Taking a deep breath, Dylan said slowly, "Alright, I'll follow your lead."…Nyla had been busy in the lab until after 10:00 p.m. due to problems with her experiment. As she gathered her things and prepared to leave, she received a call from Clark.His slightly icy voice came through as soon as she answered. "Why aren't you home yet?""I'm wrapping up now. I'll be home soon." Just as Nyla spoke, the elevator doors opened.She was about to step in when she saw Damon standing inside. She hesitated for a moment.Their eyes met, and Damon's were filled with frost. His entire demeanor radiated a chilling aloofness.Nyla bit her lip, unsure if she should enter. Given Damon's attitude toward her at lunch, he clearly didn't want to see her.Clark's voice came through the phone, asking if he should come pick her up.Nyla snapped back to reality and replied, "No need. I drove. Just wait for me at home."She hung up and could feel Damon's sharp gaze on her, making her palms sweat as she
Nyla shook Clark off, dismissing him with indifference. "You're overthinking it."Clark was dissatisfied with her dismissive response, and his gaze grew colder.After taking a deep breath to calm himself, he softened his tone. "Nyla, I know you feel wronged, but Grandma is getting old. I hope you can be more understanding."Nyla found his words laughable. Whenever the Sumners were involved, Clark's solution was always for her to endure. She had previously ignored these issues because she loved him, but now she realized she would always come second to his family and career."Don't worry. I have no issues with her," she said calmly.After all, she no longer cared about Clark, so why would she care about anyone else?Seeing her calm demeanor, Clark dropped the topic and said, "By the way, Mom invited us over for dinner tomorrow night."Nyla was surprised. Cindy had never liked her and rarely invited them over since their marriage. However, if she could get into Cyrus' study, she mi
"You accuse me of harassing her? Do you have any evidence? If not, I'll call the police and report you for assault. You might end up spending a few days behind bars!" Dylan threatened.Clark remained unfazed. "Go ahead, but don't be surprised if it's you who ends up in jail."Dylan's bluster lost its impact as Clark's calm demeanor persisted. Gritting his teeth, Dylan snapped, "Fine! Just wait. You'd better hope I don't see you again!"With that, he turned and stormed off.Clark watched him go with cold, steely eyes. Someone like that dared to harass Nyla?Clark turned to her, his expression dark. "Why didn't you tell me someone was bothering you?"It was clear from her reaction that this man had been a recurring problem.Nyla pressed her lips together. "I didn't expect him to get physical. I rejected him yesterday."She hadn't anticipated Dylan's persistence despite her clear refusal.Clark sneered. "Tolerating people like him only emboldens them. I'll call Uncle Damon later
Cyrus shook his head and remarked, "With a temper like yours, I wonder what kind of woman could ever put up with you."Damon did not respond, concentrating on picking up the chess pieces."Come on, let's eat."At the dining table, Cyrus chatted with Damon almost excessively.Nyla ate a small amount, then set down her cutlery and said, "I'm done. You all take your time."As soon as she spoke, everyone at the table looked at her.Cindy frowned, clearly displeased, but remained silent.Clark turned to Nyla, his voice gentle as he asked, "Is the food not to your liking tonight?"Nyla shook her head. "No, I'm really full. I remember leaving some clothes in your room last time I was here. I'm going to see if I can find that dress I liked."Clark nodded. "Alright."Cindy initially considered suggesting that a maid look for the dress but then reconsidered. If Nyla wanted to find it herself, it would save the service staff the trouble.Once inside Clark's bedroom, Nyla locked the doo
Seeing Nyla biting her lip and remaining silent, Damon sneered and pushed her aside, preparing to leave.In a panic, Nyla quickly stopped him by grabbing his hand.Damon tensed, his gaze turning cold and dangerous."Let go!" he barked.Nyla bit her lip. "Uncle Damon, do you really have to push me this far?"Damon smirked coldly. "Nyla, do you know what would have happened if Cyrus had found you in his study?"Nyla was unaware of Cyrus' true nature, yet she had dared to sneak into his study. Had Cyrus caught her, she might have vanished without a trace—something that had happened before.Her grip on Damon tightened involuntarily, her face growing pale under the harsh light."Still not talking?" Damon's voice loomed above her.Nyla took a deep breath and said slowly, "I... I wanted to find my marriage certificate with Clark...""Why would your marriage certificate be in Cyrus' study?" Damon asked, his skepticism clear.Nyla bit her lip and continued her story. "When we got mar
After Clark left, Nyla finally breathed a sigh of relief.The incident was over, but she knew she had to be more cautious in the future.She got up, straightened her wrinkled clothes, grabbed a random piece of clothing from the closet, and went downstairs.Clark and Cyrus sat facing each other in the living room, both looking displeased.Seeing Nyla come down, Cyrus said coldly, "It's late. You two should head back."Clark nodded and stood up. "Alright."He looked at Nyla with an emotionless gaze. "Let's go."On the way back, Clark remained silent, clearly still angry about what had happened.As they reached the villa and Nyla was about to get out of the car, Clark spoke coldly. "Don't you have anything to say?"Nyla turned to him. "What do you want me to say? That I really cheated, or something else?""Nyla!" Clark's gaze was icy, making Nyla feel as though he might strangle her at any moment."People say you need to catch someone in the act. You didn't even see your uncle'
"He bankrupted the Magills. If they come for revenge, what does that have to do with me?" Clark dismissed Michael's concerns, ignoring his warning.Seeing that Clark wasn't listening, Michael frowned and replied, "Alright, I understand."After Michael left, a murderous look appeared in Clark's eyes. Since Damon had tried multiple times to humiliate him, it was time to teach him a lesson.…For the next few days, Dylan went to the lab daily, bringing gifts for Nyla, but she rejected them each time.While helping Nyla set up an experiment, Melody commented, "I don't get it. Why does Dylan keep coming even though you reject him every day? Does he have a masochistic streak?"Nyla shook her head and replied, "I don't know. Don't worry about him. You set that rack up backward."Melody quickly fixed the rack and didn't bring it up again.After a week of visiting the lab, Dylan finally figured out Nyla's schedule. Now, he just needed to find a time when Melody wasn't around to take Nyl
Nyla, who should have been unconscious, had seized a nearby flask and smashed it over Dylan's head.The sharp shards of glass sliced into his forehead, and blood began to flow immediately.Seizing the moment of his shock, Nyla shoved him away and stumbled toward the door.However, she had expended all her strength in that single blow and felt weak and unsteady. Before she could reach the door, Dylan yanked her back by her hair."Bitch, how dare you hit me!" Dylan snarled.He slapped her across the face repeatedly. His forehead, still bleeding, made him appear grotesque and terrifying.Nyla wanted to fight back, but her weakness prevented her. She could only glare at him with disdain.Her defiant stare further enraged Dylan. He slapped her again and again until she was nearly unconscious."Let's see how long you can keep that attitude!" he growled.He threw her to the floor and ripped off her skirt. As he gazed at her pale, slender legs, his eyes turned red with lust, and his h