Angeline had never considered exposing Ingrid's lie to Simon about saving his life. Still, she wouldn't mind bringing it up if she could use it as a bargaining chip to cooperate with Norwalk Corporation.It wasn't that she was making Simon repay the favor. There weren't many favors to repay when it came to doing business. All she was doing was weighing the scales and trying to achieve a mutually beneficial arrangement."It'll be a win-win situation if I keep my mouth shut and Norwalk Corporation collaborates with us. It'll help them gain a deeper foothold in Lonla's market, and we'll be able to show Marvonia what we're capable of doing."Yes, they've sanctioned us, but that doesn't mean we can't expand to other markets in Yurope." Angeline tapped a finger on the table. "They've just extended their contract with Ingrid as their global ambassador. If a scandal about her lying about saving Simon's life breaks out…"She paused, then continued, "It'll still be a big blow to Norwalk
"Hi, Ms. Dalton. I'm Helen Lawson. You might not have heard of me before, but I'm Lawson Global's chairman's niece. I'm considered the cousin of Lawson Global's president, Sean Lawson, and Angeline's… aunt," Helen said.Ingrid tensed at the mention of Angeline. "Why are you calling me?""I was in contact with Mr. Fletcher before this, and we were talking about working together. But I've just received news of Fletcher Corporation's bankruptcy, and I can't reach Mr. Fletcher now."I had no choice but to call you, hoping that I could reach him through you. I just need an answer from Mr. Fletcher regarding our continued collaboration." Helen sounded gentle and friendly. It would easily leave one with a good impression.Still, Ingrid exercised caution. "It isn't convenient for Ned to come to the phone now. I'll pass on your message when I see him later.""Alright. Please do ask him to call me when you see him. Otherwise, I'll have no choice but to work with someone else," Helen s
If Angeline was Ned's world and reason for living, then what about Ingrid?After getting together with Ned by imitating Angeline, Ingrid deliberately changed herself to become more and more like Angeline. Not only had he not stopped her, but he'd even fallen more in love with her.Ingrid had thought she stood a chance against Angeline in Ned's heart. But as soon as Ned regained his memories, Ingrid had become nothing to him.She thought she'd gained a relationship that was the stuff of legends in Oceanford—that her and Ned's relationship would also evoke envy in others. But reality had given her a harsh slap.The compliments people had once paid her on winning herself a rich and handsome fiancé who was head over heels for her were now knives that stabbed her heart.Ned's love was something she'd stolen. Now that its true owner had caught her, she had to return it."Fletcher Corporation might be bankrupt now, but I can still afford to compensate you. It might not mean anything to
It was also precisely because Robert cared about Xavier and Yasmine so much that Helen couldn't allow them to remain by his side. She didn't want them to have him wrapped around their fingers."I only have one request—ensure the children can never return to the Lawson family. Can you do that?" Helen asked."Yes. I'll set the time. I'm too caught up with other things now to deal with that," Ned said."I suppose you need to appease Ms. Dalton." Helen chuckled. "I'll wait for you to call, but please be quick. Don't make me run out of patience—I might change my mind anytime."After hanging up, Ned held his phone tightly. He had to let Angeline know about this as soon as possible.…Angeline didn't expect Simon to come pick her up at Lawson Global that evening. He wasn't surprised to see Lenny behind her. He opened the back seat door for her like a perfect gentleman.When they arrived at the restaurant, Danny was already waiting for them. Danny was talkative. He gave Simon a blow
Once Simon worked everything out, he turned to look at Angeline seriously. "Were you at Ica 11 years ago?""Yeah. I was representing Lonla in a competition." Angeline put her cutlery down and wiped her mouth. "Do you understand now why I had my subordinates terminate the projects with Ingrid? It's a risk avoidance tactic."Simon looked at her with wide eyes. He understood her meaning. Norwalk Corporation had appointed Ingrid as its global ambassador because she'd saved Simon without asking for anything in return. It aligned with Norwalk Corporation's beliefs.Simon couldn't even imagine what the truth would do to Norwalk Corporation's reputation if people were to find out about her faking it.Even if he'd learned about the truth beforehand and had the chance to cut Ingrid off before it was too late, Norwalk Corporation would still be affected by this.Simon was the second son of the Norwalk family and had secretly been embroiled in a battle against his elder brother to becom
Simon chuckled lowly. "I understand."Angeline's use of the fact that she'd saved Simon to get Norwalk Corporation involved in a political matter wasn't enough to cover the havoc Ingrid's lie would wreak on the company.But the revelation of Angeline being Simon's savior and Norwalk Corporation being at risk of harm made Simon pause to consider the issue at the important juncture of Marvonia's diplomatic visit to Ica.Angeline was an incredible academic, but she was an even better businesswoman.Simon put the folder down. "It's no wonder you managed to get Vitality Biotech to where it is in such a short time. Aside from your accomplishments in academia, you're also an amazing entrepreneur. As for this matter… I need to meet with my people."When Angeline saw that he didn't return the folder to her but placed it down beside him instead, she knew she'd succeeded. She smiled and nodded. "Of course!""It's 11 years too late, but I must thank you. Thank you for saving me back th
Sean had had Jason report directly to Angeline on the overseas expansion."It's all because of the political elements. They're allies with Marvonia and don't want to risk offending them." Angeline removed her earrings as she spoke. "Still, it'd be good to get the news of our collaboration with Norwalk Corporation out before the Minister of Commerce's visit."Even if Norwalk Corporation is nothing but a luxury brand, it's nationally recognized in Ica. I'm sure Fontenay will consider that and wonder whether it's something the government approves of."This was what doing business was about. One had to mix genuine and fake news to achieve one's goals."So, have you and Simon already agreed on the collaboration?" Sean asked."Not yet, but there shouldn't be any issue with it. The conflict within the Norwalk family is intense now. Simon's the one who took Ingrid on as Norwalk Corporation's global ambassador, and she's also—from the public's perception—his savior."From a purely bus
"I do," Sean answered. Angeline was already starting to show her capabilities."There isn't too much space in my heart. I have you, Mom, Granddad, and the kids in there, and my work takes up the rest. Nothing else can fit inside." Angeline seemed to have grasped the best way to appease Sean."I hope you won't forget that the kids and I are waiting for you to return. You're embarking on a journey to get revenge, but please remember to keep yourself safe while you're at it. You know how badly Yasmine wants to live with you. Xavier adores you, too, but just isn't good at expressing himself."Sean lifted her into his arms, his breathing getting heavy. She hurriedly wrapped her arms around his neck and said, "The housekeeper's prepared dinner, and I still have some work…""That can wait!" The bedroom door slammed shut behind them.…It was 9:40 pm when Sean left the bedroom, dressed in loungewear after showering. He softly shut the door behind him.He leaned against the balco
As soon as the words were out of Angeline's mouth, the sound of lounge slippers padding across the floor rang out. Yasmine ignored the shock on Ned's face and turned to reach for Sean. "Hold me, Daddy!"Sean smiled and lifted her into his arms. Then, he stood beside Angeline and looked at Ned imperiously. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Fletcher. I'm Shane Kingston. Thank you for pushing Angie away in the past—it led to my relationship with her."Ned knew precisely who "Shane" was. Just a few days ago, he'd seen the news about Melissa's press conference explaining her relationship with "Shane".His mind buzzed. He knew Sean and Shane looked similar enough for Dexter's men to have gotten the wrong person. However, he hadn't expected "Shane" to have anything to do with Angeline!"You… Are you the kids' father?" Ned's voice was incredibly shaky."Yes, and again, thank you for that!" Sean smiled. "We've never told anyone about this because I didn't want to endanger Angie and the kids.
Sean didn't give Angeline the chance to finish. "You were right to bring this up to me!"He wrapped his arms around her from behind and continued, "You and the kids will always be my main priority. I know I said I want Melissa to remain safe and happy under my watch, but my feelings for her are purely familial love."She's family to me, and I must care for her. But you and the kids mean more to me than anything else in the world, including her."His honesty made Angeline feel slightly more at ease. She said, "Those are your words, not mine…""I swear on my life that I mean every word." He pressed a kiss to her head. "Can I stay here tonight? I want to sleep with you and the kids. Also, I came from Brayden's place upstairs, so no one will know I'm here.""Granddad made it clear that if anyone finds out about this, he won't allow the kids to see you anymore.""Got it. Don't worry about a thing. Mr. Lawson Senior raised me, and I owe him for that. I won't put him in a tough
Angeline nodded without saying anything. Once Nathaniel was gone, she received a call from Sean."Now that everything has been taken care of, I want to give you a gift," he said, the smile in his tone evident. "Can you have the kids spend Friday night at Grand Court Residences? I want to show all three of you my gift on Saturday."He missed Yasmine and Xavier terribly. Before resolving the issue with Melissa, he hadn't dared to say he wanted to see them. Even if Angeline were okay with it, Robert probably would've objected to his wishes. Now that the dust had settled, he couldn't wait to see them."I don't call the shots regarding the kids now. I'll have to ask Granddad," Angeline said."I'll talk to him about it." Sean was worried Robert would take his anger out on her. "This all started because I insisted on being with you, so I'll handle it. I'll visit Mr. Lawson Senior later today."Angeline didn't know how Sean's conversation with Robert went, but Robert had Asher drop
That night, Melissa called Sean. "Shane, let's publicly announce our divorce. We can tell everyone that we only got married on paper so the Lane family could offer you its protection."Tell them that Dexter repeatedly tried to harm you so he could take the Kingston family fortune, and tell them how he tried to snatch you from the Lane family so he could secretly deal with you."She paused, then continued, "Now that Dexter's in prison, we can get a divorce, and Lori can adopt me as her daughter. We'll become cousins, and we'll still be a family.""Melissa…"Sean was surprised. He didn't expect her to see the light in such a short time."Since you don't have any feelings for me and won't ever make me your wife, I'll settle to be Lori's daughter. That way, you'll always be my family!" Tears streamed down Melissa's face as she spoke. "I adore Lori and want to be her daughter.""Alright," Sean said."Can you head to Keman with me, then? We can visit Dad together before getting
Melissa stared at Lori, who chuckled gently. "It's alright. There's no need to rush into anything. Take your time to think about it. Get good rest for a few days, then go shopping with me. We can buy some clothes to keep up with the changing seasons."I heard from Brayden and Sean that you're the expert in fashion and dressing up. I've always wanted a daughter who could shop, exercise, travel, café hop, and go on spa days with me."She paused and continued, "I didn't get to do any of this with you because you weren't in the best state before this. Now, though, you're all better. You're back to normal, and you've regained your memories!""I'd love that!" Melissa said without hesitation. She'd only done these things with her mother and Emelia in her dreams, but that was all they were—dreams. She was delighted now that Lori was back and willing to make her dreams come true.Sean sat on the couch and sipped his coffee. He knew Lori was doing everything she could to make his life ea
Melissa nodded. Sean said, "I know you have no company management experience. Mr. Lane might have entrusted Trustworth Group to me, but it's still yours. Before you find someone to take over, my plan for the company is still to move its focus back to Lonla."The global situation isn't the best now, and Lonla is the safest place for expansion. That's why the company's focus has to return to Lonla—""You can hand the company over to Brayden," Melissa interrupted. "The only people in this world I trust are you, Dad, and Brayden. Now that Dad's in prison and you don't want me anymore, Brayden is all I have left.""I'm still your kin, Melissa. I won't kick you to the curb and leave you to die. Nevertheless, Trustworth Group is yours. You can have whoever you want to manage it. Brayden is capable of that." Sean looked at Brayden. "What do you think? Are you willing to take over Trustworth Group?""I'll do it as long as Melissa is okay with it!" Brayden nodded. He turned to look
"That's not it! I've always been willing to care for you, and I'm more than willing to care for you in the future! It's not something that I'm forced to do…" Brayden feared his words would inadvertently hurt Melissa, so he decided not to continue in that vein.He said, "C'mon, you should head downstairs to eat something. You've already slept the day away.""I don't want to eat!" Melissa lay down again and pulled the sheets around herself. She said dully, "I want to sleep for a bit longer. Shut the door on your way out."Seeing that she'd already shut her eyes and started weeping, Brayden said softly, "I'll have the kitchen keep the food warm for you. Remember to call me when you wake up, okay? I'll be right downstairs!""Okay." Brayden left the room after hearing Melissa's muffled reply. He shut the door behind him.Melissa remained upstairs. She didn't head downstairs, even when Sean returned. Sean had already spoken to Angeline on the phone and told her he wouldn't meet
Melissa slept in her room and only woke up at night. She removed her headphones and opened her red, swollen eyes. She stared dazedly at the night sky, only returning to her senses when her headphones fell out of her hands.Brayden, who'd been waiting outside this whole time, heard them fall to the floor and hurried into the room. He saw Melissa sitting cross-legged on the bed. She propped herself on one arm while leaning down to pick up the headphones.He hurried forward and picked them up for her, then remained on one knee by the bed. He looked up at her and said, "You slept for ages, Melissa. Do you want to have anything to eat? I got all your favorites, and there are different cuisines. I also got your favorite fruits and snacks!"He'd already had the maids throw out the food he'd bought at noon. Then, he'd had his subordinate buy a fresh batch.Melissa turned to look at him dazedly. She said hoarsely, "Brayden…""I'm here," he said. "C'mon, should we get something to eat
Melissa knew Sean well. So, it was impossible for her not to know if he was being serious. Sean was indeed threatening her, and he was using his life to do it. That way, she wouldn't dare to harm Angeline for fear of hurting him.She loved Sean so much that she could give up her life for him. She wondered why he was treating her that way. He knew she wouldn't allow even the slightest possibility of her threatening his safety.Just then, Sean received a call from Brayden. He said, "...Yeah, I've already picked Melissa up. We're heading to Southstream Manor now… Yeah, you can head over there. Buy some food on your way—Melissa probably hasn't eaten anything yet. She should be hungry."At his words, Melissa couldn't hold back her tears any longer. She covered her face and started sobbing. She'd spent her whole life dreaming of becoming Sean's wife, but he was now in love with someone else and no longer wanted her.Yet, she couldn't do anything about the situation, or she'd be hurting