Substitute Wife, Genius CEO novel Chapter 316

And now, he wasn't pulling any punches when it came to his own friends.

Summer texted back: [Did you do this?]

Miles, of course, wasn't about to admit it. He didn't want to scare her.

[No, I haven't even made my move yet. Someone else beat him to it.]

Summer didn't buy it, but she didn't push the subject.

Miles called her a moment later. "Summer, are you still working?"

"Yeah, trying to meet the project deadline." Summer's voice was dry and hoarse from the late nights.

Miles's sharp ears caught it immediately. "Why is your voice so raspy? Are you coming down with a cold?"

"No, just a bit dry. I'll grab some water and be fine."

Miles couldn't shake his worry. Combined with his deep guilt and desperate need to make amends, it only took half an hour for him to personally show up in the lobby of FutureTech Systems.

He strolled into the project department carrying bags of gourmet takeout, drawing a crowd of curious onlookers.

"Who is that?"

"I think that's Miles Sutton, the CEO of Sutton Heights Capital."

"What's he doing at our company in the middle of the night? Talking business?"

"Oh my god, do you not read the news? Director Vance is the long-lost heiress of the Sutton family. That's her biological brother."

Miles had brought a massive spread of late-night snacks for Summer, ranging from light bites to spicy dishes, along with soothing herbal teas and artisan soups specifically for her throat.

He made sure not to forget her colleagues, bringing plenty for everyone.

Knowing Summer still had to work, Miles didn't linger to waste her time. He just looked at her with aching affection. "Summer, I will always have your back. Rest when you're tired, don't push yourself too hard. I'll take care of everything."

Summer nodded obediently, agreeing with a soft smile.

Even though she was standing right in front of him, smiling and calling him by his name, Miles still felt a gaping distance between them.

She didn't trust him.

And why would she? He had nearly gotten her killed.

He had even tried to destroy her for Lily's sake.

It was entirely natural that she kept her guard up.

A wave of sharp, suffocating sadness washed over him, but he quickly reined it in.

If Summer didn't trust him, he just had to work harder. He would earn that trust.

A few days later.

Julian, having barely recovered and sporting a face that looked like a bruised watercolor painting, marched into Sutton Heights Capital to find Miles.

He was immediately blocked by the receptionist. "Excuse me, Mr. Hawthorne, do you have an appointment?"

Julian yanked off his sunglasses, pointing at himself in disbelief. "Do I need a damn appointment?"

In the past, he had always taken the private executive elevator straight to Miles's office.

The receptionist maintained a polite smile. "I apologize, Mr. Hawthorne, but without an appointment, you cannot go up."

Furious, Julian dialed Miles's number, only to have the call instantly rejected.

Finally, the receptionist contacted the executive office and granted him access, forcing him to take the standard employee elevator.

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