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
Nyla paused, a flicker of surprise crossing her face before she said, "Because of me? That's impossible."Five years ago, Gabriel had confessed his feelings for her, but that seemed like a lifetime ago.Now, he had a family with Jane and even a child.How could he possibly still have feelings for her? She didn't think herself attractive enough to make him leave Jane."I'm just repeating what I heard. Don't take it seriously," Valarie said. "Who knows what's going on in his head? Maybe he just doesn't like Jane anymore and is using you as an excuse.""Hmm. Alright, I've got to go. I have an experiment to prepare for," Nyla said.After ending the call, Nyla didn't dwell on Valarie's words. Instead, she set her phone aside and focused on preparing the lab equipment for her experiment.…News of Gabriel's divorce had reached Damon, who sat in his office on the top floor. His sharp eyes narrowed, and his entire demeanor turned icy, radiating danger.It seemed Gabriel was preparing
"Mm," Damon hummed in response, flipping through some documents. "Buddy has a parent-child sports day at his kindergarten. I'll be attending.""Got it," Spencer replied.…Friday morning arrived quickly.After breakfast, the family of three headed to Mason's school.Nyla wore a pastel pink tracksuit with a simple white T-shirt underneath, her long hair tied in a neat ponytail. With light makeup, she looked effortlessly elegant.Damon wore a matching black tracksuit.Seeing him in casual wear, without his usual suits, Nyla thought it made him look several years younger. If not for his commanding presence, one might easily mistake him for a university student.Mason, dressed in a light gray tracksuit, looked adorable and well-behaved.As they walked into the school, they quickly attracted the attention of both parents and children.Noticing the admiring glances from his classmates, Mason walked with his head held high, exuding newfound confidence.His homeroom teacher, Laura,
Wilhelm gazed at Gabriel with hopeful eyes, full of anticipation.After a brief moment of eye contact, Gabriel finally nodded. "Alright. Sit here for a while. I'll call her and see if she's willing to come."Wilhelm's face lit up immediately. "Okay, thank you, Daddy!"He firmly believed that Jane would come once she received the call.Gabriel set Wilhelm down and stepped aside to make the call.A few minutes later, he returned with a grim expression. "Wil, your mom is in the hospital right now and can't come.""Oh." Disappointment flickered across Wilhelm's face, but he quickly masked it.His mother didn't want him anymore. If he upset his father, and the latter abandoned him too, then no one would want him.The thought filled Wilhelm with a deep sense of injustice, and his eyes reddened.Gabriel assumed Wilhelm was upset about Jane's absence.Squatting down to his level, he reassured him, "Wil, don't be sad. The next time the kindergarten has a sports day, your mom will defi
Under Tim's leadership, the Westcott Group maintained its position as one of the top four families in Capitarnia, leaving the other three far behind.After reading the file, Gabriel closed it and asked coldly, "I asked you to arrange a meeting with Mr. Westcott. What's their response?"The secretary hesitated. "Mr. Hackett, Mr. Westcott's secretary hasn't responded. It seems they aren't interested in meeting with you."Gabriel wasn't fazed. The document made it clear that Tim was proud and highly selective in his dealings. Such a person wasn't easily approached.For Damon to even gain the Westcott Group's consideration, he must have put in significant effort.Still, there was an opportunity as long as the contract wasn't signed."No need to wait for a reply. I'll go to the Westcott Group myself tomorrow morning," Gabriel said."Understood, Mr. Hackett," the secretary replied.…At 7:00 a.m. the next day, Gabriel was already standing outside the Westcott Group. The sun hadn't f
Damon nodded. "Got it. Have the PR department continue contacting major media outlets to remove any negative commentary about Prospectus Technology. We can't let this situation escalate further."In the business world, public opinion could be lethal. Most people were naturally inclined to follow the crowd. Without knowing the full picture, they could easily be misled.If the narrative that Prospectus Technology's chips were faulty spread too far, restoring their reputation later would require monumental resources. It was critical to stop this from snowballing now."Understood, Mr. Sumner. By the way, how's the deal in Capitarnia coming along?" someone asked.Upon hearing that, Damon's previously tense expression relaxed slightly. "Progress is decent. Barring any unforeseen issues, we should be able to sign the contract in a couple of days."The group on the call let out a collective sigh of relief.Once the deal was signed, Prospectus Technology would recover some of its losses
"We can sign an agreement if you're still worried. I promise never to challenge your custody of Wilhelm in my lifetime," Jane assured.Seeing her determination, Gabriel remained silent.Noticing his hesitation, Jane gripped the armrests of her wheelchair tightly. "Gabriel, you're already hesitating, even though you haven't remarried yet. How can I believe you'll treat Wilhelm fairly in the future?"Gabriel's gaze turned cold. "No matter what, Wilhelm will be better off with me than with you. When and how much of the shares I give him is my decision, not yours."With that, he turned to leave.As he reached the doorway, Jane's voice echoed behind him. "If you don't transfer half your shares to Wilhelm, I won't leave the country!"Gabriel paused, then glanced back at her mockingly. "Whether you leave or stay means nothing to me. And why would you think your refusal to leave is a threat to me?""Gabriel, you're a bastard!" Jane shouted.Gabriel smirked and left without another word
Wilhelm froze for a moment, his eyes welling up with tears as confusion and hurt clouded them."Mommy, do you really not want me anymore?" he asked, his voice trembling.Jane's gaze flickered with a brief trace of pain as she looked at Wilhelm sitting pitifully on the floor. But the softness in her eyes vanished as quickly as it appeared.She stared at him coldly. "That's right. I never wanted you. I hit you to try and get your father to come back."The other day, when I took you out for steak, I deliberately let you eat that hazelnut cake. You started itching later because you're allergic—that was intentional, too. I wanted you hospitalized so I could force your father to see me."Her tone grew harsher. "Now that Gabriel and I are divorced, you're of no use to me. You're just a burden. Taking you with me would only drag me down."And I hate your father. Naturally, I hate you, too. Don't show up in front of me again!"Wilhelm sat frozen, her words cutting into him like shards of
If Wilhelm stopped wanting to see Jane, the bond between them would naturally fade over time."No! I don't want food!" Wilhelm cried, hurling Gabriel's phone onto the car seat.He began pounding on the car door, trying to open it. "I want to see Mommy! I want to live with her, not you!"Gabriel, his patience wearing thin, locked the doors with a sharp click and turned to Wilhelm, his expression darkening."Your mother doesn't want you. Even if you find her, she won't take you. I'm the only one you have now," he said."I hate you! I don't want to be with you! I don't want you as my dad!" Wilhelm screamed.Gabriel's restraint, already fraying after days of tantrums, finally snapped. He stared at his son and said coldly, "It doesn't matter whether you want me or not. No one wants you now except me."Jane didn't want Wilhelm. The Wilkies wouldn't want him either."That's not true!" Wilhelm sobbed uncontrollably. "Mommy wants me. Mommy's just mad. If I'm good, she'll take me back! S
Lydia nodded. "Okay, Ms. Kinsey."Shortly after, Lydia returned with Mason by her side.When Mason saw Gabriel and Wilhelm standing at the door, he frowned and turned to Nyla. "Mommy, why is Wilhelm here?"Nyla patted his head gently. "He's here to apologize to you.""Oh." Mason's response was wary, clearly unconvinced.Gabriel observed Nyla's affectionate interaction with Mason, his eyes flickering with a trace of emotion. He turned to Wilhelm. "What did you promise me before we came?"Wilhelm's reluctance was evident. He had agreed to apologize, but only under the threat of losing his chance to see his mother."Mason, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pushed you yesterday. I hope you can forgive me," Wilhelm said, his voice subdued.Mason didn't respond immediately. Instead, he looked up at Nyla, silently seeking her guidance."Buddy, this is your decision to make," Nyla said softly. "I'll respect whatever you decide."Mason lowered his head, thinking for a moment.Finally, he s
Brandon sighed and placed the items on the desk. "Aunt Nyla, this crisis is unlike anything Prospectus Technology has faced before. If things go wrong, the company can go bankrupt."Uncle Damon prepared these after finding out Buddy is his son, but he hadn't found the right time to give them to you."Keep them for now. If Prospectus Technology collapses, he'll need this to start over."After a moment's silence, Nyla nodded. "Alright, I'll hold onto them. Is this the only reason you came?""Yes, I need to get back to work," Brandon replied."I'll see you out," Nyla offered.After sending Brandon off, she returned to the study and placed the documents and bank card in the safe upstairs.The next morning…As Nyla was getting dressed, Lydia knocked on the door."Ms. Kinsey, there's a man outside who says he's your brother," Lydia informed her.Brother?Thinking it was likely Gabriel, Nyla's expression turned cold. "I don't know him. Tell him to leave.""Understood," Lydia said
Damon put the file down and sat across from Nyla.Noticing two portions of breakfast on the table, he asked, "You haven't eaten either?""No," Nyla replied as she opened the packages and handed one to him. "I came to eat with you. Spencer told me he brought you breakfast this morning, but you didn't touch it.""I was too busy," Damon said."Being busy isn't an excuse to skip meals. I saw your assistants running around like crazy, and I heard they barely got any sleep last night. Is the issue with the company that serious?" Nyla asked."It's significant," Damon admitted. "Our chips might be causing malfunctions in our partner's machines. If that's confirmed, the company will face a massive compensation payout."Nyla frowned, worry flashing in her eyes. "I can't help much with work, but the least I can do is keep things in order at home. By the way, are you coming home tonight?""Probably not," he replied. "There's still a lot to handle.""Alright. Finish your breakfast. I'll hea
Gabriel took the document, skimmed its contents, and his face darkened."What is it?" Tom asked.Gabriel tossed the document onto the table with a cold laugh. "Nothing important. Damon's just trying to catch me off guard."The document contained evidence of Nyce Tech hiring paid posters to smear Prospectus Technology, but Gabriel wasn't worried.Soon enough, those allegations would become the truth.Tom glanced at the papers and grinned. "As long as it's not a big problem. Anyway, I should get going.""Fine, but don't forget your part in this," Gabriel said pointedly.There was a cold glint in Tom's eyes, though his smile remained. "Relax. I won't let you handle Prospectus Technology alone."After Tom left, Gabriel drained his wine in one gulp.As he prepared to head to his study, a maid approached with a concerned expression."Mr. Hackett, Mr. Wilhelm still refuses to eat," the maid informed him.Gabriel had brought Wilhelm straight back to the villa instead of letting him