CHAPTER 23: CHAPTER 23: WHY THE SUDDEN FAKE CONCERN?

Summer hadn’t had time to refuse before her mom already pressed the answer button. The phone was connected to the car’s Bluetooth, and a clear, magnetic male baritone echoed in the car:

"Why didn’t you come to Summit?"

"Oh my, is this your colleague? Why does his voice sound so nice?" Mrs. Nolan asked her daughter with a low, giggling voice, already looking smitten just by hearing his voice.

"What’s so nice about it? He’s got a mouth as sharp as a knife. Hang up quickly, don’t bother with him." Summer snorted coldly.

"You’re being rude, just focus on driving, I’ll talk to him." Anyway, she was almost bored to death sitting in the car, so Mrs. Nolan cleared her throat and asked in a sharp voice:

"Hello, handsome. I’m Summer’s mom. She’s driving and can’t talk right now. Is there something you need to tell me?"

"... Hello, ma’am. Is there something going on with Attorney Nolan today since she didn’t come to work?" Elias Spencer had overheard their conversation earlier.

Her mother sounded easy to talk to.

Mrs. Nolan was about to respond when Summer tapped the car screen, ending the call, and grabbed her phone to turn it off.

She didn’t want to listen to him talk, nor did she want him to know her whereabouts.

Elias Spencer frowned at the phone that got hung up on. It must have been that woman who hung up, right?

He dialed again, only to find the phone was turned off?

What on earth was she up to?

"Your attitude towards your colleague doesn’t seem normal at all. Honestly, what’s going on between you two?" Who treats a colleague like that?

Summer tensed, surprised by her mom’s sensitivity, and could only make excuses, "I just have a grudge against this colleague and don’t want to talk to him much. Don’t overthink it."

"But you just said the people at your law firm are all very nice." Mrs. Nolan clearly didn’t believe her.

"I just didn’t want you to worry." She continued to make up excuses.

Mrs. Nolan looked at her daughter’s unnatural expression and believed even less. This girl definitely has something going on with that man!

She had to find a time to go to her law firm and check it out—

They hadn’t driven for long before the car stopped at the foot of the mountain.

The mother and daughter each held a black umbrella, carrying a large bouquet of white chrysanthemums and some offerings, and got out of the car.

The temperature here was much cooler, and Summer, wearing denim shorts and a loose white T-shirt, felt the chill as soon as she got out of the car.

"Why isn’t there a single person around here? It’s eerie, maybe we shouldn’t go up. Your father won’t blame us." Mrs. Nolan looked around at the misty surroundings, a bit frightened.

"It’s normal for it to be dark on rainy days. Don’t be so suspicious, there are no ghosts in the world. We’re already here, let’s hurry up." Summer reassured her mom and walked up the stone steps.

The air was filled with the moist smell of earth. This kind of rain, neither fast nor slow, didn’t disturb but soaked the entire city.

After walking for almost half an hour, they reached her father’s tombstone. Summer placed the chrysanthemums and all the offerings in front of the grave and spoke just one sentence to her father:

"Dad, until I get you the justice you deserve, you’re not allowed to reincarnate. You need to see for yourself how those people end up in hell..."

Mrs. Nolan glanced at her daughter, who was more mature and steady than herself, feeling heartache. She’s only twenty-five, after all. Yes, from now on, I should take less of her money!

"Dear, you must protect our daughter’s safety down there. If anything happens to her, don’t expect me to visit you again!"

"Oh, and make sure Summer buys me a big luxury house soon! I’m so frustrated living in our current place..."

Yes, buy a house and then take less of her money.

"Oh, and... well, I better just burn this list for you to see yourself. Once you see it, promise to fulfill all my wishes!"

Mrs. Nolan talked as she pulled out several folded sheets of paper from her pocket, opened them, and they were neatly filled with writing.

Summer looked at the list in her mom’s hand, a bead of sweat rolling down her forehead—

"Dad’s dead, not a genie in a wishing fountain. He can’t fulfill everything for you."

"Your dad always spoiled me, and over the years, he made a lot of my wishes come true." Mrs. Nolan boasted, taking out a lighter and flicking it several times before lighting it.

Afternoon work time.

Summer arrived at Summit, pushed open the office door, and saw that man standing with his back to the door, talking on the phone by the floor-to-ceiling window. She shifted her gaze away from him.

She walked to her desk.

Elias Spencer heard the door open, glanced back, and then turned again to chat with the client for a few more minutes before hanging up the phone. He turned back to her and said:

"Attorney Nolan, you took half of the client’s payment for this case, so you should complete your half of the work. I have no reason to do your work for you."

Summer looked up from the documents, her voice thick with nasal tones and hoarse, "I’ll make up the four hours from this morning. No need for you to do it."

After speaking, she couldn’t help but cough several times due to her painful, itchy throat. She had caught a cold this morning.

Is she sick?

Elias Spencer looked at her, his eyebrows furrowing slightly. Her voice was fine this morning, but she caught a cold after having fun?

After working the entire afternoon, Summer’s head felt dizzy, and hearing the gradual footsteps outside, she glanced at the time on her wrist. It was already the end of the working day.

She ordered a light meal delivery on her phone, intending to work late to make up for the morning’s hours.

In case someone said she got paid without doing anything.

"Since it’s raining today, go back early," Elias Spencer glanced at her and said suddenly.

"You can leave," she replied coldly with three words. Why the fake concern now?

He furrowed his sharp brows again and asked in a clear cold voice, "... Did you bring any medicine?"

"I don’t need Attorney Spencer to worry. You should leave quickly, don’t interrupt my work here." After saying that, Summer got up and took her cup to the tea room.

Elias Spencer glanced at her, his expression heavy, but he didn’t leave. He picked up his phone, ordered a delivery, and then called the housekeeper at his villa, asking her to go feed the dog.

Hearing the increasingly heavy rain outside, he walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and looked down. The streetlights had turned on early, and cars were jammed into long lines.

The sidewalk was crowded with colorful umbrellas, like large moving mushrooms.

Summer came back with water, seeing him still there, "Attorney Spencer, aren’t you leaving?"

"... It’s a traffic jam outside," he said.

Summer didn’t care about him anymore, sat down, and took out the cold medicine she had brought, taking them one by one. Because of the rain, the traffic outside had been stuck for more than three hours before it eased slightly.

Around ten in the evening, Elias Spencer called her again in a deep voice: "No need to work overtime, go home early since you’re sick."

She looked up at him, her tone light, "You go ahead, I didn’t ask you to stay here with me, hurry back to accompany your little assistant."

"If you’re jealous, just say it. Stop beating around the bush."

He crossed his long legs, leaned back on the chair, and pushed the frameless glasses on his face, his lips curling into a barely perceptible smile.

"Don’t be narcissistic, I’m not jealous of you," Summer snorted coldly.