Chapter 601 You're Taking Advantage of Me Again On the other hand , Victoria decided it wasn't such a bad idea after hearing Alaric's suggestion . It stands to reason that a man's observations of another man will be more reliable than those of a woman . After all , they share a similar mindset and can relate in various ways . " Alright . You watch Erik for me , but you have to promise to keep watch of him seriously and not just brush it off . " Faced with the request from his beloved woman , he had no way to refuse . " Okay , " he replied lazily . He never expected that in his lifetime , he would have to observe another man closely , all because of his wife's request . When they approached Summer and Erik , the two of them quickly pulled away from each other's embrace due to the presence of the elderly . Since they had met before , Summer greeted Alaric's parents before handing gifts to their family . " Thank you , Miss Jones . " Meanwhile , Nicole and Nathan were close to Summer because they had previously spent many years together . The children considered her their next closest relative after their immediate family . When the children received the gifts , they did not hesitate to express their gratitude , and after saying " thank you , " they planted gentle kisses on her cheek . At this moment , Nicole looked up at the man behind Summer , her eyes bright and curious as she asked proactively , " Who's that man , Miss Jones ? " At the mention of Erik , a rosy hue immediately spread across Summer's cheeks . " He … He's a friend of mine . You can call him Mr. Ludson . " Nicole , seemingly unaware of the explanation , suddenly asked , " Is he your boyfriend ? " The term " boyfriend " caused Summer's expression to change instantly . She was about to deny it when he replied with a light chuckle , " We're not at that stage yet for now , little girl . I'm still working on it . " After hearing his explanation , the elders suddenly realized the situation . In fact , Alaric's parents were acquainted with Erik . They were all part of the same social circle , and even if they hadn't had the opportunity to collaborate , they had crossed paths before . When Summer and Erik showed up together , a vague suspicion arose in the elder's minds , but they didn't inquire about it proactively . However , after hearing Erik's explanation , Mary instantly understood the situation and smiled . " I see . I was considering being a matchmaker for Summer , but it now appears unnecessary . Good things are also on the horizon for this young lady . " " Mrs. Cadogan- " " Alright , I will stop teasing you two . You young people must have a lot to talk about . Let us take the children . home first while you hang out , yeah ? " Summer had a lot to tell Victoria , but she shook her head as she realized how late it was . So , she stated , " Don't worry about it , Mrs. Cadogan . We're here to pick you guys anyway . You guys should head back and rest . It's getting late now . We can always talk tomorrow . " After hearing this , Mary suggested , " If you don't mind , why don't you come back with us ? " Um … " Summer initially didn't mind , as she had previously stayed at their house , but she wasn't alone this time since Erik was with her . Hence , she turned to look at him . " I think it wouldn't be appropriate to intrude without prior notice . Summer and I will just check into a hotel nearby , " he responded . Still , Mary couldn't help but say , " Silly child . Could a hotel be as comfortable as home ? No matter how clean and hygienic a hotel is , it can't compare to the cleanliness and comfort of home . " Seeing that he remained unmoved , she continued , " Are you possibly looking down on Cadogan Group ? Is that why you don't want to stay over ? " This statement carried significant weight , and it was evident that she wasn't simply extending an invitation out of politeness but genuinely wanted them to stay at their home . Now that she had spoken to that extent , how could he refuse ? Ultimately , Erik nodded politely and bowed to them slightly . " I hope we don't interrupt , Mr. and Mrs. Cadogan . "Of course , you won't ! Now , come on ! " With that , Erik and Summer followed the group back to their car . As they drove behind Victoria's family , Summer couldn't help but comment , " I thought you wouldn't agree to go ." Erik's lips curled slightly , and he uttered , " I feel like this is a relationship that will continue in the long term , so it'd be good to hang out with them now . " However , she didn't catch the underlying meaning in his words and asked instinctively , " Does your company have any cooperation with Cadogan Group ? " " Not at the moment . " " Then , what- " As soon as she realized something , Summer pulled a face and bit her lip . " You're taking advantage of me again . " After hearing this , Erik arched his brow . " When did I do that ? Also , what do you mean by that ? I haven't even done anything to you yet ." " Well , your actions may not have affected me , but doesn't taking advantage verbally count ? " " That's not practical , so it doesn't count . " ' Tsk , how come it doesn't count ? " Summer muttered under her breath . At this point , Erik changed the topic . " They seem to treat you well . " " Yes , because I often went to their house with Victoria as a child . They all know me . " While saying this , Summer had a flash of insight and asked , " How was your childhood ? " After asking the question , she discreetly glanced at Erik , hoping she could make out any other emotions on his face . However , despite discussing the tragic events of his childhood , he never showed any signs of emotional instability . " I mostly grew up on my own , " he replied . Despite his outward calm , Summer sensed he was trying to avoid discussing his past trauma . For this reason ,' she refrained from pressing the issue and made a mental note to never again inquire about his early years . It was already quite late when they reached the Cadogan Residence . The maids had prepared supper in advance , presumably aware of the late hour . A quiet atmosphere filled the room as everyone sat down to eat , as each person restrained themselves and ate very little . Then , Mary had the maids prepare two guest rooms for Erik and Summer before she returned to the room with her two children . On the other hand , Victoria sneaked off after her shower to converse with Summer . When Alaric realized his wife was gone , she had already sneaked under Summer's sheets . " What's going on ? The last time you called me , you told him he had just come to propose , didn't he ? I remember how skeptical you felt back then . How have things progressed ? " " Don't even mention it . " Although Summer was shy about the situation , Victoria had been her best friend since childhood , so her shyness lasted only a few seconds before she revealed everything that had happened in the previous few days . " I'm quite confused right now . I feel like it's impossible for Erik and me , but at the same time , I want to give it a try . After all , he embodies everything I like in terms of looks , height , voice , and character . He only has one flaw , which is being too wealthy . " " Has being wealthy become a flaw nowadays ? " " You don't understand , Victoria . My family isn't wealthy , and my dad has gambling debts . You should know that with my background , I never even considered having a boyfriend as wealthy as him , " Summer explained . First Top - UP