Wren stiffened. Throwing up her hands, she said, "Fine. I won't say anything more. I finally understand what it's like to be a stepmother—whatever you do, you're never right. I get it now!"Harrison frowned, looking somewhat helpless. "That's not what I meant.""Then what do you mean? I've taken care of you diligently these past two years, and I haven't mistreated your daughter. Now, just because I mention the trouble she has caused, it's too much?" Wren questioned.Seeing Wren's confrontational expression, Harrison felt irritated. He turned his head away and fell silent.Wren, even more enraged, began complaining about how difficult it had been to care for Harrison over the years.After a few minutes, Harrison could no longer tolerate it and barked, "Yes, it's been hard taking care of me, but didn't I provide you with enough before Harris Pharmaceuticals' bankruptcy? No matter how she is, you have no right to criticize her!"Wren sneered. "Then ask her to take care of you from n
As soon as the call connected, Wren's frantic voice came through. "Where are you right now? Your dad went to the Sumners on your behalf and got into trouble. He ended up in the emergency room after drinking excessively to make amends!"Nyla's mind went blank, and her body froze in place. It took her several seconds to react. "I'll be there right away!"Her voice trembled as she spoke.Valarie, who had just woken up, noticed Nyla's distress and quickly got up. "Nyla, what's wrong?"Nyla looked up, her eyes red and tears streaming down her face. "My dad is in trouble. I can't drive..."Valarie's expression turned serious. She grabbed Nyla's hand and said firmly, "We can't drive after drinking so much last night. We'll take a cab."She led Nyla out of the bar and hailed a cab to the hospital.When they arrived at the emergency room, the surgery had just ended.Dr. Leslie Knapp, looking exhausted and irritated, addressed Nyla and Wren with frustration. "I've warned you repeatedly t
When Damon arrived, Nyla was sitting on the sofa, staring blankly. Hearing the footsteps, she looked up toward the door. Her eyes were red and filled with helplessness and fear, like a frightened little rabbit."Uncle Damon, you're here," she called out.Damon approached her and asked in a low voice, "Are you hurt?"Nyla shook her head. "I'm okay… I was at the bar with Valarie. I wasn't home… When I came back, this is what I found…"Damon frowned. "Have you called the police?""Yes, I did. They should be arriving soon," she replied."Alright. You can't stay here. I'll have Spencer find you a new place," Damon said."Can I stay with you for the next few days?" Nyla asked.As soon as she finished speaking, the living room fell silent, so quiet that they could almost hear each other's breathing.Damon's eyes narrowed dangerously as he spoke, each word deliberate. "Do you know what you're saying?"His direct gaze seemed to penetrate everything, making Nyla feel as if she had nowh
After Nyla finished speaking, she hung up and blocked Clark without giving him another chance to speak.Soon, an unfamiliar number called her again, but she ignored it.After several attempts, the calls stopped.Nyla served the meal she had prepared on the table. Just as she finished tidying up the kitchen, the doorbell rang.When she checked and confirmed that it was Damon at the door, she opened it.Noticing the aroma of food, Damon looked surprised. "You cooked?"Nyla nodded and stepped aside to let him in. "Yes. Let's have dinner before we head out."As they walked into the living room, Damon saw the table set with three dishes and a soup. They looked appetizing, and the tableware was neatly arranged.After sitting down, Damon suddenly asked, "Did you use to cook often?"Nyla smiled. "No. Before my divorce from Clark, we mostly had a housekeeper who cooked."Damon hummed but said nothing more. He picked up his cutlery and took a bite.After a moment of silence, he set do
Back at the villa, Damon instructed the housekeeper to show Nyla to a guest room while he retreated to his study. He needed Spencer to investigate the man who had bumped into Nyla that evening."Mr. Sumner, we've identified the man. He's the popular actor Malcolm Underwood. He was at the restaurant tonight with his non-celebrity girlfriend. He bumped into Ms. Jayston while rushing out after spotting a paparazzo," Spencer reported.Damon's expression remained icy, and his voice was devoid of emotion. "Give him a lesson."Spencer was taken aback, realizing he had underestimated Nyla's importance to Damon.After a moment of reflection, he suggested, "Should we leak the fact that he has a non-celebrity girlfriend?"Malcolm had a new romantic drama coming out soon and was currently promoting his on-screen romance. If news of his real-life relationship emerged, it could severely damage his public image.Damon hummed in agreement.…Meanwhile, Sky returned to his studio and reviewed t
Nyla lowered her gaze and nodded. "Okay."…As they neared the company, Nyla asked Damon to drop her off at the corner.He frowned, clearly displeased. "Am I so embarrassing to you?""It's not that," Nyla replied. "I just got divorced from Clark. If people from the company see us together now, it will negatively affect you.""I don't mind," Damon said flatly."But I do. I need some time to adjust to our relationship, so let's keep it private for now, okay?" she asked, her voice tinged with hope and a hint of hesitation.Damon covered her eyes with his hand, his voice low and husky. "Alright, but I'll need to collect some interest."Nyla was startled, her eyes widening. "What kind of interest?"Her lashes brushed against Damon's hand, tickling him slightly. He held her waist and leaned in to kiss her."Mmph…" Nyla stiffened, instinctively trying to pull away. As she moved back, she found herself pressed against the car door, unable to escape. She could only surrender to Damon.
Clark sneered. "I was wondering why you were so eager to divorce me. Turns out you've latched onto my uncle. Nyla, you're no different from those cheap women out there."Nyla slapped him hard across the face, drawing the attention of everyone around them.Clark had never felt so humiliated. His eyes blazed with fury as he reached out to choke Nyla.Before he could touch her, a powerful kick sent him crashing to the ground.Damon pulled Nyla into his arms, looking down at Clark with cold, piercing eyes. "She's your future aunt. Show some respect when you speak, or next time it won't just be a kick."Upon hearing the words "future aunt", Clark's face flushed with rage."Uncle Damon, Grandpa and Grandma will never allow you to marry a divorced woman. Being with her will only make you a laughingstock in Saintornia!" Clark spatThe more he spoke, the more smug he became.Richard and Marie had always been so picky about the women they wanted for Damon. Yet here Damon was, falling for
After a few moments of silence, Damon answered coldly, "I'll head over right after my meeting."…Nyla arrived at the top floor at noon, only to be stopped by Spencer."Ms. Jayston, Mr. Sumner isn't in his office right now," he informed her."Is he still in a meeting?" she asked.Spencer shook his head, his gaze fixed on her. "No. He got a call from Mr. Richard this morning. He went back to the Summer residence and hasn't returned yet."Nyla's heart sank. She didn't need to guess—it was clearly about what had happened earlier that morning."I see. Thank you for letting me know, Mr. Hogg," she replied.Noticing that her expression remained unchanged, Spencer frowned. "Ms. Jayston, aren't you going to go over there?""Even if I did, it wouldn't help. Besides, seeing me would only make the Sumners more upset," Nyla answered calmly."This whole situation started because of you. Shouldn't you stand by Mr. Sumner and face it together?" Spencer's gaze was filled with disapproval, hi