Damon's expression darkened. "What happened?""Ms. Jayston's home is a mess. Her phone is on the couch, but she's gone," Spencer replied."Find out what happened immediately!" Damon ordered.…Within half an hour, Spencer discovered that Nyla had been kidnapped and quickly informed Damon.As the unmarked van drove into the city, it was abruptly stopped by a group of men in black.The driver, taken aback, opened the door to ask what was going on and was immediately kicked to the ground, kneeling in pain."Ah!" he screamed as his knee shattered, his face pale and covered in cold sweat.Spencer's expression was icy. "Where did you take her?"The man's eyes flickered with panic, and he shook his head quickly. "I don't know what you're talking about—"Spencer sneered. "You don't understand? Then we'll make you understand."At his command, the men in black pounced on the man, his screams filling the air.In less than five minutes, the man begged, "Stop! Stop! I'll talk... I'll ta
If Nyla died, not only would Lucia refuse to pay him, but she might also turn on him and accuse him of murder.Kenneth had no power or influence, and with Mabel in jail, there was no way he could fight against Lucia. Keeping Nyla alive was more advantageous for him now."Are you crazy? Clark Sumner might already know we've kidnapped her. The longer we wait, the worse it gets for us!" Lucia yelled."As soon as I see the money, you can kill her. I won't care," he replied.Lucia was furious. "It's the middle of the night. How can I transfer money now? We'll have to wait until the bank opens in the morning!"Kenneth was just as useless as his daughter, Mabel, always messing things up. Even if she could transfer the money, she would have to use an overseas account to avoid detection."I don't care. I just want the money," he insisted.As they argued, a distant light grew closer.Lucia was appalled and ordered, "Hurry! Take her to the rooftop!"Realizing the urgency, Kenneth stopped
As the knife pierced Nyla's hand, she let out a muffled groan, her face turning pale from the pain. Blood flowed from her wound, creating a gruesome sight.Lucia smirked and pulled the knife out, causing blood to spurt.Nyla bit her lip hard to stifle a scream.Lucia's smirk widened at Nyla's pained but restrained expression. "Didn't think you were this tough. Let's see how long you can last."Lucia raised the knife again, aiming for Nyla's heart.Just as the blade was about to reach its mark, a sharp pain shot through Lucia's wrist, and the knife clattered to the ground.Lucia stared in disbelief at the dart lodged in her wrist. She looked up and saw someone running toward her.Panicking, she bent down to retrieve the knife, but a powerful kick sent her flying before she could. She hit the ground hard and spat out blood before losing consciousness.Spencer quickly kicked the knife away and helped Nyla up. "Ms. Jayston, are you okay?"Nyla was shocked to see Spencer. She hadn'
On the way to the hospital, Nyla kept glancing at Damon. She looked like she wanted to say something but hesitated.Damon turned to her, his voice deep. "What do you want to say?"Nyla bit her lip. "Mr. Sumner, I was just wondering… How did you know I was kidnapped? And how did you find me?""Spencer had some experimental data he wanted to ask you about. When he couldn't reach you on the phone, he went to your house and found you missing. So, we investigated," he explained casually, but Nyla felt a surge of gratitude."Mr. Sumner, I really appreciate it… If you and Mr. Hogg hadn't arrived in time, I might not have survived the night."Damon's expression remained indifferent. "Don't think too much about it. The most important thing for you now is to recover."Nyla fell silent and lowered her gaze, deciding she must find a way to repay Damon.As they neared the hospital, Nyla looked at him again. "Mr. Sumner, it's already very late. You can drop me off at the hospital entrance, an
Nyla struggled throughout the journey, trying to make Clark put her down, but to no avail.When Clark finally placed her on the emergency room bed, he pressed her hands down and said in a low, serious tone, "Nyla, I'm in a bad mood right now. You'd better behave."Detecting the threat in his voice, Nyla shook off his hands and looked at him coldly. "What does your bad mood have to do with me? If you like obedient behavior, you should go find Jordyn. I'm not capable of being as understanding as she is."Clark stared at her impassive profile and suddenly smiled. "Nyla, are you jealous?"Nyla frowned, unsure of where he got that idea from. She didn't want to argue with him, so she let him think whatever he wanted.Soon, the doctor arrived, conducted a thorough examination, and rebandaged Nyla's injured hand. He advised her to stay in the hospital for a few days for observation.Once in the hospital ward, Nyla noticed that Clark hadn't left and felt a flicker of annoyance. "You can l
"Jordyn, it seems I've been too kind to you lately, and you've forgotten your place," Clark remarked.The pain in Jordyn's scalp made her eyes well up with tears, and Clark's menacing expression terrified her."Clark… what are you saying? I don't understand…""You don't understand? If that's the case, then you should go outside Nyla's ward and stay there until you do," he said.Jordyn's face paled as she realized what was happening. "I didn't know… Ms. Jayston called and said she was kidnapped. I thought she was trying to get you to go to her place… I'm sorry…"The moment she finished speaking, Clark slapped her hard. The force was so great that if he hadn't been holding her hair, she would have fallen.Jordyn let out a cry of pain, feeling her face burn as it started to swell.Clark looked at her with a chilling glare. "She is my wife. Even if she was manipulating me, as long as I'm willing, it's not for you to interfere. If you don't want to end up dead, don't try to test my l
"Vicious?" Nyla scoffed. "Is it not vicious when your daughter had her colleague plot against me, almost ruining my face? Or when she deliberately had someone kneel in front of me, filmed it, and posted it online to incite people to cyberbully me?"And kidnapping me, almost getting me killed—don't tell me that's not vicious?"Jade tried to retort but was momentarily stunned by Nyla's icy gaze, forgetting what she was going to say.Seeing Nyla's sharp-tongued response, Clement said coldly, "Nyla, your father is not well. If he finds out about your kidnapping, he'll likely be very worried."Nyla shot a sharp look at Clement, her hands tightening under the covers. She was about to respond when the door to the room was suddenly pushed open."Mr. Pollard, you're quite bold, even daring to threaten people."Clement stiffened as he turned and saw Damon's cold gaze fixed on him. He looked visibly uneasy. "Mr. Sumner, what brings you here?"As a department manager of a Prospectus Technol
"Do as you like," Damon said."Okay. Uncle Damon, you're busy with work. If you don't have to, don't waste your time coming to see me," Nyla commented.Damon raised an eyebrow, his gaze scrutinizing Nyla. "Is this how you treat someone who saved your life?"Nyla looked up at him and said slowly, "It's precisely because you saved my life that I should be more grateful. I don't want to waste your time when you're so busy, Uncle Damon."Seeing her repeatedly address him as "Uncle Damon", a constant reminder of their relationship, Damon suddenly leaned in closer.Startled by his magnified face, Nyla backed away quickly, as if avoiding the plague.Just as Damon was about to speak, the door to the room was pushed open."Nyla—" Clark's voice halted abruptly when he saw Damon.From Clark's perspective, Damon's movement seemed like he wanted to kiss Nyla.Clark's expression turned icy as he strode to the bedside, glaring at Damon. "Uncle Damon, I've told you before to stay away from Ny
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
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
Wilhelm froze at Gabriel's stern expression, shrinking behind Wren and peeking at his father with frightened eyes.Without looking at him, Gabriel called for a maid. "Take him to the Wilkies with the driver later."The maid nodded. "Understood."Just as the maid was about to lead Wilhelm away, Wren pulled the boy behind her and snapped, "Gabriel, can't you see how scared he is?"Gabriel finally lifted his gaze to her, his tone icy. "Weren't you the one who brought him to me and insisted I let him see Jane? Now that I've agreed, what more do you want?"Wren stiffened but quickly composed herself. "I only brought him because he was crying so pitifully. That doesn't mean I want him to live with Jane again."She wasn't stupid. It was clear that Wilhelm was better off with Gabriel than with Jane.If the divorce went through, Jane would eventually remarry, and who knew how much Wilhelm would suffer in her new household?At least with Gabriel, Wren could visit Wilhelm often, and he wo
Raymond and Gabriel stayed in the study for over an hour before emerging.By then, Raymond's expression had shifted from initial unease to radiant joy, his face brimming with smiles.It seemed the fortune teller had been right—Wren was indeed his lucky star.Despite his company's brush with bankruptcy, Gabriel not only promised to inject 70,000,000 dollars into it but also agreed to partner with them on future projects.The potential profits were enough to make it impossible for Raymond to hide his grin.Seeing his cheerful demeanor, Wren let out a breath of relief.Setting Wilhelm down from her lap, she turned to Raymond and asked, "So, you reached an agreement?""Yeap. I need to get back to the office, though. I'll have the driver pick you up later," Raymond replied."Alright. Will you be home for dinner?" Wren asked."Of course! Tonight, we'll celebrate properly," Raymond promised.After Raymond left, Wilhelm tugged on Wren's sleeve. "Grandma, when are you going to talk to
"Okay," Wilhelm answered.He accepted the bowl and took a couple of sips, then looked up at Gabriel and asked, "Daddy, where's Mommy?"Upon seeing the cautious look in Wilhelm's eyes, a complex expression crossed Gabriel's face.He crouched down to the boy's level and said gently, "Wil, from now on, you'll live with Daddy. Is that okay?"Wilhelm froze, tears welling up in his eyes. "Daddy, does that mean you don't want Mommy anymore?"Jane's words echoed in his mind—that Gabriel had a bad woman outside and didn't want them anymore.Now that his father didn't want his mother, it wouldn't be long before he didn't want him either, especially if he had a child with that bad woman.Gabriel sighed and spoke softly. "Wil, this is an adult matter that you won't understand. Daddy isn't abandoning Mommy. We're just going to live separately. But no matter what, both of us love you very much.""You're lying!" Wilhelm cried, throwing the bowl to the floor, where it shattered into pieces.H
Looking at Jane's self-righteous demeanor, Gabriel remained expressionless. His gaze was indifferent, as if she were a stranger of no consequence.His lack of reaction agitated Jane even more."Gabriel, why aren't you saying anything? Why?!" she shouted.Gabriel's voice was calm. "Because I think you're pitiful.""Pitiful?!" Jane repeated, then burst into laughter. "Do you think you're any less pitiful than I am? You abandoned your wife to be with Nyla, but has she even spared you a second glance? In the end, you and I are no different—we're both pathetic losers."Gabriel showed no visible reaction but said, "Jane, I'm not like you.""What's so different about you?" Jane demanded."I can make my own choices. You can't. Take this situation, for example—I can ensure you'll never see Wilhelm again, but there's nothing you can do to stop me," Gabriel stated.Jane froze, her laughter faltering. An overwhelming sense of unease gripped her. "What are you going to do?"Gabriel waved h
Although Wilhelm wanted more, he hesitated briefly before obediently putting down his spoon."Okay, Mommy," he said.His compliance sparked a brief flicker of guilt in Jane's eyes. But the feeling vanished as quickly as it had come, replaced by a calm determination.After settling the bill, she led Wilhelm back to the car.As soon as they were on the road, Wilhelm began squirming in his seat, scratching himself furiously. His small face scrunched in discomfort as he complained, "Mommy… I don't feel good. I'm itchy all over…"Jane glanced at him and saw red spots breaking out across his skin."Hold on, Mommy's taking you to the hospital right now," she said.She sped toward the nearest hospital, reaching it in less than ten minutes.…By the time Jane pulled into the ER, Wilhelm's face was covered in hives. He was clawing at himself, leaving red marks all over his pale skin.Jane rushed to unbuckle him and carried him inside, moving quickly toward the emergency desk.A doctor
Wilhelm thought that when Gabriel was home, Jane never hit him without a reason.But ever since his father left, his mother had become unpredictable. Sometimes, even the sound of him making noise while eating would lead to punishment, forcing him to stand in the corner.He missed the mother who would kiss him and speak to him gently. He didn't want the mother who hit him for no reason."But Daddy's out there with another woman now and won't come home," he said.Although he was young, he understood a lot of adult issues.Lately, Gabriel hadn't been around. With Jane's constant hints, Wilhelm had started to believe that Gabriel had left because of a bad woman, choosing her over their family."Mommy, when I grow up, I'll protect you. I won't let any bad woman bully you!" Wilhelm vowed.Tears welled in Jane's eyes at his words, her heart filled with a mix of emotions. Yet, her moment of hesitation lasted only a second before her resolve hardened.The only way to give Wilhelm a comp
Besides, Nyla didn't even like Gabriel. It had always been him chasing her.What was Jane supposed to do—crack open his head and make him stop liking Nyla?Wren frowned, clearly irritated. "Alright, I'm not in the mood to talk about this. Go home," she said, waving Jane off.Jane protested, "Mom, we haven't even discussed how to bring Gabriel back to me and Wilhelm. I need your help.""What do you want me to do?" Wren asked."Later, call Gabriel and tell him Wilhelm has a fever and wants to see him. Get him to come home," Jane requested.Wren hesitated. Gabriel's attitude toward her had grown increasingly cold. If he found out she was conspiring with Jane to deceive him, it could further damage their relationship.Seeing her reluctance, Jane sighed. "Mom, do you really want to watch him chase after Nyla? With the way things are between you two now, do you think Nyla will treat you kindly if they end up together?""That's impossible! Nyla doesn't like him. They won't end up to