Seeing the flicker of guilt in Alexander's expression, Nyla said, "If you really feel sorry for Buddy and me, promise me one thing.""What is it?" Alexander asked."If I ever ask for your help after going to Meristate, you have to help me no matter what," Nyla said.Alexander smiled. "You might find that once you become the Nixons' successor, I'll be the one asking you for help.""So, is that a no?" Nyla asked.Seeing her serious expression, Alexander finally nodded. "Fine, I promise.""Let's hope you won't break your word," she replied.Alexander offered, "If you don't believe me, I can swear on my life."Nyla shook her head. "That won't be necessary. I have other things to do, so I'll be leaving now."…Nyla headed straight to Prospectus Technology.Damon was surprised to see her arrive unexpectedly. "Nyla, why are you here at this hour?""I missed you, so I came to see you," Nyla answered.Her gaze was tender, filled with love—and a hint of sorrow so subtle it was almos
After getting dressed and stepping out of the break room, Nyla spotted Damon sitting behind his desk, looking refreshed as he worked.She shot him a glare, unable to suppress her annoyance.Damon rubbed his nose, feeling a bit guilty. "Honey, why didn't you rest a little longer?""It's almost time to pick up Buddy from school. Are you still busy with work?" Nyla asked."There's just a little left to do, but I can finish it at home. Let me grab my things, and we'll pick up Buddy together," he answered.Nyla considered telling him to stay and finish his work but remembered they only had three days left together. She nodded. "Okay, I'll wait for you."Five minutes later, they were on their way downstairs.Since Nyla had driven over, Damon decided to take her car to pick up Mason.During the ride, Nyla stared out the window, lost in thought about how to tell Damon she'd be leaving for Meristate.Damon noticed something was off but didn't press her. He figured he'd wait until after
Watching Mason dash away, Nyla couldn't help but smile. But that smile quickly faded as she thought about their imminent separation."Nyla, why are you staring after Buddy like that?" Damon's voice snapped her back to reality.She turned to him, quickly masking her sadness. "Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about how fast time flies. Buddy's already five years old."Damon slid an arm around her waist. "It might feel fast to you, but not to me. When I think about the five years we lost, I can't help but feel regret. If we'd been together all that time, the three of us would've been so happy."The mention of those lost years made Nyla sigh.If only she had trusted Damon more back then, they wouldn't have missed out on so much time together.And now, just as they had reunited, they were about to be separated again."I'm sorry, Damon..." she murmured.Seeing the guilt in her eyes, Damon pulled her into his arms, his voice soft. "There's nothing to apologize for. For me, as long as
"Damon, I'm sorry, but I don't have another choice," Nyla apologized."What do you mean you don't have a choice? You didn't even ask or discuss it with me—you just decided to leave on your own. You didn't think about how I'd feel at all. How could you be so selfish?" Damon demanded.Nyla stared at him, shocked, her eyes welling with tears. "Would it have mattered if I asked you? You can barely handle Drake, let alone fight against the Nixons!"Damon let out a bitter laugh, his hands falling from her shoulders as he took a step back. "So... it's my fault. If I weren't so useless, I'd be able to protect you and Buddy."Seeing the pain in his expression, Nyla reached out to him. "Damon, that's not what I meant—"He pulled his hand away, his voice cold. "It doesn't matter what you meant. The result is the same—you and Buddy go to Meristate, and I stay here. If you had already made your decision, why did we even get married?"Nyla took a deep breath, meeting his eyes. "I won't take Bu
Damon nodded. "Alright. I'll do everything I can to grow Prospectus Technology. I'll bring you back."Nyla couldn't help but smile. "Good. Don't look so serious. After all, she is still my mom. She wouldn't go that far."Damon forced a small smile. "When are you leaving?""In three days," Nyla answered."That soon?" Damon asked."Yes. So I want to spend these next three days with you and Buddy," Nyla replied.Damon nodded. "I'll clear my schedule for the next three days. I'll also call Buddy's kindergarten to excuse him from class.""Okay," Nyla replied.Just then, there was a knock at the door, followed by Mason's voice. "Mommy? Are you in there? I finished my list!"Nyla quickly wiped her tears and said, "I'm here, Buddy! Wait for me in the living room. I'll be right out."She turned to Damon and said, "I'll go check on Buddy. Finish up here and join us when you're done."Damon nodded silently, and Nyla left the study.After a quick stop in the bathroom to wash her face a
After what felt like a long time, there was a knock at the study door."Come in," Damon called.Nyla opened the door and stepped inside, surprised to find Damon standing by the window. "Damon, don't you have work to do?"Damon turned to face her. "No, I rescheduled everything for the next few days. I also called Buddy's kindergarten to request some time off for him.""Mm." Nyla nodded. "There's something I wanted to discuss with you.""What is it?" Damon asked."I just saw one of Buddy's reward requests. He wants to go on a trip with both of us. I was thinking... maybe the three of us could spend the next three days together and take a short trip," Nyla suggested.A flicker of surprise crossed Damon's face before he nodded. "Alright, I'll find a resort for us.""Thank you," Nyla replied."There's no need for thanks between us," Damon said softly, then paused. "But... how do you plan to tell Buddy about you leaving?"The question made Nyla falter, her gaze dropping to the floo
Understanding Nyla's concerns, Damon reassured her, "Don't worry. I won't do anything."They had only three days left together. He wished time would slow down so he could savor every moment with her. He had no intention of wasting even a second.Nyla shot him a skeptical look. "Really?""Really. I swear," he replied with a serious expression.Reluctantly, she nodded. "Alright, but you have to keep your word.""Of course," Damon promised.Once upstairs, he handed her a towel. "You go ahead and shower first.""Okay," Nyla replied.As the sound of running water filled the room, Damon walked to the window, pulled out his phone, and made a call."Prepare for departure to Meristate tomorrow. The mission is to protect someone indefinitely," he instructed.The voice on the other end said something, and Damon replied, "It's my wife, Nyla Kinsey."After ending the call, Damon slipped his phone into his pocket and gazed at the night sky, his expression hardening. He vowed their separat
Nyla bit her lip, forcing a lighthearted tone. "I was just talking casually. Don't take it seriously. Besides, you're not the type to believe in these things anyway, right?""But when it comes to you, I can't afford not to believe," Damon replied."I promise I'll make sure to come back safely. Besides, no matter what, she's still my mother. She wouldn't truly harm me," Nyla reasoned."Alright," Damon answered.The two hugged quietly for a while before Damon finally loosened his grip on Nyla. Still, his gaze remained fixed on her, unwavering.Feeling his intense stare, Nyla shifted uncomfortably. "Why are you staring at me like that?""I just want to take a good look at you," he said.Nyla pressed her lips together before leaning up to plant a kiss on his lips. "I'm tired. Let's sleep.""Alright." Damon turned off the light, plunging the bedroom into darkness. The only illumination came from the soft moonlight streaming through the cracks in the curtains.Snuggling into Damon's
The porcelain shattered against the floor, tea splattering everywhere.Emerald's gaze remained fixed on the broken shards, her eyes burning with rage.Filipe, who had been walking down the hallway, entered the room.Upon seeing the mess on the floor, he didn't seem the least bit surprised. Instead, he turned to Emerald and said, "Madam, Mr. Nixon has woken up."At those words, the anger on Emerald's face was replaced by a flicker of relief. She immediately stood and hurried toward Brian's room.Before following, Filipe glanced at the nearby maids, who were trembling in fear, and instructed, "Clean this up.""Yes, sir!" the maids answered in unison.Only after Emerald and Filipe had left did the maids finally breathe a sigh of relief, quickly grabbing cleaning supplies.…A short while later, Emerald arrived at Brian's bedroom.He was already sitting up in bed, eating some soup. His face was pale, drawn with exhaustion and a deep sense of despair.From the moment he had woken
Mary's face turned pale in an instant. "What did you do to Darcy?!"She leered at Emerald, her eyes burning with rage.Emerald smiled. "Nothing much. Just putting him back where he belongs."Then, with a teasing lilt, she added, "But the way you're so concerned about him makes it easy to suspect there's something more between you two."Mary's expression grew even uglier."Emerald, what nonsense are you talking about?! Darcy and I are completely innocent!" she snapped.Emerald raised an eyebrow. "No need to get so worked up. I was just making an observation. But now that Darcy is out of the picture, you should face reality—there's no one left in the Nixons to support you."You can forget about your little dream of Vik taking over. The only thing you should focus on now is taking care of Edward. Once he's gone, I'll give you and Vik some money so you can leave. But if you try anything foolish again, don't blame me for what happens next."Mary ground her teeth. "Don't get too comf
For years, Tony had watched Darcy lose himself over Mary, taking increasingly reckless risks for her. He had always known that one day, Darcy would destroy himself because of her.Darcy's expression twisted with rage. "Tony, I will never forgive you!"Tony ignored him and turned to Emerald. "Madam, we've secured Ms. Nixon. As for Mary and Vik, they're still in the hospital under Edward's men's watch. We weren't able to bring them in."Emerald nodded. "You've done well. From now on, you will take over all of Darcy's operations.""Understood, Madam," Tony replied.Darcy's face contorted in fury. "Emerald, you have no right to do this! If Edward finds out, he won't let you get away with it!"Emerald's smirk was cold. "Edward is lying in a hospital bed, barely able to move. Do you really think he has time to deal with you?"As of this moment, you are no longer part of the Nixons. Everything you had—your wealth, your status—I will take it all back. Since you believe you earned it you
A cold glint flashed in Darcy's eyes when he saw that Emerald remained completely calm—and could even smile."Emerald, we've known each other for so many years. I don't want things to get ugly. You already have more wealth than you could spend in a lifetime, and with Brian losing a leg, he's no longer a viable successor to the Nixons. If you step down now, I won't make things difficult for you," Darcy said.Emerald set down her teacup, her expression steady as she met Darcy's gaze. "I've told you before—my chosen successor is my eldest daughter, Nyla, not Brian. So whether or not Brian is injured has nothing to do with the future of the Nixons."Darcy's face darkened. "So you're refusing to settle this peacefully?""The moment you came to my estate and kidnapped my daughters, a peaceful resolution was off the table," Emerald replied.As soon as she finished speaking, more than a dozen men in black emerged from the shadows, swiftly surrounding them.Darcy's expression changed inst
Once his men left, Darcy freshened up and walked into the living room.Mary and Vik were already awake.He turned to Mary. "Mary, take Vik to the hospital after breakfast to stay with Edward. Leave the rest to me."Mary nodded, though her gaze was filled with worry. "Be careful.""I've weathered bigger storms than this. A small matter like this is nothing," Darcy reassured her.After breakfast, Mary and Vik left while Darcy prepared to call a meeting.Just as he was about to gather his allies, his phone rang.He narrowed his eyes when he saw Emerald's name on the screen. Answering, he said, "Emerald, what brings you to call me at this hour?""I'm back. Come to the estate immediately," Emerald said coolly.Darcy's expression darkened. He hadn't expected her to return so soon."You're not joking, are you?" he asked."You'll know when you get here." With that, Emerald hung up.A sense of unease crept into Darcy's heart. He immediately called one of the family members who had p
No matter how furious Warren was, Alexander didn't look back. He was certain that Emerald would reach out to him soon and agree to his terms.At present, she had no one else to rely on. Even the people she could use, she didn't fully trust. Besides, the condition he proposed wasn't that difficult.After Alexander left, Warren fumed for a while before finally calming down. He then dialed Emerald's number and relayed everything Alexander had said, word for word.There was a brief silence on the other end before Emerald's cold voice came through. "Ignore him. If he wants to go against me for Nyla's sake, I want to see how long he can keep it up!"Warren quickly tried to soothe her. "Don't be too upset. Alexander is still young. It's normal for him to act impulsively. Once he thinks things through, he'll come back."Emerald let out a cold laugh. "He knows exactly what he's doing. If we wait for him to come to his senses, who knows how many years that'll take? I won't let him threaten
As Mason's mentor, Alexander couldn't just sit by and watch his family fall apart.After a long pause, Damon finally said, "Alright. I'll give you one more chance."When Nyla came out of the shower, Alexander had already left.Hearing sounds from the kitchen, she walked over and found Damon cooking pasta."Damon," she called softly.He turned to her with a small smile. "All done? Go sit down. The pasta will be ready soon.""Okay," she replied.Five minutes later, Damon brought out a steaming plate of pasta and placed it in front of her. "Eat up. Get some rest after this."The delicious aroma filled the air. Nyla picked up her utensils and glanced at Damon. "Aren't you eating?"He shook his head. "I'm not hungry.""Alright," she answered.As she ate, she finally had the chance to ask about his conversation with Alexander."He said he'd help us return home and make sure we're never dragged into the Nixons' business again," Damon said.Nyla nodded. "Do you think he's telling
After speaking, Damon took Nyla and left.Once they got into the car, Nyla turned to him. "Where are we going now?""We'll head back to my villa first. Emerald should be too preoccupied to bother you for now. After that, we'll take things one step at a time," Damon answered.Nyla leaned against his shoulder and murmured, "Mm. I never want to be apart from you again.""Me neither," Damon replied.…More than an hour later, the car pulled up in front of Damon's villa.As soon as they got out, they saw Alexander standing by the entrance, as if he had been waiting for a long time.Damon's expression turned icy. "Mr. Kinsey, what are you doing here?"At the same time, he instinctively positioned Nyla behind him.Alexander noted Damon's protective stance, and his gaze darkened slightly. "Relax. I'm not here to take Nyla away. I'm here to help you."Damon let out a cold laugh. "We don't need your help."If it hadn't been for Alexander, Nyla wouldn't have been taken to Meristate in
"You did a lot too. You negotiated directly with Darcy and risked offending him just to save me." Nyla's gaze into Ross' eyes was full of gratitude.Ross smiled. "It was my honor to help you and Damon."After a brief hesitation, Nyla couldn't hold back her curiosity any longer. "How do you know Damon?"Before coming to Meristate, she had no idea that Damon was acquainted with someone as powerful as Ross.The night Emerald had thrown her out of the estate, she hadn't walked far when a car suddenly pulled up in front of her. Two men in black had gotten out, taken her without explanation, and brought her to Ross' estate.At first, she had assumed she was being kidnapped. It wasn't until Ross mentioned that he knew Damon—and even called him right in front of her—that she realized he had no ill intentions.Later, Ross had been a great help to both her and Damon.Nyla couldn't help but wonder what kind of relationship the two men had for Ross to go so far for them.Ross chuckled. "Da