Embarrassment flickered across Wren's face as she muttered, "I didn't… I just didn't know the situation before, okay?""If you don't know the situation, then don't meddle," Gabriel rebuked.After a moment of silence, Wren stole a glance at Gabriel and softly said, "Gabriel, this time it's my fault. I'm sorry. But Wil absolutely cannot be sent back to Jane. Who knows how she'll treat him? She's already proven she's capable of terrible things."Just thinking about Jane intentionally causing Wilhelm's allergic reaction made Wren's skin crawl. What kind of mother could be so cruel?"I know what I'm doing. From now on, if Jane contacts you, don't respond," Gabriel instructed.Wren quickly nodded. "Okay… I understand…""If there's nothing else, you can go. I have work to do," Gabriel dismissed."Alright… I'll leave now…" Wren answered.As Wren walked out of the villa, she finally let out a sigh of relief.Just as she was about to call her driver, her phone rang.Seeing that it was
Jane smiled and praised, "You're such a good boy, Wil. Come here—Mommy wants to tell you something."Hesitant but trusting, Wilhelm slowly moved closer to her.The moment he was within reach, Jane grabbed his collar, her expression dark and menacing. "When I called you earlier, why didn't you come immediately?"Terrified, Wilhelm turned pale, tears brimming in his eyes. "Mommy… I was scared…""Scared of what?" Jane demanded."Scared you'd hit me… Waaaah…" Wilhelm cried.When Wilhelm had been staying with Gabriel, he'd worried he'd never see his mother again.But now, seeing her up close, she seemed frightening—nothing like the gentle mother he used to know.Jane's patience snapped at the sound of his crying. "Shut up! If you keep crying, I'll throw you out!"Wilhelm immediately clammed up, though he couldn't stop the little hiccups that followed. His face was streaked with tears, making him look pitiful.Just then, the door to the room opened, and Wendy walked in carrying som
Gabriel smiled. "Grandpa, rest assured—I'm not here to scheme against you. I've come to return the gaming company to the Wilkie Group free of charge."Pedro's sharp eyes narrowed coldly. "You're being this generous? I don't buy it.""Of course, I have conditions," Gabriel replied evenly."And what are they?" Pedro asked."I want a divorce from Jane, full custody of Wilhelm, and for the Wilkies to send Jane abroad permanently. She's not to return," Gabriel stated firmly.Pedro raised an eyebrow, surprised.Returning such a lucrative gaming company just for a divorce? As for sending Jane abroad—that was already part of his plan.Pedro remained silent, but Gabriel showed no impatience. He sat quietly, waiting for a response.After a long pause, Pedro finally spoke, his tone icy. "How do I know you're not bluffing? You could strip the company of its core assets and leave me with an empty shell."Gabriel chuckled. "Of course not, Grandpa. That gaming company may generate hundreds o
Jane's words were met with Pedro's cold stare, causing her to stiffen. "Grandpa, don't tell me you're actually considering this!""That gaming company generates hundreds of millions in profit every year," Pedro said pointedly."So what? You're willing to force me into a divorce for the sake of a company?" Jane questioned."Jane, recovering that company would stabilize the Wilkie Group's finances. And let's face it, there's no love left between you two. Dragging this out serves no purpose," Pedro replied.Jane laughed bitterly. "Grandpa, you've said it all, haven't you? What more can I say? But don't forget—Gabriel has Nyce Tech. If I divorce him, we lose half of Nyce Tech."Pedro shook his head at her naivety. "Nyce Tech was established before your marriage. Even if some of its profits were earned after, he's had plenty of time to hide assets. You won't get a dime."The fact that Gabriel had been able to remain so low-profile within the Wilkies for years proved how difficult it w
After receiving the shares, Jane said coldly, "Tell Gabriel to send the divorce papers to the villa. Once the one-month cooling-off period is over, we'll finalize the divorce."Pedro nodded, a rare smile crossing his face. "There's no need to wait a month. You can get divorced today."Time was of the essence. Neither he nor Gabriel had the patience to wait.Jane scoffed, her expression mocking. She had expected this seemingly smooth process to come with strings attached."Fine. Have Gabriel come over," she said.…Gabriel arrived quickly.After transferring ownership of the gaming company back to Pedro, he and Jane headed to the courthouse to finalize the divorce.As Jane held the divorce certificate in her hand, she couldn't help but laugh bitterly. Her life had truly become a joke.Outside the courthouse, Gabriel glanced at Jane, who sat in her wheelchair, and handed her a document."Jane, consider this my compensation for five years of marriage. From now on, we'll go our s
At that moment, Wendy emerged from the kitchen and was met with the sight of Gabriel and Jane locked in a tense standoff, while Wilhelm sobbed uncontrollably nearby.She hurried over, frowning. "Ms. Wilkie, Mr. Hackett, if you're going to argue, at least don't do it in front of the child."Jane scoffed. "We're divorced. What do you expect?"Wendy froze, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Divorced? For real?"At the mention of the word "divorced," Wilhelm's sobs grew louder, his cries piercing the room.Frustrated by the noise, Jane snapped, "Stop crying! All you do is cry! Can't you do anything else?"Wilhelm flinched at her outburst but continued crying even harder.Gabriel took a deep breath and turned to Wendy. "Take Wilhelm upstairs and pack his things. I'll be taking him with me."Wendy hesitated. "You're taking Mr. Wilhelm away?""Yes. I have custody," Gabriel answered.Wendy glanced at Jane, who remained silent, her expression cold.Understanding the situation, Wendy sigh
Wilhelm's eyes were red, filled with reluctance as he looked at Jane. "Mommy… I don't want to leave you…"At that moment, Jane was overwhelmed by a wave of sorrow.The thought of Wilhelm being taken away by Gabriel, with no guarantee she'd ever see him again, made her heart ache as if it were being torn apart.She hugged Wilhelm tightly and looked up at Gabriel. "I don't want your money anymore. I want custody of my son!"They were divorced now. Gabriel would undoubtedly remarry soon. When he had a new wife and child, there would be no place for Wilhelm in his life.Gabriel's expression remained cold. "Jane, are you insane? What makes you think I'd ever give you custody?"Considering her past actions—hitting Wilhelm and intentionally giving him allergenic food—Gabriel was resolute in not leaving Wilhelm in her care."I gave birth to Wilhelm! How dare you take him away? You're just doing this to chase after Nyla! Why even bother with Wilhelm?" Jane spat.He despised her so much.
Jane's face flushed with anger as she exclaimed, "He's my son too!""But I hold custody now," Gabriel said firmly. "Don't waste your time trying. He's staying with me."Without another word, Gabriel ordered Wilhelm to be picked up from the study."Gabriel, you can't just take Wilhelm away like this!" Jane cried.Gabriel motioned to his guards. "Take her upstairs."Jane shouted after him, "Even if you take him today, I'll find a way to get him back!"Gabriel cast her a cold glance. "You're welcome to try. Let's see if you have what it takes to fight me."The guards escorted Jane upstairs.When Wendy returned with Wilhelm a few moments later, Gabriel was the only one in the living room.Wilhelm clung to Wendy, unwilling to move.Wendy patted his head, her voice gentle. "Mr. Wilhelm, go with your father."Compared to Jane's volatile behavior, Wendy believed Wilhelm would be better off with Gabriel.Wilhelm stayed put, unwilling to let go of Wendy.Gabriel stepped forward and
"Valarie, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have given you the silent treatment for so long. I wasn't even angry anymore. I just… couldn't bring myself to reach out first," Brandon said.Valarie frowned slightly, her eyes filled with disbelief. "Then why is it that every time I texted you or came to see you, you acted so cold? And now, as I'm leaving, you suddenly run over and hug me like you don't want me to go. Don't you think you're being unreasonable?"Brandon lowered his gaze. "Because I felt like if I let you walk away, we might really break up."Valarie pressed her lips together and remained silent.To be honest, when she turned to leave just now, breaking up had definitely crossed her mind.How could a relationship where communication didn't work, and every conflict led to silence, last?After a moment of silence, Brandon looked up at her again. "Valarie, I know ignoring you all this time hurt you. I'm sorry. I was just trying to figure out how we could be together in a way that fel
Phoebe scowled. "Not planning yet? You're over 30 now. Nyla is already on her second child, and you still don't know when you're getting married?"Valarie stayed silent.Phoebe's frustration deepened. "You're already this old, and your father and I still have to worry about your marriage. When will you finally settle down?""Even if I wanted to get married, it's not something I can decide on my own! Why do you always put the blame on me?" Valarie grumbled.With how things were going between her and Brandon, marriage wasn't even on the table—breaking up seemed more likely.Phoebe narrowed her eyes. "So it's Brandon who doesn't want to get married? I told you not to date someone younger, but you wouldn't listen. Now look, you don't even know if or when he'll propose!"Valarie had had enough. "Marriage, marriage, marriage! That's all you talk about! If you keep pushing me, I'll move out tomorrow.""You—" Phoebe choked on her anger.Not giving her mother a chance to argue, Valarie
Valarie opened the box and found a red V-neck gown inside."This is gorgeous!" she exclaimed."Try it on," Nyla urged."Okay!" Valarie took the dress into the dressing room.Less than two minutes later, she stepped out. "Nyla, it fits perfectly."Nyla looked up, her eyes lighting up with admiration.Dressed in the red gown, Valarie exuded confidence and elegance, like a queen. It was impossible not to be drawn to her."I knew my taste wouldn't fail me! This dress was made for you—every curve is accentuated just right. You look absolutely stunning! If I weren't a woman, I'd probably fall for you right now!" Nyla gushed.Valarie laughed, covering her mouth. "You're exaggerating. But I really do love this dress. Thank you, Nyla!""There's no need to thank me. We don't do that between us! Oh, by the way, why don't you go downstairs and let Brandon see it too?" Nyla suggested.Valarie's smile faded slightly. "Forget it. He probably wouldn't care anyway.""You two still haven't ma
Brad's expression darkened. "Michelle, Stefan is your brother. And for the record, when your mother left the company to me, it was just a small business. I was the one who built it into a publicly traded corporation. You threw away your own future for a man. That's your own fault.""No! I won't let you give the Snowden Group to Stefan! If you dare, my mother's ghost will haunt you forever!" Michelle screamed.Her threats didn't faze Brad in the slightest.He rose to his feet, looking down at her. "You've lost your mind. I'll get you a lawyer, but you'll have to face the consequences of what you did."With that, he turned and walked away.Michelle's eyes burned with fury and hatred."Dad! Don't go! You can't do this to me! Dad! I know I was wrong! Come back!" she screamed after him.No matter how much she yelled, Brad never looked back.Despair crept into her expression as her screams faded.…For the next half-month, Brandon and Valarie didn't contact each other.It was a st
Waiting for someone who would never reciprocate was exhausting. Jayden was done humbling himself.Brad froze, staring at Jayden in disbelief. "Jayden, what do you mean? Didn't you say you'd do whatever it takes to get Michelle out?""Mr. Snowden, the evidence against her is solid. She instigated Stefan to kidnap Valarie. The only way out of this is if Brandon and Valarie agree to sign a letter of leniency."If they refuse, there's nothing I can do. You can't expect me to go up against both the Sumner and Weir Groups just for Michelle."If Michelle had ever loved him, maybe he would have done it.But now? He wouldn't waste his time and energy on someone who didn't deserve it."Then… what about Michelle?" Brad asked."Michelle may not get out, but Stefan turned himself in. That counts as voluntary surrender, so he'll likely get a lighter sentence."From what I know, Stefan is studying economics in university. Honestly, does it really matter who inherits the Snowden Group as long
Brandon nodded. "Let them in. Bring them straight to my study.""Yes, sir," the butler replied.Five minutes later, Brad and Jayden entered.Brandon glanced up from his desk. "Take a seat. I have a document to finish."Brad nodded quickly. "Of course, Mr. Sumner. Take your time."Only after completing his work did Brandon close the file and walk over. "Mr. Snowden, Mr. Gilmour, what brings you here?"Brad leaned forward anxiously. "Mr. Sumner, I'm here for my daughter. You and Michelle are friends. I'm begging you—please let this go just this once."I swear, she'll never appear in front of you or Ms. Weir again!"Brandon smiled. "Mr. Snowden, your daughter conspired with Stefan to kidnap Valarie. That's a crime. Whether or not we're friends is irrelevant. Do you expect me to go against the justice system?""Mr. Sumner, if you could just convince Ms. Weir to issue a letter of leniency, the court would consider it when sentencing. Just for old times' sake—"Brandon cut him off,
Valarie froze, staring in disbelief. "You think I don't see us as equals? If that were true, I wouldn't have come here to apologize. I'd be waiting for you to apologize to me instead!"She had rushed over right after work to make things right, only to be met with suspicion. The injustice of it stung."If you really understood you were wrong, you'd accept that my feelings don't just vanish the moment you say 'sorry.' I'm human, not a machine. Your apology doesn't erase everything," Brandon retorted."When I met Michelle before—without you knowing, but with others around—you wanted to break up. Now you've secretly met Stefan and even went to see him after knowing he kidnapped you. What do you take me for? How important is he to you?"Valarie stepped back at the anger in his voice. "So what now? You won't accept my apology, and you want to break up?"Brandon took a deep breath, his gaze lowering. "Let's take a few days to cool off. No contact for now."Valarie nodded. "Fine. Whateve
Valarie sighed. "Fine. I'll think of something...""Good. I have to be up early tomorrow, so I'll talk to you later. Goodnight," Nyla said.After hanging up, Valarie stared at her phone for a while before opening her chat with Brandon. She started typing but couldn't bring herself to send anything.Forget it. He was still mad. She'd deal with it tomorrow.Setting her phone down, she got up to take a shower.…When Valarie woke up the next morning, the first thing she did was check her phone.Nothing. Not a single message.Brandon would always text her "good morning" first thing every day.But today? Silence.He was probably still mad.Pushing aside her disappointment, she got up, showered, dressed, and headed to work.She had meant to apologize last night, but for some reason, it felt even harder today.The entire day, she found herself distracted. Every time her phone buzzed, she snatched it up, hoping it was Brandon—only to feel disappointed when it wasn't.By the end o
"If you really didn't want any misunderstandings between us, you wouldn't have met him today, especially behind my back," Brandon said coldly.Seeing the anger in his eyes, Valarie nodded. "I admit I should've told you. But he invited me to dinner to thank me for covering his mother's medical bills. He even suggested I bring you along, but you were out of town for work, so I didn't mention it."Brandon let out a sharp laugh. "Was it because I was away, or did you never plan to tell me in the first place?"Valarie frowned. "Do you have to twist my words like that? You were on a business trip. If I told you, you'd just overthink it. That's why I kept quiet.""So I should be grateful you were looking out for me, is that it?" Brandon shot back."If you're going to keep talking to me like this, there's no point in continuing this conversation. Ron, stop at the next intersection. I'll take a cab home," Valarie said.Ron Gibson, the driver, hesitated and glanced at Brandon. "Mr. Sumner…