Nyla bit her lower lip hard, not letting go even when she tasted blood.After a long moment, she finally said coldly, "Clark, is that all you can do?!""You're the one pushing me. I just wanted to know where you were last night. That's all. If you refuse to tell me, it only makes me think you're hiding something," Clark insisted.Nyla took a deep breath and enunciated each word, "I stayed at your uncle's house last night."The phone call fell into a suffocating silence.Nyla could clearly hear Clark's breathing becoming heavier. She continued slowly. "Valarie had an accident last night. I was emotionally unstable, and Uncle Damon was worried I might overthink things if I went home, so—"Clark sneered. "So he took you to his house? Nyla, don't tell me nothing happened between the two of you alone!""There was service staff in his house, and it wasn't as sordid as you imagine!" Nyla countered.Clark didn't believe a word of it. "Not as sordid as I think? So you just kissed and hu
Jordyn quickly received a call from Michael at the hospital.When she learned that Clark had donated the kidney to her father, she couldn't contain her joy. She had thought it would take longer for Clark to agree, but it happened so swiftly!Now, she just needed to find a chance to tell Nyla about it. She touched her still-flat belly, her eyes filled with scheming.…All day, Nyla had tried calling Clark more than a dozen times, but he hadn't answered any of her calls.It seemed she would have to wait until he returned from his business trip to explain everything.…Spencer entered the CEO's office with a file and knocked on the door. "Mr. Sumner, we've made some progress on last night's incident."Damon put down his documents and looked up at him.Spencer handed over the file and reported, "We found a suspicious vehicle that left through the hotel's back door shortly after Valarie's incident. This car had a fake license plate and quickly vanished down a road without surveilla
It was unexpected that the suspects would attempt to grab Valarie as she jumped from the building, causing her to hit her head and fall unconscious.Damon's expression darkened. "Take those two to the police station. As for Jacqueline, send a few people to capture her and bring her to Nyla. Let her handle it herself."…Jacqueline had just arrived at the airport when the Rainfords' men blocked her path. She scowled. "Get out of my way! I'll miss my flight!"The leader of the group was the Rainfords' butler, who usually took orders only from Byron."Ms. Rainford, your father wants me to take you back," the butler said."I'm not going back. I'm going abroad! If you don't move, don't blame me for being rude!" Jacqueline yelled.The butler, seemingly unperturbed, signaled to his team. They moved forward and forcibly dragged Jacqueline to the car."Let go of me! You're just the Rainfords' lackeys. Don't touch me! I'll make sure my dad deals with you!" Jacqueline screamed.No matter
Seeing the fear in Jacqueline's eyes, Nyla remained unmoved. Valarie must have been even more terrified when she jumped.Jacqueline gritted her teeth and glared at Nyla. "What do you want, Nyla?"Nyla smiled and said, "I just want you to experience the pain and fear that Valarie went through."Jacqueline's eyes widened. "You wouldn't dare! If you lay a hand on me, the Rainfords will never let you get away with it.""If the Rainfords really wanted to protect you, you wouldn't be here right now, would you?" Nyla sang.Jacqueline felt a surge of terror. After all, Byron had watched her being taken away but had done nothing.The thought that Valarie was still lying in the ICU, not knowing when she might wake up, made Jacqueline tremble uncontrollably.She didn't want to end up like that!"Ms. Jayston, I realize I was wrong. Please, can you spare me? I'll go to Valarie's hospital room and beg for her forgiveness. I'm begging you…" Jacqueline pleaded.Her face was pale with fear, an
"I know I was wrong… I'll go to the police and turn myself in. Will you let me go?" Jacqueline pleaded.Nyla shook her head. "I'm afraid that won't work. Even if you turn yourself in, the Rainfords could still bail you out."What I want is for you to experience the same pain and fear that Valarie went through. Only then will you understand what she endured."Jacqueline felt a wave of despair. She hadn't expected Nyla to be so ruthless. She started to regret listening to Erin and taking action against Valarie. If she had just listened to her parents and apologized to Nyla, she wouldn't be in this desperate situation now.Wait… Erin was the one who had instigated her. If she could just shift the blame onto Erin, maybe she could save herself!At that thought, she looked up at Nyla."Ms. Jayston, Erin was the one who directed me," she revealed.Nyla frowned and looked at her coldly. "Erin has no grievance with Valarie. What could she gain from having you harm Valarie?"Jacqueline s
Nyla turned to the doorway and saw Tom approaching with a cold expression. She sneered. "Mr. Genge, what do you want?"Tom looked at her icily. "Let Jacqueline go.""You should know that Valarie is still unconscious in the ICU because of her. What right do you have to ask me to let her go?" Nyla demanded."Even if you throw her out now, it won't wake Valarie, and she has already been punished as she should be," Tom reasoned.Nyla scoffed. "What punishment?"Tom frowned, finding Nyla's demeanor quite unpleasant. Even now, she wouldn't let Jacqueline go, despite Jacqueline already being in such a dire state."If you throw her out, you'll definitely offend the Rainfords. If the Rainford Group and the Sumner Group clash because of this, the Sumners won't spare you either," Tom warned.Nyla raised an eyebrow and said slowly, "So, Mr. Genge, are you looking out for my best interests?"Tom's gaze grew colder due to the sarcasm in her voice. "Regardless of your intentions, if you dare
"Okay, I'll take you there," Spencer offered."No need. I drove myself," Nyla declined.…Less than half an hour later, Nyla arrived at the hospital. Seeing that Valarie had truly woken up, she let out a deep sigh of relief, and her eyes misted over.When Phoebe saw her, her expression darkened. "Ms. Jayston, you're not welcome here."Valarie frowned and looked at her mother. "Mom, what are you doing?"Phoebe snorted. "If it weren't for her birthday, you wouldn't have ended up in this situation.""These two things have nothing to do with each other," Valarie retorted. "Just because I had an accident on my way to dinner doesn't mean it's my fault for going to that restaurant.""Well, I don't want you to have any more contact with her," Phoebe insisted."Whether or not I stay friends with someone is none of your business!" Valarie asserted."You!" Phoebe was furious, her face turning pale. She slammed the bowl she was holding onto the table and barked, "Fine! You're all grown u
The servant didn't give Nyla a chance to resist and tossed her directly into the basement.The basement, usually reserved for rarely used items, was cold and dark.After locking her in, the servant left.Nyla took out her phone but found there was no signal, so she had to abandon the idea of calling for help. As soon as her phone's light went out, the basement was plunged into darkness once more.…Around 10:00 p.m., the basement door opened, and Clark walked in with a grim expression."Do you realize your mistake now?" he asked.Nyla looked at him, her eyes devoid of warmth. "Clark, I've already explained everything. You refuse to listen, and I don't think I've done anything wrong."Clark's face darkened, and his gaze turned icy. "Since you won't admit your mistake, you can stay here tonight and reflect on it."With that, he turned and left.The basement door was shut again, cutting off all light from the outside.…The next day, Damon came looking for Nyla."Where is Nyl
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