“Let me think...” Samantha said, frowning. “If I remember correctly, we broke up because of his mother. He was raised by a single mom, and she manipulated him a lot. She didn’t like me either, as she saw me as a gold-digging bitch only after their family’s money.”“What? Was that woman stupid or what?” Eric said, surprised, never imagining that someone would call his wife that.“Why do you say that, Dad?” Jayden asked.“Well, your mom couldn’t have been a gold digger because your grandparents had plenty of money. In fact, I borrowed some of it to grow the business and turn it into the powerhouse it is today.”“Really?” Jayden said, astonished.“Haha, yes, son. Actually, you were very little, but many times my parents took you in because they said they had more free time to look after you than Jayden’s parents, who were with us at the company.”“Oh... that’s why I have more baby photos with them.”“Hm... My in-laws were great people in many ways. Naturally, when I started making
Extra 23: NoAt that moment, Gabriel was doing the math and moving money around his accounts to get the amount that man had demanded to bring him his beloved.He then looked up and saw the old photo on his desk that showed his mother and him as a young man.“God... see? I told you, you were wrong. Samantha was never interested in my inheritance... She loved me sincerely because her parents weren't as poor as you thought. In fact, they helped that idiot grow his fortune.”He really loved and hated his mother for everything she did.He loved her because she supported him, cared for him, pampered him... she gave him all the love a mother could offer her son. But... At the same time, he hated her because she ruined his life.It was her fault that he lost the love of his life simply because she didn't accept her as a daughter-in-law.Even though he begged and told her that Samantha wasn’t like that, that damn woman managed to blackmail him with her maternal love, claiming she knew wh
The older man frowned. “No... what I’m doing will be worth it in a few days when I talk to Samantha.”“Why not just talk to her in person instead of this crazy kidnapping idea?”“Women like bad boys.”“Those are the tastes of some young women, but let me remind you that Mrs. Samantha is a grown woman and even a grandmother now.”“So what?”“That means you’re an old man too, so you should act your age.”“...” Gabriel’s eye twitched. “You’re crossing the line,” he said, clenching his fists tightly.“No, I’m just speaking the truth. Instead of doing all this crazy stuff, how about I set up a meeting with Samantha?”“What...?”“You know, have a meeting at a café or restaurant to talk about old times.”“That sounds like something an old man would do.”“You are an old man; you’re 56 years old.”“...” Gabriel grimaced at his words.“Yes, I think that’s the best thing to do,” the assistant said, pulling out his phone.“Don’t you dare.”“I will because I don’t want to see you los
Extra 24: A Date?When Samantha ended the call, she let out a sigh—the conversation reminded her of the past.“Ah… you really haven’t changed one bit,” she commented, looking at her phone.“Mom.” She looked up to see her son walking into her office while reading some papers. “They just sent me the report with the quotes for the new tiles you want for the collection,” he said, handing her the papers.“That fast? Let me see,” she said excitedly, reading through the reports.“They said they could be ready in four days since it’s a simple design and they already have the geometric molds. It won’t be a challenge for the artisans,” he said, noticing the happiness in his mother’s eyes.“I know, and the best part is that this style is trending in the interior design world,” she said. “If they can make them quickly, it means a great profit for us. We’ll also continue offering our basic plain designs: the ones that look like paint splatters and those that imitate wood, marble, or stone.”
Extra 25: Past and Present“You’re welcome, Sam...” he said as he sat across from her. “So, tell me, how have you been? What’s life been like for you?”“Well, I can’t complain. I have good days and bad days, like everyone,” she said, looking him in the eyes.“You’re right.”“And I can’t complain either because I have the life I always wanted.”“What do you mean?”“Well, I found a wonderful man to share my life with, and we’ve built a beautiful family together,” she said, carefully observing his reactions.“Oh...” Gabriel felt awful hearing this, not the answer he had hoped for.“And you? How have you been? What have you been up to?”“Well... I’m good... I focused on managing several department stores.”“Oh, that’s great.”“Yeah...” he said, grimacing.“And did you get married?”“Well... yes, but don’t worry. My marriage only lasted a year before I got divorced.”“Oh wow, I’m sorry to hear that.”“No need to be. Honestly, I think it was for the best.”“Oh yeah? Why’s tha
“No, Sam... don’t say that to me.”“Gabriel, I don’t hold any grudges or anything like that, but there will never be anything between us, and actually, after what just happened... I don’t think we can even remain friends.”“What? Why?”“Because you’re not here to be my friend. Besides, you scared my grandson not long ago.”“But about that kid... why do you care so much? I mean... he’s not your blood, and—”“So what? I’ve been his grandmother since he was born, and you’re in no position to judge me or tell me what I can or can’t do.”“Sam...”“It’s Samantha,” she corrected him. “And you know, it hurts to find out that you’re the one harming my family... When I agreed to this lunch, it was to ask you: why are you doing this?”“Wait, Samantha, don’t say or do something you’ll regret.”“I don’t regret anything because I’m going to defend my family with everything I have,” she said, looking him in the eyes. “So, I hope you stop bothering my family or face the consequences,” she sai
Extra 25: Not-So-Innocent Prank Part 1After that conversation, things started to change for the better.Gabriel followed his assistant’s advice. After paying off the last lawsuits, Gate Construction closed down. Just as it had appeared out of nowhere, it vanished just as suddenly.The only good thing to come out of Gabriel’s attacks was that it taught a valuable lesson, not just to the Coopers but also to other companies: to keep some emergency funds on hand.Gradually, life for the Cooper family began to return to normal, settling back into their work routines and caring for the children.As the years passed, the four siblings grew up amidst laughter, games, and studies, which filled their parents with pride.James continued with his ambition to study and become a great architect like his father. He made sure to spend time with him and his grandfather at the company. In his free time, he played with the twins or worked out, as he had started following an exercise routine.Eliz
Extra 25: Not-So-Innocent Prank Part 2The black-haired woman felt triumphant, believing she was proving to her father that she could get anything she wanted, no matter the obstacle in her way.Unfortunately for her, her luck ran out when she realized the company had two elevators: one that went to all the floors and was for all employees, and another one that was exclusive for reaching the CEO’s office. In other words, she wouldn’t be able to reach “her grandfather” because that special elevator required an access card.“Damn it…” she muttered.“Ma’am, are you okay?” a child’s voice called out from behind her.“Are you having trouble, ma’am?” another child’s voice followed.“Who are you calling ‘ma’am’?” That word made her frown. She was only twenty years old, so she quickly turned to confront them, only to be surprised when she found two little kids watching her intently.“We called you ma’am,” Michael said.“Because you are one. You look old,” Nicole added mockingly.The wo
Extra 40: A Happy and Perfect Life Part 2That promise came to an end for one of them three years later, as Nicholas was the first to go due to his heart, which began to fail until it simply stopped beating one cold December morning.Despite the immense pain she felt, Deborah fulfilled her father’s last wish… so they buried him with the diamond pendant that had belonged to her mother and grandfather.It was a very sad time, and everyone came together to keep Deborah from falling apart, as she now felt alone, as though she had lost her family again.But her children reminded her that she wasn’t alone, and because of this, they tried to distract her by having her organize the Christmas party.The days continued to pass, and just when they were preparing for James’ wedding, Eric and Samantha Cooper passed away due to old age.That was news that covered all the media outlets, with the headline telling a beautiful love story, as they had gone to sleep together and passed away to the n
Extra 40: A Happy and Perfect Life Part 1Time began to pass quickly, bringing good, bad, and sad moments that gradually changed the family.One good thing that happened was that after much reflection, Roger managed to make peace with his father, asking for forgiveness for all the stupid things he had done when he was younger. He also apologized to his little brother for being such a jerk.Even though he didn’t want to, Elliot reluctantly accepted the apologies because his wife convinced him that holding onto grudges wasn’t healthy.Unfortunately, the Peterson family only got to celebrate being united for a short period of time because two weeks after that reconciliation… George passed away of natural causes.That was a tragic moment for everyone, one that shook his friends, reminding them of how precious and short life is. Those who suffered the most from the loss of their Grandpa George were Howard and Fiona. But their parents, uncles, and maternal grandparents showered them wit
Extra 39: Deborah and JamesAfter lunch, and taking advantage of when his father taking his little siblings to their extracurricular activities, James sought out his mom to talk with her.“Mom,” he called out when he saw her in her study, reading some papers.“Hey, come in,” she said, looking up and setting aside the documents for a moment.“More work?”“Not exactly. These are the reports of the current buildings for sale in the city.”“Huh… are you already looking into that?”“Well, son, your sister graduates next year, and a year is not a lot of time to start a company from scratch.”“Will it already be furnished for her?” he asked, taking the documents to read them.“Yes, that’s why I want to buy a warehouse to remodel or a vacant lot so you and your dad can work your magic to build it and make it just like Elizabeth wants.”“It’s a project I can’t wait to start,” James said excitedly.“Your little siblings are also helping me, looking into sewing stores to buy industrial
Extra 38: A Father’s FearsHonestly, it was a strange conversation for James, one he never thought he’d have… in fact, not even in his wildest dreams did he imagine having this kind of interaction with the man who was supposedly his biological father.After telling him a bit about his school life, James paid the bill and said goodbye to Roger, as he had to get back to the office; he didn’t want to be away from work for too long.When he entered the conference room, he saw his father talking to some other architects.“Great, we’re all set then,” Jayden said, dismissing them. “Son, how did it go?” he asked as James approached him.“Fine, but it was weird.”“So... has he started to feel his age?”“I think so,” James replied, making a face.“And what did he want?”“Well, he just started talking to me, apologizing for being absent, and now he wants us to meet up to talk because he wants to get to know me,” James said, scratching his head. “I don’t know… it seemed odd that he wants
Extra 37: A Late Talk Part 2“Wow, sorry for the confusion.”“Don’t worry about it. My family supported me, and thanks to learning the truth, I understood why we had three grandfathers.”“I imagine you became an architect because of Jayden.”“That’s right. My motivation was seeing how his drawings came to life… it excited me to the point where I wanted to do the same, and as the days went by, that desire grew stronger, so I decided to make it a reality,” he said, his excitement evident in his words. “Though I also saw that Uncle did something similar by turning his sketches into beautiful jewelry, but that didn’t impress me as much.”“I see, but didn’t my dad teach you the basics of the company?”“Yes, Grandpa showed me the trade,” James said with a smile. “In fact, I’m a good appraiser, and I know how to make jewelry because Uncle also taught me the basics of jewelry design and creation. But I see that as a hobby because the only jewelry I’ve made has been for my mom, my sisters
Extra 37: A Late Talk Part 1“I’ll ask you again. What are you doing here?” James questioned, frowning slightly.“James… I…” Roger stammered nervously, his words catching in his throat and refusing to come out.“Are you here to apologize on behalf of your daughter?”“Something like that,” he said, finally managing to speak, though he made a face. “Would you let me talk to you?”“To me?” James asked, confused, pointing to himself. “About what?”“Can I invite you for a drink so we can talk?”“What do you want with my son?” At that moment, Roger saw his longtime rival approaching and standing next to the young man.“Jayden, please let me talk to James,” Roger pleaded.The now platinum-blonde looked confused at his rival. It was the first time Roger had called him by his name, and he could see that Roger seemed genuinely sorry and defeated. Jayden let out a sigh. “James, go with him.”“What?” James looked at him, surprised and confused.“Are you serious?” Roger said, a note of h
Extra 36: Late Regrets Part 2The next morning, during breakfast, Roger was focused on his phone, determined to reach out to James and be the one to make the first contact.“Hey, Dad,” Cassandra called out, trying to get his attention, noticing he was more focused on his phone than his breakfast.“What is it?” Roger asked, looking up.“Well... hey, what are we going to do about last night?”“What?” he said with a frown.“Come on, Dad, aren’t you going to do something about Grandpa and—”“Casandra, enough... I think whatever happened last night should have made the situation clear.”“But…”“They no longer see me as family, and they never recognized you as such, so just forget about it because it’s only the three of us, no one else.”“No…”“Cassandra, enough,” her mother scolded. “I told you yesterday not to go, and all you did was humiliate yourselves in public,” she said, looking her daughter in the eyes. “Grow up already. You lost that boy because you chased something that
Extra 36: Late Regrets Part 1Roger didn’t return home for the rest of the night. He ignored the cries of his ‘daughter’ as he headed to the nearest bar to have a drink and try to clear his mind.Seeing his father defeated and exhausted had made him stop and think.While sipping his third beer, he raised his gaze and saw his reflection in the mirror behind the bar, realizing that an old man was staring back at him... which scared him. He now looked at his hands, which had more wrinkles than he remembered. When had he changed so much?His once beautiful hair was now streaked with gray, his face showed his age, and he had dark circles under his dull eyes.When had he gotten so old?And why did he look like this?He was supposed to age gracefully, but that wasn’t the case... because what he saw in that mirror was a shell of the successful man he once was.He thought back to James. That boy had surpassed him in height; he was the version of himself Roger had always wanted to be: ta
Extra 35: Total BreakElliot was furious to see Roger and his daughter at the party.“Why did you hurt my daughter?” Roger hadn’t recognized James and just wanted to help his princess. “Who do you think you are…?” Then he saw James and, how could he not recognize him? He was Roger’s spitting image, giving the latter the same hateful look Roger himself wore.“I should ask you the same thing, sir. Who do you think you are, crashing a private event?” James asked.Roger was about to respond, but…“What’s the meaning of this?” George asked, approaching them.“Grandpa, they attacked me, and…” Cassandra started to say.“Miss, don’t call my grandpa ‘Grandpa,’” declared Howard.“Tom, call security,” Eric ordered. “Get these two out of the party.”Among the guests, a blond young man recognized Cassandra but didn’t go to help her because his parents didn’t allow it. They didn’t want to end up caught in the middle of the problem and become collateral damage, nor did they want to fall out