Erin's smile stiffened slightly, but before she could say anything, Marie slammed her cutlery onto the table and chided, "Damon, is that how you serve food?!"She had wanted him to help Erin with the dishes to help them bond, but he nearly went so far as to place the whole plate in front of her. If word got out, it would surely offend the Hulles.Damon smiled at Marie. "Mom, if you know I'm bad at this, don't make me do it."Marie was fuming and about to explode, but Erin quickly intervened. "It's fine. I actually like fish, and it's more convenient this way. No need to keep troubling him to serve me."Seeing Erin's willingness to smooth things over, Marie beamed with satisfaction, growing even fonder of her."Erin, you're so considerate. This brat only knows how to make me angry. After dinner, take her home," she told Damon.Damon frowned, about to refuse, but Erin spoke first. "There's no need. I drove myself here."She could sense Damon's lack of interest in her, and forcing
If this were to get out, people might start saying she was being mistreated in the Sumners.Clark's smile deepened as he looked at Damon and said, word by word, "Uncle Damon, you probably don't know yet, but Nyla moved back today."Damon widened his eyes and turned his icy gaze to Nyla, who had remained silent.He wanted to ask her if she really intended to forgive Clark just like that, but he couldn't. He was only her husband's uncle. Beyond that, they had no other relationship. What right did he have to question her?Even though Nyla kept her head down, she could feel Damon's gaze on her. It sent a chill through her entire body, making her shiver involuntarily.After several seconds, Damon chuckled. "Well, that's good to hear."He looked away, a smile on his face, but his eyes were cold.Clark's gaze flashed with triumph. "Uncle Damon, you should focus on your own love life. I think Ms. Hulle and you are quite a match, don't you think, Nyla?"He turned to Nyla, seeking her op
Nyla stood still, sensing a dangerous vibe from Damon that made her instinctively want to flee."Uncle Damon, it's dark here, and it's not appropriate for us to be alone. I'll head back," she said, turning to leave.As she took a few steps, though, she heard footsteps behind her. Panicking, she tried to quicken her pace but stumbled and tripped.She lost her balance, but a strong hand grabbed her waist and pulled her back. Nyla fell into Damon's arms. She quickly pushed him away and stepped back.Damon narrowed his eyes, the menace in them intensifying as he remarked, "You use people and then discard them. You're quite skilled at that."Nyla bit her lip, feeling embarrassed. "Uncle Damon, thank you for just now, but we should keep our distance."Damon stepped closer, and Nyla instinctively tried to retreat but found herself against the door of the greenhouse. She had nowhere to go.When they were so close that they could hear each other's breathing, Damon looked down at her an
"Who's there?"In a split second, Damon pulled Nyla into the greenhouse and shut the door behind them.It was pitch black inside. He pushed her against the door, their bodies pressed tightly together. One hand rested on her waist, while the other gripped the doorknob, leaving no space between them.She could hear his steady heartbeat and whispered, "Can you let go..."Damon leaned in close to her ear, speaking so softly that only she could hear. "Someone's coming. If you don't want to be discovered, don't make a sound."Just then, footsteps approached the greenhouse door.Nyla's heart raced as the doorknob turned.After a few moments of trying and failing to open the door, the person outside sounded puzzled. "What's wrong with the door? Is it broken?"They lingered a bit longer, but finding nothing unusual, they mumbled something and left.Nyla finally exhaled in relief and asked, "Can you let go of me now?"Damon released her and was about to speak when Nyla's phone rang—it
Nyla was momentarily stunned before she looked down and said calmly, "Ms. Hulle, I'm afraid I can't help you. I'm not close to Uncle Damon.""You're family. How can you not be close? Ms. Nyla, you're not unwilling to help me, are you?" Erin asked, her gaze probing.During her last visit to the Sumner residence, Erin had noticed something strange about the way Damon looked at Nyla.After some reflection, she decided to investigate Nyla further and discovered that Nyla was now working at Prospectus Technology. Erin planned to assess Nyla's attitude toward Damon.Nyla excused herself, "Ms. Hulle, it's not that I don't want to help you. I really am not close to him. I have unfinished work in the lab, so I must go."With that, she stood up and left.Erin watched Nyla walk away, a cold glint in her eyes. It seemed Nyla wasn't going to be easy to deal with, so Erin would need to proceed with caution.…Back in the lab, Nyla continued her experiments.Time flew by, and she didn't real
As Clark started the car, he said, "I'm glad you like them. How about I pick you up from work every day from now on?""There's no need for that. I've bought myself a car, and you're busy with work," Nyla replied indifferently, causing Clark to drop the idea.Even though Nyla had moved back in, Clark felt she was even more distant from him now. This feeling troubled him, and he didn't know how to restore their previous closeness.The car grew quiet.Nyla turned to look out the window, lost in thought. In the past, she always had something to say when they were alone. Now, she didn't initiate any conversation.Clark sighed inwardly and decided to take things slowly.…As they neared the villa, Clark's phone rang from his pocket."Nyla, can you get my phone?" Clark asked.Nyla retrieved the phone and saw "Jordyn" flashing on the screen.Clark frowned and said, "No need to answer it."He had warned Jordyn not to contact him, but she ignored him. This made him both angry and a bi
Nyla laughed lightly, her gaze indifferent as she said, "Do you even believe what you’re saying? If you really didn’t want to see her, you wouldn’t have allowed her to keep the baby or stay in the city. With your power, you could have easily taken care of that.""The baby… I had no choice but to let her keep it…" Clark explained.Nyla lowered her gaze and spoke slowly. "You don’t need to explain yourself to me. I don’t want to argue about it anymore. If you want to see her, I can leave and take a taxi home."As soon as she finished speaking, the black Cayenne sped off.…Less than half an hour later, they arrived at the villa.Nyla was about to get out when Clark said coldly, "Nyla, remember, you’re the one pushing me toward her.""If you really want to be with her, I won’t blame you. I came back prepared to accept her and the child," Nyla replied.Clark didn’t look at her and said coldly, "Get out!"Nyla got out of the car. As soon as she closed the door, Clark sped away. Wat
Nyla remained unfazed by Cindy's words. Had she not become a housewife after marrying Clark, she could have maintained her current lifestyle on her own."Mrs. Sumner, didn't you know? I didn't want to come back. It was your son who forced me. Why don't you go tell him to kick me out?" Nyla said.Cindy's face flushed red with anger as she pointed at Nyla. "You!"Finding it pointless to argue with Cindy, Nyla stood up and said, "Patricia, I'm hungry. Let's start dinner."Seeing Nyla's blatant disregard, Cindy was livid and immediately called Clark to complain. To her dismay, he coldly told her to leave the villa and refused to take any more of her calls, not even giving her a chance to tell him that Nyla couldn't have children.Cindy was nearly driven to a heart attack by the frustration.He had truly forsaken his mother for his wife!After Cindy left, Nyla called the hospital where she had her checkup and requested a copy of her report. When the report arrived, it was identical t
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
Damon's expression was icy as he spoke. "I've already sent the head of R&D with a team to investigate. Let's wait for their findings before jumping to conclusions."He added, "The Agihop 6th Gen isn't out yet. If the issue does lie in the Agihop 5th Gen, we should prepare for the worst—compensation payouts and the possibility of... bankruptcy.""What?!" A collective gasp echoed through the room, disbelief etched on everyone's faces."All this over a single batch of faulty machines from the Longbow Company? Isn't that a bit extreme?""Exactly. If the problem is with the Agihop 5th Gen chips, wouldn't paying compensation suffice?""Mr. Sumner, aren't you exaggerating?"The notion that Prospectus Technology could face bankruptcy over a single chip seemed absurd.Meeting their skepticism with a calm demeanor, Damon elaborated, "The news about Longbow Company's machines breaking down after using our chips has already spread.They're attributing the issue to Prospectus Technology's p
Damon's expression remained unmoved. "As I said, we'll investigate thoroughly. Asking us to accept responsibility before the investigation is complete seems unreasonable, doesn't it?"Jeffrey let out a cold laugh. "Fine, Mr. Sumner. But I hope you act quickly. Every day of delay costs us millions. The longer this drags on, the more Prospectus Technology will have to pay."With that, Jeffrey turned and stormed out of the room.Damon, his expression as icy as ever, summoned the head of the R&D department to his office."Take two of your team members to the Longbow Company and investigate the root cause of the machine failures. Determine whether it's our chips," Damon instructed."Mr. Sumner, it can't be our chips! We've invested so much in their development, and they've been on the market for over three years without a single issue. The problem must be elsewhere," the department head replied.Damon's tone sharpened. "I want accurate results based on the investigation—not assumption
Upon noticing Nyla's flushed cheeks, Damon's eyes darkened further."Nyla, need some help with your bath?" he asked, his voice low and enticing.Nyla snapped out of her daze, quickly pushing him away. Her wary gaze made him look like some kind of dangerous predator."No need, I'll do it myself," she replied.If she let him help, they might not come out of the bathroom for two hours.Disappointment flickered in Damon's eyes. "You really don't need help?""Mm-hmm. Now go. If you have nothing to do, play with Buddy downstairs. I'm going to shower," Nyla said, grabbing her pajamas.She darted into the bathroom as though something was chasing her, locking the door behind her with a sharp click.Hearing the lock, Damon chuckled softly, shook his head, and left the bedroom.Downstairs, Mason was playing with toys in the living room. He didn't even glance up at the sound of Damon's footsteps, already able to distinguish between Damon and Nyla's steps. Just as Damon reached the sofa,
Damon raised an eyebrow and said flatly, "It's not about my approval. It's about ensuring the safety of the other children."Gabriel kept his gaze low, anger flickering in his eyes. What else could he say?"Understood. I've learned my lesson today, Mr. Sumner," he gritted through his teeth.The crowd began to disperse.Most parents hurriedly took their children and left, keeping a noticeable distance from Wilhelm and Gabriel as they passed, still wary that Wilhelm might lash out unpredictably.Before long, only Damon, Nyla, and Mason remained at the gate with Gabriel and Wilhelm.Gabriel turned to Damon with a cold expression. "If there's nothing else, Mr. Sumner, I'll take Wilhelm and leave now.""Mr. Hackett, shouldn't your son apologize to Buddy?" Damon asked.Gabriel's expression hardened.Taking a deep breath, he looked down at Wilhelm and said sternly, "Wilhelm, apologize to Buddy."Wilhelm lifted his chin defiantly. "I won't! I didn't do anything wrong!""Wilhelm, beh