Over the past few years, Zac had been secretly visiting skincare clinics for facials and stocking up on sheet masks to use whenever he found the time. Sticking to his workout routine was non-negotiable as well. All of this was because he worried that Helen might find him old and unattractive. At 32 years old, he was already four years older than Helen, and she often seemed drawn to youthful, boyish celebrities. That only motivated him to put in extra effort. He refused to let himself be overshadowed by younger rivals. Pulling his eyes away from his computer screen, Zac looked at her as she walked in and said in a calm tone, “You’re here.” “Why did you call me over? Don’t tell me you wanted me to watch you work,” Helen said casually as she pulled out a chair and sat across from him. “Of course not…” Before he could finish, there was a knock on the office door. “Come in,” Zac called. An assistant entered, carrying a stack of files. “Dr. White, these are the monthl
Jacob sneered coldly. “That wasn’t your tone a moment ago—you were practically begging for my help.” His eyes glinted with malice, and his voice, rising in pitch, carried the same danger as a snake hissing before a strike. He leaned in aggressively, pressing his full weight onto Emma’s back. Emma let him move as he pleased, neither resisting nor reciprocating. Her tone was cold and cutting. “You actually believe what a woman says in bed? How pathetic! You’re getting more naive as you get older.” Jacob’s eyes narrowed, his expression darkening with anger at her mockery. Emma shoved him off, picked up her skirt from where it had been tossed, and began putting it back on. “You’re nowhere near Justin Yates’s level,” she said mockingly as she straightened her clothes. “Even if you look alike, what’s in your head is completely different.” Jacob, in stark contrast, looked as composed as ever. No matter what had just transpired, all it took was a quick adjustment of his suit
“Let me go, Jacob!”Emma struggled, but Jacob firmly gripped her wrist, dragging her into the rehabilitation center. With a loud bang, he forcefully pushed open a door on the first floor. Without breaking stride, he pulled her inside. The icy expression on his face and his unsettling silence sent a wave of fear through Emma. “Where is this? What are you trying to do?” she demanded, her voice laced with both anger and apprehension. Jacob turned her body, forcing her to look at the elderly man lying on the hospital bed. Emma gasped, startled. It was only then that she noticed there was someone else in the room. An old man lay on the bed, his face twisted with paralysis, one side of his mouth drooping. The pale moonlight illuminated his features, and though it was late, he wasn’t asleep. His wide, unblinking eyes stared intently at the intruders who had barged in. It was none other than Mr. Yates Sr.—the grandfather of both Justin and Jacob. After passing control
Jacob’s hand slid along the seam of Emma’s dress, slipping underneath. Emma struggled, unwilling to partake in such a display in front of the bedridden old man. Jacob paid no attention to her resistance, continuing his actions without hesitation. On the hospital bed, Mr. Yates Sr. lay motionless, his wide, furious eyes fixed on them. His mouth hung crookedly open, emitting guttural growls of rage. Though paralyzed, his body jerked and strained in frustration, as if desperate to rise and reprimand his disgraceful grandson. The heart monitor beside the bed began to beep erratically, its lines spiking wildly. The shrill alarm echoed through the room. Emma shoved at Jacob with all her strength. “Stop it! Let’s go! Someone’s going to come in and see us!” Jacob finally lifted his head, glancing at the furious Mr. Yates Sr. He adjusted Emma’s clothes before leading her out of the room. Not long after they left, the elderly caretaker, who had been sleeping in the next room
Stella straightened her back, her tone full of self-righteousness. “Heidi, that’s not fair! Harry is upset because Dad is seriously ill. What’s wrong with him crying? But you, talking about death so casually, are you hoping for Dad to pass away sooner?” “You—” Heidi was so furious she was momentarily speechless, pointing at Stella for a long time without finding the words to respond. Justin’s cold stare silenced Stella instantly. Just then, the doctor emerged from the examination room, mask in place. “The patient is stable for now.” “Thank goodness!” Heidi exhaled in relief, looking upward and clasping her hands in gratitude.The doctor hesitated before continuing. “The episode was caused by acute emotional distress, which led to a sudden onset of symptoms,” he explained gently. “Given the patient’s age, even if he recovers from this, his time may be limited. I recommend the family start making preparations.”Noticing the hospital director, Zac, waiting alongside the fami
“They better not stay and end up stressing Mr. Yates Sr. to death,” Zac thought to himself, keeping the remark private. The internal dynamics of the Yates family might not be apparent to outsiders, but Zac, as a semi-insider, understood them all too well. Justin staying around wasn’t a concern. His worries were directed at Harry and Stella. The tense atmosphere lingered until Justin turned and led Heidi away. Only after seeing the bodyguards stationed outside the hospital room, preventing entry, did Harry and Stella reluctantly leave the hallway. Zac instructed the night nurse to finalize the necessary paperwork, then caught up with Justin. “Mrs. Yates, I need a word with Justin,” Zac said. Heidi nodded. “Go ahead.” Justin and Zac stepped into the stairwell. Justin pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and took a deep drag. Zac, following his lead, lit one as well. Exhaling a puff of smoke, Zac said, “Mr. Yates Sr. doesn’t have much time left. Be prepared, and don’t l
“Emma’s been with him for five years?” Heidi thought.She turned sharply, her glare piercing as she fixed her son with a questioning look. Didn’t he promise there would be no involvement with Emma anymore?Justin’s brows furrowed, his gaze sharp and icy as he shot a cutting look at Jacob. In a firm, measured tone, he said, “No. She and I have no... relationship.”“It’s not like that, Mr. Jacob!” Emma quickly interjected, her tone anxious, her expression pitiful as she rushed to deny it. But her demeanor, coupled with her words, only made it seem like she was trying to cover up the truth. Justin’s displeased gaze fell on her, making it clear he wasn’t happy she had spoken up. Her explanation only made things worse. Meeting his eyes, Emma couldn’t figure out what she had done wrong. Feeling even more wronged, she lowered her head in silence. Heidi rolled her eyes. She had no patience for such theatrics. “Always crying around Justin like she’s been wronged, and then turning in
“How old was Justin when he took over the company? He had no experience and hadn’t contributed a thing. Meanwhile, you worked yourself to the bone for the company, only for it to become someone else’s prize. Think about yourself, but more importantly, think about your son. Do you really want Jacob to always live in Justin’s shadow? Scraping by on the crumbs Justin decides to toss his way?”Stella’s voice grew more heated as she spoke, her emotions bubbling over.Ten years ago, the company should have been theirs, but it was handed to Justin for nothing. Now that Mr. Yates Sr. was about to die, they were merely reclaiming what rightfully belonged to them. What was so wrong about that? Harry remained silent, his eyes darting as his thoughts churned. His drooping eyelids, a result of age, did little to hide the calculating glint in his gaze. “Hey! Say something!” Stella snapped, rushing after her husband. She couldn’t believe she had married such a spineless man. *Heidi
In the top-floor conference room, an emergency shareholders' meeting was underway. The primary agenda was the removal of Haley as RC Corporation’s acting president.The fallout from the recent workplace fatality had seriously damaged the company’s reputation, even forcing their flagship international project to halt temporarily.Things had barely begun, and they were already facing one obstacle after another.Harry sat near the end of the table, watching Haley’s icy expression with undisguised satisfaction. “Just yesterday,” he announced with a smug smile, “I acquired three percent of RC Corporation’s shares from Jason Zimmer.“With the two percent I already held, my total may not exceed Miss Haley’s, but I have full confidence in my ability to lead this company forward. I will rally our thousands of employees, and I promise each of you—my fellow shareholders—you will see the returns I deliver.“I ask for your trust and your vote.”This time, Harry didn’t even bother hiding hi
Justin glanced at Haley again through the mirror. She was still beautiful. Years of skincare, clean living, and regular workouts had kept her looking as stunning as ever. Aside from the deeper emotion in her eyes—the kind that came from life experience—she hadn’t changed at all.He leaned in close and said with a grin, “Sis, I want one too.”Haley gave him a sideways look, then picked up another face mask from the counter and handed it to him.“I don’t know how to use it. Can you help me put it on?” he asked, clinging to her sleeve.“If you don’t know how, don’t do it,” she replied, pulling her hand back.Justin immediately snatched the mask back. “Aww, how can you be so heartless? You won’t even help me?”“You’ve got hands, don’t you?”“But I’ve never done it before!”“You did before you lost your memory.”“Well, I don’t remember that now.”“Then give it back.” Haley held out her hand, palm up.“Nope.”They bickered playfully, the back-and-forth echoing through the bathr
In the hospital room at Lichfield, Haley was half-reclining on the sofa, casually scrolling through her phone while Justin sat quietly nearby, studying project documents. He really seemed to take Haley’s words seriously. Despite the memory loss, he was making an effort to run the company.Suddenly, a notification popped up on her screen. She tapped it open.It was a message from Helen.“Sis, have you seen today’s trending news? Justin’s uncle got caught sneaking around with his mistress. It’s all over the internet. Yikes, it’s graphic. Let’s just say... there’s a whole lot of skin. You think his wife hasn’t lost her mind by now?”Haley replied with a calm message.“I saw it. You’re pregnant—try not to look at that kind of stuff.”“It was a push notification, I didn’t go looking for it! But seriously, for a gossip story to trend this high and stay up so long… you think Justin might’ve had a hand in it?” Helen was home with nothing to do during her pregnancy, and lately, her i
“Jacob, you…” Stella stared at him in disbelief. She had raised this child with her own hands, and now that something had happened, he was taking his father’s side?Jacob was a man himself. He had his fair share of flings outside, so naturally, he understood where his father was coming from.Never mind the fact that he still obsessed over Emma. That didn’t stop him from sleeping with other women over the past few months.“Dad, I’ve already paid someone to start pulling the news down. Things are at a critical point right now. You need to lay low.”It was clear Jacob knew all about his father’s affairs—probably more than one.Harry finally pulled out his phone and checked the news. His expression darkened as he read through the headlines. It wasn’t until Jacob reminded him that he realized how serious this could be.“What about your engagement?” he asked.“Don’t worry. I’ve already smoothed things over with my fiancée,” Jacob said flatly.Both families had entered this engageme
Harry burst into laughter and didn’t spare a single glance at his son. He dragged the woman straight into the bedroom, not even bothering to close the curtains before getting straight to "work."Across the street, someone aimed a camera from a neighboring window and captured the entire scene. That same day, a scandalous exposé was written up and posted online. It didn't take long before it shot to the top of trending news and stayed there.Though Harry wasn’t a celebrity or public figure, curious netizens flooded the comments. As people started digging, they quickly discovered that the man in the photos was none other than Harry Yates, Vice Chairman of RC Corporation.That night, back at the Yates’ villa, the entire place was lit up. Stella sat stiffly on the sofa, gripping her tablet so tightly her knuckles turned white. On the screen were blurred-out photos and detailed captions of her husband’s affair.Each image and every word only added fuel to her rage.Her first instinct wa
Sam said goodbye to the others and drove off to return to the company.Upstairs, after Justin’s final checkup, William wheeled him back to his hospital room. Once the door was shut, William reported before Justin could even ask.“He’s been detained. The accounts he embezzled from have been frozen, and we found all the related evidence at his home.”“Don’t send him to the Special Investigations Unit just yet,” Justin said calmly. “Wait until we’ve gathered everything from my uncle’s side, then hand it all over together.”“Understood.”*Meanwhile, in the doctor’s office, everyone was gathered, waiting for Justin’s test results. When the scans and reports came back showing no serious problems, the Walker family finally felt relieved enough to prepare to leave.But Alex clung to Haley’s leg, refusing to budge. “I want to stay here and take care of Uncle Justin. I’ll go home when he’s all better.”Haley opened her mouth to respond, but Zac quickly scooped Alex into his arms and
Outside, thunder cracked violently, echoing through the downpour. Rain lashed down in sheets as a car with a smashed, caved-in front screeched to a sudden stop in front of a villa.The former project lead jumped out into the storm and ran to the door, banging on it frantically. He had left his keys in the car, and with his hands soaked and trembling, he fumbled multiple times with the fingerprint lock and passcode. None of them worked.“Who the hell is banging on the door like that in the middle of the night? Trying to scare someone to death?” his wife yelled as she walked toward the entryway, a face mask plastered on her face, clearly irritated.“It’s me! Open up, now!” he growled from outside.Hearing his voice, she quickly opened the door, still grumbling as she did. “You could’ve just knocked like a normal person! Don’t you know how scary it is to be home alone in the dark with rain pouring down like this?”She kept muttering, but her husband didn’t say a word. He rushed pa
Justin’s grip on her arm loosened a little as he watched Haley sit in front of him, trying to make an emergency call.“Why isn’t there any signal?” she muttered, brows furrowed, her voice tight with urgency. Her face, though she didn’t realize it, was full of unspoken worry.In the front seat, William and Sam had already climbed out of the driver’s cabin. Both pulled out their phones and tried calling for help—but none of them had service either.The rain kept falling, heavy and relentless.After surveying the surroundings, William quickly returned. “I’ll climb up and try to make the call from higher ground. You all stay here and wait for me.”*At Mistletoe Villa, the rest of the family was still waiting for Haley and Justin to return.“Didn’t Mommy say she’d be back this afternoon? It’s already nighttime. Why isn’t she home yet?” Chase frowned, his brows scrunching in worry.Unable to shake the thought, he quickly used his kid’s smartwatch to call her.The ringtone went on f
After Justin finished speaking, he tilted his head and playfully nuzzled her shoulder like a child seeking affection.In the front seat, William and Sam caught a glimpse of it through the rearview mirror. They exchanged a glance, then quickly looked away. “Was that really the same terrifying CEO who used to make everyone tremble with a glance? Did someone take over his body or something?” they thought.Haley shifted uncomfortably, edging away from him to put some distance between them.“Justin, didn’t you study at a business school overseas? Your major was finance or economics, right? You didn’t go abroad just to attend kindergarten, did you?” Her tone sharpened. “When we get back, I want you to start managing the company immediately. Got it?”She couldn’t keep running the company for him. Her background wasn’t even in business—helping temporarily was one thing, but doing it long-term? Absolutely not.She didn’t have the insight or instinct for investments, and she certainly wa