Dominic stepped out of his car, staring at the signboard of the famous restaurant in front of him. This was the meeting place chosen for today’s business gathering—an important event that had been scheduled for a long time. Wearing a sharp black suit, he walked toward the restaurant door, ready to face his business associates.
However, as he stepped inside, something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. A woman with long, glossy brown hair walked quickly through the crowd outside the restaurant. Dominic paused for a moment, his gaze fixed on the figure.
"Clara."
He squinted, trying to make sure of what he had just seen. There was something about the way the woman moved, the glimpse of her face—too familiar. Dominic’s heart began to race. His mind drifted back to the past. Clara was a part of his life that had been long gone.
Without thinking, Dominic quickened hi
Dominic sat on the sofa in Clara’s luxurious apartment, glancing around awkwardly. It felt strange to be here, in such a personal space, especially at night. Clara sat across from him, looking fresh despite the late hour. There was a smile on her face, one that was hard for Dominic to read.“You're not the type of man to show up somewhere unannounced, Dominic,” Clara began, her eyes locking onto his with a warmth that seemed genuine, but filled with curiosity. “Is there something urgent?”Dominic opened his mouth to respond, but before he could say a word, Clara continued. “Do you remember? The sofa you're sitting on is the one we picked out together. I thought you might have forgotten what it felt like to sit there, in the place where we used to have all those important talks. Remember those times when we were drowning in assignments?” Clara laughed softly, recalling the past with clarity.&n
Despite feeling sleepy, dizzy, and unwell, Dominic managed to make it home. His steps were a bit unsteady as he got out of the car, but he still tried to appear normal in front of Victor and the driver, who were clearly watching him with concerned looks.“Are you okay, Sir?” Victor asked, his expression worried.Dominic weakly shook his head, brushing off their concern. “I’m fine. Just tired,” he replied shortly, his voice hoarse. He didn’t want any further conversation, and he certainly didn’t want to explain what had really happened that night.Victor didn’t seem satisfied with that answer. He stepped closer, his face growing more serious. “Mr. Dominic, why are you home so late? Have you been somewhere far? Did something bad happen?”Dominic paused for a moment, his gaze turning toward Victor. But he didn’t answer. Instead of respond
Mr. Charles sat in the plush chair of his study, his gaze fixed on Victor, who stood in front of the desk. Victor's face appeared serious, and the intensity in his eyes indicated that what he was about to say was not trivial.“Tell me, Victor. What’s really going on?” Mr. Charles opened the conversation, getting straight to the point.Victor sighed, as if weighing his words carefully. “Something's not right with Dominic.”Mr. Charles leaned forward, his gaze sharpening. “I know; Gwen looked gloomy earlier too. What’s really going on with him?”“When he came home last night, I saw his condition. He looked exhausted and not himself. That raised my suspicions, so I tried to investigate a little.”“You’ve investigated?” Mr. Charles raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised by Victor's initiative.
Mr. Charles halted his steps, his body freezing for a moment before he slowly turned to face Ethan. There was something in his gaze, a burden that seemed too heavy for a man of such power. His eyes were sharp but filled with a deep-seated regret.“Ethan,” his voice was low, almost a whisper drowned out by the soft sounds from outside the room. “I have to intervene, and I will always intervene in your affairs... because I don’t want to lose you. You and Dominic are the only ones left from him.”Ethan furrowed his brow, still confused about his grandfather's direction. Suddenly, Marco chimed in, “Left from whom, sir?”Mr. Charles looked deeply into Ethan's eyes, as if measuring the strength behind his words. “From my successor, whom I take pride in,” he replied softly but firmly. “My son... my only child. I didn’t pay enough attention to him, never intervene
Dominic stood in front of Gwen, watching the tense expression on her face. He could feel the heated atmosphere around them. His eyes narrowed, searching for answers to the anger that was impossible to hide from his wife's face."How should I know? Why don't you ask her? Why did you turn off the phone?" he asked, his voice filled with a mix of frustration and confusion.Gwen took a deep breath, trying to calm herself even though her anger was still burning inside."Maybe if you weren't so angry, we could find out what Clara wanted when she called me," he responded accusingly, as if all of this was Gwen's fault. "Maybe Clara just wanted to talk about business. That's why she called so early in the morning."Gwen quickly shook her head, dissatisfaction written all over her face. "That’s unacceptable, Dominic. Why would Clara call you early in the morning if it was just about business? She could ha
Feeling sorry for Gwen, Christ finally spoke up. "Alright, I’ll try," he said, his voice carrying a willingness to help, though doubt still lingered in his mind. "But it might take some time, and I can’t promise quick results.""That’s fine, Christ. The important thing is that I get information about Clara," she said, relief beginning to wash over her. "Thank you so much. This means a lot to me."After ending the call, Gwen felt as though a small weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She knew contacting Christ was a bold move, but she couldn’t wait any longer for Dominic to explain things. She needed to know the truth and protect her marriage.Meanwhile, Christ stared at his phone, his mind clouded with uncertainty. Should he tell Gwen everything he knew? The tension between his loyalty to Dominic and his responsibility to help Gwen weighed heavily on him. Dominic’s family was on the bri
“This breakfast... is it just about the past?” Dominic asked, his voice flatter than he intended.Clara shrugged, seeming unaffected. “Maybe. Maybe it’s more than that. Sometimes the past can offer answers for what’s happening now.”Dominic sensed something unsaid behind Clara’s words, but he didn’t want to press her just yet. He sipped his coffee, letting the bitterness settle on his tongue as he mulled over what was really happening between them.Clara smiled faintly, playing with the edge of her coffee cup. “You’re still the same as before,” she said softly. “The way you handle things, your reactions. I can still guess what’s on your mind.”Dominic set down his cup, meeting her gaze sharply. “And you, Clara? What is it that you really want? We haven’t seen each other in years, and suddenly you’re
Dominic stared at his phone screen, his fingers tapping anxiously on the steering wheel. He had sent Clara a message a few minutes ago, but there was still no reply. Every passing second only intensified the feeling that there was something bigger going on than just unresolved feelings from the past.He replayed their earlier meeting in his mind. It was clear that Clara was hiding something. Every word that came out of her mouth seemed carefully filtered, as if she was choosing what she could say and what she had to keep hidden. Dominic began to suspect that their meeting wasn’t just a coincidence. There was a purpose behind her invitation to breakfast.His thoughts raced, trying to connect the dots between their past and what Clara had just hinted at. Back then, Clara had abruptly rejected his love without any clear explanation. They had been so close—always together in class, studying, sharing their dreams. But then, everything
The echoing gunshot came from Victor. In an instant, he fired several rapid shots that struck Rachel's men lurking behind the door, causing their bodies to collapse immediately.Wayne breathed a sigh of relief while peeking into the now-silent hallway. “How did you know they were there?”Victor put on a sharp expression and smirked briefly, “I’m always ready for unexpected attacks. Don’t lose focus; we still have other tasks.”Pierre, who had been hiding behind the wall, took a deep breath. “If it weren't for you, Victor, we might have been easy targets.” He wiped the sweat from his forehead, looking a bit shaky. “Are we really safe now?”“Don’t feel too relieved, Pierre,” Wayne said, patting his partner’s shoulder. “It’s not over until we’re really out of here.”Victor's m
Victor stepped out of the building, approaching the white car waiting in the parking lot. Inside, two of his trained subordinates, Pierre and Wayne, were ready, their faces showing determination and seriousness. The car gleamed under the streetlights, as if ready to plunge into the darkness of the night.The car sped quickly down the empty nighttime streets, the tense atmosphere haunting every second of the journey. Victor stared ahead, his mind racing. He wasn’t just carrying a well-crafted plan, but also holding the hope of realizing a long-awaited ambition. I must not fail,” he whispered to himself. Every detail of this plan had to be executed perfectly.Upon arriving at the location believed to be Rachel's new house, Victor felt adrenaline coursing through his veins. Before stepping out of the car, he instructed his men to stay alert. As soon as they got out, they noticed that the surroundings of the house appeared calm. Howe
Theo looked surprised but quickly realized that Victor knew more than he had suspected. “That’s right, Miss Gwen just wanted to make sure everything was alright,” he replied, trying to keep his tone calm.Victor continued, staring intensely into Theo’s eyes. “You need to know that Mr. Charles and I are planning something very secretive to deal with the challenge from Rachel. We can't let this situation get out of control.”Hearing that, Theo's attention was immediately focused. “What do you mean, what plan?”“What do you mean, what plan?” Theo asked again, his curiosity piqued despite knowing the risks involved.Victor nodded, realizing that Theo was the right person to enlist for help, but he also needed to be reminded of the importance of secrecy. “We’re preparing a strategy to deal with her, but this isn’t somethin
Victor stared at Dominic for a moment before averting his gaze, as if trying to avoid Dominic’s intense stare. “I’m sorry, Mr. Dominic,” he replied quietly but firmly. “I’m just doing what Mr. Charles asked. What they talked about… that’s not my place to explain.”Dominic frowned, dissatisfied with the answer. “So you’re just following Grandpa’s orders? Rachel comes to this house late at night, and you don’t feel the slightest need to tell me?”Victor took a breath before responding calmly. “This is all with Mr. Charles’s knowledge, Dominic. I’m just carrying out my duties as instructed by him, and he has the authority to decide what should be shared.”Dominic sighed, feeling frustrated by the overly formal response. “Victor, you’ve been working here for a long time. Is there really nothing you can tel
Theo shook his head, his face filled with concern. "I don't know Rachel's exact intentions. But from the moves she's making, it seems she's getting ready to open the option for 'open warfare.' This is not a usual occurrence; she might be sending a warning or, worse, a direct threat."Dominic looked at Gwen with eyes that reflected his worry. His concern for their Grandpa's safety made him react immediately. He grabbed his phone and, without hesitation, called Christ. There was a long ring before Christ's firm voice answered."Dominic?" Christ asked, his tone attentive.Dominic spoke quickly, his voice filled with urgency. "Christ, we just got word that Rachel is at Grandpa's house. I don't know what her plan is, but I need your help. Send your men there now to secure Grandpa's house. Don't let her cause any trouble."Christ didn't ask many questions, understanding the urgency in Dominic's voice. "Got
Dominic explained about Theo's plan to follow the car that was suspected to belong to Rachel, which had been speeding toward the hospital, and how they arrived without news from the second team. Ethan's expression suddenly turned serious. "You guys need to be careful when you head back.""We'll be fine," Theo interjected, trying to reassure them. "I'll personally ensure Dominic and Gwen's safety.""Then you should leave before it gets too late."Gwen agreed with her brother-in-law's statement, and they said their goodbyes to Ethan. Dominic entrusted his brother to Daniel. "Please take care of my mischievous brother, the situation is getting out of control, and Rachel is getting bolder with us.""Yes, sir. I will take care of Mr. Ethan as best as I can."Dominic and Gwen returned home under tight escort from Theo, even sharing the same car. The atmosphere inside the vehicle was qu
Mr. Charles's thoughts were now filled with plans to retaliate against Rachel's actions without showing his face. "You know what to do, Victor. Prepare everything as quickly as possible. I want to ensure every step we take pushes her further into a corner."As the car continued down the road, Mr. Charles felt a growing determination to defend his family. For him, this wasn’t just about revenge—this was about protecting his family and preserving their honor. And with Victor by his side, he knew that his plans would unfold smoothly, as they always had.∞That night, in the living room of Mr. Charles's house, the warm atmosphere contrasted sharply with the tension rising between Dominic and his grandfather. Dominic stood tall before Mr. Charles, determination visible in his serious gaze. Mr. Charles, sitting in his chair, looked at his grandson with a stern yet gentle expression."Are
Daniel stepped into the emergency room, hearing the steady beep of medical monitors beyond the curtains and the occasional footsteps of nurses. His heart raced with worry for Ethan's condition.As the curtain was drawn back, his gaze locked onto Ethan lying on the bed. But what shocked Daniel was the smile on Ethan’s face. He seemed perfectly fine, showing no signs of having fainted or suffering from poisoning. In an instant, Daniel’s worry was replaced by deep confusion.“Sir…” Daniel spoke softly, still unable to believe what he was seeing. “Are… you alright?”Ethan looked at him casually and shrugged. “Well, yes, I’m fine. Why? Do I look like someone on their deathbed?” he replied.Daniel was stunned. “You look… incredibly healthy. I saw you faint suddenly after drinking Rachel’s drink.”
"Of course, we’ve arrived here. I can’t back down, especially since you’re here to protect me. Right?" Ethan replied. "Now let’s set up a plan: I’ll meet her, and you’ll stay nearby. Make sure no one suspects you. Do you understand?""I'm sorry, sir, but this isn't right. Our agreement was for you to follow my rules," Daniel rejected, unwilling to accept Ethan changing their arrangement."That agreement no longer applies, Daniel. What needs to be agreed upon is my plan," Ethan retorted, turning to open the car door, but Daniel quickly locked it from the driver’s side. This surprised and annoyed Ethan. "Daniel, what are you doing? Open the door.""I'm sorry, sir, but changing the agreement suddenly is not allowed," he said while starting the car."Don't be reckless, Daniel. Turn off the engine. If Rachel finds out I brought someone else, my plan could fall apa