"Nyla, I promise this won't happen again," Gabriel assured.Nyla didn't respond. She simply took Mason's hand and walked away.Gabriel and Wilhelm stood there for a moment before finally leaving, neither of them noticing the figure watching from the corner of the hospital lobby.Brandon dialed Damon's number again. "Uncle Damon, you don't need to come. Aunt Nyla already left with Buddy."I asked around and found out that Buddy and Wilhelm fought at school this morning. Aunt Nyla and Gabriel were here to get them checked out, but they've already gone their separate ways."There was a pause before Damon's cold voice came through the line. "Got it."Then he hung up.…When Nyla brought Mason home, Lydia looked surprised to see him. "Ms. Kinsey, why isn't Mr. Mason at school?""He'll stay home with me today. Buddy, go wash your hands and change your clothes," Nyla said.Mason nodded and ran upstairs.Lydia didn't press further but mentioned, "Mr. Sumner called earlier to check i
Nyla reached out and hugged Damon. "I'm not going to leave you. Whether you're the CEO of Prospectus Technology or just an ordinary person, you're still the one I love. I love you—not the company behind you.""Nyla, I'm sorry. I've been too sensitive lately," Damon said, his voice heavy with remorse."It's not your fault. It's normal to have moments of self-doubt when facing such a major setback. You just need to remember one thing: I'm never going to leave you. That's all that matters," she replied softly.Damon didn't say anything more. Instead, he tightened his embrace around Nyla.Suddenly, the sound of small footsteps echoed through the quiet room.They both turned toward the staircase and saw Mason coming downstairs in his pajamas.Damon released Nyla and faced the boy. "Buddy, why aren't you asleep yet?"Without answering, Mason ran up to them, clutching a card in his small hands. He held it out to Damon. "Daddy, I heard your company is in trouble because there's no money
The bodyguards hesitated before quickly leaving.Gabriel turned back to Damon with a grin. "Now can we talk?"Damon walked into his office without a word, and Gabriel followed.Sitting behind his desk, Damon glared at him coldly. "What do you want to discuss?"Gabriel smiled. "Mr. Sumner, with Prospectus Technology on the brink of bankruptcy, it's pointless to keep spending money fighting Nyce Tech in court. How about I give you some money, and you drop the lawsuit? What do you think?"Damon's expression hardened. "I doubt you can afford the price I have in mind.""I'm offering 10 billion dollars. You can take the money and start fresh. How about it?" Gabriel proposed.He had considered the amount for a long time, clearly confident that Damon wouldn't refuse.Silence filled the office.After a long pause, Damon snickered. "Gabriel, you colluded with Henry to steal Prospectus Technology's core trade secrets. Now you want me to let you off the hook for 10 billion dollars? Dream
Damon remained silent, his face set in a grim expression. If this card truly contained the staggering amount claimed, the situation was anything but reassuring.After verifying the balance at the bank, his expression grew even darker.Sensing something amiss—especially given Damon's lack of joy—Spencer grew uneasy."Mr. Sumner... isn't it good that the card holds this much money?" he asked hesitantly.Damon's gaze sharpened. "Head back to the office. I need to deal with something at home.""Understood," Spencer replied, though confusion lingered on his face.Damon left swiftly.Spencer stood by, watching the car disappear down the road, his thoughts clouded.Shouldn't they be celebrating? With this amount, saving the company should have been a sure thing.…Less than an hour later, Damon arrived at the villa.Nyla was lounging in the living room, watching TV.When she saw him enter, her brow furrowed slightly. "Why are you back so early?"Damon settled across from her, pla
Mason nodded. "I know. That's the money I earned myself.""You earned?" Nyla repeated.The couple stared at Mason in disbelief. How could a five-year-old possibly earn that kind of money?Damon frowned and crouched beside him. "Buddy, do you know there's 1 trillion dollars in that account? Do you understand how much that is?"Mason shook his head. "No... but it really is the money I earned."Damon asked, "Then tell Daddy, how did you earn it?"Mason hesitated, his expression conflicted. "Daddy... can I not tell you?"He had promised the person who helped him earn the money that he wouldn't reveal anything about it."Buddy, if you don't tell us, we can't be sure if this money is really yours," Damon replied gently but firmly.Mason thought for a moment before shaking his head again. "I can't say."Damon was about to push further when Nyla placed a hand on his arm, stopping him.She turned to Mason, smiling softly. "Okay, if you don't want to tell us, we won't force you. Go ba
Damon had never met anyone from the Nixons, but it was clear they had ties to both Drake and Mason.He sensed it wouldn't be long before he encountered someone from this enigmatic family. When that moment came, he hoped to finally uncover their motives for involving Mason.…That evening, when Damon returned to the villa, he called Nyla into the study."I have something important to tell you," he said, his tone serious.Noticing his expression, Nyla looked puzzled. "What is it? Does it have to do with the money in Buddy's account?"Damon nodded. "Yes. Five years ago, shortly after Rebecca returned to the country, a mysterious group abroad began investigating you."Later, I discovered that the person behind the investigation was Drake Mummery, a senior executive at MK Company in Meristate. He's connected to the Nixons—a powerful family in Meristate."Today, I found out that all the money in Buddy's account came from someone within the Nixons."Nyla's face turned serious, a mix
Nyla had wanted to discuss things properly with Mason, to make him open up slowly and tell her the truth.Now, she felt the urgency to figure out how that money had come about as soon as possible.She rarely spoke so sternly to Mason, so he was startled and dropped the block on the floor.Mason's eyes were red, but he stared at Nyla defiantly, refusing to speak.Nyla pressed, "Buddy, who is this master of yours?"Why would they give Mason so much money out of the blue?"I won't say!" Mason responded firmly.Nyla's brow furrowed in anger as her patience wore thin. "If you don't tell me, I'll take away all your electronics starting today."Mason yelled, "I hate you, Mommy! You're not the loving mommy you used to be anymore!"After shouting, he spun on his heel and ran upstairs.Moments later, the slam of his door echoed through the villa.Hearing the commotion, Damon emerged from the study and walked into the living room. He saw Nyla standing there, visibly upset."What happe
Mason hadn't expected his master to say they'd meet in person soon."Of course. Have I ever lied to you?" the young man replied."No!" Mason chirped.After hanging up the phone, the thought of meeting his master lifted Mason's spirits. He jumped off the toilet, phone in hand, and walked out of the bathroom.Back in his room, a knock came at the door."Buddy, are you in there? Can you open the door? Daddy wants to talk to you," Damon said.Hearing Damon's gentle voice, Mason hesitated briefly but eventually opened the door."Daddy, if you're here to ask about my master like Mommy, I'm not going to tell you," he stated.Damon smiled, reaching out to pat Mason's head. "Don't worry. I'm not going to ask. You don't have to say anything if you don't want to. Mommy and I talked earlier, and she won't press you on it anymore either. She was just worried, that's all.""My master wouldn't hurt me!" Mason defended."I know, Buddy. Mommy's just concerned about you. She already feels bad
Valarie widened her eyes in surprise. "Alright, but there are a lot of questions here. It might take me a day or two to finish. You're not in a hurry, are you?""No rush, but the sooner, the better. I really appreciate your help," Damon said.Seeing the sincerity in his eyes, Valarie smiled. "It's no trouble at all. I'm happy to help with the wedding preparations."After parting ways with Damon, Valarie returned to her office.As soon as she sat down, her phone rang. It was Brandon."Valarie, what did my uncle want? Did he give you a hard time?" he asked.Hearing the tension in his voice, Valarie set the file down. "Why would you think he would give me a hard time?"There was a brief silence before Brandon spoke again, his voice low. "I was worried he might blame you for my decision to leave the Sumner Group.""You're overthinking it. He asked me to help with something unrelated. If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up," Valarie replied."Valarie—" Brandon began.Before he co
Damon lowered his head to look at Mason and took the drawing from his hands.The picture showed a family of four—him, Nyla, Mason, and a little girl—standing under a bright blue sky with fluffy white clouds.Damon smiled and pointed to the little girl in the drawing. "Who's this?""That's my little sister. I hope Mommy gives me a baby sister," Mason said earnestly."What if it's a baby brother instead?" Damon asked.Mason paused, then nodded confidently. "If it's a brother, I'll protect him too."Damon's smile deepened at Mason's innocent expression. "Well, it looks like our Buddy is growing up. You're already thinking about protecting your little sibling.""Daddy, when are you and Mommy going to give me a little sibling?" Mason asked."Soon. It won't be long now," Damon answered.Mason's eyes widened with excitement. "Really? Daddy, you're not lying to me, are you?""Of course not. When have I ever lied to you?" Damon asked.Mason huffed. "You've lied to me plenty of times.
"I've got it. You can let go. I promise I won't drop it," Stefan's roommate reassured him.Stefan's fingers tightened briefly before he slowly released his grip. "Yeah."His roommate carried the cake over to the others, calling them to share. He kept a piece for Stefan.That piece remained untouched until Stefan went to bed.…Over the next few days, Brandon appeared at the Weir Group every day. Sometimes, he brought food; other times, flowers.Valarie was beyond annoyed. She'd told him repeatedly to stop pestering her, but he refused to listen. Eventually, she ignored him altogether.On Friday evening, Valarie spotted Brandon's car parked by the curb as soon as she stepped out of the office.By then, she was used to seeing him there. She walked directly to her car, pretending he didn't exist.Just as she reached it, Brandon called out from behind, "Valarie."Valarie pressed her lips together and turned to face him. "What do you want?""Valarie, are you free tonight?" he ask
As Stefan stared at the candle, an unreadable emotion flickered in his eyes. He pressed his hands together, closed his eyes, and made a wish.After a moment, he opened his eyes and blew out the candle. "Thank you, Veevee.""No need to thank me. But I'm curious—what did you wish for?" Valarie asked.Stefan smiled. "If I tell you, it won't come true, right?""Fair enough. Here, this is your birthday present," Valarie said.When Stefan saw the black box she handed him, he looked surprised. "Isn't the present all those clothes?""Those were just extras. This is the real gift," Valarie replied.Stefan hesitated, taking the box. "Can I open it now?"Valarie nodded. "Of course."He carefully untied the ribbon and lifted the lid. As soon as he saw what was inside, shock flashed across his face."This is..." he murmured.Inside the box was a key."I bought you an apartment near the university. That way, you won't have to stay in the dorms anymore," Valarie explained.Stefan immedia
Michelle reached for her phone on the table.Just before her fingers could brush it, Jayden's hand shot out faster, snatching it away.She looked up at Jayden, her teary eyes flashing with defiance. "Give me back my phone!"Jayden took a deep breath and spoke slowly. "Michelle, it's not too late to stop. If you really did send Stefan to get close to Valarie, then tell him to back off."Michelle nodded. "Fine. No matter what I say, you won't believe me. So, let's say I did send him. What are you going to do? Tell Brandon?"Jayden fell silent, unsure of how to respond. Before coming here, he hadn't even considered what he would do if Michelle was behind this.Would he tell Brandon? Or pretend he didn't know?"Whether you were behind this or not, you need to call Stefan and tell him to stop seeing Valarie. If Brandon finds out about your relationship, he won't believe anything you say again," Jayden warned.Michelle's eyes filled with disappointment. "So, you don't believe me eith
It usually took Stefan ten minutes to walk from the dorm to the school gate, but today, he made it in just five.The moment he saw Valarie, a wave of happiness surged inside him.He knew it now. He had truly fallen for her."I had some errands nearby and happened to pass by your school. Then I remembered I still had something to give you," Valarie explained.Stefan raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "What is it?""You'll find out later. Let's eat first," she suggested.Stefan nodded. "Okay."…Neither Valarie nor Stefan noticed Jayden, who had secretly taken a photo of them from a distance.Behind Jayden, Yale frowned. "Jayden, isn't it a bit inappropriate to secretly take photos of Valarie?"Jayden glanced at him. "What's wrong with it? She's the one sneaking around on Brandon, having dinner with another man. I'm just taking a picture. What's the big deal?""But Valarie and Brandon broke up. She's free to date whoever she wants now. Besides... that guy could be her younger bro
"What's up?" Jayden asked."You free for dinner tonight?" Yale invited.Jayden checked his schedule—no meetings, no social engagements.Raising an eyebrow, he asked, "Who else is coming?""Just the two of us," Yale replied."Alright, send me the details," Jayden said.…That evening, Jayden pulled up in front of a high-end restaurant in Saintornia.As he stepped out of his car, Yale's voice came from the side. "Jayden, what a coincidence. We arrived at the same time."Jayden looked over, then waited for Yale to catch up before they walked inside together.Once seated in a private room, Jayden studied Yale. "You asked me to dinner alone. There must be something you want to talk about."Yale chuckled. "Can't hide anything from you. Let's order first."After placing their orders and the server left, Yale leaned back and met Jayden's gaze. "What's your plan with Michelle and Brandon? Are you really trying to set them up?"Jayden's fingers tightened slightly around his glass. H
At present, nothing mattered to Brandon except Valarie. If Jayden insisted on forcing him to see Michelle, their friendship might not survive.Yale nodded. "Got it. I'll mention it, but I won't push it if he doesn't listen."He and Nolan had a clear view of the situation and weren't planning on getting too involved. They didn't want to end up stuck in the middle, trying to please both sides and failing.…The news of Brandon stepping down as CEO of the Sumner Group spread quickly through Saintornia.As soon as Michelle heard about it, she called Jayden."Jayden, I just saw online that Brandon resigned as CEO of the Sumner Group. What's going on?" Her voice trembled with worry.There was a brief silence on the other end before Jayden responded in a low voice. "I don't know yet. I'll ask around.""Jayden, do you think it's because of that exposé you had someone post online? Maybe you should have them take it down. I want to see him, but I don't want him to leave the Sumner Group
Valarie opened the door and stepped out.After she left, Brandon pulled out his phone and dialed Yale. "Got time for a drink tonight?""Sure. But last I checked, Valarie keeps a tight leash on you. You sure you can go drinking?" Yale asked.Hearing the teasing in Yale's voice, Brandon lowered his gaze. "She doesn't care what I do anymore."She didn't even want him now, so why would she care if he went out drinking?"Alright then. I'll call Nolan and Jayden. You and Jayden need to settle your beef anyway. You two fighting online all the time is just making people laugh at you," Yale grunted.Brandon frowned. "If you invite him, I'm not going. I don't want to see him."If Jayden showed up, the first thing he'd do was try to convince him to see Michelle. And right now, just hearing her name annoyed him.If it weren't for Michelle, things wouldn't have spiraled so far between him and Valarie."Fine, fine. I won't call him. See you at the usual place," Yale said."Yeah," Brandon h