Nyla turned on her heel and walked out.If Emerald had genuinely been unable to see her because of some life-threatening circumstances, Nyla could have understood.But judging by the photo, it was clear that Emerald had been living a good life.For Alexander to claim that Emerald "missed her" felt like a cruel joke. That supposed longing wasn't even worth the price of a plane ticket.Back in her car, Nyla sat quietly, forcing herself to calm down before starting the engine and driving away.Not long after she left, Alexander pulled out his phone and made a call.There was a note of helplessness in his voice as he spoke. "Aunt Emerald, Nyla seems very resistant to the idea of going to Meristate."A cold, distant female voice answered on the other end. "No matter what it takes, you must bring her back.""I understand," Alexander replied with a sigh. "But you've really given me quite the challenge this time.""I'm busy. Figure it out yourself," the voice snapped before promptly h
Nyla looked at Theo with confusion. "Mr. Wilkie, we're not close, and I don't think I can help you with anything.""Ms. Kinsey, you're the only one who can help me." Theo gazed at her intently, speaking slowly. "Before Jane went abroad, she sold her 10% stake in the Wilkie Group to Mr. Sumner for a low price of 7,000,000 dollars."Now, I want to buy those shares back from him. Could you help me by talking to him? I'm willing to pay 30,000,000 dollars for the shares."His expression was earnest, but Nyla frowned. "I don't understand business matters, and I don't have the power to intervene. You should discuss this with Damon."Theo sighed deeply."My grandfather has already met with Mr. Sumner. He wants us to buy the shares back at market price, but the Wilkie Group nearly went bankrupt recently."We're just starting to recover and don't have that kind of money. That's why I'm asking you to help us plead with Mr. Sumner."If you're willing to help, Ms. Kinsey, I'm prepared to tra
Nyla knew she wasn't some extraordinary beauty, and she had a child.Yet, as she thought about Drake's previous investigations into her and his ties to the Nixons, her brow furrowed. A fleeting thought crossed her mind, but it vanished before she could grasp it."Nyla, how about I ask Tom about this another day?" Valarie suggested.Although Nyla didn't want anything more to do with Tom, she couldn't bring herself to care when it came to Nyla."No need," Nyla replied. "Didn't you say Damon was the one who saved you yesterday? He might know. I'll ask him.""That works," Valarie said.Afterward, Nyla lost her appetite and barely ate before parting ways with Valarie and heading to Prospectus Technology.…When Spencer saw her, he looked visibly surprised. "Ms. Kinsey, what brings you here? Mr. Sumner is in a meeting right now, but you can wait for him in his office.""Alright." She nodded and entered Damon's office. She hadn't been seated long when he returned."Nyla, what are yo
Damon let out a chuckle, his expression full of mockery. "A better life? Then where were you when the Jaystons went bankrupt? Why didn't you take her to Meristate to live this so-called better life then?"Let's not pretend—your real reason for coming back is obvious. No need to spout these hypocritical lies."The other end of the call fell silent.Alexander hadn't expected Damon to uncover his real reason for his arrival to Saintornia so quickly.After a long pause, he finally spoke. "Even if my motives aren't entirely pure, taking her and Buddy to Meristate would undeniably offer them a better life, wouldn't it?""A better life? Or a life of constant fear? I won't let her become a pawn in your family's power struggles. If you want to take her and Buddy, you'll have to go through me first," Damon gritted through his teeth."If she comes to Meristate with me, she'll have a strong chance of inheriting the Nixon fortune. Mr. Sumner, you haven't even asked Nyla how she feels—how do y
"Rain boots?" Damon guessed."No," Nyla replied curtly."Galoshes?" Damon tried again.Nyla didn't bother responding."Knee-high socks?" Damon ventured."No! They're torn socks! Didn't you see the little ripped parts I drew?" Nyla cried."I thought those were just wear and tear," Damon reasoned.For a moment, Nyla doubted her artistic ability. Was she really that bad at drawing?"Damon, be honest with me. Are my drawings really that abstract?" she asked.Damon hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "Not exactly. Some words are just harder to draw. Maybe try simpler ones next time."Mason, unbothered, chimed in, "Daddy, stop sugarcoating it. Her drawings are abstract."Damon glared at him. "Be quiet."Mason crossed his arms. "Fine. But I'm definitely not playing Pictionary with Mommy again!""Then I'll play with her!" Damon countered.Mason and Nyla were both speechless.Truthfully, Nyla didn't want to play this game anymore, either. She quickly said, "Alright, it's get
"You're saying... we should team up with other companies to go against Prospectus Technology?" Theo asked.He frowned as he looked at Pedro. "But Prospectus Technology helped the Wilkie Group before. If we turn around and attack them now, won't people think we're ungrateful?"Pedro let out a cold laugh. "I gave Damon a chance—he chose not to take it. If that's the case, I have no choice but to be ruthless. The Wilkie Group must reclaim that 10% stake!"The thought of that stake being in Damon's hands felt like a sword hanging over Pedro's head, keeping him awake night after night.Initially, he had offered to buy back the shares, but Damon had refused, driven by greed."But—" Theo began."No buts! Do you want the Wilkie Group to end up under the name 'Sumner'?" Pedro leered at Theo, his face contorted with fury.Theo quickly said, "Grandpa, of course, I don't want that. But the Wilkie Group has just stabilized. If we rush into alliances with other companies, it may create future
Drake's smile deepened. "It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is that I can help both you and the Wilkie Group.""I asked, why should I trust you?" Pedro repeated."I can invest 10,000,000 dollars into the Wilkie Group right now, no strings attached," Drake said, pulling out his phone and making a call. "Transfer 10,000,000 to the Wilkie Group immediately."Not even 20 seconds after ending the call, Pedro's phone rang."Grandpa, someone just transferred 10,000,000 dollars into the Wilkie Group's account!" Theo exclaimed.Pedro's expression shifted, his voice steady yet wary. "Do not touch that money. Wait for my instructions.""Understood," Theo replied.Hanging up the phone, Pedro glanced at Drake. "Come inside. We'll talk."Inside the study, Pedro closed the door and turned to face Drake. "I believe you're capable of helping me deal with Damon. But I need to know—why are you going after him? Otherwise, I can't trust you."If this man were a plant sent by Damon to trap hi
Pedro's expression changed slightly, and he instructed, "I'm on my way. Have the tech department fix it right away!"…By the time Pedro reached the company, more than an hour had passed.Theo sat in his office, fuming, demanding that the tech department resolve the issue within the next half hour.His secretary, visibly trembling, turned to leave but stopped to greet Pedro as he arrived. "Mr. Wilkie, you're here."Pedro nodded. "Get back to work."Once the secretary left, Pedro entered the office and shut the door behind him. "What's going on? It's just a firewall, and it still hasn't been fixed?"Theo's face remained furious. "Ugh, they're all useless—getting paid so much but can't do anything when it matters!"Pedro sat down on the sofa, his face hardening. "If it's not fixed in another half hour, I'll handle it myself."Theo sat across from him, scratching his head in frustration. "What can you do? I don't get it. The firewall was fine before, but now it's under attack out
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