

I pulled the corners of my mouth and smiled.

She had some impatience on her face, but she still held back her patience to explain to me.

“You can prepare dinner yourself.”

A relationship that had changed in quality was like an unappetizing breakfast. There was no need to force ourself to eat it.

“Mr. Gilmore, good evening. Ms. Watson and I just had dinner outside and came back a bit late. Please don’t blame her.”

“Marco Tucker, right? It’s just a car. I can still afford it.”

Then, her tone was both coaxing and scolding, brought me back to my senses. “I know you are jealous because you love me, but the others who don’t know will think you’re targeting someone else’s staff.”

Faced with his provocation, my gaze turned a bit cold and I found it somewhat funny.

Spending their time together watching the sunset on the beach after chatting with their bussiness partner.

Marco behind her spoke up, “It’s okay, Mr. Gilmore, a few rumors can’t hurt me.”

It seemed like the superior-subordinate relationship between them was closer than I imagined.

Even though the gift she gave was to serve herself.

Getting up early and having breakfast together in the hotel.

I bent down and opened the bottom cabinet.

He joked that I should have changed a long time ago.

We had been in relationship for nine years and this was the first time I had gotten so angry over another man.

I laid in my bed and stayed up the whole night.

Having been in society for so many years, everyone had gained some insight.

“Louisa has been with me for nine years and has seen a lot of things. I don’t think a supercar is a big deal.”

But in the cabinet, a box of men’s underwear was missing.

In a flash, I remembered the X post Marco posted two days ago.

It turned out that all this time she always felt that we were not a good match.

“With so many supercars you have, you don’t mind, do you?”

My hand, which was about to sign, paused and I raised my eyes.

She said the sports car had been cancelled and sent back to the automotive dealership.

Whatever Louisa wanted to do, I accompanied her.

I was sure now.

Seeing I stopped talking, she sighed.

Followed Marco behind her.

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That night, I brought all the top-of-the-line sports cars that I had collected in my garage to her.

At three o’clock in the afternoon, I walked into the largest conference room of the company with Reymond on time.

“Are you used to driving?”

In the past five years, I had transformed from a rich second-generation who knew nothing to a first-generation entrepreneur.

“It’s my fault, Mr. Gilmore. I shouldn’t have accepted Ms. Watson’s gift.”

No.

Shouldn’t we have anticipated such a result?

Marco took a step back, lost his composure and apologized several times.

I did not have any emotions more, I just smiled indifferently and returned the phone to my assistant.

She took out a bottle of perfume from her eight-digit Hermes bag and smiled dotingly.

Ms. Louisa?

“I’ve been waiting for this car for almost half a year and no one can take it away, not even you, my girlfriend.”

Not only did he dare to accept it, he also dared to post it openly on his X post and another social media to show off.

Louisa did not expect me to speak so bluntly and her face suddenly turned ugly.

Now, he even called her “Louisa”.

In his latest X post, he posted a picture of Louisa lying in his arms and sleeping soundly.

I picked up the documents she brought back and gave a faint response. “Hmm.”

At that moment, all my expectations were dashed.

I handed the breakfast to my assistant and asked him to go out and sell me another one.

I frowned.

Until my assistant nervously handed me Marco’s X account and said, “Sir, I think I should let you know about this.”

Her eyes were fixed on Marco, who opened the car door for her, with a hint of aggressiveness.

However, I did not want to leave Louisa, so I stayed in Araya.

The girl’s cold face showed some dissatisfaction.

Seeing her smile and express her emotions towards him.

Louisa stepped in front of him and pulled my sleeve.

Marco reacted earlier than Louisa.

Louisa, after nine years of our relationship, did you have any feelings for me?

“Alright, Lionel, doesn’t he have to pick me up and drop me off every day for work?”

“Didn’t you give him the car and he accepted it? What’s the point of having me, an outsider, wipe his ass?”

Just overnight, he changed the way he called his boss from “Ms. Louisa” being “Louisa”.

Everyone was in an uproar, expressing shock hearing this news.

“I would like to inform everyone that I will be stepping down as the general manager. The company will be fully handed over to Mr. Blunt and Mr. Vaughan beside me.”

“She just feels too tired being with you. No matter how hard she tries, she can’t earn even one-tenth of your family’s money and she can’t spend your money with peace of mind.”

[Driving the car given by my boss to send her home and even the wind was sweet.]

In the evening, I stood on the balcony of the villa and gazed the sunset.

My assistant shook the mobile phone in his hand with a look of surprise.

He uttered a dull response. “Hmm”.

“I haven’t said anything yet, but you’re eager to put the blame on me.”

I had Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, so everything had to be neatly laid out.

“Do you want me to use my authority to force the people below to shut their mouths up?”

“Speak! Marco!”

[Congratulations for becoming a boyfriend and becoming a regular employee officially.]

“No, I do.”

I suddenly felt ridiculous.

Rosie paid extra attention to this and checked it carefully every day.

[Finally, from crush to girlfriend ….]

Did she know what it meant to give a man underwear as a gift?

“You took the car without my consent. I just wanted to take back what belonged to me.”

In his post, there was a box of underwear of this brand.

“The way he looks at you is not the way an ordinary subordinate looks at his superior.”

“But the fact is, the value of these orders is far less than that of a supercar.”

As a man, he should know why I was angry.

“Can’t you go tomorrow? Why do you have to go out so late?” asked me in annoyance.

“Got it! Marco and I have nothing, not now and not in the future.”

Her eyes were a bit red and her gaze was full of charm.

Nine years of giving everything for a girl, but in the end, she still did not appreciate it.

“When is your blind date with the Scott Family arranged? Have you really decided to leave Araya?”

I frowned and responded calmly, “Let go, it’s so dirty.”

It was time to end this tangled triangle relationship.

“I still have over a dozen supercars in my basement. Choose any one you want and consider it as a gift from me.”

“Lionel, sorry, I didn’t get back from meeting with my business partners at noon. I just had a quick bite outside. Have you eaten yet?”

Targeting? He was not worthy.

A supercar worth nearly two million seven hundred dollars was not something that a marketing director with no background like Louisa could afford.

She raised her hand and slammed the table angrily, saying harshly, “We can handle it ourselves. We don’t need you.”

Before getting off work, I received two business trip applications for two people and clicked “agree”.

“Rosie is taking a day off today. You take a shower first and I’ll go fry you a steak,” she said.

No man could bear to see the girl he loved using his own money to buy gifts for other men.

She pulled out a chair in front of the table and sat down, sighing.

“I feel strange with you like this.”

Louisa became anxious. She frowned and said in defense, “How can this be a small matter? You follow me on business trips every day and I don’t want others to criticize you everywhere.”

I fixed my gaze full of pressure on him.

He bowed to me, his voice pleading. “I’m sorry, Mr. Gilmore. I didn’t think carefully about this matter. I will solve it myself. Don’t blame Louisa.”

She frowned and pouted.

At first, I suspected that Marco took the photos secretly behind Louisa out of vanity.

In what capacity was he asking me not to blame my girlfriend?

I threw the document on the table, interrupting the two people who were staring at each other.

A pair of gleaming silver stiletto heels stepped on the ground.

Louisa and I had been dating since we were in college until now.

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My head exploded with a loud bang.

I waited for her for so long that I was starving. I then opened my mobile phone and saw Marco’s social media.

She also wanted me to defend him with her despite feeling disgusted.

“Lionel, Marco has returned the car to the dealer, but I need to go over to cancel the account.”

Just as I was trying to calm my emotions and go downstairs, she pushed open the bathroom door with the flip-flop sound of her slippers.

“I’ll cancel and return it to the dealer as soon as possible.”

As early as yesterday, I had entrusted someone to send her a breakup message.

Louisa held my hand and said in a deep voice, “Lionel, why are you so angry?”

I nodded and responded, “Next week, I’ll transfer the management rights of the company to you and leave.”

In the past, I admired her rational and clear nature the most.

Since we wanted to sever ties, we naturally had to settle everything.

[Wow, after reading your secret stories on your crush for four years, you finally got her love!]

“Am I thinking of myself?”

“Also, today, I suddenly remembered that you had ordered a supercar, so I picked it up and gave it to him.”

Haha … I sounded like a stingy person from his words.

The next day, I came to the company with hungry stomach from the night.

Marco pursed his lips and said no words.

I took out my mobile phone and called my father who was far away in Brimstone.

He looked up, a hint of surprise appearing in his eyes.

“This is your own problem. I shouldn’t have to put on a leadership role and help you solve it.”

She said I was her life.

I wanted to rush downstairs and question that girl right away.

There was no point to keep a woman who had left my heart.

I had loved her for so many years, what storms had I not seen.

“It’s my fault, Mr. Gilmore. Please don’t blame Ms. Louisa.”

As a cold and aloof beauty, men pursue her and compete to get her.

Love did not become a burden when two people’s hearts were truly together.

“It’s too late now. It’s not safe to go out. You can go tomorrow.”

“Mr. Gilmore is already busy with work, so it’s better not to trouble him with these small matters.”

I took a sip of my mojito without saying a word.

“You’re the boss, Lionel, this is a matter of words.”

I, who felt heartbroken at first, became numb in the end.

I stared at the perfume in her hand and recalled every moment of us for the past nine years.

“I don’t care if you misjudged his contribution to the company or you feel sorry for him for accompanying you on business trips and driving every day. The company has given him enough salary and if it’s not enough, he can ask for more, instead of you secretly using my supercar to compensate him.”

Her voice came from outside the door. “Oh, by the way, Rosie said that your underwear needs to be replaced, so she threw them all away. You can get new ones from the bottom.”

When we were in love, she once whispered in my ear that she would only love me and only me in her life.

 — —

“My words were harsh, but you should know that Marco is the man in the company who can help me share the workload the most. You made him lose face in public today and I can’t just abandon him now.”

She really took the car that I had been longing for half a year away from the automotive dealership secretly and gave it to someone else.

I was already angry and hearing these words only added fuel to the fire.

Jealousy over a slightly more good-looking male assistant was truly a fall from grace.

Seeing that I had given in, she pushed the door open and left without any hesitation.

She defended him.

At three o’clock in the afternoon, Louisa pushed the door to my office and stepped in with her high heels.

Louisa was stunned and frowned.

But now everything had changed.

Marco Tucker walked around the car to the passenger seat and opened the passenger door gently and considerately.

This clothing company was co founded by me and Louisa. She and I both hold half of the equity.

I put my hands in my pockets, curled the corners of my mouth and a hint of coldness and anger flashed in my eyes.

“First of all, a person of integrity has nothing to fear. If you, Louisa, are doing your job impartially, rewarding him for bringing huge profits to the company and giving him a supercar is understandable.”

“If I want to have a future with you, I have to get stronger. Of course, you can act childish and ask me not to go today, but I don’t want to disappoint my subordinates who fight side by side with me.”

A side photo taken from the perspective of the girlfriend sitting in the passenger seat.

I did not need to be too concerned.

I squinted as I walked into the villa in a cold voice.

When the salesperson sent me a message in the afternoon, I thought Louisa was trying to give me a surprise secretly, so I spent three hours happily in the dressing room choosing an outfit.

“Don’t you like this car? It’s also for your sake that I canceled it early.”

She did not let my hand go, instead she patiently said, “I know you’re angry, I apologize to you, okay? But Marco and I really have nothing, you’re sold your shares and broke up ….”

“Notify everyone that there will be a staff meeting this afternoon.” I ordered.

She also said that she liked my innate arrogance and rebelliousness the most.

The way he called her changed to be more intimate.

“Louisa, do you want to hear what you’re saying right now?”

Leaving me only the refreshing fragrance of gardenia that dissipated into the air.

The guilt I felt for impulsively agreeing to the blind date last night completely disappeared.

I stared at it for a long time.

I was stunned for a moment and frowned. “Where did you see them?”

Wasn’t it normal for people to criticize a boss who gave his or her assistant a luxury car?

His slender fingers gripped the steering wheel and the corners of his mouth curved in just the right angle.

At one o’clock in the afternoon, I finished dealing with all the documents, but there was no sign of Louisa.

“You dare to give a supercar worth two million seven hundred dollars to the man who adores you, Louisa ….”

I ignored her shock, put away my mobile phone and walked past her.

I felt a chill in my heart and blurted out. “Go ahead.”

“Lionel, I don’t know how the news about the sports car spread in the company. The staffs are all talking about Marco behind his back. Can you come and help Marco explain it for the sake of signing big orders today?”

“On X, her assistant posted a message thanking Ms. Louisa for treating him to a delicious meal.”

Marco was the partner who could stand shoulder to shoulder with her.

I was furious instantly and lost my sanity.

The next day, the real estate agent came to register the sales information of the villa.

Hearing those words, both of them were stunned.

A message from Louisa popped up on my mobile phone.

Forget it, it was better for the person who did not belong to me to leave.

Louisa stepped on her high heels to protect the man behind her and hugged my waist.

A nice and friendly reminder to board the plane sounded at the airport.

The breakfast box she brought in the bag was my least favorite lamb sandwich.

I saw them exchanging a few words with each other and Louisa smiled particularly happily.

I stepped down from the stage and left the conference room.

I got it.

My father even agreed to a blind date with the Scott Family on my behalf overnight.

At night, my best friend, Reymond Blunt called me to drink.

I turned my gaze away from the door and let out a long sigh.

Thank you for joining me, and I can’t wait to see you in the next chapter!

I had money, good looks and a good figure, so why should I waste my time on someone who did not love me!

She was stunned for a moment, her lips slightly parted, with an incredulous expression.

I walked out and stood in front of the girl.

She knew that I loved cars as much as my life, yet she dared to steal it and give it away to someone else.

An hour later, her male assistant drove the car and posted a message on his social media.

I looked at her deeply and believed her pledge of allegiance for the time being.

But she refused decisively and stayed by my side wholeheartedly.

“Lionel, you can’t just think about yourself.”